Lineage of Blades (before battle)
Where...?
T.B.
Welcome to the bus~ And oh, we are -
An Odachi...?! Hah!
The Blade Lineage woman sprang from her prone position, grabbing the sword next to her. She held the grip of her blade, ready to draw it at any moment.
Identify yourselves! Are you with the Kurokumo Clan?!
No.
Uh, so, we're -
Then why does that woman wield an Odachi?!
Tsk. She will not listen. We should kill her.
<Ryōshū!>
She pisses me off for two reasons.
One. She refused to listen, making this conversation longer than it needed to be.
Two. She dared to compare their... scrap metals to my blade.
Is there any reason for me not to proceed with her O.O.F, Clock?
<Yeah, there is! She can't tell us anything if she's dead.>
...Tsk.
Ryōshū often shows bursts of emotion in the most unexpected times... but at least she listens when I ask her to. Which is a relief.
I-I suppose your blade is not exactly like theirs... Your uniform is certainly different.
And you... who might you be? You certainly wear a rather loud timepiece... Are you unable to communicate otherwise?
They are our manager. Their vocalizations will not reach your ears.
... Hm.
... I recognize the scent your voice carries. It's... familiar.
Even in the Districts that I have resided in have I not met fellows who speak as I do...
Speak as you do, indeed. Yet I sense familiarity in your choice of verbiage.
You must be from District 19... S Corp., are you?
... Though I have fled, that is where I hail from.
I see... so you have also left your home behind.
My compatriots oft share the same fate as we do.
Perhaps meeting someone from the same home District helped; the woman visibly relaxed before slumping down on a nearby chair. Her breathing was labored.
My name is Yi Sang. I have operated on the wounds you have suffered.
Ah... So I have acted with such brutishness despite your kindness - please, accept my apologies.
Call me Aeng-du. I am a Salsu from the Lineage that deals in Blades.
Ooh... Dante, maybe we can leave the talking to Yi Sang this time?
<Mhm, looks like we can sit back and let him handle this.>
I nodded, replying quickly to Rodya's whispers.
If you are from District 19, S Corp. territory... then you must be aware of who we are.
I am somewhat aware, though I am far from acquainted with tales from the streets.
I have heard that the Blade Lineage is bound to no master, no land; yet whence do you flee?
It is a tale far too long to be shared in full. All I may divulge is that we had no choice but to seek a territory for us to thrive in.
Perhaps there is aught that we could do to assist, should you deign to impart us the particulars of your pursuers.
…….
Aeng-du shot a sweeping glance at all of us. Her eyes appeared heavy with crushing exhaustion.
Mm, if you and your fellows were skilled enough to defeat this group of foes... then all of you must be quite capable.
Kurokumo Clan has put a bounty on our heads. Our mentor, my fellows... all of us.
Hold on, this ain't just any other strife, then...? That sounds more personal than your usual turf war.
... As it has always been, District 19 is fraught with corruption and disturbance to the lives of the public.
There is very little that us men and women of the blade, who seek naught else but to train and walk the path of martial arts, can do to change the Wing now known as 'Salpippyeo Agroindustries'... or S Corp.
As the old saying goes... what other choice does a monk who abhors his temple have but to leave it behind? Thus we have departed from our home.
So the people of S Corp. suffer still.
We had departed in search of a new home... yet it was no easy journey.
Most territories have already been made home by others; in order for us to settle, conflict was unavoidable.
In the midst of those conflicts, I have the memory of our mentor bringing us an... 'invitation'. An invitation to enter a 'Library' of sorts.
…….
Vergilius, who had been sitting quietly with one leg over the other on a chair far from the rest of us, visibly reacted.
I think I remember that the word 'Library' always got a genuine reaction out of Vergilius.
You 'have the memory'... Quite an odd way to phrase your own recollections.
Mm. We arrived at the Library, hoping to escape the Kurokumo Clan's clutches...
... but all we had done was to lead ourselves into just another field of battle. We were handily defeated.
Then, all of a sudden, we found ourselves stranded in the Backstreets of T Corp. upon our waking. The bizarreness of such an experience can only be described by an expression just as odd.
... Ah! Mentor Bamboo-hatted Kim!
Her eyes suddenly widened mid-sentence. Aeng-du leaped from her seat.
I believe that our mentor remains there still...! We must make haste to Yong-jin Building!
Be not so hasty! Such wild movements may tear the wounds that I have -
Kagh...
Huhh?! W-what the heck! Is she dead?
It is no surprise that a sudden rise in blood pressure in lieu of blood supply would cause one to faint. She has merely lost her consciousness.
Phew...
You were right, manager. She did have some useful intel for us.
Yong-jin Building... I suppose we have some business there, then.
<Mmm... Maybe, but I'm not sure. I don't know what this has to do with our mission, if any.>
Or maybe it's that 'Library' that we should -
Danger, danger.
Bunch of people in Mephi's way. Swinging swords around. Black clothes.
Passengers, move out. Protect Mephi.
Hm... Executive Manager, they appear to be Kurokumo Clan's reinforcements.
<Well, what can we do...>
We'll have to think about this later. For now, let's take care of the reinforcements.