Freezing.
It crawled up everyone's back as they felt heavy. Something untouchable was pressing on them. This power. Souma and Homura gasped hard before dropping to their knees.
Kenji's heart pounded hard. He threw his gaze at his surroundings and found nothing that could possibly cause this pressure. A footstep at the hall. Everyone snapped to it.
Commander Dachi stood with his arms folded behind. Dark blue flame covered his skin as he scanned the arena. His attention stopped Homura and Souma after seeing bruises on Kenji's cheek.
The weight ended as commander Dachi took out the clipboard, "219 - Vanguard. New mission tomorrow," He coughed once - quiet, controlled before speaking, "6 AM. Line up here."
"Y-Yes sir!" The vanguards quickly stood up and straightened their backs. All voices echoed at once.
Before Dachi walked away, he focused on Kenji for two seconds, "Kenji. Akira. Prepare for the weapons and armors." Kenji flinched as the weight shifted on him. Until Akira stood firmly and spoke, "Yes sir!"
"Yes sir," Kenji said after.
Dachi stopped mid step, he focused on Kenji before commanding, "One lap. Louder next time."
"Everyone else. Dismiss."
Kenji stood in the middle of the training field as the warriors dispersed. Akira patted his back before leaving, "We'll wait in the mess hall. Good luck."
Kenji nodded once. He forgot to be loud. Kenji gritted his teeth and clenched fists before running.
The mess hall was crowded again, just like lunch time. They sat at the same table with the same food that they had at lunch. Kenji sat there with his burning thighs shaking. Homura patted his back, "You're okay?"
Kenji slowly looked up and noticed the bruise on Homura's cheek, "I'm sorry for that."
"For what?" Homura took a spoon of curry.
Kenji mumbled, "Bringing you into the fight."
"It's a sparring session."
Akira perked up, his mouth still full of bread, "Oh yeah. The kick you landed on Souma was damn crazy!"
"Swallow the food, bro!" Shiori dodged the wet pieces of bread jumping out of Akira's mouth.
"But I agree."
Sora nodded, "Uh hum, where did you learn that?"
Kenji flinched. That kick was from someone he wished to hug again, "My father…"
"Oh…We're sorry," they all sagged down immediately after seeing the shift on Kenji's face.
Kenji shook his head and looked at everyone, "Don't worry. I'm good."
"But that was insane, to be honest," Akira added more.
"Th-thank you…"
Silence. Kenji sipped the curry until he remembered Dachi's words earlier, "Oh…May I ask about tomorrow's mission?"
Homura glanced to his left, "Ah. Yeah. Just light work that you have to clean some areas."
"Clean…what?"
"Killing the Shroud. Dark things."
Akira grinned, "Yeah, but there will be Luminar leaders so you don't have to worry."
"And someone only got one kill. Just one after three missions," Shiori bit the bread and looked away from Akira.
Akira jumped and gritted his teeth as he turned to Shiori, "Oi! At least I have one!"
"Th…Three here," Sora kept his face from Akira with a smile.
Shiori stared at Akira and smirked, "Eleven."
"Tch! Lucky!"
Akira waved at Kenji before leaving, "See you."
"Yeah, good night bro."
Kenji returned a soft one before walking into his room. All strangers. None of them broke a word, turning their face into the wall beside their beds. Kenji lay on his cold and hard rock bed. The dark swallowed his room as the torch blew off. His focus pinned on the blank ceiling.
Silence. Enough to hear the wind drifted and the leaves rustled outside the window. His thoughts got louder and louder. Those smiles of his mother and father. The joy lit on Riku's face when Kenji had returned home. Three loved ones waited in front of the house that he would trade his lifetime for a minute to stay.
Two wet spots enlarged on the pillow.
"Stand up. Or leave." Something stuck in his chest. "They died because of you." Kenji grimaced and turned to the left as his body stiffened. And to the right with the hope that it would fade away. Same result. Kenji inhaled hard but nothing changed at all. The fight was recalled. The soreness still remained on his ribs and thighs. How long did he try to sleep? His eyelids shut tight as the tears leaked out from the corners. Until he couldn't hear anything again. The heavy in each breath was no longer there. Pitch black.
A scream echoed. Blood puddled across the dirt path with collapsed houses on both sides of it. The head of the herbalist rolled in crimson and the arm of his mother in the sharp jaws.
Kenji shot up immediately. He breathed hard and scanned around the room. Everyone else stilled under their blankets as their backs shifted up and down slowly. Riku's grey eyes and his father's cold body hit him. Kenji's breath hitched hard. He shook it off and rubbed his face with both palms before looking out the window.
The sun barely emerged out of the mountain. He inhaled deep and his heart stopped pounding hard against the ribcage. The dawn air filled his lungs, leaving something clean in his chest. His shoulders sagged down as he turned back into the room. Something urged him to look back. Kenji slowly shifted his gaze to the window.
A face. Two hands tucked in.
Kenji jumped hard back and hit the floor. Akira jolted as he didn't expect to scare Kenji this much, "Oh shush!" Some warriors moved beneath the blankets, Kenji noticed.
"SHHH!" Kenji shot his index finger up at his lips.
Akira covered his mouth instantly. He motioned Kenji to follow him and Kenji returned a slight nod. He grabbed his Vanguard uniform, pulled on his pants, belt still creased from being folded. He stepped out and clicked the door shut gently before following behind Akira.
"You…" Kenji locked his jaw.
Akira glanced and grinned, "I'm joking, bro," he burst out a giggle with his palm raised up to his lips, "Sorry."
Kenji exhaled and shook his head, "Nah, it's okay."
Silence.
Akira broke it first as he faced Kenji, "How was your sleep?" Kenji paused for five seconds at least before his mouth hung out, "Good enough." Akira raised his brow as he noticed the dark circles, "Not fair enough. What happened?"
"Nothing. Just feel a bit strange with the new environment."
Akira chuckled and poked Kenji's cheek, "I was once like that but things felt easier after two weeks."
"I hope so…"
"It will," Akira heaved his arm on Kenji's shoulder and patted it, "But the thing awaits us this morning is a nightmare."
Kenji tilted his head, "What…The mission?"
"Nope. The armour and weapons…" Akira grabbed Kenji's sleeve and rested his head on Kenji's shoulder, "This is the fourth time I have to do this…"
"It's that bad…?"
"YES IT IS!!" Akira roared and messed up his own hair, "You will soon find it a nightmare."
They both stood at the front of the massive warehouse. Akira reached the lock and twisted the key before pulling the door out. Kenji stepped in. The smell of metal hit him first until Akira carried a torch in. Tons of armour and sharp blades flashed in Kenji's eyes. His brows jumped up and stood for minutes as he approached those crates of katana. Akira lit up the torches one by one. More and more types of weapons were exposed as the dark faded from the light. Something shifted on Kenji's face.
"Why do you look so excited…" Akira sighed, "We have to carry all of this out."
They got to the first crate, a long one. Kenji lifted one side and he flinched immediately. It is this heavy?! He dropped it instantly. Akira pointed at Kenji and burst a loud laugh, "I told you!"
Kenji breathed hard and glanced at many other crates they had to carry out, "Not like this…" Kenji took a deep breath before grasping it again. Akira counted down from the other end, "3…2…1"
Lift.
Kenji held his breath and tightened all the muscles he had to drag this out with Akira. The door was two meters ahead but someone was already there. They both shifted their gaze to the figures. Homura, Shiori and Sora. Shiori broke the silence first, straight to mocking Akira, "Cannot leave the weak like this."
"Shut it and help us already!" Akira roared with his brows frowned deep.
Shiori smirked, "Eh, what's that attitude? We're leaving."
"No! I'm joking."
Homura smiled and stepped in. He tucked his arm beneath the long crate they were carrying and lifted up easily, "Let me do this."
"Awh! My hero…," Akira withdrew his arms from it before carrying the bundles of armors.
"Ay. Look at us, Akira," Shiori called his name from afar. Akira shifted his attention to the voice, only to find Shiori and Sora were carrying the same crate with complete ease.
"Tch."
Smile. Talk. They worked together for no matter how long it took. Everything needed was taken outside the warehouse, Akira pushed the door closed before carrying one of the crates to the training area.
The sun was already high. Kenji dragged the last crate to the training area and found his friends were already geared up. He quickly put on random chest armor, quite not fit but none of them was smaller. Glanced from the left to the right. Kenji stood there and looked to the left again before focusing on the Vanguards.
He noticed the armors on their shoulders. Kenji snapped back to the bundles, grasped two shoulder guards and slid them above his left arm. He realized that there was nothing to hold it in place. He pressed it above his bicep and left it there. It dropped instantly. His breath caught at the neck as he felt something cold.
Commander Dachi was already waiting and staring at him. Kenji flinched hard. Everyone else was in position and he alone couldn't figure a way to put on the armors. Homura approached and grabbed some strings in the crate. Tightened the shoulder guards to his chest armor.
Homura finished the knots then paused. His eyes dropped to Kenji's empty hip. He turned back to the crate and pulled a katana, "There we go."
Kenji paused two seconds before grabbing it. His feet followed Homura - face kept away from Dachi. His fingers found the knots between the armor plates. Firm. Akira nudged him with a quiet chuckle, "Took you long enough, Kenji."
"Eh hem," Commander Dachi drew out the usual clipboard, flipped through the pages before folding his arms behind, "219 - Vanguard. Attention!"
All Vanguards straightened and shifted their focus on commander Dachi.
"Today's mission."
"You will be clearing Shroud activity in the Kage Jungle. Reduce presence near the base perimeter. Standard sweep."
Footsteps echoed in the hall. Two figures. One of them was sharp, and tall. White and gold armor covered his skin with black clothes in between, "Fujiwara Ren."
The other one stood firmly with a bulky build. A massive shield on his arm and a heavy sword rested on his shoulders, "Ishida Kuro."
"They will be your leaders for today."
Kenji traced down the golden trim of Ren's armor, the ocean blue pattern carved into the center of Kuro's shield. He shifted back to their guard helmets. Through the gaps, he could feel the burning flames in their souls. The power already weighed on him even before either of them moved.
"Recruits stay behind the leaders. Do not engage until ordered."
"Move out!"
Boots met sand as the line dispersed toward the gate. Homura noticed Kenji's gaze had dropped to the ground. He patted his shoulder, "You're okay?"
"Yeah…"
Homura smiled softly, "Don't worry."
"Yeah yeah. Light work, Kenji." Akira heaved his arm on Kenji's shoulders and poked his face.
"Alright alright. Thank you."
Horses were already waiting. One by one they climbed on the wagons - six to each. Kenji followed behind Homura. Before he could step on, Souma bumped onto his back with a smirk. Almost amused.
"Don't die, weak."
Kenji's chest stiffened. By the time he exhaled, Souma was already on the other wagons. Akira nudged him, "Don't mind him. Let's go."
The wagons lurched forward toward the jungle. The wind rushed into the wagons with the steady hoofbeats. Kenji glanced outside, watched the people and houses shrinking behind. A new place without the warmth waiting each day.
Something nudged his chest. Kenji dropped his gaze down to find a bread hovered at him. He traced the arm up to the face. Shiori waited, "Take it."
"Th-Thank you…"
Shiori stood silent and returned the same nod.
Kenji turned back outside as the bread was already in his stomach. The city sank down the green of trees. The scent of wet wood mixed with dirt recalled the darkest memories which had been following him. His chest pounded hard as his lungs rushed to gasp for air.
"Kenji."
He flinched and snapped to the voice. Homura grabbed his shoulder, "Let's get down. We arrived the jungle."
"Oh…Okay."
Fujiwara Ren and Ishida Kuro stood at the front, "219 - Vanguard. Attention!"
The warriors dismounted and lined up at the treeline. Ren scanned, "I will divide the squad into two units. Alpha. Delta."
"Alpha attacks the front - first two lines. Delta defends and supports. The rest."
All of them looked at each other. Kenji found himself on the third line with Akira, while Homura stood on the second line with Sora and Shiori. Akira frowned, "Awh man, I need some kills."
"Huh? You will get none. Protect us instead," Shiori giggled.
"Ugh, whatever."
Homura turned to Kenji, "You're okay with that role? We can switch."
"I'm good. Thank you, Homura," Kenji nodded. Something close to a smile.
Ishida Kuro continued, "We are now in the Kage jungle. Stay focused and follow our order. Understood?"
All voices roared at once, "Yes sir!"
"Watch your sides and behind. Our success depends on each other."
"Shrouds spotted in the northeast."
Fujiwara Ren shot his arm forwards, "Alpha. Execute!"