Chapter 26: Return to the Divine Society

The night sky stretched over the Divine Blade Society like a blanket of ink, punctuated only by the pale glow of the moon. Soujin led the group through the courtyard. The mission had taken its toll on everyone, but the weight Soujin carried was more personal.

They approached the grand hall of Squad 4’s headquarters, where Ryojin Kurogane waited. His silhouette stood framed by the lamplight. His graying hair glowed in the night and his blue eyes locked onto Soujin upon them entering his domain.

Ryojin’s stern demeanor remained unshaken, though there was a flicker of concern in his eyes once his gaze went to Cera. He didn’t waste time with pleasantries and spoke gravely. "I see you’ve brought her back”

Soujin gave a curt nod. "She’s alive, but just barely. I don’t know how much time we have to stop this thing from fully taking over her."

Ryojin stepped forward, kneeling beside Cera. The concern on his face deepened when he gently placed his hand over her chest.

"The energy is still there... festering," he muttered. "This isn’t good. If it’s fully integrated, removing it might be impossible without…" He trailed off.

Soujin crossed his arms and exhaled sharply. “I figured as much. That’s why I came straight here.”

Ryojin looked Soujin directly in the eyes. “The risk you took unannounced to the Head Captain was reckless, you know.”

Soujin clenched his jaw. “Yeah, I get it but if I waited for permission, Cera could’ve been lost for good.” He paused and thought about the entity they encountered. “Speaking of which, there was more out there than just the usual Senodokidatsu. I faced off against something… bigger.”

Ryojin’s gaze sharpened. "Bigger? Explain."

Soujin rubbed the back of his neck. “There was a woman—Bellar said her name was Miffet. Ice powers, creepy as hell and stronger than the typical Senodokidatsu we’ve dealt with.”

Ryojin’s e face darkened. "Miffet..." He spoke the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "She’s a dangerous one. If she’s out there, things are worse than I thought. And Trombone—did you encounter him?"

Bellar shifted uneasily, speaking up. "We didn’t catch sight of him, but I’m telling you now, he’s runnin’ the show from the shadows. I’m sure she was like, part of some bigger scheme.”

Soujin took a deep sigh. “She also slipped away before I could pin them down..”

Ryojin turned his back to them, looking out into the dark courtyard. He clasped his hands behind his back and spoke low. "If the Senodokidatsu have grown this organized, we may be facing an uprising on a scale we would need to prepare for. The Head Captain will need to be informed of this in the Morning."

Soujin placed his hands together. “Captain Kurogane, please don’t mention Cera’s escape to the Head Captain. If he hears about it now, it’ll be game over for her.”

Ryojin turned slightly and searched Soujin’s face for sincerity. “Captain Mirumaru managed to keep Captain Miko from spilling the beans. Normally, I would agree with Miko’s perspective—Will should know everything but…” His gaze drifted to Bellar, Pufima and Priya, who all seemed to share the same worry. “I can see that things aren’t gonna be that simple for you.”

Soujin felt a flicker of hope. “So… you’ll cover it up?”

Ryojin sighed and rubbed his temples. “I’ll do what I can but, if Head Captain Will investigates Cera’s case further, I will be forced to spill the beans.”

Soujin, Bellar, Pufima and Priya made their way out of Squad 4’s headquarters. Behind, Cera was left in Ryojin’s care. They walked through the night but no one spoke. Soujin’s mind was on what came next and where they were headed.

Once they reached the Divine Squad 3 barracks, Soujin looked around at the sleeping quarters. The building wasn’t exactly huge, and with midnight pressing in on them, most of the squad was already knocked out for the night.

“Well,” Soujin muttered while scratching his head, “this is gonna be a tight fit.”

Bellar stretched, smirking. “You got that right,” she said with a playful glint. “Every room’s packed except for mine and Cera’s... oh, and yours, Cap.” She nodded toward Pufima and Priya. “So, what’s the plan for these two? Got any bright ideas or are they bunking with you?”

Priya's face flushed. She fidgeted nervously. “Actually… maybe we should just get going back home? We’ve got school tomorrow. Can’t you just take us back?”

Soujin crossed his arms and sighed. “No can do. The moment you two got your hands on a Divine Blade, you became part of this world. There’s no backing out now.”

Pufima looked down at the Divine Blade hanging loosely from her belt. She had dreamed of one day staying at the Divine Blade Society and now that this was all happening, it was both terrifying and thrilling to her all at once. “So, we’re stuck here for the night, huh? Cool…”

"More like forever," Bellar added with a chuckle.

Soujin shot Bellar a look. “Don’t freak them out more than they already are.”

Bellar shrugged, leaning against the doorway. “Hey, just being honest.”

Priya shifted from foot to foot like she was standing on hot coals. She had never intended to get this deep into things.

Soujin scratched his head again, eyeing the cramped space and weighing his options. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, “Alright, here’s the deal. Priya and Pufima, you two can take Cera and Bellar’s room for the night.”

Priya looked relieved, but before she could thank him, Soujin continued, “Bellar, you’re bunking with me.”

Bellar's eyebrows shot up and a grin spread across her face. “Well shit. You really wanna do that? I’d bite you right between your legs, you know.”

Soujin gave a deadpan look. “Not like that.”

“I know, I know,” Bellar shot back while barely holding back a laugh. “Guess I’ll try not to bite your tip, Cap.”

Soujin facepalmed. “I’m gonna regret this shit…”

After all was said and done, the group head to the rooms assigned. Priya and Pufima cautiously stepped into Bellar and Cera’s. Meanwhile, Soujin and Bellar made their way to his room.

Once they reached Soujin’s door, Bellar stretched again and yawned. “Try not to snore too loud, cap.”

Soujin shot her a sideways glance. “Just don’t trash my room in your sleep, ruffian.”

Bellar smirked. “No promises.”

In the king-sized bed, Soujin and Bellar settled under the covers with both of them shedding the some layers of clothing.

Soujin glanced over at Bellar, who was already drifting off. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but the sound of her soft snores cut him off. She looked peaceful to him with her wild hair splayed out around her like a halo. The ferocity he’d come to expect from her was entirely absent in her sleeping face.

He chuckled to himself and then closed his eyes while drifting off into deep slumber.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a night’s rest, the group got dressed and ready as it became time for the meeting with the Head Captain Will. They head off to the Meeting room. Once inside, Ryojin greeted them, but the air was already filled with tension upon knowing what they would have to explain.

Head Captain Will entered. Ryojin stood beside Soujin. Both of them straightened instinctively. The other captains were notably absent.

Will's blue eyes flicked to Soujin. “I heard about your quick response to the Senodokidatsu attack,” he began. “However, I’m disappointed in you, Captain.”

Soujin’s heart sank. He braced himself thinking the reprimand would center around Cera. Will continued. “You left your squad behind. You know they are supposed to be deployed with you during missions for better coverage. Had you followed protocol, we might have dealt with the threat more efficiently and minimized civilian involvement.”

Soujin felt his stomach twist. He glanced at Ryojin, who watched silently. Will’s gaze shifted to Priya and Pufima and lingered for a moment on them. “They were involved in this, too, weren't they?” Will’s tone shifted to one of scrutiny. “What are they doing here?”

Soujin took a deep breath and said,“They found a Divine Blade. Bellar told me they managed to use it during the attack. I brought them back because of it.”

Will’s face shifted from disappointment to incredulity. “An ordinary civilian, especially one so young, should be incapable of wielding one of the Seven Divine Blades.” He stepped towards the girls and demanded, “Show me the blade.”

Pufima pulled the Divine Blade from her belt and held it cautiously. Will took the blade in his hands and examined it closely. “This is the Divine Blade of Bravery,” he stated with a note of awe. “It reacts to bravery, but even so, it does not respond unless one has a Mystcry level high enough to use it.”

Pufima felt a rush of pride at the recognition, but Will’s brows furrowed. “How is it that you were able to tap into this energy? You’re not even trained in the art of divine swordsmanship. You shouldn’t have been able to activate it.”

“We… we didn’t know,” Priya stammered. “S-She just acted. I don’t think Pufima had no idea what she was doing...”

Will studied them for a long moment. Then, he spoke. “Motivation is a powerful force, but using a Divine Blade comes with immense responsibility. You’re now part of a world with danger.” He glanced back at Soujin. “You need to understand what this means… so let me inform you as well.”

Will paused for a moment. Then he countinued. “As you already know, there are seven Divine Blades. They are: the Divine Blade of Bravery, Hope, Power, Time, Passion, Wisdom, and Unity. Trombone, the enemy leader has already absorbed the Blade of Power and his strength is now... immense. That alone makes him a threat beyond anything we’ve faced.”

Will’s face darkened. “What’s worse is that I felt Miffet’s presence on the scene. Obviously, she will inform Trom of everything she’s been able to see, and I don’t think something like this missed her eyes.

Things cannot remain as they are. Trom will come for you two,” he said while gesturing toward Pufima and Priya. “There’s no escaping that reality. The only question is whether you’ll be ready when he does.”

Pufima’s grip tightened around the blade while she gave a nervous look at Will. Priya glanced sideways with her face being pale.

Will’s eyes scanned the group. “We could spend time searching all of society for another worthy wielder of the Divine Blade of Bravery but the fastest solution is to train you both.”

Ryojin, who had been silent until now stepped forward and spoke hesitantly. “Are you sure about this, Head Captain? They’re just high school students. They’re not ready for this kind of burden.”

Will locked eyes with Ryojin. “You know as well as I do that whether they’re ready or not, their lives are in danger. We don’t have a choice, Ryojin. They’re part of this world now.”

Ryojin’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue further.

Will straightened and spoke with a sense of finality. “I’ll be placing them into the Academy for immediate training. And we’ll inform their school of this new development. From this moment forward, their lives will never be the same. But it’s better they’re prepared than caught off guard when Trom makes his move.”

Meanwhile, in another dimension, a dark world filled with strange, twisted architecture, Miffet made her way through a valley of skeleton-like Senodokidatsu. They lined the path and stood eerily still until she approached. Then, in a synchronized movement, they all raised trumpets to their hollow skulls and began to play a bone-rattling fanfare. Miffet giggled. She skipped along with an almost childlike glee. “Ah, what a lovely welcome…Such charm, such grace. They truly knows how to provide a royal greeting.”

The massive fortress loomed ahead with twisted spires jutting into the stormy sky like claws. Miffet pushed open the oversized doors. Inside, the space was bizarrely decorated with hundreds of them that covered the walls. Each one was a portrait of Trombone, striking various dramatic and self-important poses.

At the center of the room, on a massive throne carved from bone and adorned with jewels sat Trombone. His form was mostly human though traces of his skeletal nature showed. He had sharp cheekbones with thin skin and hollow sunken eyes that glowed faintly. A large gaudy crown sat crooked atop his head which was sparkling. He lounged casually with his fingers tapping against the armrest.

As Miffet entered, Trombone slowly turned his head. "Ah, my spider returns…You’ve been gone for quite some time, Miffet. I do hope you bring interesting news because I’ve been very bored." He gestured to the nearest portrait of himself. “As you can see, I’ve been... keeping myself entertained.”

Miffet rolled her eyes at the display but smiled nonetheless with her sharp teeth showing. “Oh, I’ve got more than just interesting news, my dear Trombone. You’re going to love this.” She approached the throne and was practically singing.

Trombone leaned forward slightly with intrigue. He drawled, “Go on then…I’m listening.”