Leaning on a pillar, Macker grinned through the agony in his still-sensitive crotch. "We really did it guys. An A-Class shit. On our initial actual mission. That felt pleasant."
Kruna's copies combined back into one. Breathing heavily but faintly smiling, he sheathed his long blades. "Yeah that was actually cool. My multiplication was superior than anticipated. Felt... right."
Nix whistled. "Regarding the radioactive water stuff? Impressive and scary. Remind myself never to irritate you, boss."
Breathing sharply, Ema lowered his bow. "Neat kill. No civilian deaths. We are becoming quite skilled at this."
Aftor made sure his knife was clean. "Absolutely remarkable. If they are still watching, Hedonas will defecate themselves when they see the footage. I believed I should improve my skills concurrently."
Sano nodded once here. "Good job guys. But let's get back home. It is enough for today."
Adrenaline still surging, the team began toward the exit gently pushing and joking with each other as they walked.
Macker gave Nix a back clapped. "Today you missed the exploding duty, but I believe I managed it fairly well."
Nix chuckled. "In breakfast you exploded your balls as preperative. I see it as a win."
Ema chuckled. "My body cam caught the entire battle. This will make the highlight reel."
Aftor sheathed his knife. "I just want to shower. I reek of cursed guts."
Sano chuckled hollowly. Yeah same. Good fight of course but let's not stretch our luck."
Still tingling with success, the gang made their way back to the extraction point, their voices reverberating through the desolate streets.
Orced held back to observe them go. He turned to Kruna, who had remained behind without being prompted.
"Kruna." Stick around for a minute. Kruna stopped and arched an eyebrow.
"Boss, what is going on?"
Orced nodded slightly.
The rest can go back to base. You and me were deviating.
Two blocks from here is a little coffee shop. Still. Superior coffee. We have to chat. Just us.
Kruna shrugged, fully covering his knives.
"That sounds cool actually. Lead the direction."
Still laughing and telling the fight, the rest of the squad vanished around the corner.
The afternoon sun hot on their faces, Orced and Kruna strolled side by side down the peaceful Perpa City streets. Nestled between two older buildings, the modest café had outdoor seating beneath a faded awning.
Sitting at the corner table, they ordered two black coffees and waited till the waiter walked away.
Kruna sipped. "So. Boss, what are you thinking about?"
Orced stared out the street, his eyes sharp but far away. "Today went very nicely, in fact excellent.
Hedonas, though, is paying attention. That drone gave us the evidence of it. We have to become more brilliant. We are needed by the world. And I won't let anyone stop us."
Kruna nodded languidly.
"Agreed. What do you intend to do?"
Orced leaned forward, voice soft. "We will keep doing what we're doing. As much as we're starting, we supposed to view things more broadly."
Our planet calls us out.
And I won't let anyone get in our way.
Kruna chuckled. "You seem ready for war."
Orced's grin was sharp but little. "Perhaps I am."
Coffee between them, the city oblivious to the storm brewing within them, the two sat still for a minute.
The Hedonas command centre was a hurricane of mild worry.
Every slash, explosion, and brilliant strike caught precisely by the Mark-VII drone before it went dark, the large wall screen showed the warehouse brawl in crisp, high-resolution clarity.
Darkas simply stood with crossed arms and clenched teeth.
Meha bent forward and squinted.
Jellal straightened his glasses for a third time in thirty seconds.
Ultema, Nemo, and Pero watched from the back row in stillness.
At last Darkas spoke, his tone low. "Stop it there."
The image stops on the point where Orced's radioactive water jet smashes into the chest of the curse, melting flesh and inducing that last tormented scream.
Meha exhaled sharply. "It was Rengan. An semi-sentient A-class curse. For months, we had him categorized as low-priority. He ate abandoned fish warehouses and the odd stray animal. Never targeted civilians. He seemed under control."
During the first encounter, Jellal zoomed in on the face of the curse. "I mean just watch his body language. He was speaking. Negotiating in his own faulty manner. He referred to them as "little heroes" and bemoaned about being sought after. This wasn't a forceful incursion. It was defensive."
Ultema folded his arms. "And Sky Boys still came in guns blazing. Without notice. No effort toward containment. To them, a somewhat conscious A-class was like a rabid dog meant for euthanasia. Without thinking twice, the white-haired leader, a.k.a Orced, gave the order."
Nemo knocked the table. "Seven S-class signatures targeting one location. Organized, practiced, and extreme. They murdered Rengan and then some. This points to a problem. That's not something we can just ignore."
His eyes never wandered from the frozen scene of Orced mid-strike and Darkas caressed his chin. "By our standards, Rengan was harmless. Yes, it was infuriating. Disrupting local supply lines, yes. Buy still, he wasn't butchering anyone right there on the street. He was alive. Sky Boys obliterated him like he was a pest. That informs me they have no desire for diplomacy or containment. They want to get rid of something."
Meha nodded gently. "They have momentum building. Originally the C-class on the island, today a A-class in Perpa City on the same day. They are finding out how far they can go. Testing us."
Jellal's fingertips flew across his tablet. "The drone feed stopped just after the kill. Even though we do have enough. Their energy levels are through the roof. Radioactive, corrosive, curse-specific is Orced's fresh water power. The times table of Kruna and those enormous blades. Macker choosing explosive mode above mere tanking. They're developing very rapidly."
Darkas sought advice from the group. "We are not moving yet. We just need glean further information. But this...this is not some little rebellious gang acting hero. A hostile S-class group calling open season on anything they deem "evil" is this one."
The room went quiet as everyone felt the weight of the words settle around them.
Pero stood up softly, changing his coat. "I shall go converse with them. In an off-the-cuff manner. Normal visitors. Check whether I can glean some information on Orced and that second guy, Kruna. Perhaps establish a seed for conversation."
Darkas gave him a stare. "Use care. They have a crispness to them. Particularly the white-haired one. But nodded little and with assurance. I know. I want it to be light. Just a relaxed conversation over coffee."
Without another word, he exited the command center and the door hissed behind him.