An hour later as Archknell stated, a majority of the Department of Systemic Works plus relevant military personnel gathered outside a great big tent. In front was a stack of boxes where the leads were: Team Luster, Archknell, and Sage, who showed up on a projector. Sage was muttering names to herself, doing attendance. She was tired but diligently working. Poor thing.

Slayer Team Alba stood off to the side, apart of the group yet without, already aware of the current mission due to their haste and relevance to the grand operation. Alexander did the same as Sage partly, surveying the juniors from left to right, noting who was here and who wasn’t. He recognized most of the faces: dirty, sweaty, each dealing with their own hurt.

Of the entire Department of Systemic Works, there were over one hundred present, maybe close to two hundred, he didn’t know for sure; he wasn’t that fast of a counter. The group consisted of both junior Slayers and professors. If he had to guess, the average rank (excluding the professors) hovered around a C, with the highest being the B-Ranks while the lowest were in the D’s. Except for Alba, who comfortably sat at an E.

The professors formed their own group in the back like watchdogs, always having an eye on something; it was that sort of situational awareness that was beaten into them regardless if they were sword fighters or alchemists. He noticed Professor Saad, who noticed him, and the latter whispered something to the other administrators of the Combative Program. Alexander was quite popular with the junior Slayers; no doubt they were surprised to see him, Leona, and Damien participating. Or maybe they weren’t surprised at all. They knew he was a fighter.

Sage finished the attendance, and the official briefing began. It was similar to the one given in the medical tent the hour prior, with Luster, so Alexander tuned out. Though, it dawned on him. He was the Team Leader of a Slayer Team, standing with other teams, seeing a variety of specializations: alchemists, etchers, enchanters, archers, knights, martial artists, and he had his own ragtag bunch. Archknell and Jury had told him this before, but now he felt like it: a true, genuine Slayer. Not a Pseudo-Slayer or some volunteer worker. A Slayer, like the ones shown on TV, where you’d get merchandise with your face on it, and maybe you’d appear in advertisements too.

Alexander felt strange at the thought of being a celebrity. He wouldn’t handle the fame well.

Anyway, the briefing repeated the basics: Pereyra had an extensive spying ability which allowed it to watch everyone and everything all at once. In spite of that, action was needed: the possibility that both Pereyra and Tewfik were cooperating to siege Pillar Dawns was high, worryingly high. But this was assured: Pillar Vesper was the surprise. Ordo will not be surprised again.

The main subjugation target was Pereyra still, but in the event Tewfik showed itself, it too will be slain. For this mission, dozens of interest points were marked on the Dawns battlemap, each having a high concentration of monsters. The Slayers were divided into two sections: the combatants, consisting of the Combative Program, and the supporters, consisting of the Supportive Program.

The combatants’ primary objectives were this: investigate their designated locations and search for any clues to Pereyra’s whereabouts. The secondary objective was to secure any survivors. In other words, clearing any troublesome nuisances before the real show began.

For the supporters’, they had a laundry list of chores: some were to leave Ordo University to conduct investigations, some had to stay and do whatever (like crafting or brainstorming), while some were to hit the books and try to deduce Pereyra’s abilities.

The professors will stay here as well, leading their students from Ordo University. They had to also communicate with Archknell, Sage, and to an extent Seraph as well for their next move. And whether or not they should abandon Pereyra’s subjugation altogether, if the mission proved to be unfruitful.

That was Operation Scorcher: First Stage.

The Slayer Teams were already decided thanks to the professors, their locations as well. For Luster and Alba, they did things differently.

Gallery Street

Jury, Althea Shen, Vernon Hugo

Rogue Apartments

Montana, Leona Ahn

Vagabond Diner

Hidden, Alexander Shen

Rosescent Chase

Problem, Damien Fayer

All locations were equally dangerous given the current chaos; with Alba being low-ranked, pairing them each with a member of Team Luster made up for the lack of power. Also, if one group needed reinforcements, the others were in running distance.

The others murmured to one another in gentle surprise and shock, seeing Alba’s names with Luster’s. A few complained and questioned their presence, but no one had the confidence to speak out against Archknell. If he was okay with it, then everyone else had to be too.

***

“Alex,” called a voice in front of him, whose shadow introduced itself first. A man. Alexander stiffened, knowing exactly who that voice belonged to. He wasn’t sure if he should hold onto college drama or not. The grudge was there though. It was there.

Alexander slotted a bullet into the magazine he was holding, glanced up, and saw a punk. The hotshot of the Combative Program, a real go-getter, handsome as sculptures and had a lot of potential. Most of all, he loved bragging about it. About of them. His Growth Potential was not just an S, but an S9. It worked like a double-barreled name, Mary Jane, Anna Grace, Hot Garbage.

He had an inch over Alexander and acted like it. What else did he have? Prussian blue hair with a tint of red, scorched, and his eyes were dark gold. That was about it. Alexander had the broader shoulders and larger muscles, and he was definitely the handsomer one (Leona's opinion, not his). On official documents printed on solid line, this guy was Slayer Victor Victor Holidays. “Victor Victor” to Alexander, “Victor Squared” to Kaiya, “Haughty Asshat” to Deon, and “Class Representative” to Class A2.

Victor Victor, a lancer with offensive supporting abilities. The latter was officially termed as “captain abilities” or something like that.

Of all the students in the Combative Program, Alexander had drama with him. They were two mean girls who eventually had a cat fight. Began back in the fall semester last year, when Victor was getting serious about the guild applications he’d take during his fourth year. While it was only two years away then, the Big Four’s applications were infamously known to be ruthless. You needed to be well-studied and well-bodied.

Victor aimed for Angels.

Despite his Growth Potential guaranteeing him a place among the greats, he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. Unlike universities, where it’d usually be an instant admission, the guilds scrutinized every last applicant, especially after Oasisgate. No one wanted to be the next Oasis Guild. Thus, he had this bright idea: make connections. If he could get into someone’s good graces, then his future was guaranteed.

Unfortunately, he picked Leona.

Victor bothered her. A lot. He’d ask her out on dates constantly: to the park, to the movies, maybe out of the city. He even approached Alexander for advice and rambled about meaningful nonsense. Alexander saw through his intentions the moment he said the first word. By the second, he wanted to punch him.

Victor thought Alexander was a pushover. Spoke to him like one. He didn’t consider him to be of much worth either; obviously, of the two, who had the higher Growth Potential? Not the mid-D. Ironically enough, while the Big Four vetted their applicants as much as possible to avoid a scandal of their own, there was Victor, who acted like shitheads at Oasis Guild.

Alexander had enough of shitty people, frankly. So perhaps, in his frustration, he told Victor to fuck off. Things escalated from there, of course it did. One thing led to another and they found themselves in one of the training grounds, doing things the old fashioned way. In the end, they both had bruises, Professor Ichiken stepped in, and they both had to attend a disciplinary committee.

Due to the incident, Victor wisened up. He matured. While he was still an asshole (always would be, sort of like Alexander), he took things more seriously. In a way, it worked out for the better. Though no one could’ve expected an average person to handle themselves so well against a Slayer (who at the time was a D-Rank).

Alexander smiled a small bit, reminiscing on those years, and continued to load his magazine with fresh rounds.

Victor hesitated to speak, then he said, “I’m surprised to see you here, man. I thought you were at your internship. Yesterday, I mean.”

“Yeah, my internship sort of…” Alexander made a gesture with his magazine-hand. “...It sunk itself. The CEO was killed and a majority of its employees and executives, I think. Carn, he’s one of the rogues.”

“I heard about him.” Victor awkwardly glanced around him. Either he didn’t want to do this or didn’t know what to say.

“Awesome,” dully replied Alexander, and slotted in a bullet. It had a satisfying click. “You got your team prepared?”

Victor pointed behind him where the combatants grouped up. Alexander couldn’t see exactly who he was pointing at though. “I’m leading Alice and Joseph to the Damocles Luxury Hotel. The three of us can handle it. We shadowed expeditions before, even participated in a few real missions of our own.”

Alice and Joseph were familiar names but he couldn’t pin a face to them. Alexander hummed though. “I’m happy for you. Does this mean you want to talk about strategy? Look, I don’t know anything about room-clearing, but—“

“We’ll be alright, thanks,” Victor cut through, a bit too hastily, even for himself. He pressed his lips together and sighed. “What about you, man? Think you’ll be alright? You might be partnering with Hidden, but you still gotta look out for yourself—”

“I think we’ll be fine.” Alexander shoved the next bullet in. “Me and my team, so you don’t have to ask again. I trust them. I trust my sister, that dork Vernon, Damien—well, a little bit—and I trust Leona. Her?” He waved the magazine at Victor. “I trust her most of all. More than myself.”

Victor’s expression contorted, probably thinking it was a jab aiming at him. It was. It definitely was. Seeing Alexander’s amusement, he chuckled, anxiously scratching the exposed part of his neck. “Is this about last year?”

“No shit, it’s about last year.” Alexander laughed, tapping his foot. He didn’t know what was funny honestly, but he felt like laughing. “I’ve been sitting here thinking if I should, I don’t know, tell you to fuck off or humor you. But I’ll say this: there are better people to talk to. Not the guy you roughed up.”

“You roughed me up—”

“That’s because you’re a shitty fighter. Were a shitty fighter. Slayer or not, I could read you a mile away.”

“I’ve gotten a lot better. Better than you can catch up, I think. While I definitely changed, you haven’t. Not one bit. You became more of an asshole than I last talked to you, which was what? A few months ago?”

“Yeah, when you threw a birthday party for…” Alexander snapped his fingers, trying to remember.

“Merci.”

“You’re welcome?”

“No, man, what? Not the French word, the name. We threw a birthday party for Merci.”

“Right right, platinum hair? Pretty eyes?” Alexander gestured to his eyes, made sparkling motions with his fingers. “I spoke to her at the party, I believe. Has a cute French accent. She seems sweet.”

“That’s her. You were Leo’s plus-one.”

“Yeah, honestly… I only came for the free beer and cake,” confessed Alexander.

Victor clicked his tongue, crossing his arms. “You know, Merci asked Leo to bring you. She wanted to know you better. Personally.”

That was an euphemism if Alexander ever heard one. “I wasn’t interested in her. Like I said, I only came for the free beer and cake.”

“Yeah, so uh…” Victor looked around for someone, but he didn’t seem to find them. “...Why, exactly, did you bring Damien?”

“I didn’t ‘bring’ Damien per se, but he crashed the party. Again, free beer and cake. You have to admit though: he’s the life of the party.”

“No, man, I’m not admitting that. He was awful.”

“I know, I should’ve thrown him out myself. That’s called ‘sarcasm’, Victor Victor.” Alexander smirked. “It’s a form of irony to convey resentment or contempt.”

“I’m not an idiot, you asshole. Who doesn’t know what sarcasm means?” Victor frowned. “That’s called a ‘rhetorical question’.”

“Tch, smartass.” Alexander sighed and looked around the general area. They were having a nice conversation in an awful place. Ordo University was in tatters, and everyone had to fight in their own home. For the juniors, they were given a chance to take revenge; no doubt that everyone jumped on the opportunity, out of personal reasons and of duty. Just like Alba. Just like him. “Why did you talk to me anyway, Victor?”

Victor shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I uhm, well, I had something but I forgot. I’m pretty sure that you know how to take care of yourself. Damien too, and Leo. It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I said the same thing back in Hangzhou: it’s all hard to believe. And I’m here saying the same thing. You don’t expect the same tragedy to happen twice, but I guess in a way, I was preparing for this.” Alexander held up his magazine. “You afraid, Victor?”

“Nah,” he lied.

“I’m afraid. I don’t know what I’d do if anyone on my team dies. I almost lost Leo yesterday, and that tore my fucking heart out. Sometimes when I space out, I get flashbacks to Hangzhou. Or High Home, when I was a demon child. But despite all that…” Alexander stored the magazine into his inventory. “...I’m going to do my fucking best.”

“You’re a strange guy,” Victor said after a few moments, “we might have our differences, but thanks for being here. You know that we sorta see you as one of our own already. If you need anything, my DMs are open.”

“You’ll be the last person I reach out to.”

“Haha.”

“Anyway…” Alexander thought back to the operation itself, and Sage. He remembered something. After he had probably hurt Leona’s feelings yesterday, when they had a conversation about the future, Leona mentioned that Angels wanted to meet with him personally. “I need to speak with Sage about something. And no, I’m not introducing you.”

“You’re not gonna let that go, huh?”

“Never.” Alexander stood and cracked his neck, making Victor wince. “Don’t die, Victor Victor.”

“You too.”

With that, Alexander left, finding a quiet spot.

He pulled up the [Messages] screen in the Slayer System, notifying him of every Slayer present. Every Slayer could adjust their settings similarly to any social media platform worth their salt.

High-rankers had filters to prevent any unsolicited messages, which was harassment more often than not. In times like these however, they needed to be open.

First, Alexander received a new message.

Leona:

What did Victor want from you?

I was watching from the distance

Alexander smiled to himself.

Alexander:

idk

we chatted didnt matter that much

Leona:

Really? No fighting?

Alexander:

you sound disappointed

Leona:

How can you tell my mood through text?

I’m not disappointed but surprised

Alexander:

youre definitely disappointed

you despise victor^2

Leona:

Hehe, what are you doing now?

Alexander:

asking sage something

Leona:

I’m here if you need me

Mwah

Leona sent a heart emoji. Ever since yesterday, she had gotten more flirty. More than usual anyway. Alexander sighed to himself, finding a quiet spot: a small courtyard, behind some trees, and no one was around. Pereyra was probably watching, but this involved hardly useful information.

He contacted Sage.

Alexander:

you free?

got something to ask

unrelated to the operation

In a few seconds, Sage responded.

Sage:

mhm

sage knows what it is

text or call?

Alexander:

text

pereyra exists

Sage:

right right

so sage will get down to business

it’s about the meeting we had on saturday innit?

Alexander:

thats right

cure my curiosity would you

what would the no2 and the great sage want with a guy like me?

Sage:

you’ll be surprised snowglobe

look sage will say it straight up

you prolly noticed a discrepancy by now haven’t you?

about yourself and your friends?

Alexander bit his lip.

Alexander:

yeah

i have

is it exactly what im thinking?

Sage:

yup

~~~

[QUEST NOTIFICATION - NEW SUBQUEST]

OPERATION SCORCHER- FIRST STAGE

You have personally volunteered to partake in Operation Scorcher, the first attempt to strike back at the Comets that had ruined your home. According to the operation plans, investigate your assigned area and determine the Comet Pereyra’s location.

DIFFICULTY

C

VICTORY CONDITION INVESTIGATE YOUR ASSIGNED AREA REWARDS 500,000 STANDARDS