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A/N: Blargh. New story in the Dichotomy continuity. You know the drill by now. If you don't know about this series, go back to Matei Mizuki and start from the beginning. If you just finished Ai no Saori, you're in the right place. Either way, enjoy and be sure to give me some feedback.
The knight
The alarm that went off was uncomfortably close to my face. It was also a tad too loud for my taste. I'd have to talk to Gregor about this tonight.
Considering how early it was, my first instinct was to disable the alarm and go back to sleep. That, however, was not how it was going to play out today. Today was important. Today was the first day that I'd do something with my life.
Whereas before I had access to my own room in an apartment, I now slept in a much smaller one which I shared with another trainee. Breakfast was in fifteen minutes, and I had just enough time to wash up and dress in my tan-colored uniform before sprinting down to the mess.
When you live with humans, everyone looks relatively the same. Sure, some wear jewelry, body mass and size varies from person to person, and hair was an entire can of worms into itself. But when you're with demons and low-ranking gods you realize how diverse sentient life could really be. Rock monsters, individuals entirely composed of steam, angels, and then ordinary looking people like me all were here to start basic training. After all, there was a war and we wanted to stand up for what we believed in and protect the people we cared about.
Besides, Saori and everyone had fought tooth and nail to protect Anser from Midori Ai and her lot. The least I could do was play the big brother role.
The line slowly advanced until I finally got my chance to make a few selections from what was available. My mind drifted back to Saori's childish love of all things ramen, almost missing it as I finally settled on some emulation of the old human staple of eggs and bacon before locating a seat and digging into breakfast. A lot of things were uncertain to me and I barely knew anyone here aside from my roommate, who I had only had a few brief words with before going to sleep.
Things seemed so different from before, when I had been living with just Anser. Aside from that big Prism monster that attacked us right before Saori summoned my little brother, things had been perfectly quiet. We had worried about our parents, but word of any kind of civil war had never reached us. And if I was lucky, Saori and Anser wouldn't hear of it any more.
I couldn't really understand why we were all fighting. The fact that demons and gods were killing themselves was not something I couldn't grasp. It was the fact that there were actual individuals who wanted to go back to living that old way, when we were all bound by predestination. That was why people were fighting against Jun and the others. It wasn't because they wanted domination over the world or whatever, it was just they felt the miraculous victory over Destiny in 2012 was wrong. And since it was wrong, it fell on them to fix it. And it fell on the sane people in this world to stand in their way.
I checked my watch again. I'd have ample time to eat, but afterwards things around here were going to gear up. But I'd come this far, no reason to get cold feet now.
“Yes,” I responded. “I feel like it's my responsibility, uh, Mister...”
“Ceircin,” he said when he reached forward to shake my hand. We had done that just a few minutes ago when I had stepped into the room, but maybe he thought this would help me relax some more. It did help... sorta “Erde Ceircin.” He smiled again before continuing. “So anyways, what's an incubus with no kind of military training hoping to do here for his Empress?”
“For Matei Jun,” I responded, “Well, not really... much.”
“Oh?” Erde raised an eyebrow. “You've got to be here for something, right?”
“Yes sir, my brother. His name's Anser. He got summoned by an insane woman a few weeks ago because she wanted a-”
Erde chuckled and raised his hand. “No need. I understand where you're coming from. You're here out of concern for people you know on a personal basis, rather than Jun and her mother, correct?”
“Yes, sir.” I could already feel the back of my neck grow tingling in fear. “The fact is... my parents were killed and their remains viciously mutilated and desecrated in front of my brother simply to inflict trauma on him. Although the Demon Empress has her own problems to worry about, I want to be able to fight here so Anser can spend his remaining childhood in peace.”
“And,” Erde asked, “If you could choose between your Empress and your brother which would you defend?”
Looking Ceircin dead in the eye so he knew I meant every word, I spoke my mind.
“I would let Empress Jun die before I would my only brother, sir.”
…
Erde looked at me for a moment before standing up from his seat and turning his back to me. After a moment, his voice echoed through his office again. “This is a very dangerous belief, Keston. Not many would place their family before their leader.”
“I've seen what fanatical devotion does to people, sir,” I told him. “Besides, Matei Jun's come a long way from being just a little girl enslaved by her own destiny. With the original Great Sea of Evil, she can take care of herself just fine.”
Erde let out a happy laugh. “Common sense is good in a soldier. Tragically, you have no combat experience and we're not in the point yet where we need to send green boys to their deaths. If you're hoping to fight and die for your beliefs, I don't think we can accommodate that just yet. However... there is something you might be interested in. Ever hear of an Arcane Frame?”
“A what?”
Erde turned to me. “An Arcane Frame, it's the formal term for armor developed at research bases.”
“... you mean...”
“It's a safe location, away from the front. You've seen combat before, although not much, so that can help. Besides a few warm bodies learning their way around a war can't hurt, now can it?”
“I guess...”
Erde had arranged transport and I had managed to take care of housing. My roommate, a guy named Gregor, had been willing to let me rob him of a solitary bedroom as long as I took care of any dishes. Considering that was one of the few things I had experience doing back on Earth, I had no objections. We hadn't talked much when we were told to go to bed, although I had vowed to talk to him more the next day.
“So we never got onto the subject of where you've been for the past eighteen months, right?”
A breakfast tray clacked down next to me, a figure with a gangrene complexion and a small piece of headwear said as he pulled up next to me.
“Ah, Gregor!” I said with a smile before continuing with my meal. “What kept you?”
“Checking my schedule,” he answered before looking over to me. Gregor, as I had found out, was a kappa; and one who wasn't much older than me. “You didn't?”
“No,” I answered before locating the seasonings. “But as to your question, that issue's kind of awkward.”
I told him what I could, about living in relative quiet with Anser until we were attacked, and then getting summoned by Shot Ichiban. He really didn't need to know about the Hallowed Prisms or Saori's questionable career choice, but I did let him know my brother was in safe hands.
“... And you threw all that away to come here?”
“Yeah,” I said with a humorless laugh. “I mean, why not? I wasn't doing anything important, you know? Besides, why are you here then?”
Gregor laughed. “I'll let you know when I figure that out myself.”
Considering I hadn't even heard of the phrase “Arcane Frame” until yesterday, I didn't know what I'd be expected to do. But from what Gregor was saying, for the moment we were just going to do basic conditioning. It didn't take long to get out in the fresh air and once again experience the dull world of this plane of reality.
As infinite as the planes of reality were, there was something they lacked: realism. Earth was a planet, an infinitely tiny speck in the infinitely expansive Universe filled with so much. Each plane of reality the gods had some theme to it, but that was all. Above me now was not the cosmos, just a blank, purple sky that would never have clouds or stars.
Gregor was only a few moments behind me, and there were more than a few people milling around outside already. Some were dong the smart thing and doing some light stretches... although one guy I guessed was an Oni -he had a horn on his head, after all- seemed buried in a book. Another person I almost mistook for a girl was just staring up at the sky dreamily.
Gregor and I continued discussing things as we prepared for whatever the trainers had in mind. A few other people pitched in ideas and I was sorta relieved that I wasn't the only one going into this, being totally uncertain about what would happen.
Finally, someone in red armor brushed past me, and with they kind of body build they had, it no doubt was a woman. Granted, the plate armor lacked the stereotypical curves you'd expect for a woman's battle gear, but it was still an exquisite sight to behold.
“Gentlemen,” rang out a female voice. I was correct in my assumptions as the woman turned to me. Nearly everyone had the common sense to come to attention, save for the two morons from before.
The woman in question had surprisingly short blonde hair and similarly colored eyes, and in spite of being one of the shorter people here, she had an aura about her that demanded respect. And when the Oni barely acknowledged her presence, she slapped his book away without shame.
“You can read later,” she told him. The guy tried to speak up, but decided against it. During all of this, the feminine-looking guy ended up slowly standing up and coming to attention as well... even though he really didn't seem to care about any of this at all.
“I will, for the greater period of time while you are here,” she continued, “be your direct superior. Any problems you have will be brought to me, and I'll do my best to correct them. Understand?”
We all nodded as she smiled.
“Great. I hope to be able to work well with all of you, so we can have good memories here at Point Rubi. My name's Atha Sido. And all of yours?” She outstretched her hand and held a professional stance, practically begging for someone to come up and return the gesture.
Oddly, it was that Oni from before that shuffled up and reached out his hand before anyone else could act.
“Fudoh,” he quietly mumbled. “Fudoh Zanki.”
“Intimidating name,” Atha laughed as she turned to the next person in line. “Just make sure not to read when I'm speaking again, okay?”
“Sure, I guess...” Fudoh said as the next person in a rapidly forming line. The guy seemed pretty distant, and as he crossed paths with me I could tell he was thinking about at least something. Not sure what that would be, but whatever it was, it probably was more intriguing than-
“And your name?”
“Oh.” I was already at the front of the line. That had been fast. “Well,Keston Intorrage. Nice to meet you, ma'am.”
“Same to you too, Mr. Keston.”
For the most part, things didn't seem that bad, during that whole first day. We were all briefed on our primary duties and how we'd all eventually be assigned to run mock battles to see which suits were the most practical for various types of fighters.
“How was Earth, when you were there?” Gregor asked during our midday meal. “Never been there myself.”
“Nice. Well... when people weren't trying to kill my brother, that is.”
“Wait... you were with humans?!?”
An overly enthusiastic shout shocked both Gregor and I as that feminine-looking guy from before practically crashed into us... eyes wide with glee. It took a moment for him to realize everyone in the mess hall was looking at him, but he eventually straightened up and cleared his throat. After a few moments, people started going back to their meals as the guy made room next to me and smiled.
“I can't believe it, I always was wondering what experiences on Earth were like and interacting with people. Not demons or anything but real, actual humans!”
… The guy didn't seem to realize that even though his volume level had been adjusted, his energetic declarations were no less unnerving than before.
“Yes,” I answered again, “And as I was telling Gregor here, a lot of them were trying to kill my little brother.”
“Was he a bad-”
“No,” Gregor and I repeated in perfect unison.
The individual pouted as he turned away from me. I was liking this guy less and less with each moment. “You're no fun.” The tone was purely infantile, and as he stood up and started to walk away, we were getting dirty looks from almost everyone immediately.
“This is unbelievable...” I groaned. “What was that guy's name anyways?”
“Sebastian,” Gregor told me. “Fairly mundane guy from what I've heard. Might not really be used to all of this.”
“Think that could be the problem?” I sighed.
“Then why would he be here then?”
“Same reason I am, I guess. Maybe he's here because he wants to accomplish something.”
“Gregor?” I said as I sat up. “I don't think I ever got your last name.”
Silence. I wasn't sure what to make of it and decided that he must've just been really tired. It was too dark for me to see even two feet in front of me, but there was still methodical breathing from the other bed in the room.
…
“Gregor?”
Familiarity is something very, very precious. When you are in a situation that nearly takes your life, that's not something you easily forget. During the battles against the Hallowed Prisms and their goddess, I had been stabbed in the neck, trapped in a giant crystal, controlled like a puppet, and the start of all that was getting a knife in the chest.
So those memories of Amano Nagato's murder attempt proved very useful at that instant when I heard a strange whistling in the air and instantly associated it with a thrown knife. I grasped at a pillow and threw it up to take the attack instead before I realized something.
“GREGOR, WHAT THE HELL!?!”
I'd only known the guy for a day but, I mean, seriously! What would make him suddenly decide to kill me when he could've had an easy chance at it yesterday! A shadowy mass ran at me, and I struggled out of bed. I could hear another knife being drawn and tried to move to the right. My legs were almost out of the sheets just as my mattress was ripped up by the attack, and by the time that “Gregor” was attacking me again, I finally could fight.
And this was... going to suck. I'd just gotten out of a struggle and now someone was after my blood again. I tried to shout out and raise an alarm, but the moment I opened my mouth to speak, the air temperature dropped fifty degrees. I could practically feel my lungs start to shrivel up as my assailant lashed out with his left hand.
Instinct saved me again, and I dove under his arm. It was a feint; if the knife had been in Gregor's hand earlier, then I would've been killed when I was on the bed. My inference proved true as I heard the swishing of a knife swinging again behind me and-
Pain ran through my back as I almost crashed into the wall. T-that was right... “Gregor” had two knives. Dammit, that chilling effect on my lungs wasn't giving me enough air. Between my muscles growing dull and my head going dizzy from the lack of oxygen, if I didn't turn this around right now, it was all over.
“Gregor” charged again, and I could faintly see the shape of his two knives. The way this was going, he might have not even needed them to finish this.
The air was getting colder, and I had to act fast as the assassin came at me. Grasping at my bed, I pulled the mattress up again and used a barrier for the second time in less than a minute. The knives nearly ripped it to pieces, but I had all the time I needed. With everything I could manage, I swung my hands up and let them come crashing down on “Gregor's” head. I was met with something cracking and my hands resting in some sort of dank cavity for a moment with a cold liquid inside.
“Gregor” and I held our stances for a moment. I think I killed him with that, and my entire body felt useless before falling backwards. Everything was going dark, and what was eating at me more than anything else was the confusion. Why was all of this happening? Why would Gregor turn on me like that and why would-
My thoughts ceased. Oxygen deprivation will do that to you.
…
I didn't know what time it was when I ended up getting roused by a bunch of people, Atha in front of them all. The air wasn't cold any more and I could finally breath. There was also light in the room then... and my mind almost crashed again.
Gregor was there, two knives in his hands, his headpiece shattered and blood from it having spilled onto the floor. Judging by everyone's looks at me, there was no doubt what had happened.
I had killed Gregor. It was the only possible explanation.
Miss Sido had taken me to her office. Conditioning and briefing about Arcane Frames tomorrow would be canceled while investigations were held, and I knew right away she would want answers from me immediately. I just wished I would have some to actually give.
“And he never said anything to you? Not even one word?”
That being said, at least she was trying to meet me halfway and not directly accuse me of an unprovoked attack on the deceased kappa.
“No, I told her for the third time in this whole questioning. “He just was trying to kill me the whole time. It boiled down to fight back or die, and my one opening to attack ended up killing him.”
“I understand where you're coming from,” the blonde said as she looked me dead in the eye, “But a lot of the things you mentioned make little sense.” I almost panicked, but Atha saw my distress and immediately continued. “It's not that your story is that of a liar, it's just...” she sighed.
“What is it?” For a second, the way she was piecing everything together reminded me of Kerrigan.
“If you wanted to kill Gregor, there were plenty of cleaner ways to do it without throwing so much suspicion on yourself.” Definitely Kerrigan-style thinking. “Plus... the nature of blood in his head cavity. Kappa's are supposed to store a water-like fluid.”
“What would blood do to him if it got in there instead though?”
“If it was a certain type of blood,” she continued while looking around. “It would cause a kappa like Gregor to do all sorts of things. And the fact you mentioned the air cooling down in your room so quickly makes it seem like there was someone else in there too. You didn't turn the lights on-”
“But wait! Why wouldn't they just kill me when they had the chance?”
Atha shrugged. “Any number of reasons. For the time being, it might be dangerous for you here and your identity-”
“If you say I should change my name and try to disguise myself with a pair of sunglasses or a mask, then I am walking off the base right now.”
Sido was taken aback by this as she just blinked in confusion. I realized I had some more explaining to do.
“Uh... my brother's Tower loved watching cartoons. She always made comparisons between me and this one rival-type character from a show that aired in 1979 even though we have absolutely nothing alike.”
“Ah. Well, I've never been to Earth, so I wouldn't know about that. Anyways...” she continued, “I can't necessarily rule you out. Even though I have my own suspicions, Point Rubi is a murder site now, and until we figure out who the killer is, nobody is going anywhere. Understand?”
“Yes ma'am.”
“I will arrange sleeping quarters for you later tomorro-” Atha stopped when she looked down at her watch and almost blushed. “Sorry. Tonight. Until then, stay in a crowd and do not do anything stupid.”
“Sure,” I said as I stood up. “I'll watch my back and if anything suspicious happens I'll be sure to let you or any of the other ranking officers here know.”
“Smear tar on your bedroom's doorway too.”
“What?”
Atha sighed again. “It's... complicated. Call it part of my hunch. It could help.”
“You really think tar is going to protect me?”
“Yes. I really do, Keston. If I have the race of our murderer pinned down, it could very well be the difference between life and death.”
