Chapter 40: Squad Under Fire

Soujin tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. The figure emerged from the pristine half of the building with red eyes stark against the flickering flames. Once it stepped into the combined light of the fire and the sun, its features became clearer—a hulking, bear-like Senodokidatsu with green skin and jagged claws.

He muttered under his breath, "How the hell did this thing get into the Divine Blade Society?"

The creature roared and lunged forward with surprising speed. Soujin leapt back but as the Senodokidatsu swiped at him, there was no sense of dread or heavy aura like he’d come to expect from real threats.

He frowned. " Waitaminute..Seriously? This thing is barely a threat!"

Still, it roared again and slashed wildly. Soujin shook his head, “Guess I’ll just deal with it quickly.”

Soujin drew his blade and sliced cleanly through its massive frame—only for it to pop like a balloon. No blood, no guts, nothing. Just a loud pop and the faint sound of air escaping.

Soujin stood there, blinking with his sword still raised. His face shifted from confusion to irritation. "What the actual hell...?" he muttered while lowering his sword.

Before he could make sense of the bizarre situation, someone spoke out from behind him. "Ah, looks like one of those went wild again. Squad 8 really needs to get their act together when they make these things.”

Soujin whirled around only to see someone leaning casually against the doorway of the pristine half of the building. The person had long, flowing blonde hair with face painted with striking eyeliner and glossy lipstick.

Their golden-striped Divine Captain’s cloak left no doubt they were one of the captains but their appearance screamed elegance far removed from the chaos around them.

“You must be Captain Bloom Hilight,” he began by nodding respectfully. “Ma’am, what the hell was that thing? Some kind of Senodokidatsu slipping through our defenses?”

Bloom’s painted lips curved into an amused smile. Then they gave a lighthearted laugh and waved with their hands. "Oh, darling, you wound me already! That little outburst was no Senodokidatsu. Squad 8, bless their clumsy hearts, developed those as training dummies. Useful things, really... except for the one itsy-bitsy bug that makes them go rogue every now and then."

Soujin closed his eyes and sheathed his blade with a sigh... "Rogue dummies…How does something like that even happen?"

“Well, you know how it is,” Bloom replied with a sigh of their own while twirling a lock of blonde hair between their fingers. “You try to make something indestructible, and bam! You forget a failsafe to prevent it from turning into a berserk balloon monster.” Bloom shrugged “Squad 8 does love their little experiments, and who am I to stifle their creativity? Besides, it’s not like it’s that dangerous, is it? You popped it like a party favor.”

He wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or impressed by their breezy confidence. “Right…So, you’re Bloom Hilight, then? I can see why people say you’re approachable—you’ve got that whole... graceful and effortlessly elegant thing going on.”

Bloom’s painted lips curved into a sly smile. “Oh, aren’t you just a sweetheart? Such a charmer—flattery will get you everywhere, you know. Though, I must say, it’s not every day I’m called ‘elegant’ by someone so... ‘Rugged’.”

Soujin resisted the urge to roll his eyes and settled for a dry smirk instead. He then gave a small bow while turning his face neutral. He was stiff in posture but still respectful. “Soujin, Captain of Squad 3. I came here to—”

Before he could finish, Bloom clapped their hands together with a delighted look. “Oh, no need to rush into all that boring business right away! The scenery out here is absolutely dreadful. Let’s talk inside over a nice cup of tea, hmm? Come along now.”

Before Soujin could protest, Bloom turned and gestured for him to follow. Soujin hesitated for a moment but then shrugged and followed. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Bloom yet but one thing was clear—they were eccentric to the core.

Upon stepping inside, Soujin was met with contrast. The pristine half of the building was a picture of perfection: polished floors, clean windows and weapon racks but even here, there were signs of disarray—scaffolding and tools were scattered around and certain sections looked half-finished.

“Pardon the mess,” Bloom said with a wave of their hand. “We’re under renovations at the moment. Squad 5 has a reputation to uphold, you know. Can’t let the little disasters out there ruin our aesthetic.”

Soujin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He was used to captains with quirks but Bloom was shaping up to be on a completely different level.

While walking through the hall, Bloom glanced back over their shoulder with a sharp smile at Soujin. “By the way, darling, earlier you called me ‘ma’am,’ didn’t you?”

Soujin tensed. “Uh... yeah. Was I wrong?”

Bloom chuckled. “Not entirely. You see, I’m both a mother and a father, so you can call me whatever feels right—ma’am, sir, captain, or just Bloom. I’m quite flexible, you know.”

Soujin’s face shifted into mild curiosity. “That’s... not something I hear every day...”

Bloom’s eyes sparkled with amusement. They lead him to a decorated sitting room. “Oh, my dear, I assure you—you’ve barely seen the colors. But don’t worry, I’ll have you properly acquainted with me in no time.”

Soujin explained the situation with Cera to Bloom, who listened intently. Their sharp eyes didn’t miss a single detail.

As he finished, Soujin leaned back slightly. Bloom sat quietly with a distant gaze for what felt like an eternity.

“Bloom?” Soujin prompted after several minutes went by. The moment the sound of Soujin’s speech reached them, Bloom’s gaze snapped back into focus with their playful smile returning in full force. They blinked and straightened up while tilting their head slightly. “Ah... quite the situation you’ve gotten yourself into, Soujin. Cera is truly in a dangerous position. The execution is scheduled for tomorrow, and there’s little time left for you.”

They leaned back in their chair with eyes narrowing. “If it were any of my children, I’d probably be doing the exact same thing as you—going to extreme lengths to try and save them. I get it. I truly do.”

Soujin felt a slight flicker of relief. At least Bloom wasn’t immediately dismissing him as some reckless fool.

However, Bloom continued in a more serious tone. “However, we can’t exactly forget the law exists here here. Defying them comes with consequences for anyone who stands in opposition to Head Captain Will’s orders.”

Soujin’s jaw clenched, but he kept speaking steady. “So, what are you saying? That there’s nothing we can do?”

Bloom’s eyes softened a fraction. “Not exactly. It’s just… What you’re asking of me—to intervene in such a delicate matter—is no small favor...”

Soujin was beginning to understand the complexity of the situation. They weren’t simply dismissing him, but they also weren’t offering a solution on a silver platter. After all, nothing in the Divine Blade Society came without a price, did it?

He opened his mouth to speak but before he could voice his thoughts, Bloom cut through the air in speech. “You know, Soujin,” Bloom leaned forward slightly and tapped their fingers together, “I can already see you trying to figure out what I’ll want in return.”

Soujin gave a weak shrug. “Well... yeah…I mean, that’s how things work, right? You don’t just help someone without expecting something back.”

Bloom smiled though it was somewhat teasing. “Oh, you’re not wrong but before you go getting all tangled up in your thoughts, let me explain a little about myself.”

They paused, giving Soujin an expectant look and took deep breath. “You see this?” Bloom gestured to their striking appearance—the gold lipstick, the perfectly applied eyeliner, the cloak that made them look both imposing and absurdly elegant. “Everything about me used to be a violation.”

Soujin blinked. “A violation?”

“Oh yes,” Bloom continued. “Before I became a Captain of my own, I was in Miko’s Squad unfortunately, and you probably know her as the rule shark by now. My entire appearance attitude, my very presence was considered an affront to the ‘decorum of the Divine Blade Society.’ She had me on the chopping block more than hundreds of times but I’ll tell you this, there were people who believed in me and saw the good I could do for the Society on the whole. They backed me up, and eventually... I was made a Captain of my own and the law changed.”

Soujin's eyes widened as Bloom’s tone shifted. “I was pardoned, Soujin. Not because I’m above the law—but because sometimes, the law needs to be flexible. It needs to change to accommodate the greater good. I’m proud to say I proved them wrong.”

Bloom leaned back in their chair while narrowind their eyes. “But I’m not some naive fool. I’ve built this squad with my own hands, despite every rule that tried to box me in. So if you want my help, Soujin, you’ll need to find a way to solve this whole mess with Cera—without damaging my squad’s reputation.”

Soujin sat up straighter after Bloom finished speaking. Their words hit home in a way he hadn’t expected but he understood quite clearly what he had to say now. “You’ve got a deal, Bloom. I’ll figure it out. No harm to Squad 5’s reputation. You have my word.”

Bloom’s sharp gaze softened for a brief moment. Then they put on a smile.. "Good. I don't make promises lightly, Soujin. Keep that in mind."

With that, Soujin rose from his seat with his mind running through the various ways he might be able to untangle this mess with Cera. He paused at the door, glancing back at Bloom one last time.

"Thanks," he said with a brief nod and a small smile. "I won't forget this."

Bloom waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. Just do what needs to be done."

Soujin left the room with a small spark of hope kindled in his chest. When he stepped into the corridor, he could hear the sounds of laughter coming from further down the hall. A few of Bloom's younger squad members emerged from an adjoining room with faces lighting up when they saw the Captain. They called out in unison.

“Mommy! Who was that?”

Bloom turned to face their squad with a smile. "Oh, just a friend," they said lightly. “Someone just like me—trying to rescue their own child.”

The young squad members blinked in unison expecting to hear more, but no more came. They chattered excitedly to one another and began questions about the mysterious visitor but Bloom simply chuckled to themselves and gestured for them to follow.

"Alright, alright, back to training. Let’s not keep ourselves from becoming the future heroes by staying in park, shall we? "

Soujin walked with a lightness in his step. He’d done it. He’d convinced Ryojin to stall for time, and now he had Bloom on his side. A strange sense of satisfaction wrapped around him. The tension in his shoulders loosened but he wasn’t quite done yet. Not by a long shot.

While walking around the Divine blade Society, his mind began to wander. The next step was clear—he had to get a better grasp of the situation and figure out how to deal with Cera’s situation without triggering the wrath of Squad 5’s reputation. Bloom had made that part clear. When he passed the door to Squad 6's building, his thoughts shifted.

‘Squad 6...’

He glanced up at the eerie building where Muffet’s squad operated. A chill ran down his shoulders at the thought of stepping inside..

Soujin frowned and thought, ‘It’s not even worth it to go in there now. Not when Muffet’s not here. The atmosphere alone could kill me.’

But then, his mind jumped to Squad 7. Yup. He should try to swing by and chat with the Captain of that squad instead, find a bit of normalcy or at least as normal as things could get in the Divine Blade Society.

Just when he mentally made the decision to walk on by and head toward Squad 7, his legs betrayed him and he found himself already standing directly in front of Squad 6’s door.

‘Ah, shit.’

Before he could even turn away, the door creaked open. A cold gust of air seemed to rush out. Before Soujin could move any further, a hand shot out from inside and grabbed his arm with a firm grip.

“What the—?!” Soujin barely had time to react before he was pulled inside. The door slammed shut behind him, cutting off any chance of escape.