Rangers Endgame

Chapter 116: First Meeting

The Savior's eyes, a spectrum of cool colors swimming gracefully within his irises, locked with Kiyoshi's. His gaze silently trailed down to inspect the Sentinel's white uniform, then moved to Kakkona and the others before blinking back to Kiyoshi.

"The pleasure is mine, Sentinel Kiyoshi." The Savior said, his baritone voice slightly distorted as it filtered through the barrier.

Even without looking, Kiyoshi sensed Maeve's rage seething just beneath her calm exterior. After all, this man was responsible for the deaths of her comrades. He glanced over his shoulder. The radiance around Akane's gloved hands wavered as a tinge of resentment in her eyes bled into her grief. Matoi and Kakkona both steeled themselves as the inevitable battle loomed overhead.

"Kiyoshi to all Sentinels," he spoke into his communication artifact. "We have a visual on the Savior and the Vault. Standby."

["Copy."] Dai responded curtly.

["Be careful."] Haruka said after.

He didn't hear anything from Sokuba or May, but he would've received word from Dai if something happened to them, so there was no need to worry.

Kakkona approached the barrier and tapped on it with his armored knuckle, its surface rippling as he tested its density. "I reckon we could take a shortcut and take it down by force."

His fist hummed with focused energy as he charged it with radiance. Everyone took a few steps back, but the Savior remained stationary as he watched the young Sentinel curiously. Kakkona loaded his fist and snapped it forward three times in quick succession.

Each collision sent waves of light cascading across the surface but had ultimately absorbed the impact. When Kakkona stepped back, he inspected his fist, and shock flashed across his face.

"What is it?" Kiyoshi asked with slight concern.

Kakkona turned his arm over. "It feels as if...my reserves dropped more than they should've."

Kiyoshi looked around, his suspicious eyes landing on the runes engraved into the floor, walls, and ceiling that lined the barrier.

"I can get us across since I can actually see where we're going." Akane said eagerly, her hands already weaving patterns.

Maeve stopped her when she grabbed her shoulder. "You can only take one person at a time. If our intel on the Savior's power is accurate, sending one at a time is dangerous."

Akane considered her reasoning and accepted it with a nod. Having no other choice, Kiyoshi looked back at their rogue.

"Matoi." Kiyoshi said, his insinuating tone prompting the rogue to guide his orbs along the walls, floor, and ceiling to find the source of the barrier.

"On it."

Kiyoshi had a feeling the barrier, the last obvious obstruction to the Vault, would take much longer to crack. Kiyoshi looked back at the Savior. Even as Matoi worked to deactivate it, he didn't pay him any mind, his sharp face an impassive mask.

"Fourteen sets of runes. All requiring various amounts of power. Though their capacity will periodically fluctuate. And the incorrect input will siphon the tamperer's power little by little, feeding the barrier's energy and strengthening it." The Savior explained, his eyes tracing the edges of the barrier. "I am certain your rogue will bypass the barrier in due time, but this security measure is something even seasoned rogues find challenging to crack. A puzzle with a tedious solution that is constantly shifting. But one that offers us an opportune moment to talk."

Kiyoshi narrowed his eyes, righteous fury leaking into his gaze. "Sure. Shall we start with the countless graves you've filled in your insatiable hunger for power?"

"Insatiable? So quick to place labels on those you lack understanding of." His eyes trailed to a rune on the wall that began to glow as Matoi cracked it, only for it to go dark again two seconds later, resetting his progress.

"According to your distributor, your strength ran parallel to that of an S-rank ranger before your elixir garnered attention. Is it wrong to assume you used the masses as test subjects to further your goal and exceed your limits?"

The corner of the Savior's lips curled. "You have accumulated years of experience in the field of law enforcement, Sentinel Kiyoshi. Surely you see the value in understanding the catalyst behind one's actions instead of relying on baseless assumptions."

Kiyoshi's brow twitched, anger rising. He'd been in these situations before. When backed into a corner, criminals would often resort to psychological warfare when they had exhausted every other trick at their disposal. This man was no different; his calculating jabs meant to dig their way under Kiyoshi's skin.

As he'd done before, Kiyoshi carefully smothered his irritation before it could fully manifest in his features. "We've come to enact justice. Whether my assumption is baseless or not, frankly, it doesn't matter when dealing with criminals who blatantly announce their lack of morality."

"Morality is whatever man decides it to be without a higher power. But I am not here to debate philosophy." He countered with grace.

"Then what?"

"Circumstances sometimes necessitate actions that may fall outside the boundaries of legality," the Savior explained. "Circumstances that will change the world, as I have foreseen."

"You speak as if you were a prophet." Maeve finally said, her words simmering with suppressed emotion.

The Savior lifted his head thoughtfully and let out a soft sigh. "I suppose it is not entirely inaccurate to see me as such." He then looked just behind Kiyoshi, at Maeve, and tilted his head down while emphasizing his eyes with a piercing gaze. "These eyes have been cursed with insight into what lies beyond the seeable horizon."

Realization mixed with speculation flashed across Kakkona's face. "Are you referring to the rare ability Foresight?"

The Savior nodded. "The tapestry of fate often unfolds in vague glimpses, but very rarely does it ever present itself as a clear scene of what is to come." He said gravely.

Kiyoshi pressed down more firmly on his anger as the Savior's excuses further agitated him. "Visions won't absolve you of accountability."

The Savior's multicolored eyes narrowed. "Whatever crimes I am responsible for, none of it will matter the day the Capital collapses, and your council leads its protectors to their demise."

"You're mad." Kiyoshi concluded as the runes on the floor and wall to his left flashed before dimming again.

The Savior shook his head disappointedly, turned his back, and began sauntering ahead. "That is a terrible habit of yours, Sentinel Kiyoshi." He stopped and half turned in his direction.

The runes on both walls and the floor glowed but were once again snuffed out in seconds. The gradual progress Matoi was making had smoothed out his features, once etched with frustration. It would be a matter of time before the barrier was down.

"Understand that I do not wish harm on you or the strong you ally yourself with. The powerful will be essential to our mission."

Kakkona raised his brow. "And what mission is that?"

The Savior paused, seeming to consider his next words before continuing. "Perhaps what my followers have labeled me has not provided you a clue as to what."

A tinge of curiosity stirred within Kiyoshi. It must've surfaced on his face because the Savior continued. "What is the extent of your knowledge on radiance?"

"I fail to see the relevance." Kiyoshi replied. When the Savior didn't answer, looking at him expectantly, he relented. "An atmospheric force that flows through humans, granting mankind abilities that vary depending on your field of study. Though possible, it's ill-advised to cast without the aid of a conduit since doing so would ravage the body."

"A phenomenon such as radiance simply would not exist without cause. We have merely scratched the surface of its capabilities." The Savior added. "And those capabilities will be weaponized against mankind."

Kiyoshi subconsciously looked over at his allies, and they looked back at him, also sensing the Savior's genuine discomfort. He had seen the behavior of many criminals and learned that their demeanor often reflected their thoughts. Kiyoshi was beginning to see that the Savior wasn't just experimenting on people to gain understanding.

"What are you so afraid of that you're willing to risk killing people in an attempt to grow an army of enhanced soldiers and give their lives to protect your elixir?"

Maeve and Akane went quiet to listen intently. Even Matoi paused to glance at the Savior, curious to hear his answer.

The Savior's eyes flicked downward in momentary contemplation. His senior features hardened, and he refocused on Kiyoshi. A grave sigh left his nose that seemed to hold a fragment of his very soul.

"I assume you are familiar with the term 'deity’?"