The Pressure

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course."

Inside the dark cave. Two pure-blooded Outsiders talking to each other. There are four of us having a meeting. The other one is being silent in the corner.

"Isn't dangerous to do that?"

Even though they calmly talking. I can say that there's something wrong. They don't like fighting since only the other one looks angry, while the Cerex is just listening to his complaint.

"Don't worry, you won't die in this. Everything is according to my plan."

*I wonder, what his plan this time.*

This old man Outsider is always a mystery to us. He always hides his plan and reveals it when he already succeeds. Of course, all of his plans always work, that's why no one complaining to him.

"I see, so what do you want to achieve this time? Is it to wipe out all members of A-1?"

"No"

"Spit it out."

"You will know, or maybe not. But it doesn't matter, as long as it succeeds."

"Tsk."

Clicking his tongue, he turns around and glances at the other one who keeps silent.

"Stop keeping silent there in the corner. Say something about this."

Without raising his voice, he gets the attention of the other Outsider. He stands up and walks towards him. His tall body will make a human run right after they see him, and not just that, his arms...

"It doesn't matter whether his plan is actually working or not, as long as I can kill someone.", speaking with his rough and terrifying voice.

*That's scary.*

"How about you?"

He's asking me now.

"Sorry, but I'm only following orders, not making."

"I see."

*Why is he asking me now? I'm not smart unlike you two. Joining their argument is just a waste of time.*

"I guess I don't have any choice."

He agrees at last.

"Don't worry, I already predicted everything. I only thing that we need to do is to make it happen."

Behind his smile, I know something bad might happen.

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Today we're having a big problem."

Putting her hands to the table. It looks like we have an emergency.

"There's Outsiders that spotted in three different locations. That means I have to divide all of you into three groups."

If you excluded Commander, A-1 is consists of seven members. That means there will be one group which consists of three people.

"Rick and Greg, you will be assigned in North. For Darius and Vinna, you will be in the East, and Lastly, Hiro, Lulu, and Ernesta, you will go in the South."

As expected, my group will the one having an extra member since I'm not a good fighter after all.

The commander might seems already think about this group before she calls for a meeting. She makes a group where the other one is at the front while the other is at back to protect.

*It looks like Vinna and Greg will be at the front while Rick and Darius will assist them at the back.*

In our group, I'll be one who will go front while Lulu is in the back but with Ernesta, it will be easier for us since she can be front or at the back using her metal manipulation amulet.

"Okay A-1, try not to die."

""Yes!""

__________________________________

Three of us already walk to the South, our mission is to eliminate the Outsider who spotted at our location.

*Huh?*

Ernesta is swaying her hands while we walking for some reason.

"Um, Ernesta?"

"Wait!"

"Huh?"

"So you're one of the new members of A-1 huh."

"What the!"

A beautiful lady appears few meters away from us. She has long black hair, gray-skinned and a night sky eye like the other Outsiders. She looks like a twenty-five years old, lady.

"So, who wants to die first?"

"H-Hiro."

Lulu is getting scared right now.

"Ernesta."

"Yeah. I go first. Follow me after that."

"Yes."

Ernesta dash towards the Outsider. She immediately pulls the dagger the thrusts it to Outsider. The Outsider dodges the attack. Ernesta continuously swings the dagger while the Outsider keeps dodging.

"You won't be able to hit me if you do the same thing."

"Oh, really?"

Ernesta grabs more dagger from her uniform and throws them at her.

"Hiroro."

I immediately run towards the Outsider. Pulling my knives, I swing my dagger targeting her stomach. She jumps backward to dodge it.

"Woah, that was close."

* She just keeps dodging. What did she planning?*

I keep attacking while she's dodging it all.

"It's too boring. Maybe I should attack too."

"Huh?"

She raises her hand.

*She's not holding anything. Is she planning to attack me with bare hands?*

"Hey!"

"Huh?"

A chain that wrapped my body and pulls me. immediately.

"What was that?"

"Sorry, I need to do that."

"Eh?"

"You might die if I haven't."

"What do you mean?"

"Watch."

"Huh?"

Ernesta dash towards the Outsider. She uses her dagger to attack her.

"You're so annoying."

The Outsider raises her hand as if she's going to slap Ernesta.

"Die!"

"Ernesta!"

Ernesta uses her chain to block the attack.

*Wait?*

I can't see anything that hit the chain but it looks like there's something that hits it.

Ernesta jumps backward after the attack.

"Did you realize it now?"

"Yeah, something hits the chain even though there's nothing on her hands."

"That's her amulet's power."

"Huh?"

"Her weapon is invincible. I don't know whether she can make anything she hold like that."

"I see."

She manages to identify the Outsiders amulet's power in just a short time.

"Oh, you know my amulet's power now. Maybe I should kill you first!"

The Outsider starts running towards us.

"Lulu, get ready to make this one sleep."

"Yes."

"Here I come!"

The Outsider attack Ernesta first. Ernesta wrapped the chain to her hands and use it to block the attack.

"Not bad."

"You're good too."

They both smiling even though they fighting each other.

"Hiro now!"

"What!?"

I throw the smoke bomb between Ernesta and the Outsider. Ernesta immediately jumps backward before it explodes.

"Tsk, do you really think you can beat me with this?"

"Lulu"

Ernesta controls the chain and wrapped it to Lulu.

"Eh!?"

Ernesta pulls Lulu and runs towards the Outsider.

*What is she planning?*

"You're dead!"

The Outsider escaped from the smoke bomb.

Ernesta throws Lulu five meters away from the Outsider.

"Wait, Ernesta!"

"I'll kill you first kid."

"Eek!"

*Smile*

I saw a huge smile on Ernesta's face.

"What!?"

"Huh?"

"I-I can't move!"

"What?"

I look closely. It's-

"Thread?"

*But I don't see any thread in her hands at all.*

"Steel thread."

"You!"

*I see, that's why Ernesta swaying her hands while we walking. She's spreading the threads.*

"It's time to sleep, old lady."

"Old lady!?"

I can feel the madness of the Outsider. Her Aura change instantly after Ernesta call her old lady.

"Oh my."

"I think she's really mad right now Ernesta."

"My bad. You two get ready."

"You little! I'm just twenty-five!!!"

"Woah!"

The Outsider cuts the steel thread using her weapons. I can't clearly define what kind of weapon she has since we can't see.

"Be ready!"

"Yeah."

The Outsider runs towards us and starting to swing her hands. We keep our distance since we can't identify how long her weapon is she using.

"Hey Hiroro, do you any plan in your mind!"

"How can I even think it now?"

I can't think of any since where in this situation.

*I should relax my mind first.*

"Hey, you!"

"What the!"

The Outsider swings her hands towards me. I'm dead now if Ernesta didn't pull me.

*I guess I can't think of any plan in this situation.*

"I can't think of anything."

"I see, I guess we have to fight her."

"Yeah."

"Lulu! Be ready."

"You little brats!"

"I'll go first."

Ernesta dash towards the Outsider. The Outsider raises her hand and swings it to Ernesta. Ernesta blocks it using her chain and at the same time, she grabs her dagger and slashes it towards the Outsider's neck but she immediately leans backward to dodge it. Ernesta's continuous slashing makes the Outsider moves backward.

*It's my turn.*

I'm already at the Outsider's back and ready to thrust my knife to her. The Outsider looks at her back and saw me.

"You!"

Before she could do anything, Ernesta uses again her thread to tie her up.

"Gotcha!"

"Tsk!"

I was ready to stab her when I notice something.

*Her eyes.*

Outsider's eyes are like sky in the night. It covers the whole of their eyes. But this girl is different, her eyes are also the same as them except the sclera or the white part of the eyes. She looks like she has a normal eye in a distance.

"Hiroro! Quit looking at her like a pervert!"

"W-what? I'm not doing that!"

"Huh?"

"What!?"

Ernesta pulls me using her chain.

"What was that for?"

"There's another one."

"Wait what?"

I look to the Outsider, behind her there's someone.

"You!"

It's the same Outsider that Ernesta and I fought.

"It looks like you have a hard time dealing with them huh."

"Tsk."

"That's understandable since the vice commander is here."

*Another one?*

"Ernesta"

"We're going now."

"W-what?"

"They won't attack us now."

"Don't worry, I'm just here to help my comrades to escape."

The old man Outsider cut the threads by just using his hand.

"We're going now, Clair."

Two of them turn around and start walking away.

*Wait!*

"Let's go back."

"Yeah."

We end the fight that it looks like nothing happen.

"But first."

Ernesta uses her threads to cover the first where we fought.

"Just in case."

"Clair huh"

"What is it? Don't tell me you're already in love with her."

"No, it just her name sounds like for human."

"Maybe she just changes it to humans names to make it sounds good."

"I wish that's true."

*But if we're also dealing with a human, what would we do?*

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ahhhhh!!!"

Even though Rick has an amulet to make his shot accurately as much as possible, he can't still hit the enemy.

"Darn, this guy is nuts."

An Outsider the looks like a human, he has almost the same height as me, or maybe he's a little taller. He's bald and looks like a middle-aged man.

"Hey! Greg, try to keep his attention so he can't dodge my attack."

"Yeah."

After nodding, I dash towards the Outsider and start slashing him with my katana as fast as I could. The Outsider just keeps dodging, he even didn't look at me when he does that.

*How can he dodge that?*

I jump back.

"It's pointless."

"Yeah, this guy is on another level. So what's the plan?"

"We should identify what kind of power he has."

"I see, I see."

"Can you continue shooting until we find out?"

"Well, it will depend on how many magazines of bullets I still have."

"Then try to shoot him in the most accurate way."

"Come on, my ability makes my shooting skills ninety-five to ninety-nine percent accurate."

"Then, let's make it one hundred. I will distract him and you will come closer and start shooting him."

"Understood!"

I dash towards the Outsider. Holding my katana tight, I swing it towards him but as I expected, he immediately dodges it. I pull my katana and thrust it to his chest.

"That kind of attack won't hit me, kid."

"Now!"

While he's distracted, Rick immediately runs to his back and starts shooting.

"Now die!"

I jump back to avoid getting hit.

"Die! Die! Die!"

Even though he's already close, he can't still hit him.

*This guy.*

"I have no choice."

I run towards the Outsider without worrying about the bullets that might me.

"Fool."

Before I could swing my katana, the Outsider grabs my arm and throws me to Rick.

"Woah! Wait!"

After the hit, Rick and I are now laying on the ground.

"Men, that hurt."

"Sorry."

"It looks like it didn't work."

"Yeah. We need more time to identify his ability and weaknesses."

*He can dodge the bullets that have high accuracy and at the same time my fastest attacks. Just how we can defeat this guy?*

"It looks like you can't fight now. It's time to finish this."

He starts walking slowly towards us. Both Rick and I can't still get up because of the impact.

*What would I do?*