WHEN RIKU AND LEVI WENT FOR SCOUTING IN THE WESTERN FOREST
The atmosphere in the hall was different this time. There was no prolonged silence after a shocking speech, no immediate aftermath of an alien entity revealing itself. This felt... operational. Urgent. Two hundred and thirty-four figures were assembled once more, the full complement of the scout force, not just the chosen few for Riku's "game." This meeting wasn't about an abstract gamble against the divine; it was about a tangible, immediate threat and a plan for mass survival.
This time, the host was Hiro again, his face etched with a weariness that seemed to have deepened since their last gathering. He stood on the platform, looking out at the sea of familiar, watchful faces. Beside him, a silent, unnerving presence, stood Igris. The alien entity, Riku's "servant," its smooth, featureless head angled slightly, its glowing eyes scanning the room with that same detached intensity. Its presence solidified the surreal reality of Riku's alliances, a constant reminder of the impossible forces at play.
Hiro didn't waste time on preamble. He glanced at the assembled scouts, acknowledging their presence with a brief, tired nod. The air crackled with anticipation, a shared understanding that something significant, something requiring all of them, was about to be announced.
He held a folded piece of paper, different from the one Shirline had read. Unfolding it, he began to read, his voice clear but carrying the weight of immense urgency.
"Shadows, I know it's unusual but..." He paused, letting the implication of 'unusual' in their already unusual lives sink in. "...We have to change the location of the village, as fast as possible."
A ripple of shock went through the hall. Relocation? The village, their only sanctuary? It was a monumental task, fraught with unimaginable peril in this world. Why?
Hiro continued, providing the reason. "In the western forest where the scouts noticed some unusual activities, I and Levi saw activities of fairies that will be dangerous for us."
Fairies. The word landed like a stone. Not Groundians, not Werebeasts, but Fairies. Creatures of immense, esoteric power, capable of twisting reality and minds, often associated with illusions and a terrifying, ethereal cruelty. If Riku and Levi, two of the most capable individuals humanity possessed, saw Fairies and deemed them a threat requiring immediate evacuation, the danger was absolute.
"We'll start shifting as soon as we come back but..." Hiro's voice dropped slightly, and the next words delivered a different kind of shock, layering the urgency with an unnerving secrecy. "...None of you know this, I didn't write a message and you guys didn't received it."
Confusion warred with the initial fear. None of them knew? Means they have to keep it a secret from everyone else until the time arrived.
Hiro continued, adding another layer of mystery. "This time, I'm bringing a new guest too, but of course, none of you know about this."
A new guest? On top of Levi and Erina, and now Igris? Who could Riku possibly be bringing back with him from a scouting mission where they'd encountered Fairies? The questions piled up, each one adding to the sense of precariousness and the sheer, unfathomable depth of Riku's actions.
Hiro finished the first message and held up another, distinct piece of paper. "There's one more letter," he announced, his voice steady. He began to read the second set of instructions.
"There are some maps in my hut, pull out the third map in which there is a cross Mark. In my opinion, it is the safest place and other than this there are two paths to reach there."
This was the concrete information they needed. A destination. A seemingly "safest place," though Riku's opinion of safety was usually synonymous with "least likely to be discovered for a few years, if not more." Two paths – offering options, but also potential points of vulnerability.
Hiro took a necessary breath, the sheer volume of information and the weight of the plan pressing down. He started reading the third part of Riku's orders.
"There are several monuments in the longer route, Shirabe and Katami will go with Igris and check whether the monuments are good for resting or not, if by chance, some other race is residing there, Igris will eliminate them."
This was their first immediate task. Reconnaissance of potential shelters along the evacuation route. And the team for this perilous task was specific: Igris, and two of their own. The inclusion of Igris, the alien entity capable of unexplained elimination, was a grim reassurance – whatever they encountered, he would handle it. But why Shirabe and Katami?
The scouts looked towards the two women mentioned, understanding dawning as they recalled their unique, often understated, abilities. Shirabe, with her peculiar ability to "hear" the subtle resonances and vibrations within materials and structures. She could walk past a rock face and know if there was a hidden hollow behind it, sense the stress fractures in a crumbling wall, or detect the faintest disturbance created by something hidden or moving underground. It was a passive, sensory ability, but invaluable for assessing the structural integrity and hidden dangers of potential shelter sites.
And Katami, with her unique, often unnerving sensitivity to the emotional and historical "residue" left on objects or in places that have witnessed significant events. While not true telepathy, she could get flashes of insight, vague feelings, or fragmented sensory impressions from these remnants. A monument that had seen a brutal battle might convey a sense of lingering despair or violent energy; one used by a reclusive race might leave faint echoes of their presence. Her ability could offer crucial clues about past dangers, present occupants, or the presence of powerful entities, information physical observation alone couldn't provide.
Together, their abilities complemented Igris's raw power perfectly. Igris could clear threats, while Shirabe and Katami could determine if the location was safe beyond the immediate threat, if it could truly serve as a viable shelter, if there were hidden dangers or lingering energies that might attract unwanted attention or be harmful to the villagers. It was a team built on an alien's might and two humans' unique sensitivities – another example of Riku's bizarre, effective strategies.
Hiro looked at everyone, ensuring their attention was absolute before reading the final section of the message, outlining the grand, terrifying plan.
"The plan is this, all 2000 villagers will go out together."
A collective intake of breath. Two thousand defenseless lives, exposed in the wasteland. It was an unprecedented risk, a gamble on a scale that made their previous missions feel like skirmishes.
"I and Levi will be 200 metres ahead and Igris will keep changing his location eliminating the threats."
Riku and Levi, the vanguard, drawing attention, clearing the immediate path. Igris, the mobile, unseen fist, neutralizing threats as they appeared along the flanks or rear. It relied on Riku and Levi's combat prowess and Igris's ability to operate independently and lethal efficiency.
"If any unexpected happen, I will send a message through Igris and shadows will start acting on their own. You will divide the villagers into 10 groups, with at least 7 shadows in each and will take shelter in the nearest monuments."
This was the shadows' primary, terrifying role. Not as a single fighting force, but as decentralized protectors. If the worst happened, if Riku, Levi, and Igris couldn't hold the line, the scouts were to become the shepherds, breaking off the flock into smaller, more manageable groups and guiding them to the pre-scouted shelters. Ten groups, each a desperate microcosm of humanity, with at least seven hardened scouts acting as their shield.
Hiro finished reading. The silence that followed this time wasn't confusion or abstract contemplation; it was the charged silence of minds immediately snapping into action. The scouts didn't need a formal dismissal or debate. Riku's orders, however daunting, were the blueprint for survival.
After that, shadows started working. They identified 32 monuments and sent Igris, Shirabe and Katami to check the monuments.
Without a word, scouts began dispersing, moving to designated areas of the hall, pulling out worn maps, consulting notes. The process of identifying potential monument locations along the known routes to Riku's designated "safest place" began instantly. Cross-referencing their reconnaissance data, estimating distances, identifying potential shelter points – the scouts, despite the shock, moved with practiced, efficient urgency. Thirty-two potential monument locations were quickly identified, scattered across the longer, presumably safer, path.
Shirabe and Katami stepped forward, grimly accepting their crucial task. Shirabe, mentally preparing to extend her senses, to feel the hidden heart of stone and earth. Katami, bracing herself for the potential psychic echoes of past violence or lingering despair. They exchanged a brief, resolute look. This was their role, their unique contribution to the impossible plan.
Igris turned his glowing eyes towards them, a silent acknowledgement. He was the hammer, they were the divining rods. Together, they would precede the vulnerable flood of humanity.
As Shirabe and Katami moved towards the exit, Igris falling in behind them with that same silent, unnerving grace, the scouts watched them go. The first critical piece of the evacuation plan was in motion. The weight of the secret – the urgent, unwritten orders, the unseen Fairy threat, the unknown new guest – pressed down on the 234 shadows. They were the hidden core, the ones who knew the terrible truth, tasked with protecting the unaware, guided by a brilliant madman and his alien servant, all for the chance of a desperate, improbable future.