Chapter 6

I reflexively stand up in a defensive position.

"Not trying to intrude, I just wanted to thank you earlier for today"

Her voice gave away her nervousness and yet she looked at me with determined eyes.

Maybe she didn't see that public beating I got. At least it wasn't televised.

Her eyes glittered as if her amber eyes contained a bright orange moon with each pupil and her light silver white hair became bright in the moonlight. Her almost fair white light skin shone across her entire body. She wore a simple t-shirt and a skirt.

"No it's alright I was just thinking about some stuff."

"It must of been important, you looked really tense and focused"

She tilted her head in wonder and brought a finger to her cheek as she poked it.

"No, I was just thinking about a report from an article. Apparently a Guardian Echo was sighted in Everglade forest."

Saying this out loud, her eyes widened and she perked up. She no longer had a relaxed attitude and walked towards me.

"Is that true, you're not lying right? did it say where it's exact location is?"

Her actions surprised me because she brought her face near mine and although it seemed like she was trying to read my thoughts she just looked like she was pouting with a small frown.

"Yes, and why do you seem so intense about it?"

"Because my platoon will be heading out in three days to Everglade Forest"

"Oh...OH!"

She turned around and stopped in place. Looking up at the stars, worry was written all over her face.

"I'm sure it's alright, my friend told me it was at least 100km away from the supposed nest that your platoon will raid"

Silence.

Maybe I should be more consoling. No she'll be fine there's really no reason to worry about something like that even if the monster's movements seem to be erratic.

The night wasn't chilly at all, but there was a slight breeze that came every so often. Her hair swayed and then she looked back at me with resolved eyes.

"Please tell me how to defeat a Guardian Echo!"

"For starters you would need a gun or weapon that's more suited towards stronger Echos and sadly the army doesn't provide it to the infantry because the supply is more limited"

"I'm talking about when you killed a Guardian Echo when you were an infantry."

Taken aback by what she said, I couldn't help but show my surprise. She instantly realized what came out of her mouth and her cheeks turned red in embarrassment. People usually only knew about my more recent achievements and those who knew about the C7 Squadron Massacre didn't talk about it to me or Kim, the only survivors of the incident.

The only reason I was able to kill a Guardian Echo was because it was so focused on Kim who was drenched in blood. After he had settled me down inside the cave and patched me up he said he would try to save any other survivors on the field.

I passed in and out of consciousness, but a scream resounded outside the cave. Kim said that he was carrying a member on our team when the man was stabbed in the back covering Kim all over with his blood. Kim ran inside the cave and was pinned in a corner. forcing myself to get up I was able to sneak towards the beast and slice the bottom chin killing it.

Standing there awkwardly she looked around her surroundings and fidgets with her fingers.

There's absolutely no way a regular person can get close to those savages and even be able to cut the top of their neck.

Wait. How was she able to catch me off guard in the first place?

Having experienced so many life and death experiences, my senses should have been able to perceive someone casually walking behind.

So why was she hidden? Despite her distinct features that made her stand out from the crowd, she had zero presence at all and I doubt she knew how to conceal her presence in the first place.

Interesting.

The odds of a Guardian Echo appearing during their mission was very low, but not zero. A Guardian Echo was sighted outside of their usual roaming zone and appeared during our early raids in the army, and although the encounter was not likely, we were closer to a meteorite as well which meant that an anomaly could appear.

Thinking about it again it seemed that these events were oddly familiar.

"I think I should go, thanks again for the food earlier"

She spun around and started to walk back when I grabbed her wrist causing her to stop and look back.

Sure I'll teach her a trick or two, and if the smallest chance that a Guardian Echo really does appear, she might actually be able to pull it off. She did save me from getting gnawed by a Scout Echo.

"You didn't even hear me reply. Sure I'll show you."

Her nose and cheeks turned red as she looked at my hand then at my face. Releasing my grip she dusted herself off.

"So what are you going to teach me?"

I scan my surroundings and find what I'm looking for. Walking towards the grass I bend down and pick up a bent and straight stick.

Walking back she eyed the sticks in my hand and showed a look of confusion.

"What's the sticks for"

"It's much easier to understand when you have a prop and imagination"

"What?"

She looked at me again as if she regretted even asking me for help in the first place.

"What do you see?" I ask.

"Don't act all poetic you've got two sticks in your hands"

"Wrong"

I dismiss her and shake my head.

"This is a sword, and this is a gun"

I implied that the straight stick was a sword and the bent stick was a gun. Then I instructed her to take the two sticks in her hand and get in a stance as if she were fighting the beast in front of her.

"If you are somehow alive with no injuries in front of a Guardian Echo, focus on its mouth. It's pincers indicate what leg it will use to strike you with its claws. When you see it twitch, expect to see the same leg strike on the same side"

"Okay so I can dodge it's attacks, but what's its weakness?"

"Like I said earlier, The equipment provided for the infantry cannot kill a Guardian Echo, that's why commanding soldiers are sent out to deal with them using stronger weapons since their hides are stronger. However there is one spot they are vulnerable with that even regular swords and knives can deal damage"

"Where is this weak point?"

I bring my hands up to my lower chin and neck and poke it.

"There is a small bulge under their face that is much weaker than the rest of their bodies. If you're able to penetrate its skin and expose it's opening, you take your gun and shoot a bullet through the flesh exploding their brains from the inside"

I learned this weakness when I was attacked before. When Kim shot a bullet near its shoulders, the Echo instantly covered its neck despite it being unfazed from the barrage of bullets being sent from the remaining soldiers.

I take her wrist and bring the stick like sword under my chin and draw a line across it. I then take her other hand and put it underneath as well then I make a clicking and explosion sound effect.

"The thing is when you catch these guys off guard or come within their range they can be predictable for a second, and a second is all you need in these situations"

Taking a breath of air I took a second to see if she was listening at all. Her eyes were awake and showed she was taking all the information in. I carried on with my explanations.

"When you are close enough in front of them, they make a slight grunting sound. They'll bring down both claws in a cross X motion when you hear that sound and you can use this opportunity to attack them. It's still very risky being so close to its face that I'd just attack their weaker hides so that I still had an escape. Since you're under geared, you don't get this option so in your case when you hear their grunt, you immediately jump forward towards them and get underneath their face"

I learned how to face a Guardian Echo by dying to it many times. I remember how I failed to analyze its movements and the result was me being sliced into two and dying seconds later. It was only after I had figured out how they fought that I was slowly able to find a way to attack their weakest spot.

I then motion my hands and draw a line on my neck.

"Wait, but you just said it's still risky"

"That's why you only get one shot. It's better than having no shot at all"

"Concept seems simple enough"

"You're right" I nodded

"It may sound simple, but the execution isn't"

I then tell her to get ready and pretend I'm the monster.

"I'm worried I might hurt you"

I laugh at her remark and smile.

"With sticks like those, at most it'll give me a small bruise tomorrow"

She then gets into a stance and I tell her that I'll move my head left or right before swiping my arms and grunting before making a cross slash to show similar traits as the beast's mantis-like mouth and claws.

Given her battle stance, I rushed forward. Closing my eyes I imagined and replicated the speed that the Guardian would have, but slightly faster. I move my head to the right and then immediately swipe at her. My right hand caused her to drop the sticks and stumble onto the ground.

Her eyes lit up with a hint of surprise, fear, and awe. She slowly got back up then picked up the sticks on the ground and once again readied herself into a battle stance. After multiple falls and cries of frustration she once again fell, this time head first.

She immediately stood up, her face red probably from the mix of anger and bruise from falling flat on her face.

"How is pretending suppose to help"

"Preparing your mind about an upcoming event is how you can strengthen your actions even though it's not the real thing. How do you think that athletes were able to perform as if they've always done it? Take a track star for example. It's because they trained and imagined themselves as if each run was in the Olympics. So tell me - uh - sorry I never got your name"

"It's Elizabeth," she said in a hostile tone.

"I'm Ren by the way"

"So tell me Elizabeth would you rather hit the ground and fall face first everytime and have the chance to get back up, or would you rather we end this and on the off chance it does appear, you face it with one shot"

I calmly finished what I had to say to her complaining and she just stood there in silence glaring at me. After a moment she picked up the sticks again from the ground and got into a battle stance. Her left eye twitched slightly before she dashed at me.

It was way past midnight and yet it didn't seem like she looked tired at all. After her little fit earlier she had become silent throughout the rest of the training. She was a natural. In fact after about an hour or so she seemed to be almost completely dodging my swipe attacks. I decided to go even slightly faster and eventually she had gotten used to that speed as well. Of course I didn't count the amount of times she's fallen onto the ground though.

Then she had gotten close enough in my range that I made a grunting sound.

She wasn't fazed at all and instead jumped towards me and got underneath as I made a downward strike. In an instant I felt a slash under my chin and a poke that had pushed my entire body upwards into the air. I watched as the moon rotated and the stars danced in the night sky

THUD*

I landed on the ground flat on my back, my neck hurting from the sudden jolt.

The tall trees towered over me as if mocking me and then she appeared above me as well looking down and wondering if she should be concerned or could laugh. Closing my eyes for a second I take in a deep breath.

"Ughh. I'm going to feel that in the morning"

She then burst into a fit of laughter. The noise boomed in the silent night. She continued to laugh as I lay on the grass.

She then wiped the tears from her eyes and then reached her hand out. Taking her hand I got back up and dusted myself.

"I think we can call it a night then" I say

Leaving the gardens it seemed that she was in a better mood.

"Thanks by the way, for teaching me and for saving a waffle. I'd also kill to get my hands on her recipe"

I laugh at her joke.

The rest of the walk was silent. Nearing the end of the pathway that split into two different directions lead to the male and female dormitories.

"Stay safe" I say out loud.

.Waving my hand in the air, I take a left.

"Eli"

Her voice was quiet and almost barely audible. Had I not had keen senses I would have never heard her and answered.

I turn back around confused.

"What?"

"Eli Grace!"

She said her name even more clearly and louder than before.

"Call me Eli"

I looked at her again. Her face and body was covered in dirt, cuts, and bruises from falling down so many times and yet she gave me a warm smile that seemed to brighten the area around her.

"Good night Ren"

"Good night Eli"

Reaching my room I unlock it to find Kim snoring on his bed. Taking a fresh set of clothes I get ready to take a shower before heading to bed.

Waking up I groaned as the bruise from the midnight training seemed to have gotten larger and slightly purple.

"What's with the bruise? Daphne wanted you to be a punching bag or something?"

Kim was on the desk looking at a bunch of paperwork. Notes pasted all over the desk.

"Don't worry about it" I reply

Four days had gone by fairly quickly. I didn't see Eli again since the night we trained and because there weren't any emergency reinforcements sent out, that means she was likely already cleaning up the nest with her squad.

We were usually debriefed by the Commander and sent out on hunting missions every couple of days, but since we were apparently on break, Kim wanted a change of pace and asked me to eat with him in the cafeteria at lunch. I refused, but he begged me to come with him so I finally agreed.

Sitting in the cafeteria I bit into a hamburger and fries. Kim was having tomato soup and a sandwich. In my peripheral vision I noticed that every so often heads would look at our direction followed with whispers.

I remember why I don't eat in public spaces, I hated being watched while I ate something. Let me eat in peace damnit.

Kim wasn't affected at all. If he did, he never showed it at all.

"Pass me some fries," he said. Already leaning over to take some.

Having trained all of my senses overtime I could make out conversations in the room full of chatter if I focused enough. I'm not one to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation, but I didn't seem to have a big appetite which made me slightly bored. Focusing my hearing on one table to the next, I heard bits and pieces of conversation from the surrounding tables, but there was one particular conversation that made me sit upright from my laid back posture.

"No I'm not joking it's true, I heard it from one of the guys in their group. A Guardian Echo appeared at the nest that F8 Squadron was suppose to eradicate"

The man who was talking had a buzzcut and a sharp scar that ran along the bottom of his chin and halfway down his neck. He wore a Commanding Soldier dress uniform. He chewed with his mouth open as he continued to talk.

"They said the senior soldier in charge of the group screamed out saying I'll protect you all and then got cut in half a second later. Shit like that cracks me up. Guys acting like they're the hero that will save the day. Ain't no one like that here. The only nice thing about being here is getting paid well."

"Fuck a Guardian Echo. I'm assuming they all got fucked"

The guy across from him made a laugh and the whole group laughed at his remark.

"Not quite. Yeah a quarter of them died, but apparently someone in their group somehow got close to it without getting torn to pieces and killed the little shit"

Kim looked up from his food, noticing where my gaze was directed. He was about to say something when I cut him off with my hand and motioned him to be silent before focusing back onto the group at the table ahead of me.

"No they didn't die, in fact it seemed like they had minor injuries, they're staying in the infirmary along with the others also injured from the incident and guess what"

The man leaned in closer towards the center of the table causing everyone at the table to also move slightly forward in anticipation.

"What?" one of them replied

"They're calling that person the 'Midnight Assassin"

"Why?" another one in the group asked

"Because that person moved so quick and elegantly that when they saw her moving, her hair was a blur reminding them of a bright moon and-"

No longer needing to hear more, I stand up from my seat and start walking towards the exit. Kim looks up in confusion.

"Hey wait where are you going!?"

Just from the incident and description alone I'd bet money on who they were talking about.

Eli Grace.