Rangers Endgame

Chapter 98: An Eastward Stroll

The Sotiri River's calm waters provided a melodic backdrop to the conversations mingling with the cool morning air. Sunlight had begun to roll over the horizon, painting the rocky landscape a vibrant pink and orange. Rangers from small clans discussed their tactics amongst themselves while freelancers either polished their weapons and armor or practiced their combat techniques.

The infirmary tents buzzed with activity as arriving medics and healers set up equipment. A group of young men in dented armor laughed and chatted among themselves.

"Dude, check it out," a short-haired ranger froze mid-laughter as he nodded behind them.

His friends turned to scan the sea of people. The place was bustling with perhaps over a hundred rangers, but they knew exactly what he was referring to. Their jaws slackened as their attention settled on a young woman sauntering through the crowd.

The silver hair cascading down her back caught the sun's rays, producing a mesmerizing gleam, and her blue eyes reflected the colors of the awakening sky, captivating their gazes. The way her light armor hugged her graceful curves as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear made their cheeks flush.

"She's from the Clan Skirmish, right?" A tall, broad-shouldered ranger asked, unable to peel his eyes away.

"Yeah," his companion, a head shorter with freckles, ogled. "You think she's a freelancer?"

A decent-looking ranger with grass-green eyes smoothed out his dark hair and puffed out his chest. "Only one way to find out." Wasting little time, he began his approach to stake a claim on the beauty before it was too late.

His confidence waned as he closed the distance, nearly losing his nerve to the enchanting sight of her profile.

"Excuse me." He started. His heart fluttered when she glanced over at him, her eyes holding an oceanic beauty while the pleasant fragrance of vanilla caressed his senses. "I couldn't help but notice you were alone. You lookin' for a team?"

Her eyes flicked up and down. "Who's asking?"

He flashed a friendly smile. "I'm Tati, and as it happens, I have a vacant spot in my party. I'd love to have a sweet thing like you join. I promise it'll be worth your whi—"

"I'd rather hug a cactus." Her cold words cleaved through his empty flattery and shattered his heart, leaving him still as a statue. Taking advantage of his stunned reaction, she made her casual getaway, leaving his friends to soothe his dejection.

She navigated through the crowd, watching as the silhouettes of buildings in the distance became more prominent as the sun heaved itself toward the sky. Most of the rangers she passed showed no signs of affiliation with any clan, but she did happen to catch glimpses of reaper insignias woven into cloaks or branded onto plates here and there.

After what felt like forever, familiar voices graced her ears. She turned to see Yakeru relaxed against a tree chatting with Kenji by one of the many infirmary tents. Her face softened in a rare show of relief at seeing familiar faces as she approached.

"—would be a more sound strategy," Kenji said, her ears now able to hone in on their conversation through the cacophony of clashing voices.

"You've been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?" Yakeru replied, a polite smile showing through his worn expression. Before the enthusiastic conjurer could wear him out further with another rant, the figure reached Yakeru's peripheral and he greeted her. "Look who's here."

"Oh, hey Fuyumi. Did you just get here?" Kenji wondered.

"I arrived about an hour ago." She confirmed. "Are you stationed here?"

"Yeah, I'll be with the others defending the infirmaries," Kenji responded, scratching the back of his head. "Though, since there are Sentinels at the perimeter anyway, I doubt much will happen back here. Which side of the perimeter are you stationed?"

"The easternmost point. Near Sentinel Haruka."

Yakeru's eyes flashed with surprise. "Then we might as well go together. As it happens, I'll be heading to the southeast portion of the perimeter myself."

"I don't mind." Fuyumi brushed it off to keep her cool demeanor intact.

"I'm back.”

She turned to find Aoi wobbling over from the nearby tent with a box filled to the brim with health elixirs. It was when she set it down on a flat rock that she realized the third figure. "Oh. It's nice to see you again, Fuyumi."

Fuyumi nodded. "Where are the others?"

Aoi sat beside the box to catch her breath. "If you're referring to Kazeki and Kateshi, they were both stationed on the westside." She took a few elixirs from the box and offered them to Fuyumi. "Anyway, please take some. Although there'll be a Sentinel close by, you shouldn't get complacent."

Fuyumi accepted, slipping them into her satchel as Yakeru stashed a few vials himself.

"Thanks for this." He said.

Aoi flashed a tired smile. "Of course. Since I won't be accompanying you, I expect you to take care of yourself. You do tend to be overly eager, after all," she leaned back on her hands. "Perhaps I should bring a few the next time you invite me over, too."

Fuyumi paused, her mask of impassiveness slipping for a fraction of a second as she tried to process what she meant, or if she even heard correctly. The next few seconds of their conversation were a blur, but she'd managed to pry herself free from her momentary trance. Noticing that rangers were beginning to trickle away from the infirmaries toward the perimeter, she took that opportunity to pull Yakeru away.

"Seems like it's starting. We should be off now."

"Good luck, guys." Kenji wished.

"Please return safely." Aoi gave a worried smile, clasping her fingers.

"Will do." Fuyumi responded for both of them as she and Yakeru followed the herd of people.

Maneuvering through the makeshift barricade of wooden stakes made from golden bamboo that served as additional protection for the infirmaries, the two made their way to their designated areas. Rays of light danced along the dew-kissed meadow, casting rainbow effects that almost made her forget her purpose there. The grass sprouted into vibrant gold with each step, then returned to its original length and color once their feet left, the mystical sight rippling throughout the fields as everyone walked.

Their slow pace pulled them toward the back of the crowd. But where Yakeru was more relaxed, Fuyumi held a hint of hesitance in her step as she stole quick glances at him. She tried pulling her mind away from the healer's words, but they annoyingly stuck to her thoughts like glue. She couldn’t quite place it, but an unfamiliar feeling wormed around in her chest.

"Something wrong?" Yakeru broke the tension, his eyes still forward.

Despite the alien feeling, she tried to match his calm demeanor with a casual response. "What did she mean by 'the next time you invite me over?'" She asked, filtering the question through her usual tone of indifference.

His pace wavered under his mild confusion. "Is that really all that's troubling you?"

"It's not troubling me," she denied much faster than she'd intended. "I'm just curious."

He looked at her with a tilted head before finally saying, "She meant exactly what she said. I had her come by my place. I needed help preparing for today, so she helped me train."

The context evaporated the strange feeling, and her body language smoothed out as she fell into step with him again. "I see. Then I expect you to come out of this in one piece."

"Given my track record, I'm not sure I can promise anything." He joked nonchalantly.

She rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless." They quietly walked for a bit before she said, "I was expecting to see Itsuki with you."

"He's still recovering from our last mission."

"What happened?"

His mouth parted slightly in realization. “I guess you did leave before noticing.” He went quiet, seeming to consider his next words. "There was an unexpected snag."

She waited a moment, but when he didn't elaborate, she let the short-lived subject fade into the silence.

Instead, she followed his gaze to the horizon, the morning sun bathing the sea of rangers in warmth and casting pillars of shadows along the grassy fields. "Akari and I used to train in fields like these. Minus the golden grass." He said with a sense of nostalgia.

Fuyumi glanced over with a curious glint. "Was she the one who taught you?"

"Yeah. After she got fed up with my persistent pestering," he smiled to himself. "She taught me most of what I know now. Though her antics were annoying, I guess they did make those days fun."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "My mother was the same. She taught me self-defense and martial arts basics when I was young."

"She must've been a great teacher, given how well you can handle yourself."

Fuyumi stepped over a narrow stream branching from the river. "Yeah. And she'd always find a way to make it interesting."

Yakeru rounded a rock jutting from the ground. "Oh? How so?"

Her wistful eyes turned down at the passing stones. "She would often implement games into my training. Our favorite was Snatch-Away. Sometimes she would wear that bell the whole day, and I'd always try to catch her off guard."

"Did that work?"

Her mood turned somewhat distantly sour. "Not once. And she always had the bad habit of throwing salt in the wound—a calculated tease after missing the bell by a few inches or poorly suppressed laughter when I'd fall into a tub of water while she was doing laundry," she reminisced, raising her gaze to the meandering clouds. "She knew exactly how to push my buttons."

A small relative smile played on Yakeru's face. “My sister's the same way. Though I’ve never played Snatch-Away with her, I’m sure it would’ve been better than…” 

He trailed off, his expression shifting to something akin to embarrassment and bitterness as he mumbled something about a fox, barely audible over the clanking of armored men and women around them.

"What?" She asked, confused.

He shook his head. "Nothing."

After several more minutes of trudging, they'd reached the southeast perimeter. Rangers were already setting up defensive positions, some using the jagged terrain to conceal themselves while others opted to remain in the open, boldly awaiting any who dared try to pass.

"This is me." Yakeru said, settling down on a rock.

"Then I'll see you when this is over," Fuyumi leaned her hip against the stone and held a band between her lips as she pulled her hair back, tying it in a ponytail and letting her bangs frame her face. "Take care of yourself."

"You don't have to worry about me."

"I'm not worried. It's just annoying having to drag you to the infirmary every time we go out." She claimed, but she wasn’t able to keep the mild concern from leaking into her voice.

"Don't expect to. I doubt I’ll see any action anyway," he assured. "Get a move on or they'll start without you."

Pushing off the rock, she gave him one last look before disappearing back into the stream of rangers.