<blockquote>
@Jumjumjum
Is it me, or is it really strange that we don’t have any more details about the breakthrough @ First Wave? It’s been four days. I think they’re hiding something. Breakthroughs don’t happen like this.
@spearhead_official
Hey, Slayer here. Breakthroughs happen more often than you think, but they rarely cause any damage. They’re mostly stray animals walking through the breach. You’re right, though. The breakthrough at First Wave is incredibly odd *especially* seeing pictures of the damage. None of the Big Four or the Encampment have described what the breacher was.
@ordoianupdates
After the unexpected breakthrough at Primordial Plaza, the First Wave is proceeding without delay for the Big Four. Reports say that applicants are already receiving their invitations. Between now and Friday, we should see the Big Four dropping an official schedule of their individual guild exams.
@fredpods
BREAKING: CEO of System Articles, Kieta Fujimura, has reportedly attempted suicide in custody. His condition is currently unknown
@victorsss
I GOT INNNNNNNNNNN
</blockquote>
[Group Private Message - knights of kotone]
[Members: Uprise (creator), Victor, Forest Master, Conqueror]
[Victor]
[image attached]
I GOT IN BOYS
[Conqueror]
congrats maybe you can get your wings like me
[Victor]
fuck you
how the hell are you even an angel again?
[Conqueror]
Circumstances
[Forest Master]
Circumstances aside, congratulations on your good news
[Victor]
thanks we’re all getting a stroke of good luck
[Conqueror]
Not me
[Victor]
stfu
how’s kotone doing?
[Forest Master]
She’s hopping on her bed like a puppy. Our work is far from over, though. Pundits said the competition this year is “noticeably fierce,” and yet the number of spots remain the same. Martials Guild will be yet another challenge for us.
[Victor]
yup
you think a spot will open if alex dies?
[Conqueror]
Try me
[Victor]
in fact since you’re an angel now what do you know about the upcoming exams?
[Conqueror]
You do realize that’s breaking company policy + I’m not involved with the tryouts in any capacity
[Victor]
damn guess i gotta figure out another way to cheat
[Conqueror]
Officially we don’t know each other
[Forest Master]
I’m also assuming you can’t help us prepare for exams?
[Conqueror]
That’s also against policy yeah but I don’t have the time anyway
Yknow when I registered I thought I’d be jumping straight into work but no, of course not
For the past few days it’s all fucking admin and bureaucracy bullshit, and that’s *with* Angels expediting everything
They said it’d normally “take weeks” without Angels
[Victor]
rip my dad takes care of that stuff for me
[Forest Master]
Imagine how painful it was for me, a disgraced xia fleeing from her homeland. I had to sit through hours upon hours of “interviews” to ensure I wasn’t a spy sent by the Court and among other things. Not to mention the blatant sexual harassment
I’m surprised I left the Encampment without drawing blood
[Conqueror]
frfr
[Victor]
whatcha doing rn tho?
getting along with your new team? bombing the camps?
[Conqueror]
Finishing up licensing, then I’m done. Just gotta wait for the pencil pushers to process their shit
Thea’s coming later
[Forest Master]
Why’s that?
[Conqueror]
My bosses don’t know what to do with her just yet but they want me working right away
[Victor]
damn was gonna ask if you wanted drinks tn
after everythings done ig
[Conqueror]
We’ll celebrate one way or another
Or mourn
[Victor]
@Uprise kick him
“...Talking to your friends?” asked my new Team Leader, Celestial Empress. Outside of work, she was Leo. She peeked between me and the road, curiosity getting the better of her. She was the driver as decreed by rock-paper-scissors.
I brushed the System screen away. “One of my friends just got an invite to earn his wings.”
“How exciting,” she said, tapping her finger on the wheel. “What is he like?”
“Oh, he’s the typical cradle. He’s rich, chronically stupid, a sexual deviant, probably will get arrested for tax fraud in ten years—” (“Alex.”) “—but he’s a decent guy. Better than most cradles I’ve met. They’re almost always spoiled and entitled like a few people I know.”
I looked at her for the last part.
Leo had a dangerously sweet smile on her face. “You do realize I’m driving, right? And oh, would you look at that? I think I see a telephone pole with our names on it.”
I rolled my eyes and propped my elbow on the passenger door. “I’m the one with [Armor], princess.”
“It won’t save you from an explosion.” She playfully nudged me. “You haven’t told your friends about what happened, right? Lips sealed?”
I nodded, watching cars and people fly by. “I was honest: something big happened and I can’t disclose anything. They probably suspect that we were involved with the breakthrough, but they know better than to ask questions. Asking questions is an easy way to admire the pearly gates.”
“We’re not gonna kill them—!”
“I almost died.”
“That’s because the Alt nearly did you in,” whined Leo, braking harder than necessary at the stoplight.
I winced, the seatbelt squeezing my chest as we got moving again. “So you tried indirectly killing me.”
“Shut up. I really will crash us into a telephone pole and leave you in the wreck.”
“That’s another threat, princess—”
Leo stomped on the brakes and nearly forced my heart through my throat. For the rest of the car-ride, we remained in silence while a podcast played on the radio. Something about a K-pop idol; Thea’s recommendation I think. They were both into the same things, I didn’t care for it.
Thank God, though, no more long car-rides with this maniac. Angels Guild had expedited the process and pushed me through the system. We (them) spent obscene money on fees and taxes, went through a dozen pens, but we were in the final stages now. "We," as in myself and Althea, despite my little sister being benched for the Alternate investigation.
Not even a week ago, I was combing through job listings; now, wings fell on my lap. I was in Primes, working directly for Seraph and Rector, and had a salary and benefits that’d make most weep in envy. Sounded good on the outside—fucking, it sounded euphoric. However, once you knew about the circumstances around my contract…
Well, you’d have a heart attack.
“We’re here,” Leo said as we rolled through the gates. The protective barrier allowed us through without a hitch.
Here we were, one of Ordo’s most renowned tourist destinations: Angels Guild Headquarters. In the beginning, Seraph and Rector and Kosmos were a single Slayer Team living in a small apartment. Look at them now. In less than two decades, their HQ rivaled college campuses. Except for students running to and from class, you had corpos and swords walking together and tour groups making way. This place had everything you needed for a guild: admin and corporate facilities concentrated together, workshops and labs and blacksmiths dispersed all over, a giant courtyard that was more court than yard, a hospital (which I’d stayed in), and that was scratching the surface.
One of the busiest places on Earth, where you could brush shoulders against high-rankers and a little kid with fake wings on his back.
We parked and made our way toward the Wings—the heart of Angels HQ. It wasn’t anything special, honestly. It looked like your average skyscraper, but most skyscrapers didn’t have large wings stuck to its face. That was the logo of Angels Guild: two flawless white wings, outstretched to embrace the world.
I’d never toured any of the Big Four for obvious reasons, so this? This was overwhelming. It’d take me months to get used to this sight. It’d take even longer for me to get used to the attention. Eyes, more eyes, whispers and gossip; all directed toward us. At Leo, mostly. Angels Guild had an army of celebrities in its ranks, but Celestial Empress was in a league of her own. She was a princess in the Demonic Cult and in Angels; to the swords and corpos observing us, someone like her shouldn’t be escorting a random asshole like me.
“Don’t lose your head, Conq,” Leo teased as we entered the Wings. “C’mon, let’s go.”
One elevator ride later, we were at the top floor. It was the opposite of the ground floor: pristine, orderly, quiet. Silent, even, but not to provide an ideal working environment. It was the silence of respect, dignity. Great things happened here, greater people worked here. As soon as you stepped out of the elevator, you couldn’t help but exhale in awe and simultaneously realize your tiny, tiny place in the world.
And I felt tiny and tinier with every step I took down these sacred halls and toward the simple yet deceiving double-doors at the end.
This would be the first of many times where I visit the Office of the Guild Masters.
Leo knocked. “It’s us.”
The doors automatically opened.
The Office of the Guild Masters was cozier and warmer than I expected, like a personal study inside a grand mansion. It was packed with decoration, but not crowded. My eyes were yanked in a million different directions, hopping from one curio to the next. “What was this?” “What was that?” “Am I allowed to touch it?” These questions rattled my head. There were trophies and trinkets and books, liquor and tea locked behind glass, and incense was in the air. I didn’t know what most of this stuff was, but they all contributed to a single word: legacy. Give it a century and museums would have recreations of this office in exhibits.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
My eyes followed the dark beige carpet, over the large Arabian rug and a seating area for guests, and ended at two massive desks facing each other. They divided the room in half. The left was organized, professional you could say, yet hadn’t seen much use. At least, compared to its counterpart. That desk was what I imagined from a Guild Master: a complete and total tornado of papers and files. They stacked so high that they blocked out the back of a monitor.
“Ignore the mess,” a dark-skinned man greeted us, standing from the very same desk. “I promise myself that I’ll take care of it, but let’s be honest, that’s a pipe dream.”
“That’s because you’re way too busy…” a short Japanese girl said above a murmur. Compared to the Vice Guild Master, her presence was like an ant''s. She sank into her shoulders and enjoyed counting the dust molecules on the floor. Monochrome hair framed her round cheeks and tired eyes. Had to be eighteen at least, twenty at the oldest.
I’d rather not judge based on appearances, but she didn’t look much of a fighter. Not like me and the princess over here.
Rector physically brushed her comment aside with a hand. “I can handle my schedule just fine enough, Chie. And…” He looked down at her wardrobe and sighed in disappointment. “You could’ve worn something nicer…”
“This is all I had.” She pulled down her baggy t-shirt, which had a full cast of characters from an anime. “I don’t go out of my workshop anyway."
Leo snorted and patted my shoulder; she took a seat on one of the couches and made herself at home.
“Chie, an investment in something nice wouldn’t hurt—you know what, never mind.” Rector walked around and clapped the small girl by the shoulders. “Conqueror, this munchkin is Fukumoto Chie (福本千恵); otherwise known as your team engineer, Sage.”
There wasn’t any information online about Sage, so I was coming in blind. She looked innocent enough, at least. Small, introverted, but nothing malicious. Though, with a name like “Sage,” I thought she’d be eccentric. Artisans were usually wackjobs.
Sage weakly waved.
I waved back. “Hi.”
Leo rolled her eyes. “You had a million things to say during the car-ride, but only a ‘hi’ here? Really?”
“Well, I can’t act normally with that thing—” I pointed at the skull of a four-horned breacher mounted on the wall, “—staring at me, princess, but alright. I apologize, Sage. Alexander Shen, Conqueror, call me whatever.”
Sage nodded and attempted to maintain eye-contact; she failed a second into the challenge and turned to the floor again, rubbing her arm. “C-Chie works just fine. It’s, erm, it’s very good to meet you, Alex. Mhm. Now that I’ve introduced myself—”
Chie took a single step, and Rector pushed her toward Leo. (“Wah?!”) “You’re not escaping that easily—” (“But I have a million projects to finish—! My [Yokais]!”) “—uh huh, sit down.”
I stifled a laugh from coming on as Chie was forced to sit next to Leo.
I found Rector sighing again. I asked, “Where’s Guild Master Seraph? I thought I’d be meeting her too.”
“She’s working on the try-outs, but she promised that she’ll meet you personally. Wherever and whenever that will be,” Rector said, gesturing toward the seating. “Now, it’s your turn to sit. I know you’d rather be at home than talking with me.”
I didn’t protest, and we gathered around a table in the middle. Somehow, I missed the big fucking crate sitting on top. You could squeeze a grown man inside if you bent his arms and legs into the fetal position.
Rector took a comfortable lounge-chair as the king of the court. As one of his retainers, he saw me eyeing the crate and smiled. “Do you remember the signature request form you filled out? Here it is.”
“I hope you like it!” Chie exclaimed, mustering a small but proud smile. Never thought I’d receive a Christmas present this early, but the great Sage was a little miracle worker. Leo did say she was “yet another prodigy on the team,” and that seemed to be true.
Every Slayer needed equipment specifically designed for them. These were signatures. For the public, they were cultural icons. Take Seraph as an example. She wielded [Ascalon Creed]; you’d find thousands of foam replicas in the gift shop. Sigs weren’t limited to only weapons, though, but the most well-known sigs were almost always weapons.
Speaking of weapons, that put me in an awkward spot with deciding my first sig. I didn’t need them when [Memento Recollection] was a thing. I’d have plenty of weapons on hand and more in the future. Instead, with the advice of Uncle Ali and Leo, we shifted focus: what would be most beneficial regardless if [Memento Recollection] was active? We decided it’d be universal protection, so I gave my measurements.
Chie had interpreted my wish and stuffed it inside that crate. “Open it,” she said. "You can have the honors.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I stood. My fingers found the latch, and the heavy lid was thrown open.
Inside was a beautifully-crafted black-and-silver bodysuit, seemingly inspired by military designs or even adapted from an existing one. Across almost every inch, armor plating was woven into the fabric, in a geometric pattern, to the point where this thing was more plates than suit. Despite that, the armor was surprisingly light. It’d give me adequate protection while sacrificing little maneuverability in the process.
After taking the bodysuit out of the crate, I found more clothes packed inside. Pants, combat boots, and a pair of gloves. All black. There was also a fancy-looking earpiece too for comms. Guess they were saving me the pain of looking like a bad comic book superhero, having to stroll around the city in a skintight bodysuit.
Chie joined me from a safe and comfortable distance. She admired her own craftsmanship, and some of the anxiety melted in her emerald eyes. “I had to make some compromises with your armor. Like prioritizing slash and stab protection over ballistics and spells. This is only the first iteration, though, so erm, don’t expect perfection right away. It should perform adequately enough. For that reason, I’d like you to collect valuable data while you’re in the field.”
I smiled and nodded, trying to paint gratitude plain on my face. “I’ll be thorough with my report when everything’s said and done.”
But Chie wasn’t looking at me. She only nodded in response. “Thank you, and I apologize if you encounter any issues. Now, uhm, can you put it on?”
I looked around the room. “Where?”
Rector pointed at the doors. “There’s a bathroom down the hall. Take the first right, and you should see a sign.”
“Thanks.” Then, I looked at all the junk on the table. “How am I going to carry this to the bathroom?”
***
High Intensity Combat Suit
Rank A
Type: Armor
Description: Manufactured by team engineer Sage (that’s me!), your [High Intensity Combat Suit] is a lightweight combat bodysuit that’ll serve you well in the field! On Celestial Empress’s recommendation, your [Combat Suit] is paired with additional clothes so you don’t have to fight wearing only a skintight bodysuit. For additional information, please tap on this link.
[Loadout Registering…Saved!]
Current Loadout
Weapon(s): N/A
Armor: [High Intensity Combat Suit]
Accessories: N/A
There we go. Of all the mechanics the Slayer System offered, the [Loadout] function was arguably the most convenient. It acted as an instant wardrobe, replacing your civilian clothes with your saved [Loadout]. Outside of combat, it meant everything saved in your [Loadout] would be stored by the System in a hidden dimensional pocket. You could pull items out at any time, yeah, but that was the extent. It wasn’t an inventory like what you’d see in video games.
Putting everything on was a lot more time-consuming than I thought, which was why the [Loadout] function existed, probably. To save minutes when seconds mattered.
I entered the Office of the Guild Masters for the second time; for a moment, I expected Leo and Chie to blind me with camera flashes, taking an obscene number of photos to celebrate the occasion. But they weren’t in the room. Neither them or the massive hulking crate. Just Rector, sitting in the same chair. Something was on the table: a packet.
Rector waved and pointed at my new get-up. “Looks great, Conqueror. I’m glad all the money I’m spending on you isn’t wasted. Anyhow, the girls are bringing the crate back to Chie’s workshop.”
“Right, thanks.” I sat down in the same spot. “In other words, you wanted a private discussion. I doubt you wanted to complain about the licensing process with me.”
Hearing my straightforwardness made him stiffly smile. “Trust me, Conqueror, my rants about Ordo’s current systemic policies are enough to fill books. That’s besides the point. Here.”
He pushed the packet toward me, and I picked it up. It was a contract. Flipping through the pages, nothing seemed off. All standard practice you’d find in guilds.
Rector explained, “Normally, we would do this in reverse, but this is extraordinary circumstances. I wouldn’t take the contract seriously; this is a formality. A—what’s the word?—a paper trail in case we need it. Otherwise, our agreement is completely off-the-books. Other than [Private Messages], nothing will be written in ink. Nobody will know about your SSS-Rank [Skill] or…”
He gulped. “Your sister’s SSS-Rank [Skill] either. I’ve spoken with Sophos and she swore to secrecy. Despite my strong opinions about her professionality, she can be trusted on this.”
“And our previous clause still stands?” I asked, mindlessly reading the contract. “No one else knows unless they need to?”
“Correct, Chie doesn’t know. For her and everyone else, [Memento Recollection] and [Technique Sovereign] are S-Ranks. It cuts both ways too, Conqueror.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
Rector glanced at the door like someone was about to walk in at any second. “If you haven’t noticed already, this team is… Well, it’s not a team of highly-trained operatives. Far from it. They’re bumbling idiots half the time, but they have secrets just like you. Some even as consequential. They won’t know yours, and you won’t know theirs unless they share first. Out of respect for your new teammates, don’t pry.
“Especially Chie and Aiden. We didn’t consult with them when we made the decision to recruit you. Chie—Lord bless her—was welcoming. She''s shy now, but once she warms up to you, she''s wonderful. Aiden...? Not so much. I’m telling you this ahead of time so you can anticipate some conflict.”
Sage and Firebrand… I remember reading something about the latter. He reportedly joined Angels Guild at fourteen; since then, he had a fiery reputation amongst his colleagues. Makes sense, I guess. Couldn’t expect everyone to hold hands and sing happy songs.
I nodded. “Yessir.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll share the same message to your family. We—obviously, me, Seraph, and Kosmos—are trying to figure out what to do with them. As we said before, we aren’t comfortable with Althea joining the Alternate investigation, and your uncle is…” Rector paused. “I honestly don’t know.”
I laughed, putting the contract on the table. “Yeah, I asked him about what his preferences but all he did was shrug his shoulders.”
“I’ll figure something out, hopefully. But erm…” Rector vaguely gestured at his head. “Does your family enjoy introducing themselves via threats? As I recall, you pinned Leo against the wall—” (“I did.”) “—and your uncle, he…” Rector paused again, sounding a mix between shock and exhaustion. “Broke into this office and pressed a gun against my temple."
You know, I never found out how my uncle introduced himself to Rector, but that sounded like him. I said, “I think that’s a family secret, sir.”
Rector laughed and scratched his head—maybe the same spot where iron had kissed him. “Using my own words against me, I like you already. Let’s talk about our next steps, though. About the Alternate investigation.”
I sat closer, attentive.
He began, “You’ll investigate potential formation points with your team as they pop up. Sophos and Problem made this tracker—it’s ‘garbage’ as they said—but they’ll inform you of any occurrences. If you confirm an Alt, well, we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Problem…” I muttered. “He’s one of my teammates, right? I’ve seen him in our [Group Chat], but he only said ‘hi’ and that’s it.”
Rector nodded. “He’s the resident intellectual of the team, a ritualist and cosmologist. His teacher had been a former Keter of the Phenomena Society, so he and Sophos have that connection. I can’t imagine how insufferable that room is, but thankfully, I’m growing gray-hairs in my own house.”
So my teammates were: Leona Ryu, Celestial Empress; Fukumoto Chie, Sage; Aiden Brand, Firebrand; and Morgan Weyer, Problem. Plus, Thea and Uncle Ali, but they were benched. Only five of us, six including Rector.
“Not a big team, especially when we aren’t cut out for investigating breachers like this,” I stated.
“What did I say earlier? This team isn’t orthodox and far from ideal, but it’s the only team we can trust. Because, well…” Rector chuckled to himself and looked down at the fine carpet. “As cheesy as this sounds, we’re family. I won’t force you to attend birthday parties, but that’s how it is. Though, knowing the nature of your [Skill], it wouldn’t hurt to throw a compliment here and there. Or you can continue to annoy Leo at your peril.”
A family, huh…?
Rector thought of this team as a family? Him, Seraph, and Kosmos?
I cracked the smallest smile. “I’ll think about it, sir. I’ll try to not regret this decision.”
“That’s all I’m asking, and Conqueror?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for being gentle with Chie. She’ll warm up to you, don’t worry. Just don’t intimidate her too much.”
“As long as Leo doesn’t slander me, I think we’ll be fine.”
***
[CALLING: Sophos]
“Ah, isn’t it the wonderful Idris Zakaria? To what do I owe this pleasure—?”
“Shut it, Sophos.” Rector eyed the door. Alexander had left to rejoin the girls, taking the contract with him. “I’m checking in on the earlier lead.”
“That…” Sophos sighed as voices rang in the background. “What do you expect? I barely have time to research while juggling the responsibilities of a guild, you know. Mystic is one bad day away from launching a coup, that poor boy.”
“We need something.” Rector approached his desk, combing through a few files until he found the one he was looking for: a thick fellow with Alexander’s name and picture on it. “I can’t figure it out myself. You didn’t mishear anything, right? When you encountered the Fifth Alternate?”
She hummed in the negative. “Don’t doubt my beautiful ears, of course I didn’t mishear. It explicitly said: ‘Alexander Shen, Conqueror.’”
Rector bit his lip. That was the crux of the issue. “So how did the Alt predict his codename?”
[Complete: Part 1 - For Peace]
[Next: Part 2 - For Humanity]