Lyrical Sword

Chapter 11: Again?

Beta read by Opal and Fabled Life.

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-Midchilda-

Standing near the now barren field once filled with lush greenery, Teana held a pensive gaze, observing the aftermath of the previous confrontation between Riot Force 6 and the unknown drones. Dozens of people were present, and the cleanup crew was here to pick up any remnants of shells and fragments left behind, also ensuring the place was spotless. This endeavor had started a couple of days ago and was nearing its end.

"Man, it's a shame this spot got wrecked this much. I used to come here with my son every weekend, a perfect area for some light exploring. Just what the hell happened here? It looks like the enemy dropped a bomb here rather than drones... There aren't even any metal scraps in this particular area," she heard one of the crew members mumble in the background. Teana found herself sharing the same sentiment while also recalling the events that transpired over here.

A scene that, even now, remained burned within her memories, one she was not able to look past even after having taken a couple of days of rest. Playing repeatedly, each time the details get more pronounced and exaggerated. "This is the place," she whispered and kneeled on top of the blackened ground, scorched by the fires of the impact between the laser and whatever creation Shirou conjured at the very last second.

Her hands absentmindedly touched the ground, a small voice in her head wondering if the outcome would be different if she had not been here to begin with. A thought that grated her mind nonstop and was not going away any time soon. "Still not enough. I wasn't able to be much of a help on the field again." A sigh escaped her lips; currently, she was both mentally and physically tired, feeling that even Subaru contributed more in the end.

This even further weighed on her mind after watching the footage of Signum and Vita working in perfect unison, having both dominated the sky and ground where the number of drones was the highest with little difficulty. 

One of the field agents came forward with a tired smile on his face. "Agent Teana, we will finish the cleanup very soon; our team has already begun packing up after the Ground Commander gave us approval. Thank you for your hard work." 

So that was her cue to leave for the day, a simple duty to watch over the ground in case another surprise attack were to happen, but she was pretty certain that it wouldn't be the case.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it then." Bidding her farewells, the girl left the area, having already made plans for the day along with Subaru. Hurrying along the road, she rushed towards the center of the city, passing by countless people all watching the news about the recent attack. Such information was plastered on every corner of the street and the news, most of it focusing on the possible perpetrator rather than anything else.

Not paying these things any mind, the girl only wanted to focus on honing her skills. "I can't allow that to happen again… I can't fall behind everyone else." Even Caro and Erio showed great progress in their training, advancing leaps and bounds for kids their age. "I don't even want to think about that guy."

The image of the red-headed mage appeared in her mind, his nonchalant behavior after beating her in marksmanship, revealing that he never actually tried to use a gun, always opting for his bow and arrow. "Where even is he?" She walked by his apartment this morning to find it empty, him along with that girl whom he decided to rescue and take in. Why he was so adamant about keeping her away from others in the Time-Space Administrative Bureau, she couldn't tell, but it appeared that even Nanoha agreed with his decision.