Chapter 15: Pursuit

Hyorine regarded the small girl thoughtfully, “It takes time to master spells like Mystcry Arts #61.," she said calmly. She paused, then asked the small girl gently, "What's your name?"

The small girl looked up nervously, "Sinque ma’am.”

Hyorine nodded. "Considering you just joined the squad, you must be incredibly gifted at Mystcry. It's certainly rare but not unheard of, especially since our Captain was the same way."

Sinque's eyes widened slightly.

"Captain Muffet once told me a story about how she beat all the Mystcry users in a competition at the age of ten," Hyorine said. "You just might be like that...”

The squad members, who had been watching the exchange intently, suddenly brightened, their curiosity piqued. They crowded around Hyorine with stars in their eyes. "Tell us the story, Lieutenant! What happened in the competition?" they asked

Hyorine held up her hands. "Alright, everyone, focus," she said firmly. "We still have a mission to complete. I will explain the story later.’"

The squad members nodded. They refocused with the reminder of their duty.

"Sinque," Hyorine continued, "if you can maintain the Soul Nexus spell, we'll be able to get in touch with the scout team and find out if they've located the Divine Blade. Are you ready?"

Sinque nodded, "Yes, Lieutenant. I'm ready."

With Hyorine's encouragement and the support of her squad, Sinque stepped forward once more, focusing her Mystcry energy.

“Mystcry Arts #61, Soul Nexus!”

A ball of white light connected and reached out towards Saya and Didi of the Scout team, allowing for telepathic communication. Hyorine placed one hand on Sinque's shoulder which allowed her thoughts flowing seamlessly into the connection.

"Saya, Didi, report," Hyorine echoed in their minds.

Saya's responded in frustration, "Lieutenant, there's a woman riding a big black werewolf up a damn mountain. We've already informed Captain Muffet about this earlier."

Hyorine's brow furrowed. "Understood. What else have you observed?"

While observing the woman and the werewolf, Saya and Didi noticed a few cages positioned further up the mountain. Saya's breath hitched. "Oh shit," she muttered.

"What is it?" Hyorine's concern deepened.

Upon closer inspection, Saya could see the captives clearly. "There are some members of the Divine Blade Society in those cages... but also civilians. Lieutenant, we need to act quickly! These people are in danger."

Hyorine nodded. "Thank you, Saya. Stay hidden and keep observing. We'll regroup and come to assist you."

She turned to her squad, who had been listening intently. "We have captives to rescue, both members of the Divine Blade Society and civilians. We need to move out immediately."

The squad members nodded. Hyorine looked at Sinque with pride. "You did well, Sinque. Now, let's go save those people."

Sinque's nervousness was replaced by newfound confidence. "Yes, ma’am!"

While moving out, Hyorine issued final instructions. "We need to move about this in a smart way.. We'll split into two groups. One will handle the werewolf and the woman, the other will focus on freeing the captives."

The squad quickly organized, ready to follow Hyorine's lead.

The squad made their way towards the mountain. While on the move, one of the squad members, a tall girl, started a conversation. "Why do you think they have captives? Do you think they're planning some sort of ritual or something?"

Another girl with short hair jumped in. "Oh, yah, no doubt about that girl. I heard they summon spooky scary skeletons to dance and guard their treasures."

The group erupted into laughter. "Spooky scary skeletons?" one of the girls echoed, giggling. "Next you'll tell us they have dancing zombies too."

The tall girl nodded enthusiastically. “And what about the werewolves? Let me guess, they join in with the chorus, howling to the rhythm?"

Hyorine allowed herself a small smile. "Alright, alright," she said. "Let's not let our imaginations run too wild tonight."

The squad members nodded, though their smiles remained.

Meanwhile:

Saya and Didi crouched low, peering out from their hiding spots. Didi fidgeted with a device that looked like an old cell phone. Her fingers worked furiously over its buttons.

Saya sighed, "Didi, you've been trying to get that thing to work for months now."

Didi's eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked up. “Saia, this device is amazing! It's such a shame that our scientists decided to discard it and stop working on it."

Saya rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I remember. The scientist from Squad 8 wouldn't shut up about it. Even though it was just junk to him, he couldn't stop talking about how brilliant it was."

Didi's enthusiasm was undeterred. "Just imagine if we could get it working again. We could have real-time communication, better coordination..."

Saya sighed and then interrupted, “I get it, Didi. But right now, we need to focus. We got to try to get in closer to atleast see if we can hear what that woman is saying.”

Didi nodded eagerly. "I'm on it, Saya. Just give me a moment..."

But before Didi could finish her sentence, Saya grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her along. They moved silently and navigated their way to the mountaintop from their hiding spot. The terrain was rugged, and they had to be cautious not to make any noise that could alert the woman and her companion.

Upon reaching the mountaintop, they found convenient hiding places behind large boulders and bushes. From their vantage point, they could see several cages lined up, each holding a captive. One of the cages held a crying woman, her distress evident even from a distance.

Saya gestured for Didi to stay put while she cautiously moved closer, trying to listen in on the conversation between the woman and the black werewolf rider. The woman spoke strained with fear, but her words were barely audible due to the distance.

Didi fidgeted nervously but kept her eyes fixed on Saya, waiting for any signal or indication of their next move.

The woman in the cage pleaded tearfully, "I didn't do anything wrong..."

The woman on the black werewolf dismounted gracefully, towering over the scene, now speaking towards the woman in the cage,

"On this date, 1524," the Lady began with authority. "Someone from your town reported our presence to the Divine Blade Society. That action cost us dearly—over 500 Lycans and an Alpha." She paused, her gaze piercing. "We suspect it was a woman, judging by the voice we heard. If your people had left us in peace, none of this would have happened."

"I... I didn't know..."

"You have a lovely voice," the Lady remarked. "It's clear you have a heart capable of understanding. Your people forced our hand. I believe you're wise enough to make the right choice now, to tell us the truth."

The woman finally spoke up. "I... I reported your presence. I was scared... scared that you would attack our village, that you would... consume everyone."

The Lady’s face softened slightly. She nodded slowly. "Thank you for your honesty," she said.

With a flick of her hand, the Lady unlocked the cage. The woman stumbled out, relief flooding her face momentarily before the Lady's next words froze her in place.

"But that's not how we do things," the Lady continued, her tone turning colder. "You don't just confess and walk away. Oh no no no no. You've made a grave ‘mistake’. Surely you don’t expect to just walk away Scott free, do you?"

The woman's eyes widened. "What... what are you going to do to me?"

A cruel smile played on the Lady's lips. "You're about to become one of us," she declared, "A Lycan."

The woman recoiled, shaking her head frantically. "No! Please, don't do this!" The woman continued to plead in desperation. She fell to her knees with tears continuing to stream down her face. “I was just…. I was just..."

But the Lady remained unphased. She gestured towards the werewolf, who moved forward with purpose. The woman backed away slowly.

"Please..." she begged one last time.

The lady stated with a cold gaze, "You brought this upon yourself."

Before the woman could react, the werewolf pounced and its jaws snapped shut around her neck. She screamed in agony and right afterwards, her body twisted and contorted. Within moments, where a terrified woman once stood, now crouched a snarling Lycan with a look of confusion and rage.

The Lady stepped back, satisfied. "Welcome to your new life.”

The big black werewolf, now towering over the transformed Lycan and the Lady, let out a guttural growl. "What about the others?" it demanded. "Now that we have a new member, can't we just slaughter them?"

The Lady remained composed. She raised a hand, palm outwards, signaling for patience. "As I said, Cerebro," she replied calmly, using the werewolf's name. "That's not how we operate. We think ahead."

She turned to gesture towards the cages, where the remaining captives trembled in fear. "All of them," she declared, "They will all become like her."

While she spoke, the Lady retrieved a blade from her side. It was unlike any weapon the captives had ever seen. The blade was surrounded by a supernatural glow. The metal itself appeared to shift hues. The light around was in a vibrant display of colors that danced along its length.

The blade's hilt was adorned with carving depicting scenes of mythical creatures and celestial beings locked in eternal battle. Each detail seemed to tell a story.

"This," the Lady said with reverence, "is our key to claiming what is rightfully ours. With this blade, we will bring down the Divine Blade Society, piece by piece."

Cerebro nodded slowly with his gaze fixed on the blade with awe “It’s... beautiful," he rumbled.

The Lady nodded. "And powerful," she added, “I was just fortunate to be the one to find this divine blade right before those Divine blade members reared their heads. Once I absorb this blade’s power, not even their Head Captain will be able to stop me.”

Meanwhile, Saya and Didi, hidden in their respective spots, exchanged worried glances.

Saya whispered to Didi while shaking slightly, "We really found the divine blade. If she absorbs its power, we're in serious trouble."

Didi nodded with concern. "Yeah, this is bad..."

Saya's face tightened with fake confidence. "I'm going to do something stupid.”

Didi looked at her in shock. "What? No, Saya, you can't—"

But Saya cut her off, "I have to," she insisted. "This is what I live for. I am the 3rd strongest member of the Squad... I should be able to handle it...”

Didi swallowed hard, her mind racing. "Okay," she said finally, “Okay, but... what's your plan?

"There's no need for a plan," Saya replied.

Didi blinked in surprise. "Ehhh? No plan? Saya, have you forgotten that I'm one of our strategists?"

Saya smirked slightly. "Exactly," she said, tapping her temple lightly. "That's why there's no need for a plan. You can strategize around me using this."

Didi's eyes widened. "That's... a scary level of reliance...”

Saya's smirk widened into a confident grin. "But it's also why we make a great team," she pointed out. "Your plans and my instincts—what could go wrong?"

Didi chuckled softly, shaking her head. "You never fail to surprise me, Saya," she murmured. "Alright then, let's do this. I'll cover you from here."

Saya nodded, a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Let's show them what Squad 6 is made of!"

Saya moved with practiced stealth, though even with her skills, her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She crept closer to where the Lady and Cerebro stood.. Each step felt like walking into a danger zone where she could be chewed up at any moment.

Finally in position, Saya waited for the perfect moment. With a swift motion, she lunged forward, aiming to snatch the divine blade from the Lady's grasp, but right before her fingers could close around it, a sudden blur of motion caught her off guard—a clawed strike that launched her off into the air.

Pain exploded in Saya's chest. She crashed to the ground hard with blood flying from her mouth. Her vision was swimming with the stars. She fought to stay conscious and was left gasping for breath.

"I knew I smelled something," the big werewolf growled. It narrowed its eyes over to Saya's prone body.

The Lady approached with measured steps. "Seems we've found ourselves a little spy," she remarked.