Strike! ストライキ

Chapter 16: Grand Arrival And Intervention! Into Key Kingdom!

F I R S T   A R C : B E G I N! [ Opening: Wonderful World by FUNKIST ]

Special OST: Pillars Of Salt

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Chapter 16: Grand Arrival And Intervention! Into Key Kingdom!

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The meeting has dragged on as long as Leon had thought it would. He sits across from Yata, shoveling Brak down his throat. Yata slices the thin meat neatly, sending a glare towards his superior.

"Captain, at least eat with manners."

Leon waves away Yata's words and continues to eat messily. When he is done, he eyes Yata's until the smaller man sighs and pushes his own plate towards him. He finishes Yata's portion as well and sits back with a satisfied groan. Yata thrusts a cloth into his face and Leon gladly takes it to wipe his hands and face.

"Jeez, where would you be without me?"

"I dunno."

"Dead in a ditch somewhere, that's where," he mutters, "Did you catch anything that the King and I were talking about?"

The thought of the conversation makes Leon upset. Just like all other meetings, it was pointless. Leon suddenly leans forward close to Yata's face, startling his subordinate.

"W-What?"

"I need a smoke. I ran out."

Yata adjusts his glasses and stands up.

"Stay here," he says firmly, "I'll run across the street to get you some smokes, Captain. Stay here."

"Yeah yeah, I hear you."

Yata slips on his coat and rushes out the door on a mission to buy smokes for his superior. As he sits there, Leon's right hand starts to shake, a compulsion mostly caused by his addiction to tobacco. He pulls out a thin needle and stabs himself in the veins on his wrist. A thin stream of blood runs down, discolored and thicker than usual but it stops shaking. He grunts in pain but the worst is over.

"Leon Lionhart, Sir!"

He pulls down his sleeve upon hearing the feminine voice and turns slowly. A woman with brown hair pulled into a high ponytail stands in front of him, her hand at her forehead in a salute. The server brings over another heaping plate of Brak with a nervous smile and sets it in front of him with a slight bow before slipping off.

"What do you want," he asks, picking up a sliver of the meat he loves so much, "Huh?"

"Araza Lyran reporting, Sir!"

"Get on with it already," he groans, "I am busy."

Araza gives a tentative sigh.

"Commander Kahn has requested your audience back at Key Kingdom. He says it's urgent and you need to come immediately."

Leon raises his head to look into the girl's gray-blue eyes and exhales.

"When Yata comes back..."

"He said you alone."

His eyes meet Araza's again before narrowing. Leon does not understand the Commander's need to see him and him only. Yata is more responsible and tends to listen to him better. Even hot-headed Jain Minx would be a better candidate than him.

"Fine, fine," he says, standing at least four feet over the girl, "Do me a favor and tell Yata where i'm headed."

She nods and salutes to him once again. Leon looks longingly at the remaining Brak before slipping out the door slowly and starting his walk back to Key Kingdom.