The Mysterious Girl

Walking towards the commander's office. I was going to give some reports and ideas about how to protect the orphans and the nuns against the Outsiders.

As I reach the door of her office.

"Come in.", the commander said.

I'm just about to knock.

She immediately senses me. Maybe my steps are loud.

I open the door and slowly walk towards her.

Her back is resting on her chair like almost laying on the bed.

She's looking at the ceiling while rubbing her hair using her fingers on her left hand.

She might be thinking deeply about something.

She looks like a normal girl at that time.

The commander is always calm and serious which makes people see her as a great leader. But deep inside, she's still a normal girl.

"Hello.", I greet her.

"Goodmorning."

I handed to her the documents.

She places it on her table.

On her table, there are only some documents, a ballpen, a pencil, and a template where her name is on it.

"Hm?"

Wait, there's actually one thing there.

A small picture frame.

*Does that thing always there?*

That's the first time I notice it. Or maybe she just put it in.

In the picture, there's a serious look of a young commander. Beside her is not Ernesta but a red hair girl with sharp yellow-red eyes who's smiling.

She's giving me an Ernesta vibe.

*If I remember, she meets Ernesta at her senior high. So this picture is from her junior high.*

They look close. The red hair girl's arms are on the commander's shoulder while she makes a peace sign on her other one.

I look at commander to compare her looks from her junior high to the current one.

She looks at the window. After a few seconds, her eyes widen which surprise me.

She immediately stands up from her chair and jumps off right on the window.

"C-Commander?"

________________________________________________________________________________________

After giving the documents to me, Hiro looks at the picture frame on my table.

*Don't tell me he just notice that.*

Hiro keeps staring at my picture.

"Can you stop staring?", that's what I wanted to say to him.

I'm getting embarrassed so I look at the window.

As I look, I saw someone outside the wall of HQ.

The person is so far to see its face plus she's holding an umbrella.

All I can tell is that she's a girl because of the girly umbrella.

I was about to tell Hiro to go to that person when I notice something.

The girl notices me and looks at me.

*No way!*

I stand up to my chair and jump off the window.

As I land, I run towards the wall and use my amulet to open a path for me.

The girl disappears.

"No way."

"Commander?"

Hiro follows me.

"Sorry if I surprise you."

"Does something matter?", he asked.

"No, nothing, I thought I saw something."

"I see."

I went back to my office after that.

__________________________________________

That night, in my bed. I was giving a deep thought about what I see this morning.

"There's no way, right?"

*Knock**Knock*

Someone is knocking at my door.

"Wait."

That person didn't stop knocking on my door.

She continues doing it as if she's drumming.

"Ernesta."

I call her name before I open the door.

As I open the door, a happy face shows up.

Even though it's already night, her face looks like is lively as the morning.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"What do you want?", I asked.

"I heard that you jump off on the window and run outside. What happen?"

"Nothing."

Ernesta has a mission at that time that's why we didn't meet all day.

"Ehhhh. That's unusual to you to do that. Come on, don't be shy."

"Urghhh... goodnight."

I shut off the door.

"Lisa!!!"

"Don't shout."

*Click*

"What?"

"Hello again."

*I forgot, that doorknob is made of metal.*

No wonder why she hasn't taken off her uniform.

"Come on. I'm your friend, if you have a problem, you can say it to me."

*I have a bad feeling about this.*

Although asking Ernesta for help is a good choice. But I prefer asking Darius.

When it comes to advise, Darius is the best person for that. But in a physical job, that would be Ernesta.

"Hmmm... I see."

"What is it, Lisa?"

"You wanted to help me right?"

"Yeah!"

"Then, I have a job for you."

"Why I feel like you're just giving me a job instead of helping you."

"No, I'm serious here."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Really, really?"

"Yeah. Really. Really."

"Okay then, tell me what job is it."

________________________________________________________________________________________

After that day, we went to the place where the Orphanage is.

All of us including our commander.

As for our headquarters, Ernesta and Relaine taking care of it.

"Okay, I'll start now."

While her eyes are closed, Commander Elizabeth steps her left foot on the front, and then she opens her eyes. After that...

"What the..."

Something big is coming from the ground.

"T-The Orphanage?"

The Orphanage appears before us. The other broken structure from the past Orphanage sink in on the ground.

"Amazing."

"Just what you tell in your documents, Hiro. We're going to give the contact of A-2 to them especially to Relaine."

Just like what Ernesta told me. Relaine is really fast, which means she can respond immediately just in case there's trouble in Orphanage.

"Also, I'll make sure that this orphanage is ten times stronger than the first one. So, what do you think Hiro?"

"I think that's good enough."

To be honest, I don't think the enemy will come again to the orphanage for the second time.

Doing that means suicide.

I don't think our enemy is dumb enough not to know that we're ready in the second attempt of their attack.

"Hm?"

*Did I see someone there?*

I feel like I saw a shadow behind the tree.

I walk towards the tree.

"Hiro?", Vinna notice me.

"I'm just going to look something here."

When I reach the back of the tree, there's no one there.

*Maybe it's just my imagination.*

"Hm?"

I smell something burning.

I look under my feet and saw some burned grass.

The strange thing is not just its freshly burned but also its shape-like footprint.

I look around and there's no other burned grass except this.

*Is someone observing us?*

"Hiro?"

"Hm?"

It's Vinna.

"Is something matter? And what was that? It smells like something burning."

"Nothing. Is commander is already finished?"

"Yeah."

"I see, let's go back already."

______________________________________________

When we go back to HQ, instead of going to the room and having some rest. Ernesta drag me to somewhere else.

"What are we going to do again?", I asked.

"Search and kill!"

"Why it sounds like we're searching for a murderer."

We're here outside the HQ where commander run yesterday.

"Woah!", Ernesta shouted.

"What is it?"

"A clue!"

"Hm?"

A ground that looks burned. Also, it looks like a footprint.

*Just like in that place.*

"What do you think Hiro?"

"I don't know, maybe some idiot burned their shoes and runoff."

"What kind of theory is that? Come on! Be serious!"

"As if I know what is that!"

*It could be...*

"Want to search further?", I asked Ernesta.

"Of course! In order to solve the mystery, we should go and search further."

"Yeah..."

"It's time to investigate further!"

She grabbed something from her pocket.

"A magnifying glass?"

"Yeah! We have to look even in the smallest thing on earth."

We walk further in the forest.

Ernesta use her magnifying glass and look around her.

Almost a half-hour later, we didn't find anything.

"We already search enough, we should go back already."

"Ehhh... but it's still early."

"I know but I'm tired already."

"Boo! You should start exercising cause you have low stamina."

"I don't want to hear that to someone who's just energetic and doesn't exercise at all."

"Come on! Just another hour."

"Another hour? It's just almost a half-hour."

"Then we should continue."

"Ugh..."

I hold Ernesta's shoulder and make her turn around.

I push her to start walking.

"Come on, let's go back."

"I don't wanna!!!"

Ernesta turns around and pushes my shoulder.

I do the same thing.

"Come on, let's go home."

"But it's been a half-hour."

"Yeah, but I'm already tired."

"It's not my fault that you have low stamina."

"Yeah, but this is not my job. It's yours and yours alone."

We push each other until we stumble.

"Woah!"

"W-Wait!"

We walk unintentionally towards the large grasses.

"Ouch."

"Where are we?"

"Hm?"

"Huh?"

There's someone in front of us.

A bald guy who's standing while his hands are hidden on his back.

At first, I thought it's only a normal guy, but when I look at his skin. It's color gray, he also has night sky just like...

"Woah! Aren't you one of the pure-blooded Outsiders?", Ernesta said.

"P-Pure blooded?"

"So, it's you again. Little girl."

"I think you're name is Rod?"

"It's Zod. I admit you give us a rough time the last time we fight. But this time, I'll make sure that both of you are dead."

"My, my. Someone wants a rematch and die."

"Ernesta, are we gonna be okay?", I asked.

"Of course, this guy is no match for us."

"No match huh, let's see."

"Hiro!"

"Yeah."

"Now die."

The Outsider dash towards Ernesta.

"Instant Creation!"

Ernesta created a chain weapon with a hook in its end and a sharp blade on the other end.

The Outsider pushes his hands towards Ernesta.

Ernesta rolls the chain to the Outsider's hand.

"Gotcha!"

"Don't get full of yourself."

The Outsider raises his other hand and pushes it towards Ernesta's neck.

I immediately dash towards him and grab my knives.

I block his hand and use the other knife to slash towards him.

He leans back and pulls his hands on the chain.

He jumps away and as he lands, he lowers his stance.

"It looks like he getting serious now."

"Yeah, that's why you should be serious too."

"Ehhh... but I'm serious too. But of course, with fun."

"Ugh..."

*There's nothing I can do about her aren't I?*

"Try not to go close to him too much."

"Okay!"

After that, she runs towards the Outsider.

"Wait!"

*This girl!*

"Instant Creation!"

She created a metal spear and throws it towards the Outsider.

The Outsider move to the left to dodge it.

Ernesta swings her chains towards the other side of the Outsider.

The Outsider duck to dodge the chain.

"He's fast. He even dodges it without looking. It looks like he can see the future.", Ernesta said.

"Yeah, or maybe... he can actually see the future in the first place. Aren't you?"

"Hm? I see, there's no point in keeping it a secret if I'm going to kill both of you in the end. Yes, can I see the future. Five seconds before it happens."

"He didn't it denied at all, that means he's confident he can take us both."

"Come on, Hiro. Don't be scared. I promise I'll be able to take him."

"That's one of our problems. You're so confident so much."

"Hehe, sorry, bad habits of mine."

"It doesn't matter, even we can't defeat him, at least we survive."

"Okay!... Now die!"

"This girl never listens."

Ernesta throws her chain straight to the Outsider.

The Outsider dodges the chain and holds it.

"Got you now."

He pulls the chain but it didn't move a single inch.

"Hm?"

The hook in the other end of the chain is pierced on the ground.

I throw one of my knives towards him.

The Outsider just grab my flying knife of mine.

"I told you didn't I, I can see the future."

"Really?"

Ernesta smiles like a devil.

"What the?"

There's a chain tie up to his body.

"When did you?!"

"Hehe!"

Ernesta's arms are spread.

*Don't tell me...*

It's the thread of Ernesta.

The Outsider is busy fighting that's why he didn't notice it.

The thread is connected to another chain of Ernesta.

"I created these two along with the spear."

"But I didn't see it!"

"Who said it can only appear in front of me? Haha! I can use my instant creation and choose where to place it."

"Tsk!"

*But how? I thought he can see the future?*

"You!!!"

"Hehe, gotcha buddy."

"I see, I lose for the second time. We will meet again. Ernesta."

"What are you..."

So many Outsiders appear and surrounded us.

"Let's get out here!"

"Yeah! Bye-bye! Mr. Can See The Future."

After that, we run as fast as we could.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the cave, Cerex is sitting on his throne while I'm sitting on the ground, resting my back on the wall.

"Zod, you're back.", Cerex said.

"Yeah."

"Where have you been?"

"I just want to walk outside when I encounter two people."

"Two people?"

"Yeah, the vice commander of A-1, Ernesta, and the boy named Hiro."

"Hiro huh. I see."

"Yeah. I'm going to rest now."

"Wait.", Cerex stops him.

"What is it?"

"I have a job for you."