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This Chapter is now old and obsolete.
The information in this chapter may or may not be relevant to the story anymore.
If you wish to read on, be my guest - I cannot stop you.
I'm going to be rewriting and replacing older chapters.
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What sound scares you?
Does a shriek scare you?
What if it was music?
Would it scare you?
"Red! Let go! I have to leave!" For eleven hours Kaiser Rye had suffered from Red's arduous activities.
Playtime as defined by Red is a period of time where Projekt Red repeatedly chases, pokes, bites, strangles, and topples Rye incessantly. Rye had to change his clothes when he was given a momentary break. He chose a clean blue shirt, green jacket, beige slacks and black socks for the trip.
"Red! I just changed! I can't afford to be sweaty again!" Rye protested.
"Play more. Play Now!" Red states as she pinned him on the ground.
"I'm going to be late! Plus! We're on the runway!" Rye exclaimed.
"Red get off of him." Kals'tit intervened.
"Thank you!" Rye got up and shook off the dust he accumulated on his shirt.
"Time to get going."
"I know."
The L.G.D airship has arrived. The engines blasted through the runway. Rye picked up his backpack and travel bag and waited with Kals'tit. It was nighttime and Rye's expected arrival in Lungmen was set first thing tomorrow morning.
"Remember to come back alive." Kals'tit states as the doors of the airship opened up.
"I will. I usually do." Rye chuckled. Kals'tit gave him a disdainful look.
Superintendent Ch'en walked out of the airship followed by a few armored guards. As she approached them, Rye gave Kals'tit one last smile.
"Superintendent Ch'en." Kals'tit greeted.
"Good evening Dr. Kals'tit." Ch'en greeted as she turned to face Rye. "Kaiser Rye you're coming with me."
"Got it." Rye left with Ch'en and boarded the airship leaving a discontent Kals'tit behind.
Rye dropped his bags down as he sat on one of the many seats of the airship.
"Your first day starts tomorrow. We just need to introduce you to the L.G.D formally" Ch'en walked up to him and sat across to him.
"Is there anyone I know?" Rye inquired.
"You'll have to wait and see."
"At least I didn't have to wait for your hard-ass attitude." Rye jested.
"Excuse me?" Rye flinched while Ch'en grinned. "Now then any more questions?"
"Where will I be staying?" Rye asks although the answer seemed obvious.
"You'll be staying in Lungmen. You could bunk with the guards if you want-"
"Nope." Rye immediately rejected it.
"I could also ask Swire to give you a hotel room or an apartment you could stay in. Her family owns a lot of establishments in Lungmen."
"Alright."
BEEP!*
Ch'en picked up her phone and answered it. After twenty seconds she hung up.
"Mr. Wei just informed me that you will have certain liberties when you're in Lungmen." Ch'en states. "And he needs to speak with you privately once you get there."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Rye fiddled with his fingerless gloves and adjusted the scarf on his neck. Ch'en looked at his outfit although her gaze was aimed a little lower than usual.
"You really have a terrible taste for clothes." Ch'en sighed.
"Aw come on!" Rye exclaimed. "Why does everyone judge my clothes?!"
"Because your outfit is terrible." Ch'en answered. "I thought it was that simple."
Rye soon drifted to sleep.
In Lungmen
The doors of the airship opened. A gust of wind blew into Kaiser Rye's face. The morning sun shined brightly. He took a deep breath before being pushed out by Ch'en.
"Hey! What the fuck was that for?" Rye cursed.
"Move it." Ch'en ordered.
"Welcome back to Lungmen." A green haired Oni holding a large triangular shield in one hand walked up to them. "Its been a few years Kaiser Rye. I see that you got a burn scar on your face. Did you pick a fight with a stove?"
"Is this the first thing you say to me Madame Oni?" Rye laughed stretching his arms out.
"Its Hoshiguma right now. The gang's disbanded." Hoshiguma states as the three of them follow her to a truck.
"Disbanded?" Rye questioned as they enter the truck to take their seats. "I thought that everything was going well."
"Most of them either joined the L.G.D or started new lives. I'm serving out my sentence here in the L.G.D." Hoshiguma says as she signals the driver to start driving.
"I wonder how you deal with this woman." Rye pointed at Ch'en over his shoulder.
"Ch'en is alright. Just don't get on her bad side." The two of them laughed. Rye couldn't help but notice a chilling stare aimed right at him.
"You'll be meeting Mr. Wei shortly." Ch'en says as she flips her sword around. "I just wish you would've dressed professionally."
"Hey!" Rye exclaimed.
Hoshiguma poorly covered a laugh with a cough.
After an eternity of Kaiser Rye's protests the three of them reached their destination.
"I'm goin' to check in on the new recruits. Swire will be there." Hoshiguma states. "You two wanna grab some drinks tonight? I heard that a new bar just opened up."
"Sure!" Rye answered.
"If we have time." Ch'en states. "Right now we have business to do."
"Always a stick in the mud." Rye commented.
Hoshiguma went down a separate hall, Rye followed Ch'en as they entered an elevator.
"Its always an elevator huh." Rye remarked. "Isn't there a faster way to get up a building?"
"Unless you plan to physically climb one." Ch'en answered.
"I did that before. Almost became a bloody mess on the street."
"How?" Ch'en answered.
"That was when I had my gear from my office back in Chernobog. I used to have a grappling hook, a shield, a tranquilizer gun, and some rope."
The two of them entered the conference room.
"Good morning Kaiser Rye and Superintendent Ch'en." Wei Yenwu greeted as Rye shook his hand.
"I'll be leaving now." Ch'en said as she closed the door behind.
"I'm glad that we are able to have this meeting in private." Wei says as they both take their seats. There were two sheets of paper lying upside down. "I have two things to discuss actually. First things first your contract."
Wei handed Rye a sheet of paper.
"You'll be working for us for four weeks. We will cover any expenses as long as they aren't too ludicrous."
"Got that." Rye looked at the signature line at the bottom. Wei gave him a pen. "So far this looks good."
"You'll be working for Superintendent Ch'en and her team. We will ask for you to switch teams for missions. We still have a Reunion problem in the slums."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Help the teams."
"OK."
"Good. All we need is your signature." Rye signed the contract and handed it back to Wei.
Wei examined it before putting it down on the table.
"You're all set. Go to Ch'en once we're done." Wei states. "Now for the second topic of discussion."
Wei picked up the second sheet of paper.
"Follow me. We don't want anyone eavesdropping." Wei got out of his chair and gestured for Rye to follow.
"What is the second thing about Mr. Wei?" Rye asked as they stood next to the large office window overlooking the city.
"Why don't you take a look at it." Wei Yenwu handed him the sheet of paper. Rye's eyes widened as he looked at the title.
"D - Did you really?" Rye stuttered.
"Yes. I filled out some marriage papers for you and Ch'en." Wei smirked.
"You're fucking kidding." Rye flipped the sheet of paper, then his face glowed with embarrassment.
"I did tell you I could make it happen didn't I?" Wei chuckled as he smoked on his pipe.
"I didn't think you were serious." Rye frantically checked his sanity.
"I haven't asked Superintendent Ch'en yet." Wei states.
"I can't possibly accept THIS!" Rye protested.
"Why is that?" Wei inquired.
"I'M GOING TO GET KILLED!" Rye answered as he slapped his forehead followed by a few whimpers.
"You'll be fine."
"She is an absolute bitch of a superintendent!"
"Watch your profanity please." Wei said.
"I'm sorry, but... This is hard to deal with if it happens."
"Swire told me that Ch'en snuck in a photo of you before you left Lungmen a week ago."
"Who's Swire?"
"Doesn't matter. What matters is what Ch'en did."
"I am willing to pay for your wedding. You just have to agree with it."
Rye took a deep breath before hanging his arms on his sides.
"I can't accept it." Rye said as he lowered his head.
"Why won't you accept it?" Wei asked as he lowered his pipe. "Did you read the entire thing?"
"Yes I did. You are giving a lot of amazing stuff, but I can't go through with it." Wei looked at him this time seemingly offended.
"Is there something blocking you from accepting it?" Wei asked.
"Yeah. Its a personal reason." Rye looked at Lungmen through the window and took off his hood.
He put a hand on the window and stared at his reflection. His face had the two burn scars that went from his cheeks down to his neck. The horns that made him a dragon were stripped away from him. His tail was burned off. His golden eyes lost the luster it used to possess. Now they were turning into a dirty yellow.
"Are you going to tell me?" Wei asked as he offered Rye a cigar.
Rye removed his hand from the window and took the cigar, Wei lit it up. After a few moments of silence he spoke up.
"Mr. Wei, I'm already married." Rye revealed.
He smoked on the cigar hoping to burn out the doubt rising within him.
"I was already married Wei." Rye exhaled. "I was married to Talulah."
"You married Edward's daughter?' Wei inquired.
"Yes. Right after the two of us killed Koshchei we left and married each other." Rye let out a sad, sanguine laugh. "Those were the weirdest years of my life."
"You were the accomplice? I thought Koshchei's butler committed the murder." Wei states.
"The butler didn't make it out. He was sentenced to death, along with Talulah's teacher." Rye explained. "We escaped the Ursus empire and lived our lives together for a time."
"I see." Wei smoked on his pipe. "Thank you for killing Koshchei, but I fear that he lives on in Talulah."
"That was a nightmare that came true." Rye sighed ruefully. "I thought that the two of us could live in peace, but the Reunion kept on nagging us. Eventually we got dragged into it; now we can no longer make changes."
"I will hold onto the marriage papers for you and Ch'en." Wei proposed. "Its never too late to change your mind."
Rye looked at him as he put on his hood and finished his cigar.
"As for Talulah." Wei continued as he headed for the door. "You two have my blessings..."
"If this war ends."
Rye threw out the cigar and left without another word.
"I see that you're finished with the meeting." Ch'en approached from behind him as they left the building.
"Yeah." Rye answered as they left the building. "Mr. Wei told me to go to you after we were done."
"Oh." Ch'en replied as she gestured him to follow her. "I'm sure you know that you'll be working for Lungmen. More specifically the L.G.D."
"I know that already." Rye was led into an underground parking lot.
"You were there when we extracted Misha. We'll need you to get rid of the remaining Reunion forces." The two of them walked up to a black car. Ch'en pressed a button on her car keys and opened the door. "Get in."
"Where are we headed?" Rye asked as they strapped in their seatbelts. Ch'en started the car and drove out.
"To the secondary L.G.D building. Its located in the fourth section of the city near the slums. That's where we think the remaining Reunion members are." Ch'en states as she sped past multiple drivers.
"Quick question, where is Misha?" Rye asked.
"She has been transferred to the secondary L.G.D building. We have her detained at the moment." Ch'en answered.
"You put her in a cell?"
"We did."
"Why? She's harmless." Rye couldn't believe his ears. "What do you guys want from her?"
"She refused to answer our questions." Ch'en states as they crossed a bridge. "We have to treat her like any other criminal."
"Criminal?" Rye was surprised by the L.G.D.
"Her father was involved in a conspiracy against Lungmen. We need to answers. But Misha refuses to cooperate."
Rye couldn't believe what Ch'en said. The entire investigation regarding Misha only needed answers from her. Misha was escaping from the Reunion before the L.G.D extracted her. She left behind a group of children she was protecting. She got hurt and hid herself in a closet before Rhodes Island found her. And then the L.G.D treats her like a criminal.
The rest of the ride was filled with silence and Rye's internal thoughts.
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"Alright then. I see that everyone is here." Ch'en states as everyone stood next to a table with a map of Lungmen.
Kaiser Rye, Hoshiguma, Swire and a few squad leaders were present.
"Here is a full rundown of the mission." Ch'en pointed to a circle that was drawn on the map.
"The Reunion did not escape the city last time we encountered them. They should be holed up in this area." She pointed to a structure that looked like a large gate.
"They must be planning to escape through the fourth exit of the city. Your job is to find them and arrest them. If they try to escape, kill them. Understand?"
"Understood." Everyone nodded in unison. Everyone except Rye.
"Everyone here is dismissed." Ch'en states as everyone leaves the room.
Ch'en abruptly grabbed Rye's arm. A freezing chill ran down his spine.
"What are you doing?" Rye exclaimed.
"One last thing." Ch'en pulled him into the room.
I hope I don't get raped by a woman...
Rye stood up as Ch'en walked back to the table.
"Do you have any ideas about how the Reunion will escape?" Ch'en asked.
"Not sure." Rye gave a sigh of relief.
Okay, I'm just freaking out for no reason...
"Do you know any of their squad leaders?" Ch'en inquired.
"I do." Rye answered. "Why did you want to speak with me alone?"
"You're the only one who has connections to the Reunion. Didn't you have spies?"
"I used to."
"The only reason why I pulled you into the room because the others don't know. We'll need you for the mission."
"OK." Rye nodded.
"Now then let's go." Rye opened the door for Ch'en as the two of them left.
"Madam Ch'en!" One guard walked up to them.
"What is it?" Ch'en asked.
"Our forces have captured and arrested several Reunion members. One of them is a squad leader." The guard said.
Rye's eyebrow rose as he listened.
"Good. You may start the interrogations." Ch'en looked at Rye. "You'll be helping with the interrogations."
"What? Why?" Rye questioned.
"Wei did tell me that you escaped the Reunion. Maybe you can get something out of them." Ch'en answered as she ordered the guard to proceed with the investigations with Rye.
"That's strange." Rye muttered as they left.
"What's strange?" Ch'en asked as they walked down a flight of stairs into an armory.
"Never mind." Rye waved it off.
"You'll need a weapon if you want to survive." Ch'en states. "Hoshiguma is over there maybe she can help you find something."
"Alright then." Rye walked to Hoshiguma who was busy sharpening the sides of her shield. "Hey Hoshiguma."
"Nice to see you again Rye." Hoshiguma greets as she continues to sharpen her shield. "What are you doing here?"
"Ch'en said I need a weapon for the mission." Rye replied.
"Weapon? Don't you have your Arts?"
"I do, but she said that if I want to survive the mission."
"Sounds like she cares about you." She teased.
"What?" Rye caught a staff thrown be Hoshiguma.
"You know how to use that?" She asked.
"No." Rye dropped the staff and caught a sword.
"You know how use a sword?" She inquired.
"No." Rye answered honestly. He has swung a sword before, but almost lost his head in the process.
"What do you normally use beside your Arts?"
"A shield." Rye pointed at her shield.
"No, no, no. You're not touching my Hannya." Hoshiguma went across the room and opened up a glass closet. She threw a large arrow-shaped shield at Rye.
"This looks good." Rye turned the shield around. It was a lightweight, transformable shield that had multiple layers of protection. There was a button on the handle that allowed the shield to expand.
"That was a working prototype for mine, but I didn't like it. You can keep it if you want."
"Thanks."
"That'll be Twenty thousand LMD's." Hoshiguma blocked the door; holding out her hand.
"Twenty? Thousand?" Rye stared at her like she lost her mind.
"Its cheap for a prototype. Now pay up." Hoshiguma pointed at the shield.
"Fine." Rye reluctantly handed her the money from his wallet. Hoshiguma counted the money before letting him go.
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The feet of a thousand soldiers were stampeding through the slums. Streetlights were knocked down, buildings were destroyed, roads were sullied by blood.
"Move it! I want everyone one of them either dead or alive!"
Ch'en, Hoshiguma, Swire and Kaiser Rye were leading some guards from the L.G.D.
"Well they are barely picking a fight." Rye noted as the Reunion soldiers before him ran away.
"What are you doing? Get them?!" Ch'en scolded. "Why are you standing there?"
"There aren't picking a fight." Rye states as he knocked one Reunion member out. "Except for a few."
"Unbelievable." Ch'en ordered everyone to chase the Reunion members.
Kaiser Rye obeyed her order, but he refused to kill anyone; knocking the enemy out if they tried to attack him.
"Ch'en Ma'am! We have seen one of the Reunion squad leaders make a run for the gates!" Swire states as she swung her strange, yet intriguing ranged weapon.
"Alright. Swire take Kaiser Rye and your squad with Everyone else follow me!" Ch'en ordered as they split up.
"Lead the way." Rye, Swire and her squad traverse through the narrow allies and broken streets as they pursued the Reunion members.
They found themselves in a clearing, but a grenade was launched in their direction.
"Take cover!" Rye used his Arts to generate a shield protecting the entire team.
"Everyone split up and flank them!" Swire ordered.
The squad did what they were told, but the Reunion members were already gone.
"Where did they go?" Swire asked.
BOOM!* BANG!* SHING!*
The squad was suddenly attacked by a group of soldiers unknown to Lungmen.
"Everyone stand your ground!" Rye ordered as the squad quickly fought back the attack.
BOOM!* BANG!* KABOOM!*
Explosives were detonated bringing down multiple buildings. A fire broke out igniting the ground around them. Some hapless soldiers were crushed to a bloody pulp. Kaiser Rye managed to protect some of the soldiers, but he wasn't fast enough. He looked at one of the untouched buildings and saw a figure in red blocking the moon. Then it was gone in a flash.
The unknown soldiers attacked again picking off the squad. All of the soldiers still standing were annihilated. Rye started attacking the soldiers.
"What the?!" Swire and a handful of soldiers were left, but they weren't going to survive.
"Get everyone out of here!" Rye ordered as he blocked a bullet with his shield.
"What?" Swire questioned as she killed a soldier with her weapon.
"I said -!"
CRACK!* BOOM!*
Everyone was launched back by an explosion. Rye blocked it, but the squad wasn't so lucky. The enemy soldiers miraculously stopped attacking allowing Rye to run up to Swire.
"Swire? Swire! Wake up!" Swire had blood coming out of her mouth. She was knocked unconscious from the explosion. Rye tried to shake her awake but it was hopeless.
Rye looked up hoping to see a standing soldier. But all of them were gone.
"W must've planted the bombs." Rye muttered as he stared at the soldiers circling around him. "But these soldiers are part of the Guerilla Squad?"
One large figure in heavy armor walked past his soldiers. He had antlers, a large shield and spear. He was a large gargantuan person standing twenty feet in front of Kaiser Rye.
"No way." Rye exclaimed as he saw the towering figure in front of him.
Flames lined the area. Rubble and rocks littered the ground. Soldiers had their weapons drawn.
"Patriot? Buldrokkas'tee?" Rye asked as he recognized the figure in front of him.
"It has been a few years." Patriot states as he stabbed his spear into the ground.
"How have you been?" Rye asked as his hands drop to his sides.
"I'm afraid that we cannot participate in simple pleasantries anymore." Patriot states as Rye stared at him. "Former Second in Command."
"You're still working for Talulah?" Rye asked as he readied his shield.
"Indeed. Guerilla Squad attack anyone who gets near us." Patriot ordered his troops.
The shouts of many soldiers rang through the slums. The L.G.D is currently engaged with the Guerilla Squad. The sounds of metal clashing blasted through the air.
"Talulah still hasn't changed." Rye muttered.
"She has changed, like all radical leaders." Patriot answered.
"Why are you still a part of the Reunion?"
"Because, there is no other place, where my soldiers can go." Patriot removed his spear from the ground. "Why do you fight, against the Reunion, your own people?"
"You know why." Rye answered as he channeled his Arts into one singular ball of white,
"No you don't." Patriot states as he readies his shield.
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(A/N): Oho! Patriot appeared! Thank you for reading along!
- Unfortunately Superintendent Ch'en may not have a spouse in the future.
- Kaiser Rye rejected the offer from Wei Yenwu but the offer is still up for grabs!
- Who wants to be Ch'en's spouse?
- Send a message to ArtransformerAqe and I will handle it!
- I will see you in Chapter 9!