6. Money

The next day arrived with the sun painting the sky with hues of gold and orange. Soujin gathered his squad members for an impromptu meeting while looking around. Soon enough, a terrifying thought crossed his mind.

"These guys really do look as if they stepped out of a gang turf," Soujin mused to himself while looking momentarily terrified."W-Why does it feel like they wanna beat my ass?!"

After he took his place at the head of the gathering, everyone exchanged glances. They leaned against the nearly broken walls of the squad building.

Soujin cleared his throat, drawing their attention as he prepared to address them. But before he could utter a single word, a group of people spoke instead.

"Yo, Cap, what's the dealio?" one of them quipped.

"Yeah, spill the beans, boss man."

'Ah shit...' Soujin said as he saw the looks on alll of their faces.

"Alright, listen up, my fellow....'badasses'," he began but he heard a cricket in his head as nobody laughed.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.

"Um...as I was saying," Soujin continued. "We've got some business to discuss. We need to talk about the state of our squad and how we can improve it. I know things haven't been easy for us; however, if we work together we can turn things around."

His words seemed to resonate with some of his members who nodded in agreement while others remained impassive, their arms crossed defiantly.

"Now let's start by addressing the main issues within our squad," Soujin continued, his gaze sweeping across the assembled group. "Starting with Cera and Ballar."

At the mention of their names, murmurs of discontent rippled through the crowd, their frustrations evident.

After calling their names, Cera and Ballar walked up to the front. "Eyy Capt'n Best man..." Cera started with a sweet look on her face but then scrunged it up." What the fuck did we do?!"

Soujin raised an eyebrow at Cera's sudden shift in demeanor. He tried to remain calm." Alright, you want to play dumb. Let me spell it out for you. Rumor has it you two turned the squad building into a battleground. Care to explain?"

Cera and Ballar exchanged a glance before Ballar spoke with a soft yet roughly toned."Ayy, Cap, you know how it is. Sometimes shit just goes down, ya feel?"

Soujin resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Ballar's nonchalant attitude. "Yeah, well, your 'shit' is costing us. We don't have the luxury of fixing the place every time you two want to throw down in the wrong area."

Cera crossed her arms "And what you gonna do about it, Cap? You gonna kick us outta the squad or somethin'?"

Soujin sighed heavily, his patience wearing thin. "Look, I'm not here to kick anyone out. But we need to find a way to work together without destroying everything in sight. When you fight, at the very least do it outside the way normal people are supposed to do."

Soujin's words hung in the air and it caused tension among the squad.

"Ayo, Cap, ain't it a bit hypocritical to be preachin' 'bout fightin' when you don't even know half of us?" It was one of the squad members, a burly guy with short red hair and tattoos snaking up his arms.

Soujin stammered. "W-Well...uh...You're ...absolutely right but we will get to that after my announcements. As for the first Announcement, our team has been given a mission and we will have to set out in 3 days. "

The burly guy with the short red hair raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. "A mission, huh? What kind of mission we talkin' 'bout, Cap?"

Soujin straightened his posture, steeling himself for the barrage of questions he knew would follow. "We've been assigned to clear out the Senodokidatsu forest and gather intel on their movements. It won't be easy but It is our duty as members of the Divine Blade Society to protect this realm from them."

His words seemed to sink in among the squad members, their faces hardening.

"Sounds like a walk in the park, Cap. We'll have those Senodokidatsu suckers beggin' for mercy in no time." Cera said.

Soujin shot Cera a stern look, his patience wearing thin. "This is no joke, Cera. The Senodokidatsu are a dangerous threat and we need to treat them with the seriousness they deserve."

Cera rolled her eyes but a hint of seriousness flickered in her gaze. "Yeah, yeah, yeah we get it, Cap. No need to get all serious on us."

Soujin sighed inwardly, realizing that getting through to Cera would be a challenge. But he pushed what was on his mind aside to focus instead on the task at hand.

"Now, as for the matter of the squad building," Soujin continued. "I expect a full report on the repairs needed and a plan for how we're going to cover the costs. And Cera, Ballar, I'll need that money back from you two."

Cera scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "What money, Cap? We ain't got nothin'."

Soujin narrowed his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "Don't play dumb with me, Cera. I gave you that money yesterday but I didn't know what you were going to use it on."

Cera puts one hand up to her air and digs in it while listening to Soujin "Uhh..."

Bellar interjected. "Yeah, Cap, you did give the money to Cera. So technically, it's ours now."

Soujin's eyes widen in disbelief, his mind scrambling to process the audacity of their response. "B-But that's not how it works! That money is for the Squad" he stammers, his frustration bubbling to the surface.

Cera shoots Soujin a smug grin. "Sorry, Cap, you kinda dropped the ball there and even complimented us."

Soujin looked dumbfounded. "I-I didn't do that!"

Cera and Bellar made for the exit.

"I wanna get my hair done, what bout you Belly?"

"Oi little girl, who you calling a Belly? Bell is my nickname!"

"Who you callin little!"

Soujin watched Cera and Bellar left the meeting room with a smug air of superiority. His frustration reached its boiling point. His face turned a shade of red that matched the fiery intensity of his anger.

"THOSE TWO ARE DESPICABLE!"

"Unbelievable," Soujin muttered through gritted teeth. "Spoiled damn brats."

His squad members sensed the storm brewing within their captain. But before anyone could speak, Soujin took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Alright, everyone," he began, his tone firm and resolute despite the turmoil raging within him. "Let's focus on the task at hand. We have a mission to prepare for and we can't afford to let distractions get in our way."

His words seemed to rally the squad members and they all looked ready. Soujin found himself caught up in a whirlwind of activities. He spent the afternoon getting to know each of his squad members while learning their names, strengths and quirks. Despite the rocky start with the group, Soujin was determined to gain the right connections among his team.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the squad building. Soujin decided it was time for a well-deserved break. He stepped outside and stretched himself in the warm sunlight which bounced off his skin and the gentle breeze rustling through his hair.

While strolling along the path leading away from the squad building, Soujin found himself drawn to a nearby river. It held crystal-clear waters which sparkled in the sunlight. This invited him to linger awhile and forget about the chaos of the day.

Lost while thinking, Soujin barely noticed the figure sitting by the riverbank until he was almost upon them. It was Muffet, her eyes closed as she basked in the tranquility of the moment.

"Hey there, Captain Soujin. What brings you out here?"

Soujin's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Muffet. His cheeks flushed slightly at the unexpected encounter. "Oh, if it isn't Captain Muffet… Fancy meeting you here. U-um, just needed some fresh air," he replied awkwardly setting his gaze away from Muffet's eyes.

Muffet chuckled softly. "Well now… You've certainly come to the right place. The river is something nice to soothe the soul. Sit with me, Soujin."

Soujin nodded and sat beside her. He felt a sense of calm wash over him in Muffet's presence. "It's beautiful out here."

For a while they sat in comfortable silence being content to simply enjoy each other's company and the serenity of the river, but eventually Soujin found himself unable to resist the urge to break the silence.

"So, uh….--"

"Being a Captain isn't easy is it? You have to deal with a troublesome squad and rallying them to complete the tasks we were assigned." Muffet said while raising a finger. "Iv'e had to deal with my own Squad's personal problems today. It's been quite a joy killer."

Soujin let out a tired sigh, his shoulders drooping. "Seriously, I think I'm trying to herd cats over here," he grumbled while rolling his eyes so hard that they practically did a 360.

Muffet chuckled softly. "I can imagine... I can also imagine you not having any money left and two of your Squad members taking your money you were going to use for your squad building."

Soujin's eyes widened in astonishment at Muffet's accurate assessment of the situation. "How did you...?" he began but then he remembered Muffet's cryptic words from earlier.

"You said you would be counting my money," Soujin realized but was still in disbelief "But how did you know about Cera and Ballar taking it?"

Muffet flashed him a knowing smile. "Let's just say I have a knack for reading people. I have my 'ways' of keeping tabs on things."

Soujin couldn't help but marvel at Muffet's uncanny intuition.

Muffet flashed Soujin a mischievous smile. "So, Captain Soujin, what's your plan for getting that money back from Cera and Ballar?"

Soujin's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Muffet's question. "Well I hadn't really thought that far ahead," he said while scratching the back of his head. "I mean, Could I even plan to do that? Those little brats probably spent it already."

Muffet's smile widened into a creepy grin making Soujin's shiver on the spot. "Oh but you see, I know for a fact that they haven't spent a single coin of that money yet."

Soujin blinked in astonishment. "How...how do you know that?" he stammered.

Muffet's grin grew even wider if that was even possible.

Meanwhile at the Store, Cera and Bellar was in line with their outfits picked out and hair about to be done but there was this one Creepy looking girl with black hair wearing make-up that made her skin look grayish from Muffet's Squad standing infront of them taking her time with her decision on a hair style.

"Yo, what's taking her so damn long!?" Cera shouted

Bellar glanced around nervously. "I dunno but she's seriously cramping our style."

Minutes stretched on but the more it stretched the less Cera's tolerance became. With a huff of annoyance, she stepped forward, tapping the creepy girl on the shoulder.

"Seriously, we're not planting a garden here!" Cera snapped, her tone brimming with irritation. "Make a damn decision already! It's not that hard!"

The creepy girl turned to face them with her eyes narrowing into slits as she regarded Cera and Bellar with an unsettling intensity.

"Do not rush me," she hissed with a low and menacing tone. "I am choosing my hairstyle and I will not be rushed by the likes of you."

Cera recoiled at the girl's icy tone but before she could respond, Bellar stepped forward.

"Listen here, lady," Bellar began with her face twisting into a scowl. "We've got places to go and people to see, so let's wrap this up this shit. Pick a hairstyle and stop being a bitch and taking all of our time up!"

The creepy girl's eyes flashed with fury at Bellar for her insolence. Her lips curled into a sinister grin.

"You dare to speak to me in such a manner?" she growled with a chilling tone. "You will regret that."

With a swift motion, the creepy girl unsheathed her blade and released her sword magic immediately.

"Yo yo yo! Slow it down! ya ain't supposed to release that shit--"

"Dream...."

Waves of tension rippled through the air as the creepy girl's blade crackled with dark energy. Was this the end for Cera and Bellar?