T-minus 480 seconds until the start of the operation. I’m currently standing still on top of a water container at the roof of this building, the classroom building. In just a few minutes, the campus will turn into a battlefield. The once beautiful campus will become a place where swords and shields are clashed, buildings pillaged; bloods spill and potentially, lives can be taken. All of this can either take just one night or possibly weeks if the enemy found us out.

I’ve been tasked by the Field Marshal to put up explosives on all of the targeted water container that was placed all over the campus. Most of the container was located somewhere above ground level. She even specified where I should position the explosives at. I’m starting to get an idea on what the Field Marshal was thinking. This might be a backup plan in case the numbers of enemies were not as we expected. Using the water will surely slow their advance and gives us time to regroup.

“Something is not right…” I said that as I suddenly felt an unusual presence in the night sky. “There’s more than one of them…it must be the enemy.”

I made my move and climbed down from the classroom building’s roof and made my way to the dorm’s building area. I manage to get through the bridge and hugged the buildings wall as fast as possible. I scanned the area to make sure no one was around and scaled the building using a climbing device that most people call it as ‘iron claw’. I carefully climbed the building, making sure not to make any loud noise that may alert the enemy.

As I finally reached the highest point, I saw dark coloured bird was waiting for me. The bird cawed at me and flew to me. Thankfully with my quick agility, I managed to hold on to my bearings and quickly got up onto the roof.

“Is the bird an enemy’s familiar?” I don’t have much to think about that so then I said, “I’ll better take it out before that thing goes back to its master.”

I drew a card and received a weapon summon card. Luckily for me, the weapon displayed was a pocket of throwing knives. I used the card by holding it with both of my hand and harnessed my Infinitum into it. In just a few seconds later, the card transformed into a bunch of throwing knives, perfectly placed inside a small leather bag that I can quickly tie it on one of my limbs. Without wasting any more time, I quickly threw one of the knives at the bird. I hit the bird and it fell to floor of the roof. But as I made my way to the bird to take a closer look, the bird disintegrated to the floor and slowly fade away leaving behind a black circle.

“It’s…a shadow?” As weird as it sounds, the bird did turned into a shadow after it was killed.

Then all of a sudden, the circle shadow quickly moved away from the floor and got away from my vision. I tried to chase it off but it was too fast for me.

“Darn it. This might jeopardize the whole battle tonight.”

As I was getting worried about what’s to come, I decided that it was best for me to stay focused and finish my duty. I went to the first water container and placed an explosive at the specific place that Sam ordered. I went on to the next container and the following one as well with no disturbance at all, until something interesting happened.

As I was planting the 4th explosives, I suddenly smelled gunpowder. It wasn’t the smell of the explosive because the explosive I used was actually my cards. So the only thing remain could be…an enemy.

“Show yourself!” I whipped out a dagger that was dangling from my belt and searched around.

Just as I expected, they showed up, “What a sharp nose you got there, girl…” it was a female voice.

The first thing I can see was her hair. Her glistening golden blonde hair shines bright thanks to the moonlight. Not to mention, her hairclip were also shining brightly. She was holding a flintlock on her right hand.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t know me? Now that’s just impossible…” She casually walked around the place.

I was still holding my dagger expecting her to ambush me or something. But I never sensed any intention of her attacking me. In fact, I can’t even tell if she’s an ally or not.

“You look like a student here…don’t tell me…you’re a Watcher…and you’re one of them.”

The girl raised both of her hand and said, “Oh jeez, can you give it up already? I’m one of Sam’s soldiers.”

“The Field Marshal?”

“Yes. Whatever she calls herself these days.”

“You should…introduce yourself just to be sure…”

She sighed and introduced to me, “Fine…My name is Yumiko Iliana Pavlova. The Fallen Trinity of Magic Administration. Watcher of Cyclone White of Magic Studies. You probably know him.”

“Cyclone…White…that’s my classmate.” Now that she mentioned that, I realized something, “Hey, I haven’t seen him around, where is he? Is he a captive?”

Yumiko laughed and said, “I’d love to see him be a captive but you’re actually half right.”

“What do you mean?”

She keeps her flintlock back into her pocket and said, “He’s not here but he is stuck somewhere deep outside of the campus.”

“Then we should go and save him.”

“No need to, um…”

“Lin.”

“Yes, Lin.” She nodded and continued, “There’s already someone coming to help him so don’t worry about him. All you need to be concerned of right now is The Chaorupted Watchers.”

“Chaorupted?” I didn’t understand what she meant.

“Let’s just say your friends are under the influence of a mind controlling ability. Much like your Field Marshal who uses her Absolute Order to take on her army against the Watchers. Basically, her plan is to fight fire with fire.”

“So…what’s in it to you? What are you doing here?”

Yumiko laughs, “Don’t mind me. Just continue with your duty. I’m just a…recon. You know what it means, right?”

I nodded to her.

“Good. I’m actually not supposed to get caught but it looks like you have a pretty keen nose.”

“It’s part of my training as a Kunoichi.” I kept my dagger as I finally understand the situation.

“Kunoichi, huh…well, well, well…looks like wherever I go, there will always be something about Nihon that keeps on following me…”

“What do you mean, Yumiko?”

“Don’t mind me. Just go on with your mission. You do yours and I’ll do mine.”

As I left Yumiko to her reconnaissance mission, the fireworks signalling the beginning of the battle have been called out. The sound of footsteps from both sides of the Alliance can be heard rushing through the battlefield as they trampled all over the road pavements leading to the Watcher’s main camp, The Faculty Building.

There, lies the main problem in all of this according to our Field Marshal. The Dean waits. I simply can’t believe that our dean would be involved in all of this. First thing I know, there’s this weird Watcher System that was all of sudden implemented starting this semester. I’ve never heard of different genders living in the same quarters at all. Especially a student. It just heightens my curiosity as I continued to go on with the lessons over here.

But I think I know what’s going on now, the Watcher System was just a mere device probably made by an outsider. Yes, this is probably the work of an outsider and I’m planning to find it out as soon as I’m able to.

-

As I finished planting the last explosives, I heard a mesmerizing tune coming from the broadcast speakers down below. Apparently, that was Ralph’s tune. But as I continued to wait on what will happen next, the song just suddenly stopped abruptly without even a proper closure.

“Something is not right…again…Is it the shadow birds?”

I kept on wondering until suddenly I heard a loud thundering sound. Then there is it again, and another one. Three times. It was three times. That’s the signal to activate the explosives. I quickly pulled a pre-drawn card that enables me to activate all of the explosives and began to focus my Infinitum Energy to it.

The Explosives was activated, creating a bunch of mini waterfalls all over the campus. Thanks to the Field Marshal proper direction all of the water went to the right direction. This was almost like one of those age old tactic they used back in the day. They would open the floodgate and release a huge flood all over the enemy base. Just like this one.

And here I thought the enemy found us out with the abrupt ending to Ralph’s tune. But apparently, the next plan was a devastating blow to the enemy. The time was almost at hand. Looks like the war was about to end…But for some reason, I feel like there’s another different war somewhere near here…

TO BE CONTINUED