CALAMITY CORE : FREE THE WORLD

CH.34 'SUSPICION'

"The captain's platoon has been real off lately, eh?" Said a man with a rifle on his lap. Another man, this time older, and with a graying mustache, nodded in agreement. The two men chatted about the mention of Chimera with the coming of the Shikoku Merchant Company, and below them, a pale, black-cloaked figure absorbed the information, unseen and unheard.

"Real tough nuts to crack, those folks are. City Guard ain't nothing like us militia folk. They're more focused on the inside'a the walls rather'n what's outside." Both men nodded in agreement again, then the younger one sighed.

"Different breeds, I guess. Both Beastkin by blood, though they're a cut more elite than us... real acceptin' of them Bounty Hunters and them weird wolves, and that chain-chested boy." The young man paused for a second so that the older man could process his words. "Y'know, I heard the half-blood kid ran off with that real cute wanderer girl... one with the blonde stripes in 'er hair." He turned to look as the older man raised his brow, then gave a disapproving look, his grey stache furrowed.

"What I wouldn't give to be in that dirty little demon's place... the folk up at the bar were talking up a storm 'bout her looks..."

Hirano had heard enough. Removing his hood, he stepped out into the setting sun, soaking in the first safe rays of sunlight he had felt in a long while... The dwindling light was comfortable to him. Just barely. "Talk about a dirty little bastard..." He muttered as he walked, keeping to himself rather than calling the odd older folk out atop the wall. To think they'd get so sidetracked with a girl as young as Saionji.

He passed the Kochi Guard building as the sun set in full. Only a few lights were on, and most were candlelight, save for the lobby, which had been powered by a mana-fuelled generator. Keeping his hand on his belt, the vampire sighed, and his hair began to catch moonlight as it crept up on the sun, soon overtaking it. "So Saiji and Andrei have gone out... I'm sure they'll be fine. That machine woman is most likely standing idle still..." He couldn't help but yawn, honestly. Life in civilization had begun to bore him after his hit of adventure-filled adrenaline. "Shimoda might still be training. And that Big-Hat... Hmph."

Hirano had grown to envy Big-Hat, the way he lounged about all day selling his wares to those who passed. To think he could enjoy the wanderer's lifestyle, only to put on such a convincing face when he remained still. "Quite the character..."

Realizing now that he had done nothing but wander about, he turned back to see the towering Kochi Guard building, and the village hall right beside it. They were practically the same thing, save for what was sectioned off from the other by a thin wall between the two. It was then that he heard it. Glass shattered, and he looked for some visible window. Glints of moonlight caught in a shattered pane, and he saw three figures bolt from the Kochi Guard building. Drawing his sickle, he turned tail to give chase. He had little better to do.

Two more forms appeared from the Guard building, and he narrowed his eyes as he leapt up, his feet grabbing onto a wall and carrying him higher for a moment before he jumped, vanished into a puff of smoke for a moment, appeared once more as a bat, and performed the inverse once he was atop the Kochi rooftops. Closing in, he saw the leading figure in full now. Shimoda's unmistakable purple Ch'i aura gave him away. "What the hell...?"

Noticing now that they had drawn their weapons, and Shimoda seemed to be fighting them off without so much as a conscious thought, he increased his chase, hints of faint blue aura enveloping his legs as they carried him across the roofs. "Shimoda... what have you gotten yourself into?" He said, without so much as a ragged breath.

As he caught up to the two rear pursuers, he finally noticed that they had been wearing Kochi Guard armor. Turning their weapons on him, they froze on the rooftop that he had intersected them on. "You two... you know, I would recommend you not get between me and my student." Brandishing his sickle, the two men lunged to attack.