Rangers Endgame

Chapter 99: In a Sentinel’s Care

The morning sun beamed down on Kakkona as he bounced on the balls of his feet, firing his fists in a practiced sequence of lightning-fast jabs, hooks, and uppercuts at his imaginary opponent. With a swift pivot, he threw a right cross at a boulder. Although he stopped just inches away from it, the hard surface still cracked from the force. He heard a few rangers behind him whisper praises.

Dai didn't do anything to prepare, except lean forward on his war hammer, studying the distant figures moving throughout Sotiri's dirt streets. It was a rather unassuming village, the perfect place for shady business.

May was too preoccupied with smoothing out her doll's unruly hair to care.

Rangers with Saberclaw insignias, a large feline with heated razor claws, took up their positions behind them.

They were already at work. Leaders barked orders as dozens of teams fanned out across the rugged terrain. Sturdy wooden stakes carved from wild bamboo were planted in the ground against potential threats, then Saberclaw conjurers shrouded them in a sheen that camouflaged them.

Archers took up strategic positions on elevated rocks, their bows ready as they scanned the fields for any movement. Conjurers engineered makeshift barricades of stacked stones and fallen tree trunks, coating them in a thin layer of radiance to reinforce their durability.

Anticipation hung in the air as the western perimeter took shape. Afterward, some settled in and had casual conversations over a game of Jo-ku while others reviewed countermeasures should they be attacked. Their voices blended together for the most part, but there was one that was louder, much more enthusiastic, than the rest.

"Spectating from afar, longing for battle, weighs heavily on me. I can only hope our enemies shift their attention onto us."

"That wouldn't be a good thing, you big ape."

He heard Dai huff at their conversation. He would undoubtedly be enough to stop the enemy in their tracks. But he did feel more at ease knowing the Saberclaw Clan made up much of the perimeter, should the unlikely scenario of the enemy overpowering Dai become reality. From what he'd seen, the Fiends mostly ranged from E to D-rank, so they were fortunately stationed on the back lines.

"Haruka," Dai spoke into his communication artifact. "What do you see?"

["It's difficult to clearly identify enemy from civilian from this range,"] she sent back. ["However, from their behavior, there are some people who stand out. Some are wearing more clothing than others, likely to hide the elixir's symptoms, as we anticipated. It should be relatively easy to weed them out, even without our artifacts."]

Kakkona paused his shadowboxing to reply. "So the more they try to blend in, the more they stand out. Got it."

["The elixir's second trial negatively affects the mind."] Kiyoshi answered back this time. ["I assume that affects their ability to mimic day-to-day life."]

"Sentinel Kakkona." A business-like voice spoke from behind.

Kakkona turned to the source to find the leader of the Saberclaw Clan standing ramrod straight with her hands tucked behind her back. Her feline topaz eyes complemented her radiant bronze complexion, and her short ebony hair framed the sharp intensity of her gaze. A scar ran down the side of her neck, disappearing beneath her intricately designed armor that hugged her lithe figure.

Behind her stood a team of clan members at his request. "My rangers are ready."

"Please, Kakkona will do just fine," he smiled, trying to dissipate the formalities. His eyes flicked to her armor. "I see you continue to keep your style just as striking as your eyes, Maeve."

"Flattery won't earn you any more favors," she replied stiffly. "And I would prefer to address my superiors appropriately, even if I do have many years on them."

"How cold."

The corners of her lips lifted into a faint, almost unnoticeable smile. "Though it is always pleasant to see an old face."

His eyes landed on another familiar figure beside her. A short man with orange-tinted hair and tan eyes stepped forward. He wore simple light leather armor, and the wand strapped to his hip looked like an ordinary stick at first glance.

"Matoi. Glad to see you could make it." Kakkona greeted, extending a hand.

"Likewise." He grinned as he accepted.

"Got tired of looting mimics?" Kakkona teased.

"That was ??? time," Matoi emphasized. "Greed can have a profound effect on you if you let it. And I've gotten a lot better at detecting them since."

Though the rest were all Saberclaw members, Kakkona didn't recognize them. With the exception of Matoi, they all wore identical clan armor with slight variations to accommodate their different builds. A man with brown hair and dark blue eyes stepped forward. The cloak over his shoulders jingled with concealed vials of health elixirs.

"I suppose we should acquaint ourselves before the battle starts." He raised a hand to his chest. "I'm Masaru, and I'm an S-rank healer. I've been with Saberclaw for almost six months now and have the pleasure of working alongside you."

"And I'm Koan," a man with a mop of dirty blonde hair and green eyes sped past impatiently, irritating Masaru. Without warning, Koan grabbed Kakkona's hand and shook it vigorously. "I must say it is a true honor to meet such an accomplished young man. You truly set an example for the rest of us." He exclaimed.

Dai let out a breath somehow infused with both annoyance and amusement.

Kakkona forced an uncomfortable smile. "Uhm, thank you for the kind words, Koan."

A well-built man with short grey hair and bags under his blue eyes tugged Koan by the ear. "Keep your infatuations on a tight leash and introduce yourself properly." He scolded before releasing him.

Koan's face reddened with embarrassment as he soothed his throbbing ear. "Of course, sorry. I'm an S-rank conjurer who specializes in rejuvenation. No need to monitor your reserves while I'm around." He grinned with assurance.

"Glad to have you on board, Koan. I'm sure you'll be a great help." Kakkona responded politely.

The grey-haired man stepped forward, the shield on his back rattling against his bulky armor. "I'm Toju. The S-rank tank of the group. I've been protecting rangers since before Saberclaw became a major clan." He said confidently.

"It's comforting to know you'll be joining us." Kakkona said.

He looked at the last but not least clan member, who still hadn't acknowledged him. A short young woman with a set of deep grey eyes that contrasted with her wavy bright lemon hair that faded into white at the ends had her nose in a sketchbook.

She startled when Koan nudged her, and she snapped her attention to everyone before her, now looking at her expectantly. "Sorry," she pocketed her sketchbook and pencil before introducing herself. "My name is Akane. I'm an S-rank that specializes in spatial manipulation. I've been working with Saberclaw for two months now."

"Great. Seems like we're all here then." Kakkona placed his hands on his hips.

Maeve regarded Kakkona. "What's the situation?"

Kakkona looked back at the distant village. "Though they're wearing disguises, they're having a rough time imitating civilian life."

"That simplifies things for us." She nodded, stepping to his side to get a better look.

Dai shifted on his hammer. “It’s a shame. If I had been the one with the assault team, I might’ve held back to see what the Saberclaw’s best was capable of.”

"Is no one going to acknowledge the elephant?" Masaru asked, glancing over at May. "Does anyone care to explain why there's a child present playing dress up?"

May was in the middle of tidying up her doll when she suddenly stopped. She turned her head, a tired coldness in her gaze that settled on him, making him flinch. Wriggling her gloved fingers, strands of amber slithered out from the tips and entered the doll, causing its limbs to jerk violently as if she were channeling her anger and frustration into it.

Kakkona quickly slid between her and the man with outstretched placating hands toward her. "Woah, easy." To the man, he said, "Congenital hemidysplasia. It's a rare condition that affects the development of the body. So please treat her with the same level of respect you would any other Sentinel."

Masaru scratched his head regretfully and looked at May, who was still visibly upset. "Oh, I apologize."

Her anger cooled, and she resumed "appropriating" her nightmarish doll. With all the preparations in place, Kakkona let out a relieved breath and pressed the artifact on his chest.

"Kakkona to Sentinel Kiyoshi. We're all set to go."

["Copy. Commence the assault."]

Kakkona looked back at Maeve and her team and gestured with his head to follow. May hopped down deftly from her rock and fell into step with him.

"I expect a flawless victory." Dai shouted from behind.

"And I expect nothing less." Kakkona waved without looking back.

Kakkona led, adjusting his gauntlets, as Maeve met his pace to his left and May to his right. The rangers trailing behind them hardened themselves, their hands resting anxiously on their sword handles or tightening their grips around their staffs. Maeve, however, kept her poise, her cool front never faltering even as they drew closer.

They stopped just outside the village behind a two-story building. Kakkona peered out. The murmuring river powered a large watermill, its creaking melody blending seamlessly with the hum of daily life. Most villagers wore simple tunics and breeches caked with soot. The earthy scent of turned soil filled the air as farmers worked, their many fields sprouting an abundance of dew-kissed crops.

Golden bamboo towered over the village, sprouting into a canopy that dampened the sun's rays into a quiet glow no matter the time of day. The light filtering through the leaves converted into golden white droplets that drizzled over the farms.

"This somewhat complicates things." Kakkona said, watching the villagers move about.

"Indeed," Maeve moved quietly to his side. "Let's try not to ruin their years of hard labor."

Kakkona nodded as he activated the detection artifact hooked on his belt. He pressed on his communication artifact. "We're in position." He raised a closed fist for his team to see.

["Engage."] Kiyoshi spoke with finality.