Chapter 18: First Connection

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the Divine Blade Society’s headquarters. Soujin made his way to Squad 4. His mind was occupied with the image of Cera, now unconscious and possessed by the Senodokidatsu.

When he approached, he was met by none other than the man he met the first time he’d ever visited this place. The man’s blue eyes immediately locked onto Soujin. “You again. What’s a kid like you doing here at this hour?”

Soujin, visibly tense, straightened up. “I’m here about Cera. I heard I should speak to Captain Ryoji Kurogane...”

Ryoji raised an eyebrow. “You’re looking at him…. Alright, follow me.”

Soujin followed Ryoji through the base. The interior had a clinical ambiance. The walls were lined with medical equipment and observation stations. Ryoji led him to a backroom, where the atmosphere grew more serious.

Upon making an entrance, Soujin’s eyes fell upon Cera, lying on a bed. Her face was pale and her breathing shallow. Ryojin’s face hardened.

The door creaked open, and a few male nurses entered with concern. One of them handed Ryoji a report on Cera's condition. Ryoji's eyes scanned the document.

“She doesn’t look like she’s winning this battle,” Ryoji muttered gravely.

Soujin clenched his fist. He let out a growl from his throat. “There has to be something you can do!”

Ryoji glanced up, meeting Soujin’s fiery gaze. “It’s still too early to draw conclusions. This just happened a few hours ago. We’re still working on stabilizing her before attempting to separate the Senodokidatsu from her body.”

“Why not try to separate it now?” Soujin demanded desperately.

Ryoji’s face softened slightly. He spoke calmly. “The process is to ensure she lives through it. If we attempt to separate them while she’s unstable, it could lead to her death. We need to stabilize her first, then we can focus on the separation.”

Ryoji paused, then extended his hands over Cera, murmuring an incantation. A gentle, golden healing art was casted over her which battled against the dark energy of the Senodokidatsu. Cera's body twisted and turned. She screamed out in agony.

“Come on, Cera, fight it,” Soujin urged.

Suddenly, Cera’s eyes snapped open, and her lips moved, but what emerged was not her own voice. It was a guttural, malevolent tone of the monster within her. “We’ll slaughter them all! We’ll slaughter them all!!”

Ryoji’s face hardened. “Mystcry Arts #28: Ironite!” he commanded. Iron chains materialized, wrapping around Cera and immobilizing her. The malevolent force was subdued, and Cera fell silent once more.

Ryoji straightened his posture. “Come back in three days.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Soujin replied.

Ryoji scoffed. “Don’t expect to hear much of a change in such a short amount of time.”

Soujin turned to leave. While walking, his thoughts drifted to the conversation he'd had with the Head Captain earlier that day.

"Muffet won't be returning to the Divine Blade Society for some time," the Head Captain had said in response to a question Soujin asked. "Her mission to obtain a Divine Blade is of the utmost importance."

The words echoed in Soujin's mind, mingling with his own thoughts. ‘What exactly is a Divine Blade? What makes it different from the swords we use now?’

After leaving Squad 4, he noticed a figure standing in the shadows just outside the entrance. The moonlight cast a soft glow on her, highlighting her stunningly beautiful features.

"Well, took you long enough," the woman said. She wore a stylish multicolored shirt paired with sports pants, adorned with delicate jewelry.

Soujin blinked, struggling to place her. "Uh, do I….know you?"

The woman's violet eyes flared with irritation. "You don't remember me? Really?"

Soujin rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry…It’s been a long day…Can you give me a hint?"

She let out a deep and put a hand on her hips. "It's Mirumaru. Captain of Squad 1. You really don't remember?"

As Soujin's eyes widened in realization, he stammered, “Wait a minute... you’re a captain? You look like a fashionista.”

Mirumaru narrowed her eyes slightly. “Oh my god. You really have forgotten.”

Before Soujin could react, Mirumaru stepped closer, her gaze intense. “You owe me a date.”

Soujin blinked with his mouth agape. “Wait, what?”

Mirumaru stepped back. She shifted to a playful smile. “Just kidding. But really, don’t you ever get tired of wearing the same old thing?”

Soujin looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Mirumaru twirled around. “When I’m not working, I love to shop, explore the city, relax, and just enjoy life. It’s a nice break from the job, you know?”

“That sounds nice,” Soujin said, nodding. “But what about managing your squad?”

Mirumaru waved a hand dismissively. “I have my lieutenants for that. They’re more than capable of handle that boring thing.”

Soujin muttered to himself, “Wow, this woman...”

He imagined Mirumaru skipping through the streets while two poor souls managed the squad in her absence.

Mirumaru's cut through his thoughts. “Anyway, I just came to see how you’re doing after all this.”

Soujin looked up with his curiosity piqued. “Really? Why?”

Mirumaru’s hands slipped behind her back. She tilted her head with a playful smile. “Catch you later, big boy!”

Before Soujin could respond, she vanished in a flash, leaving only dust flying in the air.

Soujin stood there, blinking. “That was interesting.”

Soujin lay in bed at Squad 3, drifting off into a restless sleep. His dreams quickly filled with vivid memories he didn’t recognize. He saw himself and Mirumaru sitting at a series of tables in various settings—cafés, parks, and restaurants. Mirumaru was always laughing. Her face was sparkling with joy, while Soujin’s face was one of annoyance.In each memory, it was clear they had shared moments of companionship, but the details were always fuzzy and incomplete.

When the next day dawned on them, Soujin awoke with a start. He scratched his head, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream. “That was some strange dream,” he muttered, feeling both puzzled and oddly intrigued.

When Soujin stepped out of his room, the calmness of Squad 3 was replaced by a cacophony of raised shout. He followed the noise to the main room, where chaos reigned. Members of the squad were in a heated argument with faces flushed with anger.

In a corner, Xero stood apart, watching. Bellar, on the other hand, was hunched over with her head bowed.

“Settle down!” Soujin called out.

The room fell into a hesitant silence. Soujintook a deep breath and approached Bellar first.

“What’s going on?” Soujin asked gently.

Bellar didn't respond.

"Well... in that case...”

Soujin turned his attention to Xero. “What’s going on here?”

Xero sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It all started when we got back from that tough mission. Since then, there’s been this ongoing debate about whether Cera will be coming back. It’s become a whole mess of arguments over who gets her room position if she doesn’t return.”

“It all started when we got back from that mission,” Xero grumbled, rubbing his neck. “Since then, it’s been a non-stop circus of who’s gonna snag Cera’s spot if she doesn’t come back. It’s like everyone’s fighting over a piece of pie.”

As soon as Xero finished, the squad members kicked up another round of chaos. Some of them threw their arms in the air while speaking over others. “The lieutenant spot’s up for grabs!” one of them bellowed while striking a pose like a street brawler ready to throw down.

“It’s about damn time that high-and-mighty bitch was outta here!” another member yelled, pushing forward with a grin that oozed arrogance. “I’m calling dibs on that slot!”

“Not so fast!” shouted a third, shoving their way to the front with a glare. “I’ve put in the hours and fought the hardest! I deserve it more than anyone!”

The noise and agitation only grew louder.

Bellar, standing by with her head still held down, finally spoke up. “I ain’t wanna share no room with any of those bastards.”

Soujin stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then shook his head in disappointment. He took a deep breath and shouted over the din, “Alright, enough!”

The room fell into an uneasy silence. Everyone turned their attention to him. Many of the men looked ready to take out their frustrations on Soujin.

“Let’s all calm down!” Soujin continued. “Cera is still alive. It’s too soon to be acting like this. We need to focus on supporting each other right now. All this bickering won’t help anyone.”

Soujin took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before addressing the agitated squad members. “Listen up, Senodokidatsu have many ways to desperately escape their grasp. What happened to Cera was my mistake for not knowing the right protocol behind dealing with that type.”

The room erupted into a murmur of discontent, with a few members roughly vocalizing their frustration. “No duh, of course it’s your fault!” one of them snapped.

Soujin raised a hand, silencing them with a commanding gesture. “I know it was my mistake. I will work on fixing it. In the meantime, you all need to get back to training. It’s what we do best, and it’s what we need to focus on right now.”

He turned to Xero and said, “Xero, you’re in charge until I get back. Make sure the training sessions are rigorous.”

Xero nodded. “Got it.”

Soujin then addressed Bellar, who had been standing by with her head still hung low. “Bellar, come with me.”

Bellar lifted her gaze just enough to meet Soujin’s eyes before following him out of the room. Her steps were slow, and her posture remained slouched, but she moved without protest.

While leaving Squad 3, Bellar walked side by side with Soujin with neither saying a word. Soujin broke the silence, glancing sideways at Bellar. “I know you’re probably feeling down about Cera. She’s my second lieutenant, and most of all, someone who seemed close with you.”

Bellar’s gaze remained fixed on the ground. “Why would I feel anything for that girl? She’s always getting herself into danger, ignoring warnings like a child. What happened to her is just fitting.”

Soujin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

Bellar’s pace faltered for a moment. She hesitated to speak before snapping back. “I don’t see why I should care. She made her own tombestone.”

Soujin shook his head. “I’ve kept a close eye on you two. You and Cera, despite your arguments, acted like the best of friends. You care more than you’re letting on.”

Bellar’s head was about to lift her head up, but Soujin cut in with a smirk. “And let’s not forget when you both tried to steal my money.”

Bellar’s eyes flared with indignation. “You just had to add that last part, didn’t you? For the record, it was you who handed that money over to us in the first place.”

Soujin chuckled. “Point taken. But it doesn’t change the fact that you care more about what happens to Cera’s than you’re letting on.”

Bellar’s face softened, if only a little. “Maybe,” she conceded with a whisper. “But it doesn’t change the fact that she put herself in this position. I just…don’t know how to feel about it.”

As Soujin and Bellar approached the Squad 4 building, they were met by Miko, who was as stern as usual. The brisk captain of Squad 2 spoke. “Soujin, I thought you might show up here today, but I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

Soujin eyed her with curiousity. “What’s happened?”

Miko’s eyes were grave. “Cera’s escaped.”

Soujin’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?” Without waiting for a response, he bolted past her, rushing into the building.

Inside, the scene was chaos. Male and female nurses lay scattered around the room, unconscious and badly wounded. Soujin’s eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Cera. His gaze landed on Captain Ryojin, who was clutching a severe wound on his chest.

Ryojin looked up at Soujin with a pained face. “The Senodokidatsu combined with Cera amplified her strength beyond what we could control,” he explained hoarsely. “She’s become an S-level threat.”

Soujin’s face fell. “What are you saying?”

Ryojin’s gaze was resolute. “We have no choice but to take drastic measures to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Miko stepped forward. “Do you understand, Soujin? In order to protect the Divine blade society, the Head Captain Will is going to order for Cera’s Execution when he finds out about this.”

Soujin and Bellar stared in shock. Bellar’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.”

Soujin growled under his breath, ‘She took the words right out of my mouth’, he thought. This was not what he had expected at all.