Alba’s initial mission had taken them to Flares to investigate a potential lead on the remaining Kreutz Sungrazers: Wonder, Ikeya, and Kreutz itself; they cooperated with the stationed personnel there but unfortunately came up bust. Not too different from the past week frankly, after Operation Scorcher. All dead ends and barely any progress made, if any—and countless failed quests because of it. Since Pereyra’s and Tewfik’s defeat, the rest laid low and remained hidden, commanding their hordes remotely.

Meanwhile, Kosmos and the Otherguards kept fighting the Cosmic Beasts above. Zagan was recently killed, actually, according to (stunted) outside communications. Three down.

The Pillars were no longer under constant attack; instead they targeted key locations such as supply depots, military installations, artisan guilds, convoys, anything that supported current infrastructure. As much as Alexander hated to admit, it was a smart strategy. They knew they lacked the overwhelming manpower to effectively destroy the Five Pillars—without taking heavy losses anyway or awakening the Earthwill; thus, they switched targets: the Ordo Outbreak Barrier’s destruction to the speedy collapse of civil society, effectively turning the Barrier into a prison.

By launching strategic attacks on these key locations, it forced Ordo to expend resources no matter the outcome of the battle. In fact, most of the attacks had been damaging but not destructive. So Ordo would need to either repair what’d been damaged or abandon the area completely.

Sage had identified one consolation from these constant attacks: the universe splitters.

The Comets were certainly using their own splitters to summon these monsters, and multiversal spatial distortions was something you could track due to the energy emissions they gave off. That comprised most of the missions that Alba went on: investigating these distortions. But these fuckers were smart.

In the initial invasion, they managed to render a few portal redirections facilities inoperational and allowed for some portals to squeak out into the open. So as a result, it was common to hear about breakthroughs across the city, making it impossible to tell which had been naturally caused or cosmically split.

Sage theorized there was a difference between the two and worked with her team to find it. Seeing as Alba’s latest mission was a dud, she hadn’t found the answer yet. They tried looking at the monsters themselves since the Comets could exert some sort of mass control, they analyzed the distortions into absurdity, even researched the universe splitters obtained from Pereyra and Tewfik. Nothing substantial.

A week of pain, and today was day seven.

The Sungrazers knew Ordo had to take care of their own people; thus, they faced two threats: one externally and one from within. This plan came at a great risk for the Comets. Once the Cosmic Beasts were slain, the outside world would surely intervene and end the crisis.

Essentially, both sides were operating on a deadly time limit. The city-state of Ordo: where discontentment grew everyday and so had the possibility of complete societal collapse; the Kreutz Sungrazers: when the Cosmic Beasts were destroyed and so there was nothing stopping the world’s might.

Nobody knew if the Comets were hurting just like them, consequently contributing to a loss of morale. Archknell’s valiant sacrifice could only do so much, unfortunately, because in the days following everybody felt the pain. Lack of food, lack of clean drinking water, lack of medical supplies and personnel, gas for transportation and generators, ammunition for the military, and that was barely scratching the surface.

Shortages were getting more commonplace by the day. Fourteen days in, they’d be a plague. Conflict was bad now but imagine what’d happen then.

“Alexander?” a voice chimed in from the voice call. Seraph, who was in Pillar Windvent after a small incident with the Soul, the crystal powering the structure.

“Ah.” Alexander snapped out of his thoughts; his thoughts were getting the best of him. That was happening more often lately. “Sorry, I was just thinking. The apprehension of Jonathan Nam and his gang reminded me how, well, we’re in the deep of it. While the mission was a complete success, it reminds me how depressing this shit—ahem, stuff is.”

Alexander looked behind him. Currently, Alba was at Fairman High School, which had been converted to a shelter. A decent military presence was established, though the commanding officer often complained about the shortages (everyone did nowadays). The officer was a good man, genuinely wanted to do right by his community, and was decently competent—not enough as the demands required. Earlier this morning, a crowd gathered in the gym to lodge their complaints and he had poorly handled their concerns, leading to an outcry where his men had to physically force the civilians out.

So tensions were high (they were high everywhere). You could feel it like someone had wrapped piano wire around your heart, tightening it by the second. Everybody looked at everybody with fighting eyes, having their bodies tucked in like someone was going to steal the clothes off their backs, and how they whispered to their cohorts, always glaring at something. Didn’t help that word got around fast. If a protest or a riot happened, the entire city would know within the hour.

“You performed your duties,” Seraph assured him, detecting the concern in his voice. It was nearly impossible to get anything past her. “Jonathan Nam and his people won’t terrorize the area once again.”

“Yeah,” he said, unconvinced, too worried about the city’s health.

A hum came from Seraph; she detected his doubt too. “Do you have something else to say?”

Alexander took a moment to gauge the atmosphere here. Thick. It was only a couple of hours before lunch—scheduled and monitored according to the military’s outbreak protocols in a prolonged setting. Hundreds of civilians were here. Close to a thousand, maybe. Not everyone would get a meal. Someone will make a ruckus.

“It’s starting to get bad here,” he said, looking around, “feels like a brawl’s going to happen at any second. People are itching for it.”

“I’m afraid conflict is becoming endemic and we have no remedies for it. Other than, of course, slaying the Comets,” she told him, both frankly and softly.

“I know. I’m trying to mentally calculate how long Ordo has ‘til we’re past the point of recovery. What time is it…” Alexander muttered to himself, checking the time using the System: ten-ten. “Your people made a tracker, right? How many reports did you receive today alone?”

Seraph paused. “Alexander,” she said with the same concern he had earlier.

“What is it?”

“I need you to remain optimistic—”

“I’m also trying to be responsible here,” he fought, putting a hand on his hip. “Initially, Slayer Team Alba was ordered to investigate the Sungrazers and subjugate any monsters if necessary, not our own people. We’ve been assisting the Duskheads more and more as of late; it’s taking a toll on my team. It’s easier to slay ugly monsters, not ugly bastards. We’re lucky none of us had to do it yet. Yet.”

Alexander had noticed the exhaustion in the days after Operation Scorcher, after visiting camps where protests had been recently quelled. Trash was everywhere, tents and whatever housing were torn down as collateral damage, and occasionally they spotted a bloody person. Another time, they had caught the tail-end of a riot, which occurred because a soldier accidentally shot a civilian (she survived). The main aggressors got cuffed, led into the back of a truck at gunpoint. Not a welcoming sight to see.

Not to mention the arrests that Alba accompanied like with Jonathan Nam—this was their sixth one, if Alexander counted correctly. Criminals bounded together by desperation, a mutual distrust of authority. Some weren’t bad people at all. Some were like Jonathan. All had to be arrested. One was killed though, when he broke free and tried reaching for their sword.

Pretty tough to witness even after what Alba went through. This was different. You could blame the monsters and be as angry with them as you’d want. But people were more complex than your ordinary goblin.

“So,” Seraph began, “what are you thinking then? As the Team Leader? I will tell you: our analysts are predicting a twenty percent increase of conflict throughout the day, but we both know that we are underestimating the numbers by a large amount.”

“As the Team Leader…” Alexander exhaled, going over the events in his head. “...I’m not too worried about Leo. If she needs to hang back for any reason, I trust that she'll tell me.

“But the kids? Or, well, the barely legal adults? The disaster is getting to them. Althea's more irritable—but who knows, maybe that's because she celebrated her birthday knees-deep in monster guts. Despite that, we've been through Hell together. Just like Leo, I know she'll tell me if she needs to drop out. But Vernon? He's been withdrawn, distant. On top of already present stress from the disaster, he's experiencing unnecessary resistance from his brother. I'm worried about him the most. I'm not as close to him as I am with Leo and Althea.

"For that reason, I asked Thea to watch him for me. So..." Alexander scratched his cheek. "...In a nutshell, while we're not combat ineffective, we are tired. At the same time, it's not like we can give up and quit."

Seraph chuckled at the implication. "Yes yes. You know, Alexander, Fusil has made repeated attempts to persuade me. Once or twice everyday. He really is worried about Vernon, but he's going about things the wrong way. As much as I tell him that he's being a burden on his brother, he doesn't listen and continues to pester me.'

"Yeah, Mark got that from his dad..." Alexander creased his lips together then rubbed them. "It's the oddest feeling, though, knowing that your future's been basically decided. But I don't feel like an EX-Rank Slayer. Feels like death's waiting around the corner for me. For all of us."

"I'm sorry," Seraph told him for what must've been the tenth time. "I know this is a dangerous, selfish decision on my part—"

"Don't apologize. We're the only link to Sirius Aethfell and we're determined to see it through. But it doesn't mean I'll be careless about our lives. Regardless of who we might become in the future, we're still human. I won't hesitate placing my team in Primordial Zero if I think they'll be a risk to themselves or others—or disobeying orders if I deem them unreasonable."

Seraph smiled, but Alexander couldn't tell what emotions were behind it. "You're speaking like a Team Leader already. Your words reassure me that your team is in excellent hands."

"I had to raise a little devil by myself, so I got some experience."

She laughed. "It was hard, I assume?"

"Very. I had to treat her like an adult whenever she made a mistake, I had to treat her like a child any other time. Balancing on that line was difficult. And now? I have to respect her decisions, her strength..." The same strength I didn’t have at her age. “…but I have to consider her safety most of all; also becoming a role model for Vernon to look up to, but that's an entirely different thing."

Seraph hummed, having warm, compassionate expression. “You’d be a great father, Alexander—“

“No no, I wouldn’t be—“

“I’m serious,” she said with a click. “Leona tells me all sorts of stories about your antics. As a mother, as Sera, I empathize with your struggles. I can’t imagine having to deal with my daughter as a teenager when she’s this rambunctious now; I suppose you can help me when that day comes. What matters most, and this is what I believe, is the effort. The effort that you've shown time and time again. Althea knows—Vernon too—that you’re treating them as equals, and they’ll come to understand any decision you’ll make.

“But this is when I have to speak as Seraph. Already, you're a better Team Leader than most Slayers at your ranking and experience, prioritizing the needs of your team most of all. And I'm sure you already know my thoughts about this arrangement. If you requested a transfer to Primordial Zero, I would grant it immediately, no questions asked.

"We both know that dissatisfaction within the civilian population will only rise in the coming days. You will participate in more missions that involve your fellow people and not grotesque monsters. There will be a time where some of you will have to make a difficult, split-second choice. When the time comes to make that request, Alexander, I trust that you will tell me immediately."

Alexander gulped, then nodded. It was a one-way trip. Once the request was made and confirmed, nobody could rejoin the fight. The situation wasn't bad enough to make the decision now, but soon. Soon it will be.

"Yes ma'am," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's move on from this conversation. Can you remind me what the rest of the Baptists are up to?”

Alba was currently a part of Dawn Baptists, a strike force created by Seraph, currently made of participants of Operation Scorcher. They’d become popular as of late, famously known for contributing greatly to Pereyra’s and Tewfik’s subjugation.

Seraph explained what the other members were doing at this point in time. First were the Alumnus, made up of Baek Hei-ran (Gul, and the Team Leader), Sorayama Kaiya (Uprise), Li Chunhua (Forest Master), and Victor Holidays (Victor). They just finished investigating a cluster of spatial distortions in northern Creekwood. The results were obvious.

Next were the Problem Children: Morgan Hoshino (Problem) and Damien Fayer (just Damien, no codename). After losing an arm in Scorcher, Damien declined going to Primordial Zero and wanted to continue helping as it was “the most human thing” he could do. As a result, he had taken a supportive role and assisted Problem. Right now, they were convening in Windvent, specifically the Kabuki-Ordo Theatre there. Monarch and a few Head Officers from Royals were embarking on an important operation which required the pair.

Additionally, High Dominion was coming along, Angels. They were a Slayer Team of seven who specialized in faith magic, led by White Herald. He was personally trained in the Vatican.

Alexander grimaced, recalling the conversation where Damien had told everybody of his ‘condition’.

Finally, Aiden Kang (Firebrand). He was on Sage’s beck and call, doing whatever field missions she required. Because Sage was leading the research into tracking the Comets, she needed someone who could easily gather information. Firebrand was it.

The last thing on the list was…

“Now that we’re caught up,” said Alexander anxiously, “what’s our next mission?”

Seraph softly smiled. “More distortions.”

Alexander chuckled, nodding. “Who would’ve thought?”

“It’s different this time. Yesterday, there have been a concerningly large number of distortions opening in Dawns, about twenty-five-percent more than what we’ve seen in the others. Currently, we have the Vice Guild Master of Martials, the Righteous Jin Tiehan investigating these distortions with his team, but he personally requested for the Dawns Baptists to assist him, fearing there’ll be more appearances. So I'm sending you and the Alumnus there.”

Alexander tilted his head curiously. “How can we assist him exactly?”

Seraph sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know; however, he offered to personally train you and your team. Himself, Blackviper, and the Five Distinct Journeys. It’ll be a great opportunity.”

"Seriously? Jin Tiehan wants to train me?"

"I know."

"Does he know about my otherself?"

“He shouldn’t, but Jin Tiehan has a keen sense of strength. Perhaps he recognized the potential in you. Either way, I'd recommend being on guard whenever you're with him. You never know what he might do."

~

[SUB-QUEST]

DISTORTION INVESTIGATION - DAWNS ONCE MORE

Seraph has assigned you the task of investigating a series of anomalous distortions in Dawns once again, this time collaborating with members of Martial Guild, including the Vice Guild Master, the Righteous Jin Tiehan.

DIFFICULTY ??? VICTORY CONDITION

THE INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETED

DEFEAT CONDITION

YOU ARE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE INVESTIGATION

REWARDS

OUTCOME-DEPENDENT