Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Osamu feels his shoulders sag under a heavy pressure, a deep exhaustion creeping through his veins that has not gone away since he stepped out of the Border application center. 

A lack of Trion. Not even a horrible enough amount to be out of the competition completely, still enough to use a Trigger but not enough to be chosen over the competition. 

His knowledge about neighbors and Border technology he can train. Same for his physical body, no matter how difficult it is for him. 

But the inborn amount of Trion a person has? That's up for luck, and he drew the short straw in that lottery. 

If he waits some years and Border has more resources to build more Triggers, he might be considered despite his lower levels, but who knows how long it will take? 

He doesn't have the time. Who knows when Chika will next be targeted?

But how should he change that? 

He sits down in front of his PC as soon as he gets home, just strolling through the website Border has published about itself.  He knows it won't help. He already has it memorized with how often he read it in preparation. 

Osamu lets out a sigh as his eyes land on a list of Border’s sub-sections, the many support departments listed one after another, when an idea pops into his mind, eyes scanning the letters in front of him. 

The Public Relations department of Border has a combat team in Arashiyama squad, but the other departments don't, including the development sector that Mikumo was offered a possible position in. 

‘There could be a chance they are planning to create one but have not come around to it yet.’

It's not ideal, far from it, but it's his best bet at the moment. 

He doesn't even know if the development department is even considering creating a combat squad, let alone if they would add him, of all people, to it. 

But even if they don't, they have to test the Triggers they are developing somehow, right? It might allow him to get his hands on a combat trigger one way or another. 

Even if that won't give him the official permission to use it outside, he would have one in case it ever becomes necessary. 

Mikumo doesn't wait a second longer before he answers the proposition of the development department, his fingers flying over his keyboard as he types out his agreement, not wanting the position to be taken up by anybody else, before turning back to his pc to read up on the exact jobs he will have to do. 

It's not what he planned, but he will manage. One way or another. 

He has to.

______________

Mikumo watches himself in the polished metal walls of the Border headquarters, looking down at the uniform on his body. The fact that it was only normal clothing he had been given and not created through a Trion body makes a heavy stone settle in his stomach. 

Thankfully, the one leading him through the building doesn't seem to notice his frustration, the woman sporting a happy smile on her face. “You know, I'm surprised we got an application. Especially from someone so young. Usually, people your age apply as combat agents. But you couldn't have come at a better time. We barely have enough people to keep up with the demand.”

“To tell the truth, that's what I was applying for at first, but my Trion levels weren't high enough compared to the other applicants. But when they offered me this position, I thought I could at least do things this way.” Mikumo admits. 

He considered lying, but firstly does not sit well with him, and secondly, he needs to make it obvious he would be ready to be part of a combat team in case they plan on creating one. 

“Ah, the youth of today, always thinking about fighting.” She says even though she looks only a few years older than him, “I know we don't get all the fame, but our work is just as important as that of the other departments. If we didn't create the Triggers for them to use, they would be helpless.” She explains proudly. 

And while she is correct, Mikumo still doesn't really feel comfortable with that reasoning, but he still forces himself to politely nod along. 

He can't afford to offend anybody here, after all. 

Especially now, he should be at his best behavior and just be the kind boy everyone expects him to be from his appearance. 

(A normal kind boy that no one would suspect if a combat Trigger disappeared one day.)

“So, since you have already completed all the screening, I can just throw you straight into the deep end.” She says, opening a large room filled with shelf after shelf filled to the brim with different documents. 

She gives him a guilty look. “Honestly, it's a lot. Especially since you will have to do it alongside school, so we don't expect you to go through all of it immediately. For now, you should follow the other members of the development department around so you can gather some practical experience on what we are doing.”

The boy gives her a determined nod as she hands him his schedule, filled from top to bottom, not leaving a single hour open, but he isn't surprised by it. 

He expected this much, after all. 

___________

The people in the development department are very welcoming towards him, seeming to appreciate even the little help he can offer at the moment, even while he's still going through the documents.

Mikumo honestly needed it after the shock he got from some of the information the documents revealed. 

Neighbors are more than just monsters, being a collective of many countries and cultures. 

The boy is pretty sure he would not have been informed of that if it weren't for the fact that that knowledge is essential for the construction of Triggers, and he would have figured it out through construction documents anyway.

‘Or rather reconstruction.’ He thinks, looking down at a picture of one of the Triggers the last Away Mission stole. 

But oh, the fact that the neighbors aren't just monsters didn't make him feel bad about building weapons against them. Quite the opposite. That means they are targeting Chika knowingly and for conscious reasons. 

That they intended to cause all the damage during the attacks, and that it wasn't the equivalent of a wild animal attack like Osamu previously thought. 

He rubs his eyes as he stares back at the documents in front of him, his eyes sliding over to the clock. 

It's already three in the morning, but today is the weekend, so he should be able to skip a night of sleep. 

He can handle pushing himself a bit. Especially now that he knows someone out there is actively trying to kidnap Chika.

‘I can just sleep in the break room if necessary.’ 

The boy traces the lines of the trigger structure depicted on the pages, trying to burn the images into his mind. With a sigh, the boy stands up and walks over to one of the shelves. 

Osamu doesn't have access to the areas where the actual Triggers are stored unless he is supervised, so there are only spare parts and raw materials. 

And he isn't good enough at assembling Triggers to build one with just that. Yet. 

With a stretch of his arms and another pill to lessen his headache,he gets back to his desk again, returning to the pages laid out in front of him. 

He has work to do. 

_____________

“I have finished all the documents in Library 1. Should I move over to the next one?” Mikumo asks into the break room, his older coworkers’ heads snapping towards him in surprise. 

“... The entire library?” One of them asks in disbelief, getting a nod from the boy. 

“Did you even have time for school?!” His supervisor asks, her eyes wide open in shock. 

Oh his grades in school absolutely suffered for it, but he doesn't mind. This is more important after all. 

(And his mother hopefully won't care too much either, considering he kind of already has a stable job right now. He is even getting paid! And not just a little.) 

Ilia (his superior and supervisor) looks him up and down, noting the deep, dark rings under his eyes that are mostly hidden by his glasses, and lets out a deep sigh. 

“I know we said we expect good work from you, but you don't have to push yourself so hard. You should really take care of yourself first.”

But Osamu shakes his head. “I have to. One of my friends is constantly targeted by neighbors. Her brother was already taken by them not that long ago, so I'm the only one left who can make sure she is safe.”

His coworkers look a bit startled, but not exactly surprised. Mikumo now knows that people with high amounts of Trion being targeted isn't that rare, after all. They just don't know the degree to which Chika is hunted. 

“Still, you shouldn't push yourself this far.” Ilia insists, even if she looks more sympathetic than before. “But if you really finished Library 1, we can actually let you start with the actual development. Library 2 mostly consists of the material we have gathered from foreign Triggers that we aren't sure about yet, so it wouldn't make sense to study those until you get some actual experience.“

Mikumo looks a bit surprised. He didn't expect that. He doesn't feel confident at all that he could actually build a Trigger even after reading through all the reports. 

His coworkers seem to notice, one man the boy doesn't remember the name of, letting out a small laugh. “Don't worry, that's how we all felt when we were let into the actual thing for the first time. Making Triggers is both art and science. It's not something you can really understand with pure theory until you try it out.”

Another one nods his head in agreement, a stocky man who is probably the youngest in the department if you exclude Osamu. “And to some degree, every Trigger crafter has their own signature. The underlying principles are the same, but every developer has their own quirks. It's like smithing a sword.”

“Half of us don't know why some of the things we do work, but they somehow do, so we just keep doing them.” The one sitting beside him adds as she bites into some sweet bread she was eating, and no one seems to say anything against that statement, so Mikumo guesses it to be the truth. 

Ilia gives him a small smile. “So don't worry too much if you build a Trigger and it just blows up in your face. It happens sometimes.” She explains, the man who was eating pulled up his sleeve to show off both an old scar and what looks like a freshly covered wound. 

“Sometimes literally, so wear your protective goggles.” He adds. The others nod in agreement to that statement. Mikumo wonders how often stuff like that happens, but somehow the fact that it's normal for stuff to explode, even for them, is calming to him. 

The one who was eating pulls his sleeve down again and stands up from his chair with a small hop. 

“Well, my break is over anyway, so you want to tag along into the lab right away?” He offers, getting an immediate nod from Mikumo. 

“Of course. Thank you, sir.” The boy says politely. 

“No need to be so stiff. We are all friends here. You just call me Taru. If you call me sir, it will just make me feel old.” Taru just says. “But now, let's show you how to make some actual triggers. “

 ____________

“Mikumo, can you try to activate this Trigger real quick?” 

It's said so casually by Ilia that in any other situation, the voice could have faded into the background, but to Mikumo, it seems to drown out all other sounds surrounding him. 

“Wha-What do you mean?”

“Well, the framework is finished, but we don't really have anyone in this department with enough Trion to test out the basic function. Except for Raizo, but he stopped being an active combatant a while ago, so it feels awkward to ask him.” She explains, handing Mikumo the small device. 

It somehow feels incredibly heavy in his palm, even if he knows how light these Triggers usually are, but now, with the permission to actually use it, it feels like it's made from lead. 

“Ah, don't worry, we tested it enough that it won't blow up. It's just that we usually have to call in some agents from other departments, which is just such a bother.” She assures him, misinterpreting his hesitance as stemming from that. 

He doesn't wait any second longer to take the small device, his nervousness droned out by curiosity. 

“Trigger on!” He calls, and immediately feels the energy flow over him, sinking deep into every corner of his body. 

His vision is taken over by light for a moment before his body shifts. He feels lighter, practically sensing how the energy buzzes through his veins. 

When Mikumo opens his eyes again the transformation is over, and looking down his body he finds himself in a default border uniform, no specifications having been set yet. 

He flexes his hands and looks around the room, noting how much sharper everything looks now. He is pretty sure he doesn't need his glasses like this. 

“Hm,” Ilia says as she looks him up and down. “It seems to work fine, but I think I have to look over the energy transformator again. There were a bit too many sparks for it to be optimal.“ His coworker says, reminding the boy of her presence. “Did you feel any problems?” 

“Uhm, this is my first time activating Trigger, so I'm not sure, but everything seems to be working fine.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, I forgot. This must have been a bit sudden. Wait here a moment. “ She says and hurries out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. 

Mikumo inspects the small device in his hand. A standard B Rank Trigger without any actual weapons yet built into it. 

Border has been increasing the number of higher rank triggers recently, to get more people in combat-ready equipment in case of a larger attack. 

Apparently the higher-ups have reason to believe that there will be a larger-scale attack on Meeden in the not-so-far future, but nothing concrete yet. How they figured it out was not told to the R&D.

Whether that prediction turns out to be true doesn't really matter in the long run. They will need the Triggers anyway, even if an invasion the size of the first will not happen in the near future.

With what Mikumo now knows, he himself would not fare well in a large invasion like that. His trion is too low to be captured, but large enough to be targeted by Bamsters for extraction, ripping the Trion gland out of his chest and leaving the lifeless body behind.

He shakes his head. No time for thoughts like that. 

B Rank Triggers are a bit more on the complicated side. Unlike a training Trigger, the base alone takes nearly one week to make for the crafter, and that time doesn't even include the different offensive trigger chips that also have to be made before it is usable. 

The training triggers take a fraction of that time, but it shows in the quality. 

Though, to some level, the ranks of triggers aren't exactly set in stone. It's just that the top percentage of manufactured combat triggers is identified as A rank. It would be hard to distinguish if they changed the parameters that make a trigger an A Rank every time they add some new things they find on the Away missions to it.

‘If Border had more resources, they would probably equip everybody with Triggers of this level.’ But that is not the case yet, even if the government should really put more resources into Border if you ask him. 

He hears hurried steps approaching and soon Ilia rounds the corner again, holding what Mikumo identifies as another B Rank Trigger. 

“This one should be finished already, too, so you can compare the two.” 

“Trigger off,” Mikumo says, and immediately his flesh body reappears. It's a weird feeling, but not uncomfortable, though he kind of prefers how the Trion body feels. 

(But honestly, that could just be because he has been pushing himself a lot lately, and his original body isn't in the best condition right now. How much sleep did he even get today?) 

Thankfully, he isn't in it for long, as he soon exchanges it for the other Trigger, once again transforming into a Trion body, but unlike the last one, this does not have the standard uniform. 

He recognizes the outfit as that of Arafune squad, the dark uniform easily settling on his skin, with a Kogetsu hanging off the side of his belt.

“Arafune squad is the next one for the rotation,” Ilia explains. “We are updating the Trigger with the newest advancements we get, and giving the old ones to the lower B Rank teams. So, how do they compare?”

He takes a moment to think before answering. “With this one, the transformation felt, I'm not sure how to describe it, less electrostatic? With the previous one, it was like a slight tingling was running over my skin.” He tries to describe the feeling, and it seems Ilia understands what he means, nodding along. 

“Good good. That means the problem lies with the isolator of the energy transformer. That saves me a lot of searching. Thanks!” She says. 

Mikumo looks down at the Trigger, and with a sigh, he transforms back, rolling his shoulders as the stiffness returns with his real body. 

“I wish I could just work while in a Trion body so I wouldn't get tired as quickly.” He tells her, mostly just to make conversation, but he can see how her eyes register the information, a thoughtful glint appearing in them.

She taps her chin for a moment before nodding a bit. “That does sound convenient. I didn't even think about that since I can't activate Triggers myself. We can't really use them in that way, but it would be really helpful.”

She nods a bit to herself before addressing Mikumo again. “You know what, I have an idea.” She says, walking out of the room and urging him to follow, leading him into the main storage room until they come to a stop in front of the storage shelf containing the triggers that are finished to be sent up to the combat units. 

“We don't have the authority to give these triggers to you permanently, but while they are down here, we have full control over what happens to them. So why don't you use them for that?”

“Is that really okay?” He asks, a bit in disbelief. 

“It should be fine. You need to get used to the feel of different triggers anyway, if we want to have you test them for problems. They are only delivered to the other departments on Monday morning, so as long as you put them back by then, it's all fine. Just make sure not to forget.”

Mikumo gives a deep bow. “Thank you very much. I won't waste this opportunity. 

“Oh, don't mention it. I'm sure if the rest of us could use triggers, we would be doing the same. We don't even get to use our own shooting range since we can't use the Triggers ourselves, so we always have to call in people from the other departments, and you, as a single person, are right now the closest we have to a testing squad.” She shrugs a bit. “I guess it will finally have some use with you around.” 

A jolt of realization hits Mikumo. This is a chance. 

“So, why doesn't the development department make a team for something like that? It would cut out a lot of time loss.” He offers. It's not a combat team, but it would be a step in the right direction. 

“I mean, yeah, but we don't have enough members with the necessary amount of Trion. Those who do usually end up in the other units.”

“So if we had them, we could create a unit like that…” 

“Most likely.” The woman says with a sigh, before turning to Mikumo. “Do you know anybody you could scout for us? We don't even need a lot of people.”

The image of Chika, of course, flashes in his mind, but he dismisses the thought instantly. He can't drag her into this, so he shakes his head. 

“No one willing comes to mind. Sorry.” 

“Ah, it's not your fault. Our department just seems a bit boring compared to the combat ones. Just don't let Kinuta know I said that.”

Mikumo nods along with it, but his mind is already far away, working a mile a minute. 

It's not much. Creating a testing team doesn't mean they will create a combat team. 

But this is enough for Mikumo. At least for now. An official confirmation that the development branch won't be opposed to creating their own team. 

He has no idea where he should get other members from, but there is a chance, and that is all he needs. 

Chapter Text

Mikumo can't help the wide smile that stretches over his face as he creates a Trion cube in his hand, splitting it up into a volley of bullets and shooting them at the dummy on the other end of the testing field. 

He has been given more and more triggers to test by his colleagues over the last weeks, and he is enjoying it greatly. 

They have even allowed him to borrow one of the C Rank Triggers without any attack Triggers and take them home! 

It is probably not too healthy that he no longer sleeps during the weekend and spends them fully in a Trion body, but the extra hours he gets from it make it more than worth it. 

It turns out that if the trigger main body doesn't have any attack triggers implemented, they don't use nearly as much Trion to stay active. No one just spent enough time in an unfinished trigger body that it was noticeable, at least no one with low Trion like Osamu. 

Ilia has said they will have to look further into that, since it implies they have some unnecessary energy loss in the interface between the Trigger body and attack Triggers. 

Osamu releases another shot and watches as the bullets curve around in the air, before colliding with their target from all sides, shattering it into pieces. 

Hound is not something Mikumo can use repeatedly, but for testing like this, his Trion is more than enough. 

He of course knew that his Trion was below average, but seeing it like this and comparing it to even the average B Rank agents, and even more so to the A Rank's, is kind of depressing. 

Speaking of A Ranks, he finally got to test an A Rank Trigger last week. Only for a handful of days since it was finished Friday, but now he understands why they are worth the time invested in building them. 

It's really like comparing a sports car with a regular one, just so much more refined on every level, and a power output so far above the normal ones. 

“End testing sequence.” An automated voice announces, and Mikumo deactivates his Trigger, another B Rank this time, as Taru walks in. 

The man has another small bandage on his arm, just like the day Mikumo met him first. Being one of the people to often run tests on the Triggers stolen by the Away Mission, he ends up in explosive situations more often than the rest. 

But he refuses to use any more protective gear, saying that it makes the analysis of the foreign devices even harder than it already is. 

“Did it work out fine? And problems with the Hound?” He asks curiously. 

“I think there was a minimal delay before they activated. Maybe some minor difficulties with the processor?” Mikumo offers. That is usually the reason for that. 

Taru gives him a nod. “I will look into it. Thanks.” The man says as he takes back the trigger core and Mikumo changes back into the Trion body he was using before. 

This one is designed for Yuba squad, so he is wearing their uniform right now. 

He honestly always feels a bit awkward to wear the uniforms of teams he isn't part of, but the B Rank Triggers just feel so much more comfortable compared to the C Rank ones that he uses them anyway. 

It's not like anybody except the R&D members sees him anyway. 

By now he has circled through quite a lot of triggers, and he can figure out pretty fast if they still need to be worked on. 

And through all the testing he has done he is actually getting better at using them too, even if he is unsure how much it would help him out in an actual fight. 

At least it had taught him that he shouldn't attempt to spam Hound in an actual fight with his small resources, let alone Meteor. He would run out of energy far too fast. 

‘Sticking to Asteroid for actual combat would probably be best.’ Because he is a bit too clumsy for close combat weapons right now. 

He and Taru walk out of the testing room together, saying goodbye for now, but Mikumo is sure his coworker will be back in less than an hour to make sure the repairs he made do their jobs. 

Flexing his shoulder a bit, Mikumo returns to the small office he has been given, returning to his table filled with trays of delicate tools. 

They have given him some very simple triggers to build. Mostly the bodies for C Rank Triggers and shield Weapon Triggers. 

And he has gotten pretty good at them, slowly but surely approaching the speed at which his colleagues build those Triggers. 

Still, he has become very thankful for the existence of protective goggles over the last few days. Sometimes he thinks his hair still smells slightly smoldered. 

The work is a bit monotonous, but Mikumo is still figuring out small tips and tricks with every trigger he builds, so it actually feels surprisingly satisfying. 

And his coworkers seem to be happy about his assistance, too, giving them just that amount of extra time that they were hoping for. 

Raizo was especially happy that he managed to complete the modifications on the Trigger for Kazama in time for the next Away Mission. 

Oh, and that is another thing that has the department in high energy. The next away mission is taking place right now, and potentially will bring back more research material.

The Away Mission is on the smaller side this time since the planetary nation they are targeting is too far away for anything more, so it's rather stealth based this time around. 

Still, with it being led by Kazama, the superiors have high hopes, like always. 

And Mikumo can't help but get pulled along by the enthusiasm. Who knows what kind of cool triggers they might be able to build with the new data they get? He can't wait to analyze it. 

Still, for now, he returns to the triggers he is working on. The C Rank body he is working on will take another day, but after that, Taru has promised him to try out how to construct an Asteroid Trigger for himself. 

He can't wait. 

_____________

“Mikumo, can you go up to the squad room of Tachikawa? Izumi seems to have experimented around with his Trigger and blew himself up, so we need to make sure there aren't any hiccups with it.”

“An A Rank blew himself up? That's unusual. What was he trying to do?” 

“Oh, he is experimenting around with his bullets, but I don't know more. You get that stuff out of him even if he is embarrassed about it.” 

“Roger. I will do my best.” Mikumo says with a nervous smile. He has heard that many of the higher-ranked agents have quite unique characters, so he can't help but be a bit on edge. 

He takes all the tools that he might need, and with his laptop under his arm, he rides up the elevator towards the upper levels. 

The A Rank squads each have their own rooms in the upper area of the headquarters, close to the central offices of the department heads. 

The door is pretty easy to find. Mikumo is by now pretty used to the overly confusing layout of the Border base, even if he now knows that it's specifically built to be misleading to keep out intruders. 

With one last deep breath, he knocks on the door. 

Instead of the ‘come in’ or something of the like, he hears a small crash from the other side of the door, and some voices too muffled to understand. 

He listens to the sound for some seconds before the door opens to reveal a blonde boy, maybe some years older than Mikumo. 

Well, judging someone by their physical appearance is a bit unreliable with how being in a Trion body slows down aging, but thankfully Mikumo recognizes Izumi, the shooter looking at the other boy in slight confusion. 

The brunette goes into a small bow. “I'm here for the maintenance of your trigger. I was informed that there was some kind of incident during training.” 

Izumi's confused face turns to a smile, opening the door wider. “Oh, you are one of the engineers! I didn't know they had anybody like you.” He says curiously, practically dragging Mikumo inside. 

“Yes, I’m a new member. Should I take a look at the trigger right away?” 

“Oh, yeah, here it is,” Izumi says, handing him the tool. 

Mikumo takes the Trigger and observes it with a curious expression. A Rank ones always feel a bit different, seeming to hold a weight the others don't.

Carefully, he opens up the outer casing, taking a better look at the interior. There aren't any obvious signs of damage or smoldering for now, which is a good sign. The A Rank ones would take a while to rebuild. 

Under the magnifying glass, the different structures on the motherboard don't seem damaged either. Even if the trigger is showing signs of regular use, it's kept in good condition. 

“Does it look okay?” Izumi asks nervously over Mikumo's shoulder, watching him work impatiently. “Please tell me I can use it again soon.”

“I haven't found any problems for now, but I can't say for sure yet. I have to run some more tests.”

The blonde continues to look over Mikumo's shoulder, letting out some curious sounds now and then as the brunette goes over the delicate structures of the trigger. 

“Let him work, Izumi,” comes another voice as another pair of steps comes into the room, and Mikumo looks up from his work, immediately finding himself tensing up. 

He stands up and goes into a deep bow, nervously avoiding looking at the older man's face. “Hello Tachikawa-san. It's a pleasure to meet you. I’m sorry for intruding.”

The top attacker just waves him off. “Ah, don't worry. Relax.” He says, walking over to the young mechanic. “Sorry for making you work extra. I didn't think Izumi would mess up like that.”

“It's not a problem. But can you give me a rundown of how the incident happened?” Mikumo asks, looking at the two A Ranks. 

Izumi looks a bit embarrassed. “I was experimenting around with different bullets. Before bullets materialize, they are in a pretty malleable state, so I wanted to try to fuse some Hounds with the explosive power of Meteor.”

He intensely moves his arms as if to bring the point across. “And, you know, the bullets just feel like you can just cram them together, so I tried it out.”

The blonde lets out a small laugh. “I guess I was wrong with that.”

Mikumo looks down at the trigger in concentration, letting the information settle in. “No, I think the idea is a sound concept. Maybe you just did some steps wrong along the way. Let's go down to the training area. I need to make sure your trigger works fine anyway.” Since the operator does not seem to be here, they will have to take one of the public rooms, but it shouldn’t pose a problem.

Izumi seems to be delighted to have someone confirm his suspicion, and he just enthusiastically talks about his idea as the three make it down to the lower levels. 

Mikumo tries to absorb all the insights the shooter gives, making some notes as they talk and throwing in some comments and questions now and then. 

Tachikawa just silently follows after them in a way that makes Mikumo a bit nervous, but the young boy is too distracted by Izumi's ideas to pay attention to his own emotions that much. 

They take one of the empty training rooms when they arrive, and Mikumo doesn't hesitate to activate Izumi's trigger when they are inside, donning him in the black and red robes of Tachikawa squad. 

Like always, an A Rank body makes him feel so much more powerful than normal, but he does his best to focus on his job. 

“The body overall seems to be fully functional, so no problems there.” He says, mostly talking to himself, before turning towards the training dummies. 

He first releases a Meteor at the target, and even if it is draining like always it seems to be working fine. Next he shoots a Hound, watching intensely how the bullets fly in the air to make sure the tracking is working perfectly. 

“Ah, there seems to be some problems with the Hound trigger. Nothing major, but I think one or two of the energy transformers were overloaded and fried. They still function, but if you were to leave it like that, each Hound would use a bit more energy than normal. I will take this back down and replace it with a new Hound trigger. It should only take a few minutes,” He says, turning back around only to find the A Ranks staring at him curiously. 

Tachikawa looks at him for a moment, rubbing his chin, before he starts talking. “The engineers we had till now never tested out triggers like that. They only took them down to the lab. Why are you doing it differently now?” 

“Ah, because the others don't have enough Trion to activate them. My Trion isn't high enough to be considered for a fighter position, but it's still enough for this. So I have been using a lot of different Triggers and memorized how they are supposed to feel. I can usually tell if something is wrong as soon as I activate them.”

“Hm, that sounds pretty useful. Good to have you around.” Tachikawa praises, and the only reason Mikumo doesn't blush is because he is still in Izumi's Trion body. 

“Well, it's useful, I guess, but not compared to what a fighter can do. I'm just trying to do my best with what I have.” He says as he deactivates the trigger, turning to Izumi. 

“So, before I fix this up, do you want to do another test? It really wouldn't make sense to repair this only for it to blow up again.” 

“Yeah, that would be pretty stupid,” Izumi says with a laugh. 

“Okay, just let me link this up real quick,” Mikumo says, holding the trigger to the receiver on his laptop before handing it back to Izumi.

The blonde activates it instantly, radiating pure Trion in a way that Mikumo couldn't even imagine himself doing. 

“Just try out what you were doing before.” Mikumo ensures him.” I will watch where things go wrong.”

Izumi gives him a smile. “Thanks, man! Let's try this out then!” he says, forming a large cube of Trion in each hand, pressing both together while they are still manifesting. 

The process looks simple on the surface, but Mikumo can see the level of skill that goes into the task, carefully keeping the wavelength of both Trion signatures level while still mixing them into each other. 

After some seconds the brunette detects a small shift in the structure, and then the cubes combine into one larger one, Izumi holding out his hands to release the composite bullet. 

But the moment he does, the bullets instantly destabilize, bursting into an explosion. 

Connected to his trigger as Mikumo is, he immediately diverts some power towards the A Rank's shield, creating a small panel just in time as the bullet explodes, thankfully protecting the blonde from most of the blast, but still throwing him some meters back, sliding over the ground and leaving behind a large cloud of dust and smoke. 

“Man, and I feel like I was so close! Thanks for the protection there. Maybe this might not work after all.”

“No, it would work. Does work, actually. The bullets fully fused. You just made a small mistake.” Mikumo turns the laptop towards Izumi. “The two bullets you shot were not programmed to fly at the same speed, so they ripped themselves apart as soon as they started moving.” 

Izumi lets out a loud groan. “How did I miss that? But yeah, makes complete sense. Let's try this again!” he says as two more cubes appear in his palms. 

The bullets fuse just as perfectly as last time, but this time, when they shoot through the air they curve just like they are supposed to, all homing in on the target and bursting into a devastating explosion, leaving behind a crater in the ground. 

“I did it!” Izumi shouts happily, jumping up and down in place. 

“I'm glad I could help. I hope this will be of help during your future fight. “

“Hm, I'm not so sure how much, sadly. The charge-up time to mold the bullets is a lot. That could be a big problem. I don't know yet if I can reduce it enough for it to be usable in actual combat. Though I guess from a safe distance they would always be an option.”

Mikumo takes another look at the data in front of him. “I mean, the general process of the molding seems to be relatively static, so I might be able to write an algorithm to take away some parts of the work.” It should be possible to program that much into the trigger core. 

“You would do that? That's amazing!” Izumi says, catching Mikumo in a hug, and this time, he doesn't have a Trion body active to hide his blush. 

“I can't make any promises if it will work, but I will try my best if you wish to.” 

“That would be amazing. I just know this has so much potential!” Izumi says, and Mikumo can't help but agree. 

After a quick goodbye, the boy excuses himself with Izumi's trigger to repair the Hound Trigger, still a bit nervous about how silent Tachikawa has been for a while now. He hopes he didn't offend the man somehow, but maybe it's just A Ranks being weird. 

____________

Mikumo is admittedly more than a bit nervous as he walks down the hallway towards Kinuta's office, the report he is supposed to deliver under his arm. 

He has, of course, seen the small man in the hallways before, but never directly interacted with him even if he is his boss. 

And the generally harsh way the man acted towards the combat members when Osamu was watching does not help the boy's nerves. 

Kinuta has been quite busy over the last months since Mikumo started working here, implementing a complete overhaul of the defense systems of the base into its Trion matrix. A new employee really wasn't his priority. 

Mikumo hesitantly knocks on the door, and from behind it, he hears the man's muffled voice telling him to come inside. 

“I'm sorry for the interruption. Here are the reports for this week's progress.” He announces as he steps inside the office. 

“Good work. Anything else to report?” Kinuta asks from where he is buried behind mountains of documents. It seems the busy streak is not over yet until he finishes the backlog. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary. We have worked ahead far enough that we can invest enough time once the Away Mission returns.” 

“That's good to hear.” The man says, a small smile on his face as he looks up towards the boy in front of his desk. “Ah, Mikumo, I don't think we have met yet. It's good to have you here.”

Mikumo goes into a small bow, a blush dusting his face. He didn't expect such a positive reaction. “The pleasure is all mine.” He says politely. 

“Ilia has been praising your capabilities and dedication, and from the reports I see of your work alone I can see it's not unfounded. But don't overwork yourself, okay? You are still young, don't forget that.” Kinua says, and even if the voice he says it in is gruff, the message below it reaches Mikumo easily. 

“Thank you.” The boy simply says, not really sure how else to respond. Maybe Kinuta is a much better person than he thought. 

“I am the one who has to thank you for starting to work here. We have been understaffed since Border's creation. It will be a pleasure to work with you, once I'm through this mess.” He says as he points to the paperwork stacked up on his desk. “Now, shoo. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to an old man talk.” 

Mikumo takes that chance and leaves the room with one last goodbye, because he, in fact, has something he really wants to do today. 

He only finishes one last document for today before he rushes out of the building, making his way through the tunnels under the forbidden zone and into town, till he eventually ends up in front of a familiar house. 

With a small smile, he rings the bell. “Chika, it's me. I'm sorry for being a bit late.” 

“Osamu! Don't worry about it. I know things can get busy at times.” She says as she opens the door for him, ushering him inside. 

They, of course, see each other at school every day and usually eat lunch together, but hanging out like this is just different compared to that. 

“So, how was work?” 

Mikumo knows she was trying to hide it, but when he first started working for Border, she wasn't exactly happy about it. She knows very well that it was in an attempt to protect her. She knows him far too well for him to be able to hide something like that. 

The fact that he didn't end up in a combat unit helped calm her nerves a bit, but not fully. 

“It's still interesting. I should finally be able to finish my first Asteroid trigger soon.”

She nods along with him, happy for him even if she doesn't really know what he is talking about. 

After Chika saw how much Osamu was working himself into the ground during his first weeks in Border, she insisted that they have a day at least once a week where they just relax together. 

Mikumo has since gotten himself under control a bit, but the meetups have stuck. 

“So, how did you do on your last tests in school? Anything I can try to help you with?” He asks, getting a laugh from Chika. 

“I should be asking you that, you know? Your mom complained to me about your last test in literature.” 

Mikumo rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. Yeah, that wasn't the best of his work, but it's not something he really uses in Border, unlike math and physics, so he is honestly a bit out of practice. 

And with all his work in Border, school simply isn't a priority like it used to be. And he doesn't regret that decision, even if some of his teachers are visibly worried about his dropping grades. 

‘Maybe they would calm down a bit if I told them that I started to work for Border?’ But he would mostly do that so they aren't as bothersome, and he isn't sure that's worth the attention being part of Border might bring. ‘Though it might not be as bad since I'm not a fighter.’

“I still get passing grades, so it's okay. Kinuta-san already assured me that I will be taken over by Border no matter if I even finish school.” Which is a bonus Mikumo didn't consider when he started working there. 

He turns towards the hallway that leads to the kitchen. “We wanted to try out that new recipe today, right? Let's start with it now so we don't have to hurry.” He says, because he honestly doesn't really want to talk about school right now. 

Being a good student was kind of like one of his identifying traits for a while, and now that has quickly fallen to the wayside. 

But he doesn't regret it for a bit, even if he mentally still has to get used to that. He feels more useful and just in the right place than ever before. 

‘But it would still be good if I could make a combat team for the development department.’

A thought comes to his head, and he turns to Chika with a questioning look. “Do you happen to know anybody who is interested in joining Border?” he asks her. “Even someone who has already failed the entrance test.”

She seems to think for a moment, but then shakes her head. “There’s a  boy in my class who is constantly talking about joining Border, but if someone tells him to just try to join, he says he is too nervous to.”

Osamu has such a classmate too, but even if that boy was interested in joining Border, Mikumo doesn't think he would fit in the development department. Too much studying and sitting still. 

He lets out a sigh. “I guess I just have to ask around a bit.” 

“Why do you want to hire people in the first place? Aren't there more than enough applications?” Chika asks curiously as she takes out the ingredients from the shelf, placing them on the kitchen counter. 

“There are enough applications for the combat side, but nearly no one is interested in development. I don't think many know they can even apply to it, honestly.”

He dumps the ingredients into the bowl and starts mixing them together. “I guess I will just have to ask around. Maybe someone at school has an idea.” 

‘Maybe I should ask Kinuta for some support on the matter. He would probably appreciate some additional help.’

Time passes fast as always when Mikumo meets up with Chika, and before he realizes, the sun begins to dip below the horizon. 

“Promise to not overdo it again.” Chika reminds him when they say their goodbyes. Osamu agrees like he does every time even if he isn't sure he can keep the promise. 

_____________

“Ready for the tests?” Izumi asks happily as he spots Mikumo hurrying out of the base with his laptop under his arm, the boy already in a Trion body he borrowed from the department, this time with a more official permission. 

The body is just a standard B Rank one that doesn't have its uniform or Triggers fully set, but it will do the job more than enough. 

To test out the new composite bullets Izumi created, they have been sent out for an actual test run against actual neighbors. Despite his non-combat position Mikumo has been permitted to take part in the patrol with Tachikawa squad to observe them first hand again. 

His small additional programs to Izumi’s trigger to speed up the bullet fusing process a bit will be tested too, even if that particular area has not progressed to a high degree yet. At least in Mikumo’s opinion. Izumi seems to be very happy with them.

“Yes, I have everything ready.” Mikumo says with a smile. He has been enjoying the time he spent experimenting around with Izumi a lot. 

With a small click, Mikumo feels himself get added to Tachikawa squad’s come link, Kunichika's familiar voice echoing in his head. “I will tell you guys when I find anything.” 

Mikumo met her when he was delivering Izumi's newly repaired Trigger, and he found that they got along very well. She is a very welcome point of calm in the chaos that the other members usually bring.

“Well, let's hope we actually encounter something,” Tachikawa says, giving the younger boys a small grin. 

A worry that turns out to be justified, as even after hours, they have not encountered a single Trion soldier. 

Still, the time is well spent, as Mikumo and Izumi continue to exchange all kinds of ideas. 

“From a theoretical point, it should be possible to combine more than two bullets, even if balancing all energies out would become exponentially harder to do. “

“Yeah, but one person can only have two active bullets with how Border’s current triggers are constructed, so two people would have to do it together.”

Mikumo lets out a small hum. “And for two people to keep their Trion wavelengths so stable and similar…”

Izumi releases a sigh. “Yeah, that sounds close to impossible, even outside a combat situation. But just imagine the power a triple Meteor could hold!”

The engineer nods in agreement. “The power that could potentially hold might make it worth looking into that direction, even with how difficult it is. But if you would mess up during the bullet compositing and it explodes directly beside you, you would instantly be out.”

Izumi lets his shoulder drop a bit. “Still, I would love to try it out. Do you think you can do anything, Mikumo? Any ideas?” He asks, dramatically letting himself drop against the brunette's shoulder. 

“Well, it would probably be better if we could avoid another person for a triple composite, so we should use something like one of the Trion turrets we usually use for traps. But that would make it very obvious, predictable, and wouldn't allow for much customization or adaptability. “

Kunichika links herself in over the coms. “I think that would still be worth it, even if it's predictable. A large explosion would be useful in everything, starting with breaking a strong defense to altering the terrain. It might not reach its full potential in Rank Wars, but in case of another invasion, it could be invaluable.”

Mikumo nods in agreement. “I will look into it a bit more. I'm sure I can get some of the turret construction plans from Kinua.” 

Izumi’s face shifts in discomfort. “I still do not understand how you get along with that man so well. He glared at me just for breathing! “

“He is a really kind man if you get to know him! He just worries a lot and isn't the best at showing it.” Mikumo says. “And I'm pretty sure he glares at you for blowing up the wall in the training room two weeks ago.” 

“That was one time!” Izumi insists, even if it absolutely wasn't. Especially not since he started experimenting with composite bullets. They pack quite a punch. 

Mikumo hears a small beeping sound in his ear, but over his com and not his physical one. 

“I am picking up a gate in the area. Sending you the location.” Kunichika says in a relaxed voice that Mikumo isn't even close to being, his heart (metaphorically speaking, because Trion bodies don't have those) hammering in his chest. 

In his field of vision, he sees a small map of the area pop up, and the group doesn't waste a second to hurry to its location, Osamu lagging behind the other two a bit. 

“It seems this is a bigger attack, so don't waste too much time,” Kunichika instructs. 

But even from this distance, Mikumo can see the Trion soldier clearly, a Marmod, but… “Are its claws supposed to look like that? “

“Hm, you are right. The claws look a bit different. A slight modification?” Tachikawa asks aloud towards the rest of the group. 

Kunichika takes a moment to answer, probably scanning the Trion soldier. “Yeah, just the claws, but definitely modified. That body part is completely different in structure, even if they are made to look similar. Good catch, Mikumo.”

“Can you tell us what they do?” Izumi asks as he watches several of the creatures spill out of the portal, his eager and battle-ready grin never leaving his face. 

“Sorry, we don't have anything comparable in our system. Just be careful for now. Oh, but not too careful. They are already moving towards the city, so hurry up a bit. I already informed the other squads.” 

“Okay. Let's get to work.” Tachikawa says with a grin, dashing ahead with his head turned towards Izumi and Mikumo. “I will slow them down from the front so they don't reach the civilians. You two focus on thinning them out.” 

“Roger that.” The blonde responds, Mikumo only getting out a nervous nod. This is not how he expected this test to go. At least the rest of the group doesn't seem nervous like him. 

Izumi is not waiting a moment longer as he charges up a shower of Asteroids, raining them down on the swarm of Trion soldiers, but the creatures immediately lift their front legs above their heads to protect themselves from the projectiles. 

There is still some damage, but nowhere near what is normal for Izumi. 

“They are using the claws more like shields,” Mikumo announced over the coms. “And they seem to be sturdier than the normal claws.”

He looks at the damage from a distance, seeing a small movement on the surface of shiny material the soldier is made from. “One of the claws just shifted to smooth out the damage done by Izumi's attack, so be careful in case they can change their form even more.”

“Roger that.” Tachikawa hums. “I'll be careful. Kunichika, tell the other squads too.”

“Already on it. The closest patrols should arrive very soon.”

Beside Mikumo, Izumi frowns a bit at the little damage his attack did, before a grin appears on his face. “Well, we did come here to test this out, right?” He says as he creates two Asteroids in his hands, forcing the two Trion cubes into each other.

The process is over in just seconds, Izumi getting faster every day, before the powerful Gimel bullet tears through the air, piercing through the sturdy claws like they weren't even there. 

The first line of Trion soldiers collapses just from that, leaking out energy from every hole, but they are quickly replaced by the second line of the invaders. 

“Everything works as expected,” Mikumo confirms, even if he is sure Izumi can tell. “Looks like you improved in power again since we last ran tests.”

“Heh, I have been training a bit, you know. Now for something different.” He combines Viper and Asteroid into a Cobra, the cube splitting off into a swarm of bullets that rush through the small army in front of them, avoiding each and every claw the Marmods put up to defend themselves. 

The bullets easily pierce the cores of the Trion soldiers as they weave around the shields, and one by one the Trion soldiers fall apart. 

“Man, I wish we had found a stable way to combine two Meteor's together. That would probably help to clear out this crowd fast.” 

Mikumo can't help but nod in agreement. Combining the Meteor bullets works, but during every attempt they detonated right after, taking the blond with it during every try so far. 

And since the power was so great, even Izumi's shield couldn't protect him from the blast. He bailed out so often. 

The Trion soldiers in front of them stall with their attack, before slowly starting to scuttle backwards at full speed. 

“Oh man, they are the ones with retreat protocols implemented. Let's hunt them down before they scatter too much.” Izumi complains, jumping down from the roof to chase after them, rushing through the already destroyed ones. 

But the moment he does Osamu sees a small shift in the pile of destroyed Marmods, hidden from view where Izumi is standing. 

Quickly Osamu’s hands rush to his laptop to activate Izumi's shield, the barrier immediately flickering up to fully surround the blonde boy. 

And not a moment too late, as the left behind claws between the destroyed Trion soldiers explode in a bright burst of energy, shaking the ground and even throwing Osamu who hasn't followed off his feet. 

“Kunichika, did you catch that?” He groans out, standing up to his feet, seeing some cracks have spread through his body from the explosion. He is glad his laptop was constructed from Trion, or it would probably have broken. ‘At least Izumi is safe. His shield is sturdy as always.’ 

“Don't worry, I will transfer the info to every other team.” She ensures him, probably already sending the visual information recorded through his eyes to captain Tachikawa and the rest. 

From the cloud of dust Izumi jumps up to the now ruined building Mikumo was standing on, reaching out a hand and helping his friend to his feet, careful the already damaged Trion body isn't damaged further. 

“Nice save. I can always trust you to have my back.” Izumi says with that playful wink of his, making Mikumo let out a small laugh. 

“Just don't get too used to it. I can't join you in your next rank wars.”

“Truly a shame. It would be great to have you around.”

Mikumo feels genuinely happy to hear the praise, a wide smile on his face, but he still shakes his head. “I doubt it. I would be taken out before I even had the chance to do anything.” 

“Maybe with a full-time Bagworm? That could probably work out. You are just so good at providing a shield whenever I need it.”

“But the shields I make are created through your trigger. If I were using my own Trion, they would barely survive a hit, if that. And this kind of equipment isn't allowed in Rank wars.” He reminds the blonde, pointing to his laptop, that he uses to activate Izumi's shield. 

“Right. It was like that. Still, it's a shame.” He says as he releases another volley of Cobra bullets, arcing through the air and precisely hitting the Trion soldiers that tried to escape. 

Mikumo just follows him as Izumi continues to hunt down the Trion soldiers, testing out the composite bullets whenever he gets the chance. 

There aren't any more complications with the neighbors, and the experiment is deemed a success. Not that Mikumo had any doubts about it. 

After they finish their patrol, Tachikawa squad decides to go celebrate the success of the higher-ups recognizing composite bullets as an official and viable new combat tool. 

Tachikawa squad drags Mikumo along to the celebration before he even could think about declining, and he is pretty sure Izumi would have carried him if necessary. 

Kunichika leads them towards a small bar tucked in the side of the road, nestled between the taller buildings, and the four spent well into the late hours of the night. 

Mikumo easily found himself dragged into the by now familiar chaos that comes with this group, letting out happy laughs at Tachikawa’s bad jokes and Izumi's insane ideas, his shoulders slowly losing the tension that had built up over the last months. 

And things just felt more right and at home than they had in a long, long time.

Chapter Text

There have been some weird rumors going around Border recently. Well, weirder than usual. 

Kitora didn't believe them at first, but with the photo in front of her, that opinion started to change very quickly. 

On one hand she knew that with Karasuma leaving, there would be a high chance his position would be replaced by someone else sooner rather than later, even if the team is still powerful without him. 

Of course there is no way anybody could truly replace someone as amazing as Karasuma, but leaving the space open indefinitely would just be stupid.

She has never seen the brown haired boy in the photo, or at least she doesn't think so considering she only sees the back of his head, but that definitely is the Tachikawa squad uniform he is wearing with Izumi standing beside him. 

It looks like it was taken in one of the public training rooms, and there have been reports that Tachikawa and Izumi were seen with this new kid in the hallways before, though without video proof it's hard to tell. 

The only reason they have this one photo is because the system that was supposed to automatically delete all footage had a bug. 

But why would they keep it a secret? Does Tachikawa plan to keep the new member as a hidden ace till the next Rank War? That doesn't feel like his style. 

And just as mysterious is that Kitora never even heard of this new guy. 

“Maybe he found and shouted a new talent.” Satori theories with her, the two staring at the picture. “Snatch him up for his squad so no one else gets a chance.”

“As if they would have a problem with that, being ranked at first place. And that wouldn't explain either why they are still keeping him hidden.”

Jun sits beside his teammates, wearing an equally curious expression. “I mean, we could just ask them?” He offers, but the suggestion is immediately rejected.

“Come on Jun, where is the fun in that?” Satori tells him, waving his arms around as if that would help get his point across, nearly hitting Tokieda in the head with the motion if it wasn't for the other boy dodging to the side by experience alone. 

“And if we did, we would admit we didn't figure it out ourselves.” Kitora adds. 

Satori lets out a small hum. “How about we ask Inukai? He usually knows something. And if he doesn't, it will bother him so much he will try to figure it out.”

“If we promise to tell him what Toma had done last week that had Kinuta so angry with him he would probably agree to a trade.” Tokieda adds from the side. 

Kitora agrees with a nod. “Then let's not waste any time and meet up with him before anyone else offers him something better.”

Work can wait. This rumor mill needs some more fuel. 

_____________

“Hm, I think you are pretty good at constructing Triggers now, how about you try modifying one? We have a number of commissions open from the different squads, so you can choose whichever you want.” Ilia asks out of nowhere after she sees Osamu work on a trigger. 

Mikumo tilts his head curiously, a bit of uncertainty creeping into his eyes. “Are you sure I'm advanced enough for that? I don't want to mess up an A Rank Trigger.”

“We usually only do this kind of thing for A Ranks, but since you are still learning, how about we send you to one of the B Rank squads? The Triggers there aren't as complex or expensive to create.“

“I thought only the A Ranks get custom made Triggers. Do we even get requests from the B Rank teams?” 

“Oh we get them, don't worry about that. There is always more work to be done around here. We could have double the workers and still have too little time to do everything. At least Kinuta is sympathetic to that, so he doesn't work us to the bones.” 

Mikumo nods in agreement. Usually the boss of R&D is the one who stays the longest, but he never even urges his subordinates to do the same. 

‘And he pays for overtime very well.’ Something that Mikumo realizes on his first paycheck, seeing how much all the extra hours he spent to learn how to construct a Trigger as fast as possible earned him. 

The boy takes a closer look at the possible request they have been getting, eyes getting bigger and bigger the longer he scrolls down in the document. It was indeed a big number of requests. 

The one from Ikoma catches his attention first. 

It's relatively simple, a way to improve his Senku, be it speed, range or attack power. Not much of a specification except ‘Please make it cool and strong.’ 

‘If he has such a range of requests, I should at least be able to improve the Trigger in some way.’ Because it's really not an easy task to improve Triggers, even for the workers with a lot of experience. 

“Good choice.” Ilia comments. “But if you ever get overwhelmed by his squad, you can always take a break. They do have… quite a bit of energy. It's not like this has to be finished in one go anyways. You can always keep them on hold and return to them later. You are still working on the report of the composite bullets, right?”

“No, I finished and submitted them earlier today. It should be somewhere on Kinuta’s piles of documents.“

“Ah, always the eager worker.” She says as he pats Osamu on the head. “Kinuta was really happy to have the report not written by Izumi. Deciphering what he means can be a whole day's job sometimes.” 

Mikumo lets out a small laugh. His senpai really isn't that good at keeping his thoughts organized and understandable for others. And the amount of grammatical mistakes does not make it an easier read either. 

The boy looks at his phone. It isn't too late so the members of Ikoma squad might still be in their room. He might as well visit them right now. 

He quickly sends a mail to officially take on the improvement request before heading up to the room of the B Rank team. While he walks Mikumo looks over the logs of the team again. 

Osamu has a good overall understanding of all of the squads Border has since he has been studying the logs whenever he had the time, or just let them run in the background, but it never is a bad idea to freshen it up. 

It doesn't take that long to reach his destination, but even before he knocks on the door he already can hear that someone is inside, more than one person in fact, the commotion audible even through the thick metal door. 

He raises his hand to knock when the door flies open and he feels a red blurr collide with his body, throwing him and itself against the opposing wall of the hallway. 

“Aaaah! I killed someone!” Mikumo hears a panicked voice call out. And before he can even decide up from down he feels someone grab him by his shoulders and shake him like a leaf in a storm. 

“Don't go towards the light! Help will be here soon!”

The vague blur of a hand chops down on what he assumes to be his attacker’s head, but it's kind of hard to be sure without his glasses and still dizzy from the fall. 

“Leave him alone Kai. You are only making it worse.” A tired sounding voice says, holding something out to Mikumo that he recognizes as his glasses. (He could recognize them no matter how blurry they are, considering how often he had to search for them in said blurry state.)

“Thank you.” He manages to get out, giving a small nod towards who he now recognizes as Mizukami. 

Kai beside him still seems to be panicked, though Oki and Maori who are peeking out of the room look mostly just curious. 

Oh, and there is Ikoma who is straight up kneeling on the floor in apology. 

Maybe Osamu should have taken the warning about how extra this squad is a little bit more seriously. 

“Just ignore them.” Mizukami says, reaching out with her hand to help him up from the ground. “You should probably go before things get out of hand. That would be easiest.”

“No, I actually came here to see you because of Ikoma-kun's request to make some improvements to his Senku.” Osamu explains, seeing how immediately Ikoma's eyes light up with stars. 

The captain grabs both of Mikumo's hands, and immediately drags him into the room. “What are we waiting for? Let's get started right away!” 

Mikumo lets himself get pulled along and towards the table as Mizukami steps up beside him. “Not that I'm complaining, but it's really unusual for R&D to answer the requests of B Rank teams. Can I ask why?” 

“I'm just starting out, so I'm starting smaller. And Ikoma's request was broad enough that there aren't as many restrictions.” He explains, getting a nod from the orange haired teen. 

Before Osamu can even say otherwise he is already getting sat down on the table in the center of the room, a handful of sweets layed out in front of him. 

Mikumo was planning to just have this as a general first meeting and overview of the others ideas, but with how happy Ikoma looks right now, he can't really say that anymore. 

“So, how about you let me link up to your Trigger and show me how you usually use it, and tell me where you would most like the changes to be made. Even small things are important, so don't hold back.” Osamu says, holding out his laptop connector towards Ikoma. 

Osamu has already built a Senku before, so he knows how they work pretty well, but every user is different and the logs usually aren't enough to pin down all the details. 

“But I can say right from the start, if the request is to just increase the firepower, then we most likely won't be able to avoid implementing a higher Trion requirement.” He warns them. 

Thankfully Ikoma doesn't seem bothered by that, eagerly tapping his Trigger against the device so Osamu can scan it properly. “The power is plenty enough I think, but the range could be bigger, you know? It feels like people are always just out of range, and it's really annoying.” He says with a small huff of air, crossing his arms. 

“That's because people know exactly  how large your range is, Iko-san. It doesn't just feel like that.” Mikzukami says, and the team leaders face shifts as if a light bulb just turned on in his head. 

Osamu acknowledges the request with a small nod, standing up. 

“Maori-san, would you please open up a trading room for us so that I can get some scans for Ikoma's Senku?” 

“Sure. Give me some seconds. I will get the big one ready.” The operator says, and true to her word it only takes her some seconds to prepare it alongside a handful of training dummies. 

Osamu activates his Trion body as soon as he steps inside. It's not that he doesn't trust Ikoma's capacity, but better safe than sorry. (Or it might just be because he is used to Izumi's tendency to throw around high power Meteors.) 

Ikoma slashes one wave of dummies after another, taking a different pose after every strike and turning to Osamu as if looking for any signs of approval. 

When the younger boy gives them in the form of a thumbs up and smiles it only seems to spur Ikoma on even further, his next Senku just a little bit faster and with a wider arc than before. 

“Very good. These measurements should be enough for now.” Mikumo tells him, the captain looking proud as he sheaths his sword.

When they exist the rest of the squad is already waiting for them, Kai sitting between Oki and Mizukami in what is maybe an attempt at stopping him from running around. 

“Iko-san! How did it go?” The blonde boy asks enthusiastically like everything else he does. 

“I showed him my best side.” The team leader answers with a thumbs up, Mikumo nodding in agreement. 

“Ikoma-kun's Senku is very stable on top of all its other attributes, so I have an idea that could work to extend its range. Though if it will actually work I cannot promise yet. You never know where there will be problems with Trigger technology until they happen.” He says slightly awkwardly. 

“We could add a function to his Senfu that would apply a Trion pull on the sides of the blade arch it creates, pulling it into more of an ellipse shape. By doing so we should gain a good amount of distance, but at the cost of the width of the attack. At the maximum distance it would be closer to a bullet than anything else, only like two meters wide at best.”

He looks over the diagram for a moment. “Though if you used this extended variation in close combat, it might actually increase the damage, since the Senfu would be more concentrated. I didn't even think about that until now.” 

Mizukami nods in agreement, though with the other team members the information seems to go in through one ear and just exit through the other immediately, or in Oki's case the sniper just states right through Osamu's head, thoughts somewhere that is definitely not here. 

“It does seem logical.” The orange haired teen agrees. “How much higher would the Trion consumption be, according to your estimation?”

Mikumo looks over the diagram for a moment, deep in thought. “It will probably need an exponential amount of energy depending on how far the Senfu is curved. At maximum it might need an equivalent of firing around thirty standard Asteroids, but for something like a five meter range increase it would need less than a single bullet.”

The ginger teen seems very satisfied with the answer, giving the boy a small nod before turning to his team leader. “That means you don't have to worry about running out of Trion, Iko.” 

“Then it's very good! Thank you, Mikumo-kun!” 

“Don't thank me before we know if it works. I should still have a spare Senfu down in the lab, so I don't have to borrow yours for modifications. I will try to have a prototype ready in about three days, but it could take longer.” 

Oki gives him a kind nod. “Thanks for the hard work. You can always call us if you need anything.”

Kai nods along enthusiastically. “Yeah! One of us is usually here!“

“Thank you. I will see you later then.” The engineer says as he closes the door behind him to the friendly goodbyes of Ikoma squad. 

Theoretically Mikumo already has finished his work time for today, but with another look down on the newly collected data he knows he wouldn't be able to get these ideas out of his head even if he went home now, so he quickly hurries down to the labs again, feeling excitement buzzing in his stomach. 

Time to try out some things. 

He just hopes he doesn't bomb the literature test tomorrow too badly. 

_______________

Jin already knew that a less likely timeline had taken place when he was waiting in the forbidden zone after his probably-kohai's attempt to join Border failed, trying to protect him when he inevitably ran into a trion soldier, only for Mikumo to never show up. 

He waited till sunrise to make sure it wasn't a future where the boy just took a bit longer to decide to break into the forbidden zone, till he left his post when he knew Mikumo would be in school. 

Thankfully finding out what happened wasn't too hard. Sawamura might constantly complain, but Jin knows she always has his back when he requests some weird information without warning, and never demands an answer in return. 

He is pretty sure she doesn't even tell the superiors about it either. 

Jin let's out a small laugh as he sees the futures in front of him shift again as he walks through Border's long and twisting hallways, getting a clearer picture of what is to come with every person he passes as the snippets of different futures and perspectives come together to form a picture of the larger whole. 

It surprises him every time how many futures lean on Osamu, the roots of his decisions reaching out far and wide, nowhere completely unaffected by his actions.

Of course it would be easier to just go Osamu himself and see it all played out in front of him, but Jin hasn't done that beyond making sure that Mikumo is on a good timeline. 

It is rare for him to let himself be surprised after all, and with the dangers of the future still far enough away, he can't help but indulge a bit. Just wait and see which of the countless branches of time Mikumo will decide to take, spanning so much wider than anybody else Jin has ever seen. 

He lets out a happy hum as he bites into another Bonchi rice cracker. 

He feels like he is going to have a lot of fun in the near future. 

____________

Mikumo awkwardly looks around his classroom, eyes darting over the different small groups in all of the corners. 

He isn't exactly close to any of the friend groups, but he really doesn't have a better idea how to find out if anybody is interested in joining the development department. 

(He is also going to have to reveal that he has been working for Border, but he has the feeling he would have to do that sooner rather than later anyway, considering the looks his concerned teachers have been giving him.) 

And he has to start somehow if he wants to get more members for Border's development department. 

“Hey, are any of you interested in joining Border?” He asks, and instantly the heads of the boys snap towards him. 

‘Maybe that wasn't the best way to start.’ 

“Well of course! It would be soooo cool to use a Trigger! Like ‘Trigger on’!” His classmate calls out as he strikes a pose, his friends letting out some small laughs. 

One of the boys still sitting bumps the one still striking a pose in the rips with his elbow. “You say this every time but you never try to join the applications when they roll around.” He teases before turning to Mikumo. “I don't think you will get anything useful out of him if you want to join Border.” 

“Actually, I'm already part of Border.” Mikumo says, before beating himself for not planning this conversation through, as his classmate literally jumps at him, beginning to shake Osamu by his shoulders. 

“You are in Border?! How? Since when?” 

“Only in the R&D department!” Osamu quickly calls out to the boy as he separates himself from his classmate’s grab. “I don't have enough Trion to be chosen over the other applicants for the combat troops right now.” He explains. 

His classmate (Miyoshi if Osamu remembers right) gives him a sympathetic look. “Yeah, I heard that some people aren't taken because of that.” He says before he remembers the other thing Osamu said. 

“Wait, you said R&D? Does that mean you built Triggers?!” 

“Yeah. I know how to build everything except for the bailout system and Switchbox. Those are still a bit too complicated for me.” The last time he did his face ended up like Taru's usually does. 

“Did you get to try them out too?” Another classmate asks excitedly, their conversation slowly attracting more and more attention from the rest of his classmates. 

“Yeah, I get to test out basically all of them, since there aren't many people in the department that can use Trion. And I have more than enough for stuff like that. Vipers are really fun to use.” He really understands why Nasu and Izumi like using them. 

The other boy’s eyes are opened wide in amazement, looking as if they are seeing Osamu in a completely different light. ‘This is probably as excited as I'm going to get them for joining R&D. It's now or never.’ 

“The R&D is actually searching for members right now. Usually people only want to join the main combat force, so their recruitment gets a bit lost among the masses. Are you interested?” He asks, and instantly he sees how the excitement turns to embarrassed hesitation. 

“W-Well, it does sound interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm good enough for it.“ One of his classmates says hesitantly. “How much did you even have to learn to be able to build Triggers?”

Osamu cringes a bit, but he isn't exactly able to hide that part of his job. “About as much as one section in our school library.”

And Osamu sees the exact moment he loses his classmates. “Oh, that's a lot. I don't think I can do that besides school, and my mother would kill me if my grades drop any lower.”

He internally lets out a sigh, but he can't say he is surprised. That's the response he expected after all. 

But from the looks his classmates are sending him, they will not forget him being part of Border any time soon, even if they aren't as excited about it as if he was a combat member. 

‘I hope it at least helps keep the idiot trio away.’ 

______________

Mikumo watches Ikoma switch into a Trion body, this time not wearing his uniform since he is just going to try out the modifications Mikumo made to the Senku. 

For now the different modes of range extensions can only be set through Osamu's pc, but if it works in this test, it should work as the real thing. 

And oh does it work. 

The range of Ikoma's Senku was long to begin with, but with the new mode it can increase to double that reach. And it's still stable despite the added Trion, though that mostly comes from Ikoma's mastery over the Trigger, not Osamu’s effort. 

“Great work.” Osamu praises the captain. “Since it works so well I can implement it into your Senku as is. It won't take long at all.” 

Ikoma gives the engineer a pleading look. “Do you think you can manage to get it ready for the Rank war that starts the day after tomorrow?” 

“Oh, right, it's already that time.” The brunette completely forgot about that. It will be the first time Mikumo gets to follow one, so he is actually quite excited. But to actually produce the planned trigger in such a short time…

He sends another look at Ikoma, the man giving him the biggest puppy eyes Mikumo has ever seen. ‘I guess I will not get any sleep today or tomorrow. At least it's vacation right now.’ It should be okay to strain himself for a bit. 

“I will do my absolute best to get it ready in time. I promise. I should be able to finish it in time, but I don't think there will be enough for you to practice with it. The control piece should be easy to use even if you don't have much training with it though. You will just have to think about how much Trion you want to put into the range modification. “

“If possible please make it a manual control.” Mizukami says from the side, having watched the test of the prototype with that usual mix of passiveness and interest of his. “Iko-san isn't that good at doing multiple things at once. “

Osamu agrees with a nod. “I can make it a slider on the side of the sword. Though if that also needs too much concentration, I can build in some buttons with pre-made settings.”

“No, pre-made settings feel boring.” Ikoma says decisively, crossing his arms and nodding sagely. “It's not cool if I can't control the distance myself.”

Mikumo lets out a small laugh. “Then slider it is. I'm also going to make it so it resets to its standard after each Senku so you don't have to remember to do it after every special attack.” 

Mizukami sends him a thankful look as Iko just bounces in place in excitement like he has done after trying out the modified trigger. 

“Well then, that's it for today. If I want to finish it in time I have to go now.” 

“Sorry for throwing this on you.” Mizukami apologizes, looking a bit guilty, even if he doesn't have to in Mikumo's opinion. It's not like they are forcing him.

“Don't worry about it. Besides, it's going to make Iko-san very happy.” Seeing firsthand how someone is so amazed by his work is not something Osamu knew he wanted, but it makes him feel more motivated every time he sees it. “I will see you two before the match then.” 

“I promise I will get you the best seat in the viewing room!” Ikoma calls out as the door to the squad room closes behind Mikumo. 

He stretches his arms above his head, his limbs letting out a satisfying crack as he resigns himself to another long night of work. 

But somehow, he doesn't find himself especially bothered by that. 

Chapter Text

Osamu lets himself drop down on the chair in the Rank war viewing room with an exhausted sigh, his eyes feeling like they will drop shut any moment. 

A Trion body and copious amounts of sugared coffee can bring you far, but the mental crash after that is some kind of torture of its own. 

(At least he did not have to resort to coffee brewed with redbull instead of water yet, like he saw Taru do once.) 

He will probably sleep for the entire next day, and not even an earthquake would be able to wake him. 

Thankfully Ikoma actually got him a good seat, just like promised, right behind the commentators row. 

Today it seems that Jun and Kitazoe are acting as commentators, together with Kunichika who gives the exhausted boy a smile as soon as she sees him. 

“Hard day, Mikumo?” She asks, giving the boy a comforting look. “You look like you haven so much as blinked the last day.”

“It's okay. I had it worse. The important thing is that I managed to finish the work in time for this match.”

“Oh? Are we in for a surprise?” She asks curiously, Jun and Kitazoe also turn towards him, and Osamu can't help the smile that appears on his face. 

“You will see.” 

“Ah, always so secretive with your little projects.” She muses, just to tease the tired boy a bit. 

“What? No I'm not. I'm not, right?” But he doesn’t get an answer as Kunichika turns on her microphone and addresses the audience. 

“It's good to see everyone here for the start of this season's rank wars. Today I'm here with Jun-kun and Zoe-san. Though Jun will probably have to do most of the analysis for us two idiots.“

“Hey! My grades are average!” Zoe insists, but is ignored by the operator. 

Arashiyama just lets out a good-natured laugh that always makes the air around him feel warmer. “It's good to be here.” 

Osamu listens to the three commentators as the teams get teleported into the battlefield. Beside Ikoma's squad there are Oki's and Kakizaki squad this time, and the map that Kakizaki squad as the lowest ranked among them chose is the Industrial Area, a factory-like battlefield with tall and complicated buildings. 

‘Oki is not going to like this.’ Osamu muses, but at least the sniper was spawned in a good position. 

The best starting positions were taken by Teruya, something that Zoe quickly confirms, Kakizaki squad’s members able to gather up like they usually do close to immediately, taking to the offensive quicker than usual, targeting Kashio who was teleported very far from the rest of his group. 

“It looks like Oji has decided that meeting up with Kashio is a lost cause, and is heading towards Kurauchi instead. Especially with Ikoma getting close too.“ It might be a bit of a harsh decision, but an understandable one. Getting Kashio out of that situation would likely cause more losses than wins, and that is if they reach him in time at all.

But Ikoma is undisturbed by the prospect of being outnumbered by Kakizaki squad, or he simply did not think about that, jumping into the street as the orange clad trio corners Kashio with their standard battle formation.

Osamu watches as Iko-san steps into the line of sight of his opponents opposite of Kashio compared to Kakizaki squad, taking on a familiar stance as his finger flicks over the hilt of the sword. 

“And it seems that Iko has decided to surround Kashio too, trying to earn the points before his opponent can.” Kunichika says.

But Osamu knows better, seeing the way the range extender is set up on the hilt of his sword. But Kashio and the members of Kakizaki squad don't, and when the Trion blade starts flying, ripping through the walls of the street, it's already too late. 

Osamu can see the shock in Kakizaki's eyes as he is cut in half together with buildings surrounding him even if he should have been far out of Ikoma's range, sparks of Trion flying around him, not even having a moment to reason what happened before thick cracks start spreading through his body.

“Huge amounts of Trion loss detected. Bail Out.” Four robotic voices announce in unison to the shock of all the onlookers, the entirety of Kakizaki squad taken out along with Kashio.

“What was that?!” Zoe shouts in shock. “Since when was Iko-san’s Senku this large?!”

Kunichika turns to Osamu with a sly smile. “Was that what you were working on? It has to be, right?”

He gives her a proud smile. “A good first impression, right?” He asks even if he already knows the answer, hearing the exclamations of shock from all over the audience. 

“How far can he reach now?” Kitazoe asks. “That was easily twenty meters more than his usual Senku.” But as much as Mikumo wants to talk about it, he just gives the two combat agents another smile. 

“I won't say anything. The other teams will have to find that out on their own.” Mikumo says, making Jun let out a loud laugh. 

“I guess the other teams will have to do quite a lot of planning in the next few days.” 

Zoe nods in agreement. “Ikoma was already hard to deal with, but until the other teams figure out his exact range it will be even more difficult. They will likely have to take some risks to figure it out too.” 

“And Oji seems to have realized that already.” Jun says as he sees the movement on the map. “It seems he has decided to try to take out the separated members of Ikoma squad while he can, even if it's more risky than his usual strategies to rush like this.” 

The one they are targeting seems to be Kai, cutting off his path to the rest of his squad and taking him on two on one. 

Kai might be a good fighter, but it's not a matchup with good chances for him. Oji knows how to lead someone into traps and create openings, and with Kurauchi’s help it doesn't take long till the blonde boy is taken out by a hidden Hound to the back of his neck. 

“And that's one point for Oji squad, making sure they are at least above Kakizaki squad, but victory will be very hard from this point.”

Jun nods in agreement. “I don't think he is aiming for that anymore. He just wants to get as many points as he can before they are forced to retreat. It looks like their next target is Oki.”

The sniper might be hidden, but Kai's movement has given away the approximate direction of him. And Kittaka has always been good at tracking down the estimated locations of hidden enemies to allow Oji's tactics to work as well as they do. 

Perched upon the building as he is, Oki sees the two remaining enemies advance towards him, and the sniper sends two bullets flying toward the pair, but they are both easily stopped by them stepping behind buildings or concentrating their shields into one. 

A small frown appears on the sniper's face and he dematerializes his rifle, jumping down from the room towards the streets below. 

“And Oki seems to have decided to retreat towards his team, giving up his secure position on top of the building.”

“I think it's a good decision.” Jun says. “With Oji and Kurauchi it isn't exactly safe. The two are good at scaling and shooting from a distance, so it wouldn't have bothered them anyway.”

But catching up to Oki isn't easy. With his grasshopper he can move fast, and Iko isn't that far away now, Mizukami slowly getting closer too despite his unfavorable starting position.

But the members of Oji squad won't let the sniper get away that easily. Both of them release a volley of Hound bullets, speed and range prioritized over power but still packing a large amount of trion. Why would they conserve it if they don't plan this fight to last much longer?

The bullets rush through the air, forcing Oji to jump left and right to avoid them, losing a considerable amount of speed in the process. Even when Oki throws up a shield for cover, some bullets slip through his defense, one still managing to tear at his shoulder, leaving the Trion leaking out.

Kurauchi is preparing another bullet when suddenly an asteroid flies through the air, and in his distracted state the shooter doesn't manage to dodge, hitting his shoulder. The only reason it doesn't take him out immediately is the low accuracy of the shot, Mizukami barely in range to fire it from where he is running towards them over the roofs.

And not far behind him is Ikoma, making Oji’s expression turn more serious as he sends a nod towards Kurauchi. The shooter stretches out his arms and makes as much trion spill out as he can, creating a large cloud of bullets and sending them towards his opponents without a care about sustainability or protecting himself.

Mizukimi responds with bullets of his own, and even if his are greatly outnumbered, they collide with the swarm sent towards him, allowing Oki to stop his escape and send shorts towards Oji. 

In a last ditch effort the captain rushes forward, dropping his shield in favor of a grasshopper even as he takes a bullet right through the chest. 

His body starts breaking apart, but he still manages to release the volley of Hounds he has saved up, extending his scorpion as far as he can. 

Oki throws up a shield to block the bullets, but it's too spread out to also stop the Scorpion, breaking through and perfectly piercing his Trion supply system. 

“And that's a double dropout from Oki and Oji. Oh, and with his captain's defeat Kurauchi bails out willingly too.”

“A good decision.” Jun judges. “The chance of him getting a kill from that position was very low, so he at least avoided giving another point to his opponents.”

Zoe nods in agreement. “Still, it's an overwhelming victory for Ikoma squad regardless. With the survival bonus they have earned seven points, five more than the second place.”

Jun turns backwards towards Mikumo, giving him a blinding smile. “Your work on Iko-san's trigger really pushed this match in their favor.”

The engineer can't help but blush a bit at the praise. “It's only because Iko-san's Senku is so stable. It made it really easy to work with. He did most of the work. And they were able to surprise their opponents with it.” 

Kunichika pokes him in his side. “Just take the praise for once.” She says before addressing the crowd again. “That's it for today's match! The changes and next match up will be displayed on the screen. I hope everyone learned something from this, and till the next match!” She says, and the trainee begins to scatter. 

Once the crowd has gotten a bit more thinned out Mikumo stands up from his seat too, but before he can walk out of the door Kunichika catches up with him.

“You better not think about going back to work. You really need some sleep right now.”

“Don't worry, I was planning to. I will go home right away.” He says, but she shakes her head. 

“You can just stay here. I doubt you will be able to reach home in your current state. We have a bed in our squadroom, just use that one. And I won't take no for an answer.”

He gives her a tired but grateful smile. To be honest, he wasn't so sure himself if he would make it back. “Thank you Kunichika, I will be taking you up on the offer then.”

He doesn't even really notice how they get all the way up to Tachikawa squad's room, but as soon as he sees the soft bed his eyes start to fall shut against his will, and he lets himself drop into the soft embrace of sleep. 

"Goodnight, Kunichika." He says, the words muffled by the soft sheets that just seem to drag him in. 

The last thing he hears is the operator's amused and warm laughter. 

___________

“On our victory!” The members of Ikoma squad cheer as they raise their glasses together from where they are seated around the table in their squad room, Osamu raising his along theirs even though he personally doesn't think he really did anything. 

But the members of Ikoma squad strongly disagreed with that when Osamu brought it up, insisting he is part of this. 

Thankfully the glasses are filled with orange juice instead of alcohol. A good thing, because Osamu is terrified of even thinking about a drunken Ikoma and Kai in one place. 

They have pulled Osamu into their victory celebration, even waiting a day for him to recover from him working through the night to finish Ikoma's Trigger. 

“Man, the faces of Kakizaki squad were amazing! I don't think they will ever forget that attack!” Kai celebrates.

“I looked really cool out there, right?” Ikoma asks, getting immediate nods from his team. 

“Yeah! Super cool!” Kai cheers. “I rewatched the logs for like an hour!” 

“Liar.” Oki says with a lazy smile as he takes another sip from his cup as Osamu just rolls his eyes at their by now familiar antics. 

“But I dropped out so fast.” Kai says as he lies down on the table. “Osamu! Power up my trigger too!” 

Osamu pats the boy’s head. “I think you did great. You just had a bad matchup. Besides, what would you even want me to change about your trigger? Like I said, everything that simply increases will cost more trion too. But if you have any specific ideas, I could probably do something with that.”

The blonde boy makes a thoughtful face, before letting out a deep sigh. “Yeah, I have no idea what I would even change.” He admits after a moment. 

“And you shouldn't try to force more work on Osa-kun anyway. He just finished his other work for us.” Oki says.

“Oh no, that's not a problem. I'm pretty good at reaching my quota. If any of you have an idea, you can always ask me, and I will see if I can help.”

Across the table Kai gives him a big smile. “Thank you Osamu! You are the best! I will tell you as soon as I have an idea!” 

Mizukami leans over towards the brown haired boy. “Don't worry, I'll make sure it's nothing too out there.” He assures the engineer. “By the way, do you already have something new to do after Iko-san's Trigger?” 

“Nothing yet. I'm mostly trying to work ahead in case the away mission returns early.”

“Ah, right. They were doing one right now. Sounds like a lot of work for R&D once they come back.”

“It seems things always get really busy after they come back, and everyone is excited to see what they manage to retrieve this time.” He sends a smile to Kai. “Maybe we will manage to construct an interesting Trigger for you with the new things we find.” 

The blonde boy is swaying happily in place. “Now you are making me excited too! I hope Kazama-senpai gets something cool!” 

“But even if they find and build something, it will probably go to the A Rank's first.” Mizukami says.

But Kai doesn't seem to be discouraged by that, turning towards Ikoma with a smile. “Then we just have to get to A Rank. With your new Senku you can do that, right?” 

“No no no. For that we would have to get past Kage and Ninomiya.” Mizukami says before their team leader can even say anything. “And being A Rank is a lot of work. The Rank wars are also a lot more tense. You especially won't like that Kai.”

But that doesn't seem to discourage them, Kai listing off things he wants to do when he reaches A rank, Mizukami and Maori desperately trying to get the idea out of the heads of the rest of the team as Oki watches them struggle with a small amused smile.

Osamu just watches the chaos unfurl in front of him, sending a sympathetic look towards the exhausted looking Maori, sliding over another piece of the cake. 

She pierces her spoon into it like it has personally offended her, but Osamu knows she isn't actually angry. As much as she complains about constant chaos, she can't live without it. (And secretly she really likes the feeling of being the most sensible person in the room.)

Osamu doesn't pay attention to how long they celebrate, just talking among each other about nothing in particular, but the time just rushes past him and before he notices it's in the middle of the night, and the groups have to say their goodbyes to each other. 

“We will visit you down in R&D sometime! And come visit us up here whenever you want!” Ikoma says, getting nods from the rest of the team. 

“Just don't be too loud or Kinuta will test the updated turrets on you.” Osamu warns, looking at Kai especially who can't help but look a bit nervous. “But I promise to visit too.”

And it is a promise Osamu is planning to keep. 

____________

Osamu sits in Tachikawa squad's room like he has taken to doing as he half heartedly plays around with some of the Trion simulations on his laptop, having decided to take this day slow for once. 

(Or rather, Kunichika decided for him under the threat of violence and tickle torture. It was a risk Osamu wasn't willing to take.)

Today was one of the slower days at Border, a rare commodity with how chaotic things usually are, and Osamu has been using the opportunity to catch up on some new chapters of the manga he didn't have time to read over the last weeks. 

That is until Izumi walks into the room, throwing open the door with a tired expression, Tachikawa walking behind him looking mostly relaxed, but after spending this much time with them, Osamu can see the slight tension the older is hiding. 

“Welcome back.” Osamu says as he offers them a smile and holds out a can of soda to them that they don't hesitate to take. “How did the meeting go?”

“Awful like always.” Izumi says as he drops down to the table. “Why are these old men all so tense? It's not like constantly glaring at everything is going to make things better. And Miwa isn't any better. I still don't understand why Yoneya likes him so much.”

To tell the truth, Osamu doesn't either. He has met Yoneya a handful of times through Izumi, and he doesn't feel like the spear user is someone to enjoy spending time with someone as harsh and confrontational as Miwa. 

Tachikawa lets out a small sigh. “They were like that as long as I know them. I think they believe it makes them more serious, and I sadly don't think they are going to stop.” 

“Don't take away my hope like that!” Izumi says dramatically as he lets his head drop on the table, Osamu offering some comfort to the boy by patting his head. 

“And that's not even everything!” The blonde complains again. “They have ordered me to teach some of the lower ranked shooters how to do composite bullets. That's going to take weeks!”

“I'm sure they will pick up on it fast. Ninomiya will probably take less than two days.” Osamu offers as a comfort. 

“Oh, he doesn't have to teach Ninomiya.” Tachikawa says. “The higher ups are still angry and a bit suspicious of him, so he was excluded. He is strong enough already anyways.”

Osamu can't help but frown a bit. He doesn't know exactly what happened as most of the information is classified, but even if he hasn't told anyone he is pretty sure that this is Rinji's fault. Osamu likes him, but he really should start worrying about what consequences his actions will have on bystanders. 

(Osamu is also aware that Rinji originally only approached him to get an extra protection for Chika, but he isn't bothered by that. He got two good friends out of the deal after all.)

‘Tomorrow is another baking day with Chika. I wonder what recipe she wants to make this time.’ The cookies they made last time were amazing. He wouldn't mind making them again. 

“Yeah, most of them are okay.” Izumi conceded. “But Kurauchi is on the list, and you know I just can't get on the same wavelength as him, even if we are both trying to work together. Teaching him is going to be a nightmare.” The blond says, before a light bulb seems to turn on in his head. 

He turns towards Osamu as he makes the best puppy eyes that he can, which are admittedly pretty good. “Osamuuuuuu! Please take over teaching Kurauchi for me. You would work with him much better anyway!” 

Osamu lets out a hum as he considers it. After experimenting around with Izumi for as long as they did to perfect composite bullets, Osamu has learned how to use them too, even if he easily needs four times as long to form them as Izumi and his Trion supply does not allow him to create many. But for this, it should be enough. 

“Don't worry, I can take over teaching Kurauchi if you want to. It's not a problem.” Besides, Oji's squad also has a request for a Trigger modification pending. Osamu could also check that out when he is there anyway. 

“Izumiiiii! I finally got him to sit down for once.” Kunichika complains, throwing an empty soda can at the blond's head that bounces off with a loud ‘plong’. 

“Not today of course!” The shooter says quickly. “Actually, I'm pretty sure we could refuse too if we want to, but that doesn't seem fair, you know?” 

“No, it's okay. I'm happy to help. I'm sure I will get along with Kurauchi a lot better than you do.“

“Thank you Mikumo. Nasu-san already asked me for help, which is fine, but with Kurauchi I don't think he would be able to handle my type of teaching. I'm just not good with the methodical way he thinks.” The blonde lets out a small huff of air. “I don't get why Oji even requested me for this. He should know I won't be much of a help with this as long as Kurauchi has the official analysis you wrote.”

“I’m sure I will find a way to teach him, Izumi-senpai. The away mission still hasn't returned either, so I have enough time. “

It has actually been away for quite a while, an amount of time that would normally worry Osamu, but apparently it's to be expected.

‘Still, Kinuta said they should return in the next handful of days. I wonder what Triggers they will bring along this time.’ The last ones were really interesting. There was even one that lets you teleport that Taru is analyzing at the moment. Osamu wonders how long it will take for them to build a usable Trigger for the combat agents. 

Tachikawa lets out a small amused hum. “It's a bit boring without Kazama around. The drinking parties just aren't the same without him.” 

The number one attacker stands up from the floor with a small bounce. “I'm off to get some battles in. You guys have fun!” He says as he quickly walks out of the room. 

“Later, captain.” “See you later, Tachikawa-san.” 

After the attacker leaves the room Izumi slides a bit closer to Osamu, eyes glittering eagerly.

“Hey Osamu, I had some ideas why Meteor does not combine with itself. Wanna run some tests?” And Izumi doesn't have to ask twice. Osamu always likes watching him fight. 

“Of course. What do you think?” He asks, moving over to Izumi's side of the table where the other has already started making some very unclear sketches of his idea on a piece of paper in between enthusiastic hand motions. 

Osamu lists intently, trying to freshen up on some of the smaller details about composite bullets for when he will have to teach Kurauchi. 

He wonders what Oji's squad is going to be like. 

Chapter Text

Somehow Osamu is more nervous as he stands in front of Oji squad's room than when he was about to meet with Ikoma squad. 

Maybe because Oji is somehow pretty intense despite his usual way of presenting himself as a charming pretty boy. But his eyes are a bit too hard and sharp underneath for it to be comforting to Osamu. 

But the brunette decided he would help out Izumi-senpai with this, and he isn't going to disappoint him, so he knocks on the door and waits. 

Kashio is the one who opens the door only moments later, giving their guest a polite smile. “Mikumo-kun, we were waiting for you. Thank you for coming, especially on such a short notice.”

Osamu hasn't seen much of the way that he fights in the last rank war battle, but the logs have given the engineer a good enough overview. 

In the room the rest of the squad is already waiting for him, all neatly sitting around the table in the center. 

“Nice to meet you Osamu-kun.” Oji addresses the engineer. “Thank you for taking the time to teach Kurauchi. I'm sure you are very busy.”

“It's not a problem. I'm glad to help.” He replies easily. “Should we get started right away?” He asks Kurauchi. 

Oji claps his hands together, a happy expression on his face. “Good idea. Kittaka already has the training room set up.”

The room turns out to be not that different from Ikoma squad's, though it holds more kinds of different terrains, almost like an obstacle course. No surprises since this team's strategy relies on their mobility. 

Osamu shifts into his Trion body, the others already in theirs as they watch from the side of the room. This time he even has official permission for it, not just skirting the rules like he usually does. 

He has equipped it with a full set of bullet triggers beforehand, so he can show each of the combinations as necessary. He hopes his Trion will be enough. He didn't use a Trion body at all today so it's at full capacity for this. 

“You have already read the documents, right?” Osamu asks as he puts his laptop to the side for now. Maybe he won't need it today. 

“Yes, but I seem to have some problems with the energy molding process. It was described in the documents, but I found it to be a bit difficult to execute despite that.” Kurauchi admits.

“It's no problem. We will figure out the source of the problem together. It was complicated to put into words after all, so it is understandable for there to be some uncertainties. Please show me how you mold them, and if I don't see the problem from there, we can link up your Trigger for a proper scan of the process.“

The student council president (how he has the time for that beside Border Osamu has no idea) gives him a nod and begins to combine the bullets, a simple Cobra made from two of the less volatile bullet types. 

While the bullet does manage to form somewhat, even managing to shoot out, instead of tracking towards its target like it is supposed to, its flight path is somehow choppy, and instead most of the bullets shoot into the ground around it.

But finding the main problem, thankfully, isn't difficult. “You are molding the bullets too late.” Osamu explains. “Yours are already in the state of solidification while you combine them, so the energy cannot mix evenly, which causes the irregularities.” 

Osamu reaches out with his hands and begins to form a Cobra of himself, feeling as its energies mix together, before firing it at the training dummy, the bullets easily piercing it thanks to the addition of Asteroid to the mix.

“It's actually better to mold them earlier than I did, but I simply don't have the Trion supply to keep them steady in that state, so I am forced to do it this way. But with your reserves and control it should be possible.” The younger boy assures him. 

Kurauchi gives him a nod and immediately moves to try again, able to replicate the process to a good amount. And the result is immediately visible, now only a handful of bullets not fully combined and flying in unintended patterns. 

“Good work. But the way you released the Trion made it more manifested in the center of the bullets while you were molding it.” He offers the older teen a smile. “There are also some other small things that we can still improve. We can go through it step by step if you would like to.“

“The help would be very appreciated.” Kurauchi says. “Thank you again for your time.” 

In the end, Osamu's expectation that the older shooter would pick it up quickly was correct, and after only a handful of hours later Kurauchi has polished out the nics from his technique. He is still visibly unpracticed, but that will be fixed with time and won't change in a single day's work. 

And it's good that it didn't take much longer, because Osamu's Trion reserves are starting to run a bit low from the frequent demonstrations. 

‘I hope I don't have to do any Trigger testing down in the lab today. I don't think I would manage to do it in this state.‘

“If you have any other questions you can always contact me, and I will do my best to help. But it looks like you will be better at this than me very soon anyways.” 

“It's all thanks to your help.” Kurauchi returns politely. “I do not know how long it would have taken me if only Izumi were here to describe it. His ways can be a bit … erratic, to say the least.”

Osamu doesn't even try to hide the laugh. “Izumi-senpai does really get into it once he gets going. It's hard for him to slow down after that.” Osamu says as the two leave the training room together. 

As they exit he gives Kittaka a thankful nod from where she is sitting behind her operation desk, carefully managing the training room for them the entire time. “Thank you for your help.”

“Same to you. We have set out some snacks for you. I’m sure you two need a break after training for so long.” She says, gesturing to the table.

Not wanting them to have set it out for nothing, Osamu sits down on the table, taking a cookie from the plate as the Kurauchi sits down beside him, turning towards Oji who is standing in front of a large screen, seeming to have discussed strategies while the two shooters were busy.

“So Kurauchi, do you think you will be able to use the composite bullets in time for the next rank war match?” Oji asks, getting a nod from his teammate.

“Yes, I should be able to, but I’m not sure it can match up to Ikoma’s Senku. At least not in a direct match.”

“That means we can't really rely on that unless we can lay a trap it's not going to take him out, but that's made even harder with Mizucoming there. He usually sees through those ploys before they can take effect. I don't know if we will find a strategy that can ensure at least some success with our current strength.” The captain says, the members of the group discussing the risks and benefits of different strategies as Osamu continues to eat. 

It takes the engineer a moment to realize, but he was friends with Rinji for a while, and this level of expertise at trying to influence him without it being noticed really isn't enough anymore.

Don't get him wrong, Oji is doing it in a very convincing and natural way, but Osamu is friends with the equivalent of an evil mastermind (even Chika has called her brother that once after one particular game of monopoly with the three of them that really went out of hand). 

But he doesn't feel offended by the attempt. If he was bothered by stuff like this, he wouldn't be friends with Rinji. It just shows him how much they want to have his help. 

“You can just ask me directly if you need my help with upgrading your trigger, you know? I’m not going to be offended by that.” He says, making the other people in the room look towards him in surprise.

Oji's eyes sharpen a little bit, an amused glint appearing in them. “You are sharp, Osamu. Then I won't talk around the bush any longer. With how our current strength is, I'm not sure we will be able to hold our position in this rank war.“

He turns towards the screen, pointing towards the setups of their regular positions. 

“Our usual strategy is to out maneuver the opponents and take them down in a group, or simulate such situations with planted Hounds or long range support of Kurauchi. But the other squads are getting used to those strategies and hold out long enough for their support to arrive. So we need a way to dip things into our favor even more.”

Osamu nods in understanding. “So you are planning on keeping the same strategy and just hone them to the point that the opponents can't counter them properly even if they know they are coming.” 

Oji's smile takes on a predatory glint for just a blink before it turns to his regular expression again. “Exactly. The simplest way for that so we don't without having to do rapid changes to our existing strategy would be to increase our effective numbers through an improvement to the planted bullet strategy.”

Osamu takes in the information silently, considering his opinions. 

What Oji describes would essentially be described as an automated turret to give some light support fire for a critical moment. 

Border already has such technology, but it's not something that can just be implemented so easily into a normal trigger. It's simply too complex at their current technological level. There is a reason after all why all Switchbox users have only that one trigger and only the absolute minimum besides it. 

But there is something else he could reference. 

“Would Kako’s modified Hound be a viable comparison if it could be placed down on target locations? Under the condition that it doesn't have to be manually fired like with planted bullets so your active trigger slot is free for other attacks.“

Oji smiles in a pleasant manner. “That is exactly what we are looking for. I know it was the right choice to ask you about this.”

Osamu can't help but blush a bit as he hears the compliment. Maybe he should have stayed in his Trion body. “I don't even know if it will work. Besides, I can only use the base construction plans for Kako's Hound if I get permission from my superior, since she is the one who constructed it.”

“I'm sure you will manage to get it done till our next match in the Rank war. I trust you have our backs.”

Osamu sends Oji a look that he hopes is effective at showing all the emotions he is feeling at that statement. “You know, other people would at least feel a bit hesitant when they ask strangers to work through multiple nights for them.“

At least Kashio and Kurauchi have the decency to look guilty, which is at least something. Oji seems to be fully unbothered though. 

But they did ask for his help on the topic, so he can exactly say no. (Though he is sure Izumi would claim the opposite.)

The brunette lets out a sigh. “Okay. I will see what I can do. I will keep you updated on the progress, but I can't make any promises.” 

Kurauchi gives him a thankful nod and Kashio goes into a full bow. “Thank you so much for your support, Osamu-kun. After I dropped out so early in the fight against Ikoma squad our team has been lagging behind on points a bit.”

Oji turns to his teammate with a small frown. “Again, Kashio, it's not your fault. You just happened to be in a bad place. If any of us would have been teleported there, the exact same thing would have happened. “

The younger boy averts his eyes. “But-” he starts, only for Oji to interrupt him before he can say anything else. 

“No ‘but’.” The team leader insists. “Luck was simply not on our side. We will just have to make up for it in the matches that are yet to follow.”

Osamu sees how a small smile appears on the black haired boy's face, followed by a small but determined nod. 

‘Well, at least he doesn't seem to overwork his teammates. Unlike me.’ 

He at least hopes the work will be worth it in the end. 

____________

Once again Osamu has to drag himself into the Rank war viewing room with his legs feeling like lead and eyes about to drop shut at any moment, body only awake through willpower alone. 

But he did manage to finish the Trigger modification in time, and he is going to see it in action no matter what. 

He was really lucky that Ilia wasn't only very willing to give him permission to use the base layout for Kako's modified Hound that she invented, but also helped him in the design process, under the condition that she was also allowed to give it to Kako too. 

(The two of them apparently know each other in some way, though she didn't say exactly how.)

Osamu of course agreed. He needed all the time that he could for this, and in the end it was still as close as last time despite him having more time to work compared to last rank war match. 

He gets some looks as he sits down on a front row seat, though there are a handful of looks of recognition and interest among the crowd. 

The commentators today seem to be Kako, Azuma and Aki. (Osamu wonders if Kako was already assigned to commentate this before Osamu decided to use her Trigger as a base, or if she swapped in to see in action how useful it is.) 

Oji's team is facing off against Katori and Yuba squad. Both are strong contenders, especially with Yuba's number advantage over them. 

As the teams are teleported in Osamu can't help but feel a bit nervous. He has tweaked all the numbers for the last entire day, and they should work, but there is still a chance for glitches in a Trigger this multilayered and untested. 

He told Oji that much, but the captain simply says that the tradeoff was worth the risk. 

‘He really puts too much trust into me despite not knowing me at all.’

The teleport this time is more favorable than the match with Ikoma squad, but it's still far from ideal. At least this time Oji’s team isn't separated that far, and the one furthest away is Oji who can hold his own in a fight. 

Who is probably in the worst position is Kanda, placed directly in the center of the triangle Oji's team forms. And without Kanda having a Bagworm equipped from the start, his location was easily revealed. 

And Oji seems to have noticed that too, just like the commentators, Aki speaking up first. “Oji's squad is immediately moving in towards Kanda, using the opportunity where the teams aren't met up as an opportunity to take him out.”

The lone All-Rounder is heading north to join up with his team when a hound bullet flies out between the building, forcing him to throw up a shield. But from the opposite direction Oji comes jumping out of the side street, slashing at the other with his Kogetsu.

Kanda quickly turns around to block the slash with his own sword, but the blade still manages to reach his shoulder as the blades bounce off each other, making a thin trail of Trion leak out.

“Sorry Kandata, but I will take you out here. I wish we would have some time to catch up, but Yuba-san would reach us if we do.” Oji says as he jumps forward again.  

“Let's see if you can really take me out before he arrives.” Kanda says as his eyes continue to rush around the area, trying to find where the Hound came from.

In the observation room, Azuma watches as they exchange blows, both keeping one hand free until Oji suddenly sneaks in a strike with his Skorpion, leaving a gash behind on his opponent's leg. “Kanda is fighting well, but with Oji potentially having planted more bullets couldn't risk occupying his other hand with something that isn't a shield. But now that he has used another weapon, he has revealed that he doesn't have any other hidden in the rubble anywhere, or he has relinquished his control over them.”

Beside him Kako lets out a small laugh. “I might not be so sure about that. Let's watch a bit longer.”

From the distance a large Salamander comes flying through the air from Kurauchi, and Oji ducks behind a wall as he throws up a shield. But Kanda isn’t used to the addition of composite bullets yet, and even if he throws up a shield it is cracked deeply, the shockwave rattling his body.

Using the cover of smoke to his advantage Oji throws himself at the other All-rounder, his Kogetsu and Scorpion in his hands.

Kanda concentrated his remaining shield in one point to protect himself from the strike, pulling out his Kogetsu to block Oji’s, when from behind his back another Hound shoots out between the rubble, hitting him square in the back. 

The bullet isn't especially strong so it doesn't penetrate, but it's close enough to his Trion supply core that cracks quickly spread through his body. 

“Bail out.” The mechanical voice declares as he is shooting away, Oji sheathing his sword again as he puts his Bagworm as he turns towards Kurauchi’s direction, sculking off into the alleys beside them in the opposite direction of where Yuba is coming.

Aki stares at the screen in confusion. “What was that? It looked like Kanda was hit by Hound, but Oji already has two other triggers in his hands activated. What is going on?” She asks, turning to her co-announcers. 

Kako in her commentator chair has a sharp and satisfied smile on her face. “Hmm, that seems fun. Oji used it pretty well despite having this little time to train.”

Azuma gives her a knowing and amused look, just oozing with fondness. “That one seems very similar to your Hound. Care to share with the class?”

“Ilia-san has recently given out the base structure of my Hound for further modifications after one of the new engineers has taken a request from Oji that also focused on the Hound. I of course also have been given permission to use it, and I'm quite happy with its ability for a first showing.”

She turns around and somehow immediately finds Mikumo in the crowd. How did she even know he was here? 

“You did a good job with this one. I will make sure to put it to good use. I wonder how well it will work in combination with Kitagawa’s Switchbox.”

Azuma lets out a small laugh. “As if your usual fighting style wasn't already oppressive enough.” 

Aki nods in agreement. “It does allow the user to create quite a bit of pressure on their opponent to create openings for attacks. And if multiple people use it at once, it is very dangerous.” 

Azuma watches as Oji meets up with the rest of his team, Kashio joining the other two as they head off towards their next target, which happens to be Yuta who hasn't joined up with his team yet either. “So, anything else of interest that you want to tell us about this new Trigger?”

Mikumo considers not answering like last time, but with Azuma's good commentary it will be analyzed soon anyway, and this Trigger isn't relying on hidden information as much as Ikoma's Senku. 

“The concept is relatively simple.” Mikumo explains. “You charge it with a certain amount of Trion and set the parameters like firing pattern and range. It can then separate and shoot at either the highest amount of Trion signature that wasn’t predesignated, a specified location, or a specified source of Trion. But you have to get pretty close to the target to use the latter function.“

He can barely suppress the yawn before he continues. “I should be able to make all of it a bit more Trion efficient and improve the tracking function a bit, but that is all I managed to do in such a short time.” 

Azuma shakes his head as he gives the younger boy a kind smile. “Even in its current form it is plenty strong. It's a very useful tool to have. The ability to flank opponents on your own would be very beneficial for basically any close combat fighter.”

Mikumo returns the smile with one of his own, happy to receive praise like that especially when it comes from Azuma. The man is something of a living legend after all. Many of the C ranks dream about being trained by someone like him.

The engineer continues to watch the match in front of him, even if he feels himself nod off now and then as the lack of sleep begins to catch up to him. Though he still forces himself to watch till the end. 

From the north of the battlefield Katori rushes in with her teammates trying to catch up to her, and like always she does not slow down enough for them to be able to, even forgoing to equip her Bagworm as she chases after Kashio.

Kashio is running through the streets as she is slowly but surely catching up to him, the only reason she has not done so already being his constant shooting of Hound bullets.

But with practiced ease Katori twists through the barrage, and with one last Grasshopper she flies towards him, slashing at his arm with her Scorpion.

He tries to block with his shield, but such a simple action isn't enough to fully block the attack, the blade twisting around the barrier and leaving a wound in his skin.

As soon as she flies by him she creates another grasshopper and leaps in to finish her job, when suddenly a large explosion hits the ground behind her. 

Katori is thrown through the air by Kurauchi’s Salamander, thrown into one of the surrounding houses as Kashio diving into the thrown up cloud of dust for cover.

“What was that?” She complains loudly, making Kako in the audience let out a sigh.

“She could really be a lot better if she put an ounce of effort into this. It's not like watching the logs is that much effort.” The A rank says, crossing her arms. “It's honestly such a waste of talent. That's why I never tried to recruit her.”

“You don't have to be so harsh.” Azuma says. “It might be true, but I’m sure she just needs a reason for her to probably put her all into it.”

Kako looks a bit doubtful. “If you say so. But she better find it fast.”

On screen the two watch how Katori blindly fires some bullets into the cloud of dust to try find Kashio, but she is so distracted by the target in front of that she barely has time to react when suddenly Oji comes flying out from behind a building, and with one practiced slice he cuts off her dominant leg.

She creates some distance to him with a grasshopper as finally Yuta and Rokuro catch up to her, jumping to cover her with a shield as the entire Oji squad sends a rain of bullets down on them.

But with the heavy bombardment on them, they do not think to look back. Why would they when there should have been no time to plant bullets beforehand?

From behind them suddenly multiple Hounds fly out of the debris, and only Katori is fast enough to dodge by jumping high into the air, her teammates easily pierced by the volley of Hounds before they can even react.

With another grasshopper she tries to jump towards Kashio, trying to take him out in an attempt to regain control over the situation, but just as she does another lone Hound comes shooting towards her back, and it pierces right through her Trion relay system.

“How?” She mumbles out as her Trion body cracks, Oji giving her a cold smile.

“Well, some of us have been trying to improve our capabilities.” 

With the familiar sound of a Bailout she shoots towards the horizon, and Oji’s squad reactivates their Bagworms, seeming to decide to take out Tonooka next, though at this point Osamu feels his attention slip more than just a bit.

The rank war ends in a victory for Oji’s squad, even if their point advantage isn't as large as it was with Ikoma’s team, simply because the strategies used this time aren't as aggressive, the match running out of time in the end.

Once the C ranks leave the room Osamu leaves with them, unable to stop himself from letting out a loud yawn. Hopefully Izumi won't have a problem with Mikumo crashing in his Bailout bed again. 

Chapter Text

Mikumo wakes to the loud crash of what sounds like the contents of an entire school supply shop falling to the ground. 

The boy sits up from were he was sleeping on the bed in the Tachikawa squad room as his tired mind tries to register the situation, but his loud yawn interrupts the sounds as he steps out of bed towards the source, seeing a familiar head of blonde hair sheepishly look up at him. 

“Good morning Izumi senpai.” Osamu mumbles as he rubs his eyes. Right, he ended up crashing in the Tachikawa squad room again. “Sorry for intruding.” 

“Sorry for waking you up. You can rest for as long as you want. You looked really tired yesterday. I don't even think you saw me when you entered the room.” 

Osamu tries to think back to when he entered the squad room yesterday, but the last coherent memory he can find is when he pressed the button on the elevator up here. 

“Maybe I overdid it a bit.” He admits, looking away in embarrassment. “Thank you for having me over.” 

“Always.” Izumi says with a grin. “You did quite some good work with that Trigger of Oji's squad. They will absolutely get a better ranking this season than the last one.”

But Osamu averts his eyes, looking slightly guilty. “I'm sorry. Kako has access to them too since it was based on her trigger, so you might have to face it in the upcoming Rank war too.” 

But the blonde seems unbothered by that, just giving Osamu a grin. “Don't even think about that. Tachikawa and I are here to have good fights, whenever we lose or win. Don't get me wrong, we like being the top ranked squad, but aren't really attached to the title. I mean, you know how little motivation the captain has on a good day.” Izumi says, pointing at the sofa where said man is currently lying face down with a half eaten chocolate bar beside him. 

Osamu gives him a concerned look. “Are you okay captain?” he asks. This much demotivation is rare even for him. 

Tachikawa let out a loud groan. “Jin didn't fight me again and Kazama is still away on the Away Mission. I have nobody to fight.”

Osamu comfortingly pats the man's head. “I heard that Kusakabe squad is going to do some training today since it's their free day. Maybe you can convince one of them for a match.”

“Noooo. Kusakabe is still angry at me. It won't work.” He says, making Osamu let out a small laugh as he sits down on the couch beside Tachikawa, stretching his still sleepy arms over his head as they let out a satisfying pop. 

“Hm, there has to be something we can do. Oh! I wanted to try out a new croquette recipe and haven't had the chance yet. How about we get to my home and try them out together?”

Instantly Tachikawa jumps up from where he was laying, eyes sparkling like the stars in the night sky. 

“We will go right now. Osamu, if you ever want anybody killed, just tell me.” 

Mikumo lets out a nervous laugh at the seriousness in the captain's expression. “Let's just get going if we want them to be ready by lunch.” Because a look at the clock has shown Mikumo that it is quite late already. 

Tachikawa does not need to be told twice, grabbing Izumi and Kunichika under his arms and sprinting out of the room with Osamu in hot pursuit. 

It should probably concern Osamu that he is so used to Tachikawa's driving by now that he isn't even nervous when he steps into the car, but at least that gives him some time to think. 

“Captain, I always wanted to ask, why are you not using any modified Triggers despite being in A Rank? Basically all of the older members have made at least some modifications.” 

It's not like he really needs them, to be honest, but Tachikawa doesn't feel like someone who would let an opportunity to get stronger pass up. 

The top attacker is silent for a moment, but the atmosphere isn't tense, even if Osamu is a bit surprised how seriously the other is taking his question if he actually thinks before answering. 

“The main reason is actually pretty boring. I never really had a good opportunity to make any adjustments. Or rather, the only opportunity, after Jin created Scorpion together with the development department until he got Fujin and we were on even footing, passed up too fast.”

Tachikawa almost looks wistful as he talks. “After that I never really saw a reason. It's not like Shinoda uses any modified triggers either, so there was never any advice from that side either.” 

The man turns to Osamu with a grin. “But if you have any ideas, I'm all ears. If it's you who makes them, I would be happy to try out any modifications. Just don't make them too complicated please.”

The engineer gives him a smile. “I will look out for something you might like. And if you have any idea or dislike something with your triggers, no matter how small, just ask me. I promise to do my absolute best. It's the least I can do after all you guys have done for me.”

Tachikwa lets out a small laugh, taking a hand of the steering wheel which is absolutely not safe at this kind of speed and immediately makes Osamu's stomach start to tingle with nervousness, but it disappears as soon as Tachikwa sets his hand down on Osamu's head and ruffles his hair in an affectionate manner. 

“Aw, we barely did anything. But if you want to thank us, I will not complain if you bring some homemade food now and then. The last time tasted amazing after all.” He says, making Kunichika behind them let out a small laugh and a mumbled glutton. 

When they reach Osamu's home the boy immediately starts preparing the food, only making sure Tachikawa squad feel at home by making sure they have something to munch on. (something that includes mochi flavored bonbons, to the captain’s delight.) 

Osamu’s mother is gone again, her work making sure she is rarely home, but it has always been that way, and Osamu is more than capable of taking care of the house by himself. Its nothing new.

But as soon as Osamu starts cooking the team drifts from the soft sofa into the kitchen anyway, just talking about everything and nothing together with the brown haired boy. 

Izumi and Tachikawa watch with large eyes as the croquette fry in the oil, taking on a deep and savory brown exterior, and Osamu is sure they are one step away from changing into their Trion bodies so they can just snatch it out of the boiling oil without hurting themselves. 

Luckily for him, they are able to resist the temptation long enough for Osamu to finish making the meal, though he is sure that in the process of setting up the table there is suddenly one less croquette on the large plate. 

“Okay everyone! Let's dig in!” Osamu announces, and his friends do not need to be told twice, throwing themselves at the food like starved animals. 

“It tastes so good!” Izumi praises with a full mouth. “I think these are the best croquettes I’ve ever had!”

Osamu can't help but blush a bit. “Croquettes are my favorite food from my mother, so I started making them with her for as long as I can remember. I'm glad you like them too.” 

‘Next time I will invite Chika too.’ She will be a bit overwhelmed, but it would be good for her to meet more people. And with these guys she does not need to worry about dragging them into danger by being close to her. 

Osamu lets out a small laugh as he watches the others eat. “You don't have to hurry. There is more than enough for anyone.” He says, though as the meal continues, and the food gets less and less, he worries that the extra croquette he planned to eat over the following days might not exist by the end of the evening.

When his friends are full, they collapse onto the couch with happy expressions, only a single croquette left on the table.

Mikumo can't remember the last time so many people were in this house. That it was filled with so much life as it is now, with the happy chatter of Tachikawa squad filling the rooms.

“Osamu, how are you such an amazing cook?!” Izumi says. “Wasn't building triggers enough already?”

“Cooking surprisingly isn't that different from doing some of the material preparation for triggers, actually.” He says as he sits down beside the blonde. “A set of basic rules with a bit of creativity.”

The blonde shrugs. “I wouldn't now, but it sounds kind of fake. Anyway, uhm, can we do this again sometimes? I already know I would miss your food otherwise.”

“Of course we can. I really like having you here.” He admits, averting his eyes as he feels a bit embarrassed to say it out loud like this.

“Aw Osamu! I like you too!” Izumi says, him and Kunichika catching Osamu in a hug as Tachikawa sets his hand down on the engineer's head.

Sitting here like this, Osamu has a feeling the next meeting will rather be sooner than later.

__________

“Oh, I didn't expect to find you two here.” Tachikawa says as he steps into the elevator to the  office area of the development department, spotting Mizukami and Ikoma already inside. 

“Same for you. What are you doing here?” The ginger asks, shoulder relaxed as he makes some space for the top attacker.

“Oh, just some paperwork I should probably have done a lot earlier. Nothing special.” He says. “Congrats on your wins in the rank wars. Looks like you are going to make it up further than usual. Maybe I will be seeing you up in A rank soon.”

Ikoma gives him a proud look. “Yeah! Everyone really did their best, and thanks to Osamu’s help I’m much cooler than before!”

The three step out of the elevator on the same level, Mizukami giving Tachikawa a curious look, eyes turning sharper as they reach Kinuta’s office, the A rank throwing the door open with a loud slam.

Oji is standing in front of the desk already, seemingly talking to Kinuta, but that won't stop Tachikawa from interrupting whatever conversation they had.

“Hey Kinuta, I'm here to request Mikumo to be moved to my team permanently.” He announces as he waves a stack of documents in the air, the other combatants’ heads snapping to him, Oji’s especially fast. 

“I was here for that first!” The All-rounder says, quickly pulling out a document just like the other, slamming it down on Kinuta’s desk.

The older man looks greatly unimpressed by the action. “So you were trying to butter me up. I was curious why you were suddenly talking to me like that.” He says, making Oji cringe a bit. 

“Ah, I guess we are last then.” Mizukami says, taking out a similar piece of paper. 

Kinuta just looks at the team leaders in surprise. “What do you all want with our new mechanic? We finally got a newbie and you immediately want to hire him away?”

The top attacker just shrugs, Oji being the one to speak first. “There are a lot of benefits to having a personal mechanic that I didn't consider before, and he is a hard worker. I personally think he would be a great addition.” 

Mizukami agrees with a nod. “And he has a very useful mind for combat, even if it was only a passing topic in our conversations. He thinks fast and comes up with good strategies. And I’m willing to bet he will also be able to do so even if he had to improvise them on the fly. He would need to get used to combat, but I don't think it would take him long.” 

“And he is a great guy!” Ikoma adds. “Really determined!” 

Kinuta lets out a small huff of air as he crosses his arms, leaning deeper into his chair. “Well, you're not wrong, but that doesn't mean you can hire him away. There isn't even an official position in combat teams that you could give him. If you want that, you have to convince Kido that you can hire Osamu. If you manage that, I won't say anything.”

Tachikawa just gives Kinuta a confident grin. “Oh, if that's all. I will hold you up to that. See all of you later.”

Oji lets his shoulders drop in frustration as he watches the top attacker leave with a bounce in his step, the door shutting behind him. “If he wanted Osamu, he shouldn't have waited this long and given me hope like this.”

Mizukami raises one of his eyebrows. “You don't deserve Osamu’s time anyway. You would be working him into the ground like you did before.”

“That was only because he wasn't on my team yet.” Oji defends himself. “And Kashio would have felt really guilty if we dropped in the rankings this season. I can't have that. Besides Mizucoming, it's not like you have any right to complain. You didn’t overwork him any less.”

The two members of Ikoma squad do look a bit guilty in response, not exactly able to deny the claim.

Kinuta, who has been watching the exchange, gives the two combat teams a curious look. “Why would you even try to hire him in such a permanent way? There are only so many things he can improve on your Trigger sets.”

Oji agrees with a nod. “That is true, but not only would perfectly adjusting every trigger our team have taken a long time, maintenance is also relevant. He did it faster and more well adjusted than getting a random new engineer every single time. And that doesn't even start with the whole topic of his helpful thought process when it comes to battle strategies.”

Osamu has only thrown in some comments for the rank war now and then while he was in Oji’s squad room, but it was enough to convince the team leader of his helpfulness in that area. “And his input would only get better once he has more experience. Having him as essentially a second operator would be incredible.”

Mizukami nods in agreement. “Mario-chan is usually very busy with trying to reign in Iko, Kai and Oki, so even if she is a very good operator things get very busy for her and some details slip through her attention. Having someone to back her up during it would be amazing.”

The head of R&D lets out a small huff. “Don't think I will let you steal Osmau away that easily. We finally manage to get someone talented and immediately you people want to take him away.”

Oji spins on his heel as he turns towards the door too. “Admittedly, it seems that he would have preferred to be a fighter if given the chance, but was rejected because of his low Trion. It just shows that there are still a number of flaws with the selection test. I’m sure Azuma would have loved to train Mikumo if given the chance.”

“Of course there are flaws with the test.” Kinuta admits without hesitation. “We just don't have the available resources to do a better one. Now get out of my office and let me work unless you have something important to say.” He finishes in a gruff voice.

The fighters don't waste a moment to follow the order, not wanting to make the department head angry lest they suffer the consequences.

“I guess I will be seeing you later then. Don't think you have a better chance for Osamu just because he spent time with you earlier.” Oji says and walks off, only sending the other two one last wave. “Next time we fight it won't end in your victory again.”

Ikoma crosses his arms. “I think the biggest opponent is Tachikawa, like usual.” And Mizukami can't help but agree.

It's always hard to challenge the top squad in anything, and who would deny becoming their member?

Chapter Text

As soon as his Border-issued phone in his pocket vibrates, Osamu takes an excited look at it, even if it is in the middle of a lesson. 

By now his teachers have heard about him working for Borders, and while they don't extend him the same leniency they do to combat members, they aren't nearly as stern with him as they used to be. 

So when he basically sprints out of the room as soon as the lessons end, she barely gives him a second glance. 

He is very thankful for the way that Trion bodies increase his endurance as he sprints through the town and all the way to the Border headquarters, not stopping until he rushes through the door to the R&D departments.

The rest of his coworkers are already leaning over the table with three foreign looking  triggers, a bunch of documents and a pile that Osamu can only describe as random stuff.

Taru gives him a wide grin. “We have no idea what any of this is!” He declares happily taking one of the three triggers. 

“Aw, I wanted to test the Trigger first.” Another one says, but her attempts at puppy eyes are ignored.

“You already did last time. This time I get it. Oh, Osamu, you are also on the list who gets the Triggers when he had his time.” Ilia says, pointing at a spreadsheet on the wall. “We rotate through, so next time you will be earlier. But for now, you get to choose one of these.” She says, pointing to the pile of documents and random junk. 

Osamu is honestly not that bothered by nor being able to dissect the Triggers first. Not when there is so much else to do. 

“Do we even know how to translate the documents?” 

“Barely. We are guessing most of our way through them. But we are getting better! We can make some educated guesses about what unknown words mean through what we know of similar languages and the audio logs we have found.” 

Osamu is interested in that, but for now he happily takes a large, circular part from the pile. He has no idea what it is, but it seems to be covered in some kind of sturdy casing of metallic nature. 

‘It's too big to be part of a Trigger meant for human use, but it has some Trion circuits. These parts look like power gatherers and this part looks similar to the range manipulator in Asteroids.’

He happily walks over to his desk as the crowd scatters with their spoils, and he only makes a small detour to the coffee machine to make a brew strong enough to get him through the night.

After all, who would waste their time with sleep when you have new neighbor technologies to analyze? 

______________

“Ah, Kazama! It's good to see you back!” Jun calls out towards his fellow captain, walking up to the smaller man with the rest of Arashiyama squad walking behind him. 

“Likewise. It's always good to be back home."

“I heard the Away Mission went well. Kinuta looked very happy during our last meeting.”

“Well, except for Fuyushima catching some weird disease again, everything went according to plan. I hope there were no problems here either.”

“Everything is working out fine, but we had an increased frequency of unusual modified Trion soldiers over the last weeks. It's nothing substantial, but you should probably look through the document before you go on your next patrol. Just to be safe.“

“I will. It's probably another planetary nation again that has heard old rumors of us being defenseless. Let's hope they give up soon like the previous ones.“

Kitora steps up beside him. “And you should better avoid Kido right now. Yesterday we detected an unusual Trion frequency for a short moment beside one of the gates, so he is on edge, even if R&D and the search troops haven't found anything out of the ordinary and it probably was just a wrong measurement.”

The black haired man gives them a thankful nod and seems about to say something else when Satori approaches him from the side. “Come on guys, don't leave out the fun parts. There has been a rumor going around that Tachikawa squad has recruited a new member.”

That makes Kazama's face shift a bit, even if it's barely noticeable. “That would be unexpected. If you say it's a rumor, I assume nothing official has been added to the team register yet?” 

“There is a picture of some security cameras that was leaked. It's just a frame since the rest was automatically deleted, but it's pretty telling. Inukai is doing research, but he hasn't come back to us with any results yet.” She says holding out her phone with the picture to the attacker. 

The brown haired person wearing the Tachikawa squad uniform with Izumi and Tachikawa standing beside them is easy to spot, but from how they are standing their face is hidden from view. 

Kazama gives it an analytic look, because no matter how professional he likes to present himself, everybody knows that he is wild for Border rumors like everyone else. 

“I will keep my eyes open for anything. I don't think Tachikawa would spill if it was kept hidden for this long. Thanks for the info.” The captain says, and Jun has no doubt that he will be asking Suwa for more information when they are meeting up for drinks later like they always do when Kazama squad returns from an Away Mission. 

“Just tell us too if you figure something out!” Satori calls after the attacker as he walks around the corner of the hallway, though that's not really something that needs to be said out loud. Kazama knows to repay rumors in kind. 

Jun turns to his team with a smile. “Well guys, we better get going or we will end up late for the photo shoot.” He says, and the group hurries down the hallway again. 

After all, for Arashiyama squad the work never truly ends. 

______________

Yuma dusts off his school uniform as he waits in front of the classroom, making sure he got rid of all the remaining dirt from when that car drove into him. 

Apparently you have to look tidy when going to school, after all, and he knows from experience that making a good first impression is pretty important. And he doesnt think here in Meeden that will be any different.

In his opinion he would have just stayed low while searching for his father's contact in Border, but Replica insisted that it would be a wise choice to establish a solid persona in Meeden first before acting, helping him stay undetected. 

In the end Yuma went along with the suggestion, even if like always Replica left the final choice up to him. 

And since Yuma made it here a bit faster than he first expected anyway, it's not much of a problem anyway. Might as well use the extra time to create some stability. 

He turned out lucky and managed to sneak on an Aftocrator transport ship and ended up saving a lot of Trion for what would have been multiple stops on other planetary nations otherwise. 

That the Aftokrator ship was even there in the first place was only because one of their combat operations succeeded sooner than expected.

“But man, Meeden is more complicated than I thought. And the town is a lot bigger too.” He mutters to Replica. Compared to the Neighborhood, this would be a middle to larger town, but apparently it's not that big by Meeden standards. 

“Maybe it just grew since dad left?” 

“That's possible but unlikely, considering the circumstances.” Replica says. “Get ready. The teacher is coming back.” 

A moment later the door slides open and the kind looking woman steps inside. She might have been lying when she said that it's okay that he was late, but her general kindness is genuine. 

“You can introduce yourself. “ She instructs, and the white haired boy turns towards the class with a smile. 

“I'm Kuga Yuma.” He says after writing his name on the blackboard, having practiced it before to get his name right in this language. “I lived outside the country for a while, so please take care of me and tell me if I do anything wrong. Nice to meet you.”

The class gives him a mix of interested and excited looks. It's something he does to feel particularly good or bad about, and he is used to it by now. As a black trigger user those kinds of things can't be avoided. 

The teacher seems to have expected a bit of a longer introduction, but she doesn't push him to continue. 

“I know things will be a bit much for you at the start, so Mikumo will show you around.” The teacher says as she points toward a brown haired boy in the middle of the classroom who has circles under his eyes that make it look like he hasn't slept for a week. 

Said tired looking boy gives Yuma a friendly smile and a small wave as the neighbor walks over to his assigned seat. 

“Nice to meet you.” Osamu says as the white haired boy sits down. 

“Likewise.” Yuma answers with a small wave, making his usual duck face. “Are you okay? You look pretty tired.” 

Mikumo looks a bit embarrassed. “I have been a bit distracted by work and forgot to sleep.” He admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Yuma gives the brunette a small smile. His father used to be like that too whenever he found something interesting, and it makes the neighbor interested in what caught his classmate’s attention like that. 

But he doesn't have the time to ask as the teacher already starts with her lesson. 

She is quickly writing letters on the blackboard, one after another, and that pretty much requires all of Yuma’s attention. Thankfully Yuma’s father taught him how to read Japanese, or he wouldn't have been able to keep up even with Replica's help. 

But he is definitely out of practice when it comes to writing, so he eventually switches over to neighborhood letters half way through the lesson. Maybe he should have listened to Replica and practiced a bit more.

_____________

Osamu can't help but send over a curious glance towards Yuma during the lesson. 

It's quite rare for people to move into Mikado city. And even if someone were to come here for work, they wouldn't bring their family along for safety reasons. That's how it is for Kinuta too. 

The only real reason for someone this young to move here is that they are part of Border.

Mikumo hasn't been informed of anything, but the only real logical reason for someone to move into Mikado is that they were recruited by some of the scouting teams from another town for their talent. 

After all, Border is constantly sending out teams to search for humans with high trion.

And then there is the way his new classmate moves. 

Osamu isn't a fighter, but he has been in Border long enough to be in contact with a lot of them. And Yuma moves just like that. The way each step is both soft and prepared at the same time, the way his eyes are always attentive to the smallest details, and so much more small things. 

‘Maybe he really is someone Border scouted. It's not like they have to tell me about stuff like that.’ But on the other hand, he is sure that Kunichika would have told him. She usually is up to date on these kinds of things. 

Osamu really wants to just ask him, but he has a feeling his new classmate is going to be swarmed with questions anyway, and he doesn't want to add on top of that. 

‘Or maybe I can show him the school and ask him during that. That would probably work.’ And he could warn Yuma that wearing a ring in school will only attract the ire of the teachers. Till now no one seems to have noticed, but it's only a question of time. 

‘But if he is part of Border, they would probably just let that pass too.’ The teachers are very lenient with Border members after all. Osamu still isn't sure if it is out of gratitude or fear from the children equipped with live weapons strong enough to destroy a modern tank.

He looks over to the white haired boy, seeing how he has switched over from Japanese to another language halfway through. He probably had some trouble keeping up with the lessons, even if he was speaking so well that you would think he never left Japan. 

Though some of the letters of the foreign language do look kind of familiar to Osamu, even if he can't place them anywhere right now. 

The lesson is over relatively fast, even if the teacher's calm voice and admittedly pretty dry topic have not made it any easier for Osamu to stay awake. He wishes he could just activate his Trigger, but not only would that break dress code regulations, but the mere thought of sitting in class with the Arashiyama squad uniform of all things is far too embarrassing to consider. 

As soon as the teacher announces the  break, Osamu's classmates swarm the new member of their class like hungry hyenas, throwing all kinds of questions at him. 

“Where are you from?” “Why is your hair white?” “Why did you come to Mikado city?” “Have you heard of Border?”

It's the usual kinds of questions that one would expect, at least in this town, and Osamu can't help but listen in. 

Yuma at least doesn't seem bothered by them, answering them one after another, though avoiding giving any concrete explanations, mostly just brushing them off. ‘He probably just wants to be left alone and is too polite to just say that out loud.’ Something Mikumo can relate to after his week following his reveal as a Border member. 

Some of the answers really catch Osamu's attention. Did Yuma live in a war zone before? There aren't that many in the world right now, so that would narrow it down by a lot. 

But with the positive attention of the normal classmates comes along another one, and a ball of paper flies through the air at Yuma's head, only for the boy to dodge it without even looking. 

The white haired boy picks it up almost curiously. “What is this?”

The bullies snicker to each other. “Just a greeting. Nothing more.”

Osamu frowns at the trio, body tense. He really wishes the teachers would finally do something against them but have not done so over the last years, so they won't start now. 

And the fact that he sometimes wishes he could just throw a meteor at them and be done with it is probably proof that he is spending too much time with Izumi-senpai. 

The engineer quickly stands up from his chair as walks up to his new classmate. “Yuma, do you want me to show you around the school now? I don't know if we will have time between the other lessons. “

The smaller kid seems to consider it for a moment, then nods. “Just give me a moment.” He says as he begins to compress the paper ball in his hand to the size of a marble, before flicking it at the leader of the idiot trio. 

It makes contact with a painful sound, and Mikumo visibly flinches even if he hasn't been the one who has been hit in the head. 

The bully leader falls backwards as he lets out a cry of pain, his two lackeys looking at him dumbfounded. 

“You…” Osamu says, but he doesn't really know where to go with the sentence. 

“I just wanted to return the greeting first.” Yuma simply says, relaxed but never fully leaving either of the bullies out of his range of view. 

‘Definitely a fighter.’ As if there was any doubt to begin with. How did he even do that? 

“O-okay. I will show you around.” The brunette says, and they walk out of the room, leaving the bullies behind before they can think of what to do in response. 

Osamu waits a handful of steps before he starts speaking. “I don't know if that was a good idea. Now that you have made them angry they will only pay more attention to you.” 

But Yuma seems unbothered. “I know from experience that those kinds of guys won't leave you alone unless you do something like this.” He seems to consider things for a moment. “But I really thought Japan would be more peaceful than this.”

Mikumo feels a bit guilty about that statement, even if it's not his fault. “There aren't many people like them, but you will find some here and there. I'm sorry. I will do my best to shield you from them so you don't get dragged into trouble, but I can't make any promises that it will work.”

Yuma looks up at him for a moment, before a bright smile appears on his face. “You are a good guy. It's nice to meet you.” 

Osamu is caught a big off guard by the compliment, a small blush dusting his face. “I'm just doing what everyone should have done.” He quickly stammers out, and that somehow only makes Yuma's smile wider.

Osamu tries to distract himself a bit by showing Kuga the cafeteria, and the white haired boy gives the various meals on today's menu a curious look.

“You had some problems keeping up with the lessons, right? I wouldn't have guessed it from how well you speak japanese, but I saw you write during the lessons.” Osamu asks.” If you need any help, you can ask me whenever you want. I can share my notes with you. “

Yuma nods thankfully. “Writing is a bit much if it's so fast. The letters are so complicated.”

Osamu agrees with a small nod. He does understand how hard they would be for a foreigner.

It doesn't take long till they have to go back as the next lesson is about to begin, but Osamu manages to time it just right so Yuma isn't swarmed by other students again. 

Osamu is still a bit tired so paying attention is harder than usual, but with someone who might need his support now sitting beside him the engineer has more motivation than usual. (More motivation than the stern looks of his mother could give him, surprisingly.)

Once the day ends Osamu is planning to go back to Border right away to continue his research on the neighborhood technology he has chosen, picking up right where he was forced to stop to go to school. 

He has figured out that it is probably some kind of repulsion engine used for ships to travel in the neighborhood, but he could be wrong. He still has so many tests he wants to run, and already has gotten permission for most of them from Kinuta.

But that plan quickly crumbles when he spots the way the idiot trio is looking at Kuga. All sharp edges and waiting for an opportunity to strike. And Osamu knows he can't just sit around and let that happen. 

So when the leader directs his grunts to surround Kuga as soon as he walks off the school yard, Osamu steps up to stand beside the white haired boy. 

“Let him go. I can't just stand by and let you try to gang up on him like this.”

The leader gives the brunette a snarl before his face splits in a violent grin. “You know what, you can come along too. It's long overdue.” He says as he grabs Osamu by his arm.

“But boss, he is-”

“He is just a fucking low worker in Border! They don't even let him fight neighbors! Quit being so terrified you idiot!” The boss barks at the other guy who flinches in response, as Osamu and Kuga are dragged away from the school.

Osamu has his Trigger of course, but he is not going to use it against civilians. He is very much aware of what breaking a rule could mean. 

Especially not when he has a much more efficient idea. 

He knows where the delinquents have their hiding spot on the outer rim of the forbidden zone, having heard its location from one of the victims of the bully group. 

And it just takes a small moment to send said location to Izumi with a short explanation. It is after all forbidden to enter that area without Border's permission. This proplay the most peaceful way to solve this.

He doesn't have time to look if Izumi receives the message, but he trusts his senpai will. Osamu can always rely on him after all. 

The walk through the town is tense, at least for Osamu. Kuga doesn't seem especially bothered by it, which only seems to make the group of delinquents (that has grown by a good amount of members from the other classes by now) more annoyed. 

It doesn't take long till the group reaches the small hideout on the edge of the forbidden zone, so now Osamu only has to wait for things to solace themselves. 

Though when he gets hit directly in the face by the leader of the bullies, he thinks that he maybe should have made a better plan beforehand. ‘And I always complain about Izumi and captain rushing in without one.’ 

Osamu stands up from the ground so his face is out of kicking range, taking a step back before speaking. "Ganging up like this is not fair.” He says in an attempt to buy a bit more time. 

“Nah, that part is pretty normal.” Yuma says, stepping up to stand beside Osamu, his body tense as he gets ready for a fight. “Especially since they are weaklings who won't win any other way.”

The bullies are shocked into silence for a moment before they explode in anger, lunging at Yuma, when suddenly a loud siren drones through the air, echoing off the destroyed building so the forbidden zone before a mechanical voice appears.

“Warning. Warning. Gate activity detected. All civilians please leave the area immediately.” It announces as black flashes of energy appear directly above the group, forming into a portal that drops out a large Bamster.

The Trion soldier falls to the ground with a loud slam, making the earth under the feet of the boys tremble, the bullies shouting out  in panic.

‘That's why it's forbidden to come here!’ Osamu curses internally, as he turns to Kuga. “Run away! Border is already on its way, so we just have to escape long enough!”

But Yuma doesn't look nervous in the slightest, somehow more relaxed than when he was getting ready to beat up the gang that is now running around in panic as the Bamster is slowly but surely getting closer to them with large steps. “Luckily it's not targeting us. Let's get away from here while it's focused on them. They deserve it anyway.”

Osamu feels himself tense up. He knows he shouldn't use his Trigger, but the moment the Trion soldier grabs the leader of the bullies with its mouth and lifts him up into the air, Osamu’s body moves on his own.

After all, he has seen the Trion measurements of his classmates, and even if the guy is an idiot, he does not deserve his Trion gland ripped out, with his heart shredded along it as nothing more than an obstacle in the way of the extraction. 

Mikumo pulls out the trigger from his pocket, to the visible surprise of Yuma, who still hasn't run away. 

“I can't let them get killed! Its not the right thing to do! Trigger on!” The brunette shouts as his body transforms, and he doesnt waste a second before sending an Asteroid at the Trion soldier's face, leaving behind some thin cracks on its armoring. 

But the attack is enough to make it drop the bully in a painful looking crash on the destroyed street, turning its attention to Mikumo. 

“Take him and run!” He shouts towards the other delinquents who thankfully don't think who they are taking orders from at the moment, grabbing their leader and sprinting off at full speed.

With heavy steps the Bamster turns towards Mikumo, shooting out a laser towards the boy who manages to block it with a shield, before retaliating with a shot of his own, each bullet hitting its armor and chipping away at it as it gets closer and closer to Mikumo.

But even if a Trion body doesn't have a heart that could beat in panic, the emotion is still flowing through Osamu's body. He has seen Trion soldiers before, but last time Izumi was with him, and Osamu wasn't alone like now. 

He changes up another bullet and releases it towards the Trion soldier, but it misses just shy of its eye, the Bamster shooting another lazer directly at Osamu, too close for him to dodge. 

But then he suddenly feels as something, or rather someone grabs him, quickly pulling him out of the way of the attack and carrying him to the roof of a nearby building. 

It takes Osamu a moment to reorient himself, but recognizing the armored suit that Yuma is suddenly in as a Trigger only takes him a blink. 

‘So he really is part of Border. But I have never seen a Trigger like this one.’

A glowing sigil appears below Yuma's feet as he rushes towards the monster-like construct at an incredible speed, like a bullet cutting through the air, and with another different looking sigil he slams his fist down on the Bamster. 

The armor of the Trion soldier shatters like its glass, splitting it in two with the single atack, and the impact carries even further down into the earth, shattering the old street below.

The ground below Mikumo's feet shakes from the impact, nearly enough to throw the brunette off his feet, and he stares at his new classmate in shock. 

“Is that… a Black Trigger?” He can't help but ask Yuma as the boy jumps back, his body armor disappearing. “You are one of Border's black trigger holders?” 

“No, I’m not a member of Border. I got this trigger from my dad.” Yuma says almost casually.

Mikumo gives him a doubtful look. “But the only ones with access to triggers, especially black triggers, are members of Border, and they would never let a civilian have one.” He says, his mind rushing a mile a minute, as suddenly the pieces put themselves together in his mind, and the previous panic returns full force.

“Yeah, but I'm not from this side. I’m what you guys call a neighbor.”

Mikumo takes back a step in shock, feeling the trion charge up in his hand, but stops himself before he can do anything more drastic, forcing his rising panic to calm as best he can. ‘If Yuma wanted to hurt me, he could have done so already. Human neighbors are just people too. There have to be good ones too. But it could also be a trick.’ Even if it honestly doesn't feel like one to Mikumo. He will have to figure out what Yuma wants.

“What are you doing here then? You are not here to kidnap people too, right?”

“I’m searching for a friend of my dad. He is supposed to be part of Border. My dad told me to if he died.”

Immediately Mikumo sends Yuma a guilty look. “I’m sorry. I didn't mean to-”

"It's okay.” Yuma interrupts him. “It's not like you knew it.” 

Mikumo sends a look over to the destroyed Trion soldier, eyes traveling over the devastated battlefield.

He takes a deep breath, and makes a decision. “Okay. I believe you. For now at least. You don't seem like a bad person, but the headquarters isn't exactly kind to neighbors of any kind as far as I’m aware. So we will pretend I was the one who took out the Bamster.” 

He charges up a meteor with all his remaining Trion and shoots it at the already destroyed Bamster, hitting the same spot that Yuma hit before. “I hope that's enough to cover up your Trion signature. The patrol team is already on its way here, so running away now while they have a chance to catch us would only make us more suspicious. You hide while I stay to take the blame.”

“But you are part of Border, right? So there shouldn't be any problem with you taking out the Trion soldier.”

Osamu’s face shifts into a doubtful look. “I’m just an engineer. I don't have permission for combat.”

“But you were not only protecting civilians, but also yourself. It wouldn't make any sense to punish you.” Yuma says as Mikumo ushers him into one of the destroyed buildings to take cover, closing the half broken door behind the white haired boy.

Mikumo returns to his regular body with a sigh, his Trion reserves basically empty from the Meteor. “Let's hope they think so too.” He says as he sees a group of people land on the roof beside them.

“Oh, hey, it's Mikumo-kun.” Yoneya says from the roof. “Izumi said you would be here. He told me to come here, but I guess things became a bit more serious.” He says, jumping down to the other boys with his captain.

Miwa sends Mikumo a glare. “Are you the one who took out the Bamster, right?”

Mikumo gives the A rank a nervous nod. “Yes, it was me. I tried to hold off on using the trigger, but when someone was snatched up from whom I knew his Trion was low enough that only his Trion organ would be extracted instead of captured I jumped in.”

The captain sends him another glare. “Still, it's a breach of the rules. If one person starts breaking the rules, the others will do the same. We cannot risk the possibility.” But his glare at Osamu is interrupted with a friendly pat on his shoulder from Yoneya.

“Come on Miwa! You knew how much trouble it would have been if a civilian was killed, even if they brought it on themselves. And it's not like anybody knows about it anyway. Well, except the ones who dragged Mikumo here, and they are going to have their memories deleted anyway.”

Miwa rolls his eyes but doesn't make a move to push the hand away. “We will let the higher ups decide that. For now just follow us to the HQ.”

“Shouldn't we catch the ones that ran away first?”

“They are already getting intercepted by one of the patrol units further out. We don't have to worry about something like that.”

Yoneya gives Mikumo a comforting smile. “Don't worry, it will all go well. Kido will know that you did the right thing, and Kinuta protects the people from his department. Buuuut you might get a small cut in pay for the next month or so.”

Miwa gives Yoneya what for him is a smile. “Speaking from experience there, right? Anyway, let's not waste any more time. We are making our way back to the base now, and don't activate your trion body again unless you want to get into even more trouble.

“I can’t use it for today anymore anyway. I panicked a bit and threw a too large Meteor.” Mikumo says, making Yoneya laugh.

“Now I know why you get along so well with Izumi. He did the exact same thing when he was first fighting neighbors alone, sans the running out of Trion part with his ridiculous reserves.”

Mikumo is about to answer when he sees something move in the corner of his vision, just the smallest blob of white that is gone as soon as it appears, but Mikumo hsa analyzed too much trion soldier footage to not recognize that shade of color anywhere.

“Yoneya!” He shouts, pointing towards the direction where he saw the movement between the rubble, and the spear user jumps towards that direction like on instinct, even if there is no way he saw the movement from his position.

But from high in the air he gets a better look, and his expression shifts instantly, throwing his spear down to the ground like a harpoon.

A small screeching sound echoes out as Yoneya pulls out another Kogetsu spear and rushes towards his target, only slowing down once he sees it's already dead, Miwa and Mikumo running towards him to see the small crab like Trion soldier stabbed on the tip of his spear.

“What is that?” The attacker questions. “I have never seen a Trion soldier like this.”

Mikumo kneels down to it to carefully inspect its structure, pulling on one of the legs and taking a look at the second core on its back. “Neither have I, but since the sensors didn't pick it up it has to be a surveillance unit. It must have appeared with the Bamster and has been hiding till now. But I’m not sure what the core on the top could do. It's not for offensive or observational purposes though, I can tell that much.”

Miwa’s eyes turn to a glare again. “What are they planning this time? Mikumo, do you think more of these could have slipped out?”

“Probably. They wouldn't have sent an entire Bamster to smuggle in a single scouting unit. It would be a waste of resources.” 

The captain sends out another curse. “Tsukimi, contact HQ right away, we will need the entire R&D ready to analyze this as fast as possible to add them to the sensors. We can't waste any time!”

“Yes sir!” Yoneya says with a casual salute, handing the small Trion soldier to Mikumo and picking up the engineer in princess style with a small wink.

“I hope it won't be too bumpy of a ride.” He says before they run directly towards the headquarters. But in this situation Mikumo is too distracted to even be embarrassed by it, already pulling out a screwdriver and starting to crack open the casing of the Trion soldier's armor along the fractures of Yoneya’s attack.

“Oh god its a mobile gate generator.” He realizes with terror, turning towards Miwa and Yoneya who look equally shocked. “You have to contact the HQ so they can pull up the gate blocker as fast as possible. If these things create gates directly the guiding beacon won't work.”

Miwa thankfully doesn't hesitate to follow the advice, relaying the information to his operator immediately.

Mikumo barely listens to her as he concentrates back on the Trion soldier in front of him, trusting the two to bring them all back to the base while he does his own job. 

He will do his absolute best to make sure not a single person gets hurt.

Chapter Text

“Mikumo! How did things go yesterday?” Yuma asks as soon as he spots the brunette the next day in school, Mikumo having arrived halfway through the day. “I saw how you found that modified Rad.”

Osamu collapses into the chair with an exhausted sigh. “That's what they are called? Anyway, we have been searching for them the entire day. Updating the scanner was surprisingly easy, thankfully. And since they have not spread out too far into the town, cleaning them up was easy enough. The last remains are currently being gathered up by some agents.”

Yuma gives him an acknowledging nod. “It's impressive how quickly you responded. Some countries would have taken days to get ready for this, and then it would have already been too late.”

That phrasing is a quick reminder for Mikumo about the fact that he is in fact talking to a neighbor, something that he almost forgot in his distracted and tired state. Maybe skipping sleep so much to research the spoils of the away mission wasn't such a good idea.

“Good hiding back there. Especially with someone like Miwa it would not have been good if he found out who you are. Miwa especially would have reacted badly if he found out you are a neighbor.” 

“Thank you for covering for me. I’m really glad you were the Border member who discovered me. I didn't know Border already had something like a Trion signature checker. Even many countries in the neighborhood don't have those.” He leans in towards Mikumo for a bit, voice turning to a whisper. “Uhm, but there is something I have some problem with.”

Mikumo steels himself for whatever is to come when Yuma suddenly pulls out a stack of money that is many many times larger than Mikumo’s salary for a year. (Well, current salary. Lets see if it will still be as high after the meeting he has been called to attend after school tomorrow to discuss his punishment for using a trigger, that only has been postponed because of the Rads.)

The human quickly covers it with his hands before anybody can see it, though it's not like anybody is really close to them right now, sending a look to the bullies to make sure they haven't seen it, and thankfully they seem to be distracted for now.

“The idiots from yesterday should have learned their lesson. There is no way they would attack us after that, right?” Yuma asks, seeing Osamu’s worried look.

“No, Border controls the information the civilians have by altering their memories. They won't remember anything that happened. You have to be careful how much you say about the neighborhood or trigger technology. The civilians don't even know that there are humanoids on the other side.”

Yuma nods along with the words. “I will keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning. As for the money?” 

“What you have is a lot. One of these notes is more than enough to get you multiple weeks worth of food. Flaunting it around like that will only get you unwanted attention.”

The white haired boy looks a bit embarrassed. “Yeah, I noticed that when I was trying to buy food yesterday. People were looking at me very funny when I was trying to pay. Some even tried to steal it from me.”

Osamu lets out a tired sigh. What did you get himself into? “Please tell me you didn't injure the thieves.”

“I only scared them away. Nothing bad.” Yuma says, but Osamu isn't sure how much he believes that. On the other hand, if the neighbor actually did something extreme, Osamu would have heard it in the news this morning.

“I will show you around and break down some of the money you have into smaller pieces of currency that won't get you attention. Besides, I don't think I got the name of the Border member your father instructed you to meet.”

“His name is Soichi Mogami. Do you happen to know him?”

Osamu shakes his head. “No, I don't think I have heard that name. But since you said he should be an older member he might be part of the higher ups, and I don't really have much contact with them. Sorry. But I will try to look into it.” 

Yuma just waves him off. “Don't worry, you are already doing more than enough for me. I don't know what else you would even do for me.” 

_____________

“This tastes really good!” Yuma says happily as he bites into a burger, the school day having finished very quickly if one were to ignore a small confrontation with the bullies on the roof, Yuma this time managing to scare them away without actually resorting to violence. It's a start, in Osamu’s opinion.

‘At least Yuma listened and didn't try to beat them up, even if he went a bit overboard with that stomp.’ 

And with Mikumo’s help they managed to overplay Yuma’s display of strength, though a good part of that was the fact that most of the class was distracted by the news of the Rad cleanup mission. (They actually called it that in the news too, meaning that the basic model must have already been known to someone in Border.)

“I’m glad you like it.” Osamu says genuinely, unable to stop his own smile as he sees such a happy expression on his new classmate's face. “If you want to, we can try out something new tomorrow too.” 

“Sounds great! I can't wait!” The white haired boy says as he takes another bite, stepping onto the street without hesitation without seeing the red traffic light hanging above.

"Yuma, wait!" Osamu reaches out to grab the boy’s clothes, but the other is already too far away.

With a loud screech the car tries to stop, but it still crashes into Yuma full force, flinging the boy all the way over the street. Immediately Osmau rushes towards the fallen body, gathering him up in his arms.

“Oh god Yuma are you okay, stay calm I-” Osamu starts in a panic, until he sees the crack over Yuma’s eye leaking Trion, but already stitching itself together like every damage done to trion bodies when injured by not trion weapons.

“I forgot the red light means stop again.” The white haired boy mumbles, and Osamu quickly covers Yuma’s injury from the view of the car driver while it can heal. He quickly holds up a hand to stop the woman.

"It's okay. He isn't hurt. My friend managed to redirect the worst of the impact.” Osamu says, though he should probably come up with a better lie. 

“Wha- but I hit him with my car! We have to get you to the hospital right now!” She insists, but Osamu quickly stands up to support Yuma.

“It's not a problem, he really is okay. I can ensure that.” Osamu says with his best customer smile. Bringing Yuma to the hospital would be bad for a number of reasons. “Now, if you would excuse us. Sorry for the bother.” He says and quickly pulls Yuma into a side street to run away from the accident.

“Why are you in a Trion body? I mean, it was good now, but it could be risky for Border’s sensors.” Osamu can't help but ask as soon as they are far enough away, his curiosity getting the better of him. Maybe he has been spending too much time with Taru.

The white haired boy seems uncertain if to answer that, when suddenly a small black blob flies out of his clothes, forming into a small trion soldier.

“Yuma is in a Trion body for health reasons.” It explains before said boy can say anything, even if Osamu visibly flinches away from it. 

Yuma gives the Trion soldier a curious look. “Replica, it's rare for you to show yourself to someone this easily.” He comments, eyebrows raised.

“I simply judged it as the right course of action. It is a pleasure to meet you, Osamu. As Yuma stated, my name is Replica. I’m his caretaker in his father’s absence.”

“N-Nice to meet you too.”  Osamu says. “I wasn't aware that there are Trion soldiers with personalities.”

“We are very rare, and I in particular was specifically designed by Yuma’s father. Even most people in the neighborhood will never have seen one as me.”

Osamu nodes along to the words and leans closer in excitement, before the words from before properly register. "Health reasons? Are you okay? Can I help you somehow?”

“It's nothing for you to worry about.” Yuma simply says. “I’m fine.”

“If you are sure.” Osamu sees, but gives Yuma a doubtful look, glancing towards Replica for assurance, but with the lack of face it's hard to tell what the Trion soldier thinks.

Replica turns to the engineer with a bow-like gesture. “I have a request for you, Osamu. Could you take this offshoot of me so we could contact you in case we need your support for times when we are lacking information? I will return them with information about the neighborhood in turn if you would like.”

“You don't have to give me anything in return! I would help without it too. … But if you are offering, there are quite a lot of things I don't know about Triggers yet. I would appreciate all the help you are willing to offer.” He admits. “Border’s archives aren’t exactly big yet, since we don't have nearly as much time as the countries in the neighborhood.”

Replica does a full body nod. “I would be happy to teach you what I know.”

Besides them, Yuma lets out a small laugh. “You know, I don't think I have seen either of you act like this.” He says, making Osamu blush in embarrassment, while Replica just lets out a thoughtful hum.

“I was designed for teaching after all. Maybe the prospect of teaching someone in a way I have not yet been able to does appeal to me. You never showed any interest in the construction of non-black Triggers after all.”

Yuma puts his arms behind his head, making his usual duck face. “Because you have to memorize so much stuff. I know trion engineers are really important, but I have better things to do.”

Osuma lets out a small giggle. “It is a lot to learn, I have to admit it. But it's really fun once you have the basics down.”

Yuma squints at the brunette. “That's what they all say and then they dump an entire library in front of you. No thank you.”

_______________

Mikumo lets himself drop on the bed at his home, drained of both Trion and physical energy.

He spent most of the day with Yuma and Replica, only going to the Border headquarters for a short time to reach his minimum amount of work he has to do every day.

While he was already there Osamu asked some of his coworkers if they knew of anybody called Mogami, but the search came up empty. Even the A and B rank member list did not include him.

Osmu pulls out the mini Replica from his pocket, seeing how it starts floating in his palm. “Replica, can you tell Yuma that I haven't found anybody with the name of Mogami in the Border database? I’m going to have to look around elsewhere since the non combat staff isn't included there. Or maybe he isn't part of Border anymore.”

Replica is silent for a moment, and Osamu almost thinks that the mininversions might now be able to talk like the main unit, until it starts talking with a worried voice. “That is not good. If Mogami isn't part of Border anymore, it might motivate him to leave Meeden immediately.” The trion soldier silently floats in the air for a moment, weighing its options.

“I wanted to keep this secret simply because Yuma has not come out to tell you it himself, but under these circumstances I might have to make an exception. Osamu, are you aware how black triggers function?”

The boy shakes his head. “No. Many in the department don't know either as far as I’m aware.”

“That is understandable. After all, the process is a bit gruesome.” Replica says solemnly. “A black trigger is created when certain people with strong active Trion lose their life.”

Osamu's eyes widen in realization. “So Yuma’s black trigger is-”

“Yes. It is Kuga Yugo, his father. He sacrificed himself to create it after Yuma got heavily injured. That is the reason he cannot leave his trion body. He is downplaying his problem immensely, like you probably expected. He is likely only able to survive minutes if he were to leave it, if even that much.”

“That's- That's horrible!” Osamu says, sitting up from his bed in shock. The white haired boy did not show any of the situation he was in. How can Yuma just live with something like that? “Is there a way to help him? Is that why he came here?”

“Sadly, no. As much as I tried to convince him, that is not the focus of his journey to Meeden. He is trying to find a way to revert Yugo back to before he turned into a black trigger.”

“But- if he reverts the black trigger back into a person, Yuma would die, right?”

Replica remains silent for a moment. “Yugo was the only person Yuma truly cared about. With his death, he  feels like he has lost his reason for living. He does not seem to care if he himself dies.” The trion soldier floats closer to Osamu. “So I ask you, please give Yuma a reason to live. It does not matter how right now, but he needs a reason to continue onwards that doesn't involve killing himself.”

Osamu clenches his fist, a determined expression appears on his face. “I will. I promise.” He decided. How could he not? How could he just deny a request like that?

“Thank you. And I’m sorry to burden you with this responsibility despite just having met. I would not have if I saw another way.” Replica says.

“Don't worry. Yuma deserves all the support he can get. He has a kind heart, even if he tends to go overboard at times.” Osamu says with a small, soft smile, already reaching for his phone. He has some preparations to make.

Chapter Text

Right after school ends Mikumo says his goodbyes to Yuma, having to go to the base for discussion of the unpermitted use of a trigger today.

After yesterday's talk with Replica he would really prefer to spend his time with Yuma right now, maybe give him a hug since he absolutely needs one, but Osamu needs his position in Border.

Well, to offer the white haired boy something interesting to do for today Osamu has at least recommended a restaurant to him, and they are planning to keep in touch thanks to Replica throughout the day.

“Good luck Osamu.” Yuma says as he waves after the brunette, promising to meet each other after Osamu is finished, no matter how the talk goes.

The walk though the forbidden zone is tense, but at least Osamu is kept company through the conversation with Yuma and Replica. He lets out a small laugh as he hears Yuma’s happy sounds in response to the creps, telling the neighbor some of his own favorites to try out.

The familiar hallways of the headquarters are a lot more intimidating today, but when he spots Izumi waiting for him on the upper level of the base, giving him a wide smile, at least some of the tension seeps away.

“Izumi-senpai. I’m sorry for causing problems.” He says, but the blonde simply pats the top of his head.

“I didn't expect you to do anything else, honestly. It was only a question of time till you broke the rules to save someone from a Trion soldier.” He says. “Don't be too nervous. The captain put in a good word for you. As did Yonyon and even Miwa. At least by his standards.”

The door to the dimly lit room opens and Izumi keeps standing at Osamu’s side, a man with a light blue jacket and same colored glasses already inside, giving the boy a playful grin. “There is the star of the show. You don't look like someone who would break the rules, honestly.”

“Let's not waste any time, Jin.” Commander Kido orders. “Mikumo, is it true that you used your Trigger outside the base?”

“Yes sir.”

Kinuta lets out a small sigh. “Osamu, you know the rules, probably better than any of those idiots.” He gestures to all the combatants in the room except for Miwa, and none of them makes any attempts to deny the statement.

“I’m sorry.” He says as he averts his eyes. “At that moment I just couldn't stop myself.”

Nezuki lets out a small sigh. “At the very least no civilians that didn't have the memories deleted saw it, and it is true that you managed to avoid the death of a civilian. Even if it would have been their own fault, the media would have spun it to be bad for Border in some way.”

Commander Kido crosses his arms. “If something like this were to happen again, would you still use your Trigger without permission?” He asks, his cold eyes seeming to pierce right through Mikumo.

The engineer feels how his throat dries. He could lie, but it doesn't feel right to do. So he just looks down to the ground and says the truth. “In the same situation, I would do it again.”

On the other side of the room Tachiakwa lets out a loud laugh. “That's our Mikumo! I wouldn't have believed it if you said anything else.” 

Kido doesn't exactly seem happy about the answer, same with Nezuki, but they seem to accept it for now, the commander crossing his arms. “We will let this incident slip this time because of your fast reaction during the Rad incident. A lot of people could have been killed and property damage could have been astronomical if you didn't catch it. But if you break the rules again, we will not just ignore that fact. This is the last warning.”

Mikumo goes into a deep bow. “Thank you for your consideration.”

He feels a hand fall down on each of his shoulders, both Izumi and the man named Jin giving him a thumbs up. The older of them turns towards Kido with a casual grin. “Well, if you would excuse us then.” He says and pulls Mikumo and Izumi out of the room, quickly closing the door behind them.

“Good work there four eyes. Holding your ground to Kido on the first try is pretty impressive.”

Izumi moves over to take Jin’s hand off Mikumo's shoulder. “I know that face. You are planning something again. Mikumo, this is Jin. He is the captain's rival and one of Border's Black Trigger holders. But most importantly he is never up to anything good.”

A playful grin appears on Jin’s face. “What, me? Never.” 

Izumi glares at him. “I bet you are trying to steal him away like you did with Kyosuke.” He says and pulls Osamu behind his back, making the older man let out a laugh.

“Well, it's your choice to stay in the main base and not come with him.” 

Izumi looks to the side, eyes downcast. “You know we can't do that unless we want to disturb Border’s power dynamic. You yourself said it would be a bad idea.”

Guilt flashes over Jin’s face, but it's gone just as fast as it appeared and if Osamu didn't watch him he would have missed it completely. “For now I can tell you that Kido isn't actually angry at you. He is just harsh because he thinks he needs to be.” He gives Osamu a smile as he holds out a piece of paper with a phone number. “In case you need help with something weird, call me.”

Before the boy can even respond the S Rank runs off, rounding the corner of the hallway.

Izumi gives Osamu a wry look as he inspects the piece of paper in his hands. “If he gives you his number, things are probably going to get busy for you soon. He must have seen something important happening to you with his Future Sight side effect.”

“Future sight? That sounds incredibly strong.” 

“Oh it is. He is one of the main reasons that Border works as well as it does.” Izumi explains. “Doesn't make him any less annoying though.”

Mikumo lets out a small laugh. “I promise that if I need help, I will come to you and the captain first.

Izumi gives him a wide grin, reaching up to ruffle Osamu’s hair. “You better.”

______________

Chika looks around the meeting place beside a bridge Osamu asked her to come to, but it looks like her friend isn't here yet. It's not really much of a surprise. Osamu has been really busy recently after all, and she is more than a bit early.

She is about to sit down on the slope of grass when she hears a voice in the distance, followed by a loud crash and splash.

She quickly runs over to the source, finding a white haired boy on the edge of the canal, drenched from head to toe as he tries to drag a bike out of the water.

“He made it look so easy…” The boy mumbles, trying to make his way back up, but the slippery edge of the rocks makes it a lot harder than it looks.

“Are you okay? Do you need help?” Chika asks, holding out her hands so the boy will have an easier time climbing back up to the street.

The boy gives her a smile, gratefully accepting the help target back on the sidewalk. “Thanks for the help. It looked so easy when my friend was doing it, but riding a bike is surprisingly hard.”

She looks at his bike, slightly tilting her head. “Are you trying to learn how to ride a bike?” She asks. It doesn't seem likely, because who doesn't know how to ride a bike? But it is the only thing that makes sense from how he is talking. He looks a bit foreign, and she has never seen someone so young with white hair.

“Yeah, back home I never learned.” He says, wringing some water out of his clothes. “But everybody here can, so I should learn too. It looks useful.”

Chika looks at her clock. It will probably take a while longer till Osamu arrives, so she has time. “Do you want me to try to help teach you?”

“You would? Thank you!” He says happily. “I think I just need one more tip and I will get it.” 

Sadly that doesn't end up happening, and Chika finds herself pushing the bike as they rush down the street beside the river.

“It's going! I'm riding it!” Yuma says happily, his hands clutching the handlebar with all his might as the wind rushes around him. “I think I finally get it it! I-” He says when Chika’s hand slips from the bike, and Yuma crashes into the river again.

Chika runs over to him again, once again trying to help the boy up so he can have another go at it.

“Chika! Yuma! I’m sorry I'm late!” Comes Osamu’s voice, making the two look towards the approaching boy, before exchanging looks with each other, only now realizing that they never got each other’s names.

“I see you already met each other?” Osamu says with amusement, helping them pull out the bike with an amused expression on his face.

“She has been teaching me how to ride a bike. I’m close to mastering it.” He says, though Chika’s expression says something else.

But her happy expression suddenly shifts to fear, her eyes snapping towards the direction of the forbidden zone. Only moments later the familiar siren echoes through the streets, announcing the arrival of a Trion soldier with its mechanical voice.

It's only by experience that Osamu can grab Chika’s hand before she can run off again. “Don't worry Chika. Ikoma squad is patrolling in the area right now. I can vouch for their competence. There is nothing for us to worry about.”

After seeing the curious look from Yuma, Osamu turns towards him. “Chika has a lot of trion, and she has been hunted by Trion soldiers for a long time, even before the first big invasion four years ago. Her side effect has helped her get away from the attacks for now.”

Yuma gives the nervous looking girl a smile. “You have a side effect too? Just like me!” He says.

Osamu gives him a curious look. “I didn't know you had one too. What is it?” He asks eagerly, before clearing his throat in embarrassment. “If it's okay to ask, of course.”

“It's okay. It's not like I'm trying to keep it a secret.” He gives the other two a small grin. “I am basically a living lie detector.”

Osamu’s eyes widen in amazement. “That has to be incredibly useful! I guess I’m the only one here without a side effect then.”

Chika gives the boys a small smile, but still sends another nervous look into the direction of the Trion soldier. “Maybe we should still go in a direction with fewer people, just to be sure.”

Yuma just raises his arms behind his head in a casual gesture. “No worry. Even if it were to come here, me alone would be enough to take it out. And Osamu isn't that weak either.”

“Are you a member of Border like Osamu?” Chika asks, and Yuma can't help but send a hidden look towards Osamu, the brunette returning him a reassuring nod.

“I’m not a member of Border. I’m what you guys call a neighbor.”

“A good neighbor!” Osamu quickly says. “Yuma is a good person. You can trust him.” Osamu tells her, and Yuma can see how instantly Chika calms down a bit, no longer looking like she is about to bolt. And Osamu believes his words too, a praise that Yuma isn't exactly sure how to handle.

Chika gives Yuma an uncertain look, taking an unconscious step towards Mikumo. “But I thought that all neighbors were like …that.” She says with another glance in the direction where the Trion soldier appeared.

“No, that's just Border’s official story.” Osamu explains. “There is an entire other culture on the other side. But people outside of Border aren't supposed to know that. I’m sorry about not telling you yet.” 

A small comforting smile appears on Osamu’s face. “I was waiting for the right moment to tell you, and I have a lot of other things I want you to know about, but we should probably do that at home instead of on the open street like this.” Not that the conversation they're having is much better, but Osamu still needs a bit of time to prepare for that talk, since it includes the part of Rinji leaving.

Chika is silent for a moment, before turning towards Yuma, seeming to look deep into his eyes, before giving him a small nod and smile. “If Osamu says you are a good person, I will trust that. It's nice to meet you, Yuma.”

“Sorry for hiding it at first. Nice to meet you properly. But back to your problem of being targeted by trion soldiers, did you ever have your Trion tested?” Yuma asks. “We could test it right now if you want. Replica.”

Following the command the Trion soldier appears, nodding his entire body to Chika. “It's nice to meet you. I’m Replica, Yuma’s caretaker. If you want, we can measure your Trion right away.”

“N-Nice to meet you.” Chika says a bit nervously, but she doesn't reach out to the device Replica is sprouting from its mouth.

“If it's not too much trouble, could you test my Trion level too?” Mikumo asks. “Then we know if your measuring system is the same as Border’s.”

“It's no problem at all. Please give me a moment.” Replica says, holding the small tendril out to Osamu who takes it without hesitation.

Osamu feels how his own Trion flows into Replica, not that different from when he is testing Triggers, and after just a moment a cube of Trion appears floating above Replica.

Osamu gives it a curious look. “Border is using a numerical system. According to that, I’m on level two.”

The cube above Replica floats closer to Osamu so it hovers in front of his chest. “Then they are most likely using the standard grading system used in the neighborhood. Your amount is …”

“You don't have to hold back. I know my Trion is very low.” Osamu says with a sigh before turning to Chika. “Do you wanna try next?”

This time the girl doesn't seem nearly as nervous, and she doesn't hesitate to reach out to Replica.

“It seems this analysis will take a bit longer. We should sit down somewhere.” The trion solder advises, floating over to a small bench, distracting the girl by asking some small, inconsequential questions.

While Chika sits down on a bench with Replica, Osamu and Yuma take a step back, the white haired boy giving the other a confused look.

“Why hasn't Chika joined Border yet? It would be the most logical course of action, right?”

“It would be the best, but Chika doesn't like to rely on others, or more likely is afraid to do so. The last time she relied on someone with her problems with neighbors, that friend ended up being kidnapped by them. Since then she has been trying to keep to herself with her problems.”

“Is that so …” Yuma mumbles to himself. “But It's probably still better if she joins Border. Even with her side effect she wouldn't be able to fight back if a neighbor ever caught her.”

As he finishes the sentence a bright light appears to the side of the pair, its source an enormous Trion cube floating above Replica, easily multiple size the girl herself.

“The analysis is complete. Your Trion is enormous, Chika. I don't think I have ever recorded such a large amount of Trion from a single person.”

Yuma lets out a whistle. “That's really impressive. No wonder people were trying to capture you. With this amount you might be able to supply an entire base with Trion. Maybe even a town.”

Chika does not look happy to hear that in the slightest. “So they really don't leave me alone? No matter what I do?” She asks, Yuma nodding in response.

“Don’t worry Chika. Border and I won't let you be kidnaped. Border is very committed to their responsibility. But in our situation, that might not be a purely good thing.” Osamu says, turning towards Yuma. “So I have to ask you something. Yuma, how about you join Border?”

The white haired boy gives him a surprised look. “Why do you think that's a good idea? Wasn't Border pretty opposed to Neighbors?”

“Yeah, they are, but there aren't exactly rules put in place to forbid neighbors from joining, I checked. But there are ones that forbid agents to attack each other, and during my meeting with Kido, he definitely made it look like he intends to hold onto the rules of Border no matter what, so there is a good chance he wouldn't make an exception even if it comes out where you are from.”

Osamu awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. “And there's one more thing. I have listened around from somebody named Mogami, but haven't found anything yet. Having another person who can search too would be very helpful.”

Yuma makes his usual duck face, arms behind his head. “Hmm, I get the idea, but how would I even join? It can't be that easy.”

“I can take care of that no problem. Border members can make recommendations to get others directly into the second stage of the application program. As long as they aren't a C rank at least. Then you only have to show off your capabilities at using a trigger.”

Yuma gives him a small grin. “Yeah, that wouldn't be a problem. Okay. Leave it to me.” He sends a thumbs up towards the two others.

“Sorry for asking you this.” Osamu says. “It's still a bit risky, after all.”

“Oh I know you wouldn't have asked me that unless it became absolutely necessary. That's just how you are.” he says, making Chika let out a small giggle and Osamu blush in embarrassment.

Chapter Text

Osamu hands in the documents for Yuma’s application with nervousness creeping through his veins.

With the lack of a legal guardian they had to fake a signature, or rather Replica did one since that's kind of his position, but it shouldn't be a problem since Osamu hasn't heard of any case where Border actually confirmed them face to face with the parents.

‘And if they call, I managed to link Replica up to a phone, so he would be able to answer them and play as the parent.’

It is still a good number of days away till the application date cuts off, but Mikumo wanted to be early just to be sure.

Yuma could also have applied to one of the early talent recognition programs, but the two decided it would be better if they kept it low for now.

Osamu quickly hurries back down towards the R&D lab again, planning on finishing his work on the device that he now knows (thanks to Replika’s help) to be a levitation engine usually used for small distance vehicles.

Replica has been teaching Osamu about neighborhood technology whenever they have time, and the boy has been sucking up every drop of information like a sponge.

Thanks to the tips from the trion soldier Osamu has been improving a lot, Replica probably being the best teacher Osamu ever had, and it feels like every day his speed at crafting triggers increases.

Which leaves him more time for his own, something appreciated with how much busier he has gotten recently.

‘I have to finish my work quickly to meet up with Chika and Yuma later.’ For now the two are still exploring the city together, and in the evening they are trying out a new restaurant together.

As soon as he steps into the room Ilia turns towards him with a grin. “Osamu! I heard from Kinuta that you fought a neighbor! I didn't think you were such a delinquent.” She says, poking her finger into his side.

“Please don't say that. I already got enough from Kinuta about it.” 

“Oh there is no way I'm going to let this chance pass by. Especially with your small stunt you pulled with Ikuma’s and Oji’s Trigger adjustments. We have never been flooded with as many requests like we are now.”

Osamu averts his eyes in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry. I really didn’t think about something like that at the time.”

“I’m just teasing you.” Ilia says. “I didn’t think you would do such a good job so quickly, which was my fault for underestimating how much work you were willing to put into this. And the teams you helped using their new tools very well certainly made the impact stronger.”

She turns around to pick up a package from her table. “Oh, before you go home today, can you bring this up to Tachikawa’s squad room? We have a new A rank Trigger body for him.”

“They are already in for a new rotation time? Didn't he have one recently?” Osamu remembers going through the specific tests for it not that long ago.

“Yeah, he did, but we found a better Trion converter through the spoils from the last Away Mission, remember? The higher ups have ordered to prioritize giving that to the stronger members.”

Osamu takes the box from her with a small nod. “Are the higher ups still angry enough at Ninomiya that they are giving the upgrade to Izumi first?”

Ilia lets out a tired sigh. “You got it on the point. Sometimes I think they are worse than schoolchildren. I wonder how long they will stay angry.”

He doesn't show it, but Osamu feels slightly guilty for the predicament Ninomiya squad is in. After all, he was aware of the plan Rinji was creating, and didn't do anything against it.

Osamu doesn't exactly regret his decision to let Rinji go through with his travel to the neighborhood, but that doesn't mean that Osamu wont see it as his responsibility to make up for the consequences.

“But if we had them anyway, do you think they could be given to Ninomiya?”

Ilia taps her chin in thought. “I guess if we have enough time we can build one for him. The higher ups won't complain if we do it outside our quota. Are you planning on taking it on? Oh you and your bleeding heart.”

Osamu blushes as he turns around to go to his work table. “It's not that, I’m just doing what's right!” He insists as he closes the door behind him.

For today he has to finish the B rank Trigger body and and his analysis of the levitation part he was working. Maybe he will even be allowed to look at another part? There is still a pile of uncategorized equipment no one has taken a look at.

He picks up his tools with a small smile, the familiar feeling of them laying in his hand being surprisingly calming, as he starts to work on the finer structure of the trigger that they cannot yet replicate through machines.

Osamu can't help but think back Replica’s lesson as he constructs the smaller details, combining the different design elements that Replica has collected of their journey.

‘I hope Chika and Yuma are having fun.’ Though he doesn't really worry that they don't. The two have been getting along very well, and Yuma’s easygoing nature has helped pull Chika out of her shell in a way Osamu himself was never able to.

It doesn't take long till he is done with his work, quickly packing all the tools away, grabbing the package he has been given to deliver it to Tachikawa.

After saying some short goodbye to his colleagues he hurries up towards the upper layer of the base where the A rank rooms are, silently hoping that he doesn't come across any of the higher ups, especially Kido.

Thankfully luck seems to be on his side for once, and he quickly holds his key card to the Tachikawa squad room door, Kunichika having given him access a long time ago now. 

A smile creeps on Osamu’s face as he sees Izumi on the table, leaning over some schoolwork with an expression of despair. “Having some troubles, Izumi-senpai?”

“Osamu!” The blonde says happily, reaching out to the brunette. "Please save me from this! I can't endure this any longer! Just send me to fight a Bamster with my bare hands or something! That would be better than this!” 

Osamu sits down on his site with a small laugh, comfortingly patting the blonde on his back. “I know you can do it. I wish I could help.” Because even if Osamu would currently be keeping up with his studies, the material is a bit too advanced for Osamu, especially since it isn't math related.

From the other side of the room Tachikawa and Kunichika share a laugh at the shooter’s misery.

Osamu gives the two a smile. “Captain, I have something to give you. It's an updated trigger with some new tech from the laste away mission. Izumi senpai is probably going to get a new one soon too.”

The attacker gives him a happy grin as he is handed the package. “Oh, gimme gimme. I heard Kinuta talk about this. I can't wait to try it out.”

Kunichika gives it a curious hum as she inspects the new device, even if the casing looks just like the old one. “I can open up a training room for you if you want to try it out right away.”

Osamu stands up again and takes the old trigger. “Then I wont bother you any longer. Have fun with the trigger.”

“Oh, don't go yet.” The captain says, grabbing Osamu and sitting him down beside the table. “We have something important to tell you about.” The man says eagerly.

“ …But I have something planned with some friends today.” Osamu says, though he quickly backpaddles as he sees the others’ expressions fall. “But I’m sure they wouldn't mind you coming along! How does that sound?”

Izumi’s puppy frown instantly turns to a smile. “Yeah, that sounds great! ” He says as he jumps up from his seat, and sometimes Osamu doubts that he really is the youngest in this room.

“You really just want any reason so you don't have to continue doing your homework.” Kunichika says as she gets ready to go too, Tachikawa already having gotten his jacket.

It doesn't take long till the group leaves the base, and no matter how much Osamu asks they are unwilling to tell him yet what they want to talk about, acting all mysterious every time he brings it up.

Despite the usual chaos that the top squad brings wherever they go, Osamu ends up at the meeting point earlier than he expected, though that comes at the cost of being in a car ride with Tachikawa and losing about four years of his lifetime through sheer panic.

‘How did he even pass the driving exam?!’ Osamu can't imagine him in any normal situation like that.

But Yuma and Chika have already arrived there, the white haired boy’s arms stacked with all kinds of snacks, munching on some cotton candy with a happy expression on his face, the fluffy sweet looking not that different from his hair.

The neighbor looks up from his food, seemingly noticing the approaching group on instinct, a grin appearing once he recognizes Osamu among them, waving  them over.

Osamu returns the smile. “Thanks for waiting. Let's introduce everybody. These are my friends Yuma and Chika. And these are captain Tachikawa, Izumi and Kunichika. They are the top team in Border. They wanted to tag along for something they refuse to tell me about.”

Chika gives them a small bow. “Nice to meet you.” She says, Yuma doing his best to imitate the gesture.

But Tackiawa just raises his hands to try to get them to relax. “You don't have to be so formal. A friend of Osamu is our friend.” He just says. “Now, how about we go eat? I haven't had anything for hours.”

“You had a full meal two hours ago. Two full plates.” Izumi says, but doesnt stop the man.

“See? Two hours is hours.” Tachikawa says as the group is directed towards a big table in the corner of the traditional curry rice restaurant, the large menu layed out in front of them, and already Yuma’s eyes widen with excitement.

The group chooses their meals quickly, and it doesn't take long till the table is filled with the numerous plates, the delicious smell rising to their noses as hot steam rises from the food.

“Thanks for the meal!” The group says in unison as they start to dig in, exchanging scraps of information now and then, just as they exchange scraps of food whenever Yuma wants to try out what the others are eating. 

Tachikawa squad seem to be amused by his curiosity, eagerly giving the boy some of their food whenever they catch him looking towards it.

“I’m planning to enter Border too.” Yuma tells the other. “I’m taking part in the next test.” 

“Good luck to you.” Tachikawa says. “But I doubt you will need it. Everyone can see that. The tests aren't that difficult, especially for someone who knows how to use their body like you obviously do. Are you planning to become an attacker?”

Osamu has already explained the different positions and triggers to Yuma, and for now the Scorpion seems to interest him most. The white haired boy tells as much to Tachikawa, who nods his head in agreement.

“You seem like the type. It's a good weapon indeed, but I myself prefer something more balanced and straightforward like the Kogetsu.” 

Izumi gives them a grin. “All you sword fanatics. I prefer something cooler like bullets, right Osamu?” 

“Well … I do have to admit that I find bullets cooler too.” Osamu says a bit embarrassed.

Yuma takes in a scandalized gasp of air. “Betrayed by my closest friend. What crimes did I commit to deserve such punishment?”

“I can only agree.” Tachikawa says. “But I have to admit it is amazing to have a good shooter to cover my back during the Rank Wars. It's too bad that usually Izumi and I get separated by the other teams. Keeping up with our usual fighting style has been pretty hard since Kyosuke left, which is one of the reasons we want you to join our squad, Osamu.”

Osamu’s head snaps towards the man in front of him, coughing as he nearly chokes on his drink. At first he thinks he has misheard Tachikawa, but the smug expression on the captain's face says otherwise.

“I even convinced Commander Kido to implement a new position since you aren't in the combat unit yet, see?” He says happily, pulling out a document folder with a large label saying ‘Combat Mechanic’.

Osamu just stares at it in shock, looking between the document and the members of the top team. “Wha- This is some kind of joke, right? I’m just me. There is no way you would really want me, right? There are so many better people to choose from.”

Tachikawa squad’s expression falls a bit as they hear that response, but they don't look surprised by it, Izumi being the first to break the silence. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who are better fighters, but that's not what we care for. We want you on our team.”

“But - What would I even do for your team?”

“You already helped us a lot with your support in Izumi’s research and taking care of the Triggers for us.” Kunichika says. “No other engineer has ever managed to tune the Triggers for them this well. And for the rest, we will figure something out as we go.”

Tachikawa just takes another bite from his food. “You have all the time in the world to figure out what to do. Do you think the first shooters or more recently Trappers and Spotters immediately knew how to fit into the combat dynamic of their new times?” But that doesn't help calm Osamu a lot.

The captain's expression softens a bit, ruffling Osamu’s hair. “You don't have to answer now. You can take as much time as you need. We won't force you into joining anything, but we would be really happy to have you along on the ride.”

Osamu doesn't get a single word out as his throat seems to tighten against his will, his mind going blank.

He is glad he ate something before, because for the rest of the evening he doesn't manage to get down a single bite.

__________________

Osamu Chika and Yuma sitting together in Osamu’s room, mostly just relaxing together as they finish some of their schoolwork, though Osamu only jumps in to help the other two now and then if they have questions, instead getting another lesson on Trigger technology from Replica.

The boy knows that a big reason for the meetup is an attempt to distract Osamu from the proposition of Tachikawa squad’s offer, something that is very welcome even if the thought hasn't even properly settled yet.

Before Osamu wouldn't have had the time to just hang out on a random day, but thanks to the tips of Yuma’s caretaker he has been getting a lot faster at building the triggers and their components.

With Replica’s permission he also taught certain techniques to some of the other people in R&D, even if he isn't happy to have to claim he found it, so the department has been able to pick up a bit of the work that has piled up. Every bit counts, after all.

Even Kinuta is happy about it, the piles of paperwork that have been covering up the surface of his desk getting smaller for once. (He was even smiling one day, which basically creeped out every single agent in the hallways that saw him.)

“Osamu, you should try to make the Trion flow more fluid to lessen the change-up duration for the bullets. It's not much of a problem for blades, but for something that has to be manifested repeatedly, every millisecond could make the difference.” Replica instruments, pointing to a small section of the plan of the Trigger body.

Osamu lets out a sigh and erases the structure for what feels like the dozenth time, starting again from the start. He has learned pretty quickly that just moving around the parts in a quick fix will only create more problems in the long run.

Chika watches him in amusement, closing her book and standing up from the ground. “How about we take a break and bake something? Clear your mind a bit?”

“You are probably right. Yuma, have you ever baked chocolate chip cookies before?”

“Hm, I only watched people bake things before. And in the neighborhood they don't really have anything similar to chocolate available. At least not when I have been.”

“A true torture." Chika says with deep pity on her face. “Maybe if we introduce chocolate we can calm them down enough to stop the wars.”

Osmau gives them a doubtful look as they go down the stairs. “Don't forget that in the past some wars of conquests in our world were literally done to get farming areas for things like chocolate. So, where do we start?” He asks, pulling out the recipe book, even if he has the  measurements memorized anyway. One can never be sure enough.

And it turns out to be a good decision, because Osamu is sure that in the chaos their white haired friend creates he would have forgotten some ingredients otherwise.

Osamu can barely hold back his laugh as he wipes the flour off Yuma's face that is now as white as his hair, the smaller boy's hands still covered in cookie dough so it would be a very bad idea to try to clean it himself.

“This is a lot harder than it looks.” The neighbor says as he makes his usual duck face.

Chika lets out a small chuckle, cleaning off her friend's clothes. “Just do it more carefully next time. And don't worry, we should have some clean clothes here you can change into.”

“Then I will not hold back! Let me try again!” He says a determined expression on his face.

In the end the group runs through probably three times the amount of flour they would normally need, but seeing the smile on Yuma’s face as he bites into one of the freshly baked cookies makes it more than worth it, even with all the work cleaning the kitchen after is going to be.

“They turned out amazing!” Yuma says happily, almost purring like a pleased cat. “They taste so good!"

“We should do this again soon.” Chika says as she takes one as well, her friends nodding in agreement as they laze together on the couch, letting some random movie run on tv, all cuddled together under a large blanket.

Slowly Osamu feels himself drift off into sleep, the nervousness that has built up over the week slowly drained out of him, the pending decision about joining Tachikawa’s team pushed into the back of his mind.

Yuma might not be able to sleep, but cuddled between his two friends in the softest blanket in Chika’s home and with a filled belly, it's probably the closest Osamu ever has seen his friend to it, eyes only half open as he leans on Osamu’s shoulder.

Osamu reaches out with his arms to pull his friends even closer, trying to surround them with his arms as best he can as he looks down on the white haired neighbor beside him.

‘I’m going to make sure you are okay.’ Osamu promises the boy, even if he doesn't say it out loud, not knowing how Yuma would react to Replica telling Osamu without asking first.

But that does not mean Osamu would ever even consider breaking that promise.

__________________

“Why aren't we using Trion soldiers for ourselves? They could be very useful, right?” Osamu asks Ilia as they are both working on some Triggers, just the usual repetitive Trigger body construction that honestly doesn't need as much concentration. 

His superior barely looks up from her work, letting out a huff of air. “A number of reasons actually, but there are two main ones. Firstly because the normal people would likely be scared of them, and secondly because they cost so much Trion to create.”

She rolls her chair to the side and pulls out a document.  “In the neighborhood they collect Trion from their entire population all the time, but we barely have enough to keep the base in good condition with the Trion we gather from our members.”

Mikumo nods along with her. He knows that is one of the reasons why they have so many recruits, not that the young members are aware of that. “And we don't collect them from Mikado city for legal reasons, right?”

“Yeah. The annoying legal reasons like always. Which is stupid in my opinion. It's not like they are using it anyway, and it's the least they could give in return for Border protecting them.” 

‘Kido and Kinuta probably have something in the works for that though. There is no way they don't. They won't just leave such a large resource untouched.’

Though this still hasn't stopped Mikumo from his main question. “But theoretically, if some of our more Trion heavy members wanted, they could create some, right?” 

“Yeah, and the higher ups were considering doing so too in case of a larger invasion, but I don't think those plans have gone anywhere yet.”

Osamu stares down at the tools in front of him for a moment. “It feels like a waste.”

“Exactly!” Ilia calls out in response, letting herself drop into the back of her chair, before a small light reappears in his eyes. “Hey, just an idea, Kinuta has a weakness for cute kids that remind him of his daughter, and you are probably close enough to her in terms of innocence.” 

“Wha-” 

“So! Why don't you ask him where that project is going? Maybe you can convince him. It's worth a shot, right?” 

Mikumo gives his colleague an uncertain smile. “I'm not sure if that will work.” But after a pleading look from the older man he lets out a sigh. “Okay. I will try the next time there is a good opportunity.” 

Though with him already looking for a good opportunity to create a combat team for the R&D department, that is way further down the list of priorities. Or at least, it used to be before he got that opportunity from Tachikawa. 

Ah, and back comes the worry. He really didn't want to think about that today.

Well, he will absolutely keep his eyes open for a chance to talk to Kinuta anyway. 

He was friends with Rinji after all. Some of his ability to nudge people in the direction that you want has to have rubbed off on Mikumo, right?

Chapter Text

Osamu, Yuma and Chika were out in the city again, the smaller two dragging Osamu off into the city in a barely disguised attempt to distract him from the proposal Tachikawa gave him.

It's not that he doesn't want to, but is he really worth joining such an amazing team? If that new position really existed, they should get someone much better than him, like Raizo.

Yuma, who seems to have already noticed his returning inner turmoil, quickly shoves a crepe in his face. “Here, take a bite. You will like it.” He says, and Osamu a small nibble, and it indeed tastes very good, it's just that Osamu isn’t in the mood for eating right now.

Chika gives him a comforting look, knowing exactly what is happening in his head. “No matter what you decide, they won't be angry, you know? And if they had sky high expectations for you, they would have said so from the start. But they haven't. I can tell they are good people.”

She sends Yuma a look, the neighbor giving Osamu an encouraging nod. “And all that they said was true. They really want you in their team.”

“She is correct, Osamu.” Replica says, his mini version hidden in Osamu’s collar. “If they didn't want you in their team, they would not have asked in the first place. I too believe your worry is unfounded. Joining them does seem like the correct decision.”

“Only if you want to of course.” Chika says. “You don't have to if you don't want to, in case you want to avoid the chaos they will bring.” She says with a laugh.

That brings a small smile to Osamu’s face. Even if the R&D department reduces his work, he will have his hands full making sure that Izumi and Tachikawa don't get into trouble. ‘Shinoda  would at least be very glad if someone took over that part of his work.’

“But they are the top team. That's just different.” Osamu tries to insist, but his friends don't plan on letting up.

“Different how?” Yuma demands. “They don't feel that different to me. And they are good guys, that's what's most important.”

Before Osamu can answer he hears a commotion from the other side of the street, and the trio spots a plume of smoke rising out of a window, some flickers of fire visible through the window.

Immediately Osamu reaches into his pocket to pull out the training trigger he is carrying at the moment, and immediately tries to run towards the source of the flames.

But before he can rush in, Yuma reaches out to Osamu with an iron grip, preventing him from rushing into the chaos and stopping him from activating his Trigger.

“I don't think that is a good idea after your last warning from the higher ups. I won't stop you if you decide to do it anyway, but Replica’s scans do not sense any human inside.” Yuma tells him, making some of the tension leave Osamu’s shoulders.

Yuma’s expression turns to a grin. “But you know, if you were part of Tackikawa’s squad, you would be able to activate your Trigger without problem.” 

Osamu sends a glare towards the white haired boy, only making the neighbors grin more smugly as Chika is holding back a giggle, before her expression becomes more serious, eyes shifting towards the commotion, some people with fire extinguishers already taking care of the situation.

“Osamu, I have something to ask you.” She says, gathering the boys’ attention. “Please also apply me to Border.”

Osamu’s eyes widened in shock. “Wha- Why so suddenly?”

“After seeing how hard you and Yuma work, I don't think I could just continue sitting around. I can’t let people take care of my problems forever, and if I can help protect innocents and get back my friend and brother, then I will.”

“But - It's dangerous to join Border. You know that.”

“I know that, even if you always said the opposite when I told you the same after you joined Border.” She says, making the boy turn away in embarrassment.

She reaches out to the older boy’s hands, making him look back at her. “I know it's going to be hard, very hard, and I know there is a good chance all of this will be for nothing. But if there is so much as a chance, I will take it.”

Osamu’s shoulders drop in defeat, and he lets out a sigh. “Okay. I will apply you too. Just - Please be careful. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you.”

“I will be careful. And thank you.” She says as catches Osamu in a hug, before turning to Yuma. “And thank you for giving me the courage to take that step.” 

The white haired boy lifts his arms behind his head. “I barely did anything, you know.”

But she shakes her head, reaching out to Yuma and pulling him into the hug too. “Maybe, but I don't think I could have done that on my own.”

Osamu gives his two friends a fond look. “If I apply you today, you should still slip into the same recruitment bracket as Yuma.”

The neighbor gives Chika a grin. “That means we can conquer our way up A rank together.”

Osamu looks down at them, and as he sees theri motivated expressions he lets out a deep sigh. “Okay. I will join Tachikawa squad.” He gives in. “You convinced me. If you two are aiming high, I should do the same. Under one condition.” He says, making his friends look up to each other. “You have to promise we will meet me all the way up in A rank.”

Yuma responds with a battle ready grin. “Challenge accepted. Don't think we will let you take your time. We will be challenging your new team for the position of first ranked position before you even know.”

_____________

“Kitora, Satori.” Inukai calls out towards the two over the usual sounds of the cafeteria, catching the attention of the two and Tokieda who was walking with them. 

Jun is already out, having something to do with his little siblings, who no doubt will complain all the way despite how much they actually like spending time with their big brother. 

Inukai gives them a fake apologetic smile as he and Tsuji walk up to them. “Sorry about your trade about who that person wearing the Tachikawa squad uniform is, but I sadly have to call the deal off.” 

Kitora gives him a look of shock. “Wha- is the information not valuable enough? We can provide something else.” She offers, because Inukai taking back a trade? That's unusual, and only makes her want to know more. 

But the blonde holds up his hand. “The information is valuable enough, but sadly for you I have been motivated to not tell you anything.”

Satori gives him a curious look. “What did Tachikawa squad bribe you with so you won't tell?”

But Inukai's mischievous smile only grows larger. “Not telling. Anyway, I still wish you guys a good day.” He says and walks off with Tsuji in tow. 

The black haired swordsman gives his teammate a small look that most would identify as passive, and his teammate only knows he is curious through years of experience. “That's unusual for you.”

“Hm? What are you talking about? I can respect other people's privacy, you know?” 

“... You just want to get an A Rank trigger like Ninomiya did too and don't want to risk making this Mikumo angry at you, don't you?”

Inukai lets out a small laugh. “What? Never.” He says, but his playful expression falls as soon as he says the words. “But no, this is really mostly for giving it to Nino-chan. Captain deserves to have more good things happen to him.”

Tsuji nods in agreement without hesitation. Their captain might be good at hiding it, but Hatohara's disappearance hit him hard, and every hit following that event only made it worse. 

But after he got the trigger, despite the higher ups telling him he would not, he was happier than Tsuji had seen him in weeks. Well, not that anybody outside their team and the captain’s old teammates would realize with that poker face. 

Finding out who the mysterious benefactor of their captain is was quite a challenge, one that Inukai ended up enjoying a lot. In the end he managed to figure it out from Raizo by calling in a favor from Suwa.

It's truly a shame he can't use this information for trading, but it feels like this could end up a very useful piece of information in the future. Nino doesn't have enough allies right now, if you ask Inukai.

The blonde boy gives his teammate another smile. “But you know Tsuji-chan, if I am given an updated A Rank trigger, I of course wouldn't complain.”

_____________

As Osamu leads Yuma and Chika to the testing area for their application to Border, he somehow feels like he is the most nervous member of the group.

Most of the tests will be skipped because Osamu vouched for them, and according to Replica none of the tests that will be done (Osamu had to give out some IOY in exchange for those informations) could detect the fact that Yuma is a neighbor and constantly in a Trion body.

The building is already filled with some other applicants, most seem to be here alone but some are in groups, one of those lead by a person Osamu is sure is a lower B rank agent.

Right now the trio isn't in the main base, only a small offshoot branch near the Suzunari branch.

Osamu walks up to the counter and hands the clerk Chika’s and Yuma’s application before the trio sits down in the waiting room.

“So, we will just go through the tests like we practiced. We don't want to attract too much attention to Yuma’s capabilities after all, and Chika with her enormous Trion will pull the attention away from him.”

Yuma could absolutely start with more than the standard 1000 ranking points, but that's not worth the risk it could bring.

Chika awkwardly presses her fingers together. “I hope they don't have us do too many fitness tests.” Usually they don't, but there have been some cases over the last months.

“And I hope they don't have us do literature.” Yuma says, even if they have already made plans for Osamu to do the tasks for him with the help of Replica. 

Even with his best efforts, the neighbor still isn't the best at the language based tests that can't be translated properly just by being in a Trion body. (Which is a function Osamu hasn't been aware of until recently, but it did help the R&D with translating one of the audio logs that were retrieved during the last Away Mission.)

The trio only has to wait for a short while till they are called into the testing area together with the other people present.

Osamu stands back as the others sit down further ahead on their designated seats. To Yuma’s dread they hand out pieces of paper, but he sighs in relief when he sees that it's just a slight logic and morality test, something that Replica can just give all the answers to when his answers don't match up with Meeden’s standards.

‘Yuma solving them himself probably wouldn't be the best idea.’ His methods do seem a bit harsh after all. At least by what Meeden sees as normal. His answers appear to be pretty average by neighborhood standards, if not rather lax.

Thankfully the test doesn't take long, and after less than an hour the group is sent to the next room for some physical tests.

Osamu always wondered why they even bother to do the written tests in the first place, and take such care to change up the questions every single time, despite them being so easy  that even any normal ten year old japanese student could solve them.

‘But maybe that's the point.’ Osamu realizes as he sees how Yuma is struggling with the questions. ‘Maybe this test is to fish out neighbors that want to infiltrate or steal trigger technology. Though the latter is pretty unlikely, since basically everyone on that side is more advanced than us.’

To Chika’s delight they don't seem to do endurance training this time, just some fitness related exercises just like Osamu did during his first test. Yuma looks a bit disappointed that he can't go all out, but he will get over it.

After all, it won't be long till he can have his fun fighting against actual opponents.

“Okay everyone!” The supervisor says. “Let's change into something different and then we will do the last test.” Which has to be the Trion test then, no that they are announcing that.

It's the same as it was when Osamu went through the tests, though he isn't sure why they would do them in this order. After all, if your Trion is too low, you wouldn't even be considered, no matter how good the rest of your results are.

The testing machine just looks like it would be taking one's handprint, and the staff doesn't elaborate on its function, so Osamu was very confused by it his first time around, a fate other recruits seem to share.

Yuma goes first in their group, taking the free one of the three machines, as it begins its scan.

It takes a bit longer for him than the rest, which is expected with his a little bit larger resources, even if they aren't enormous. There is another one of the recruits who comes close, their measurement probably only one rank below Yuma’s, if Osamu’s experience with the device proves right.

“Good work.” The supervisor says, looking down on the numbers with a smile. “Next one.” She says, and Chika steps up to the machine as Yuma and Osamu meet up, exchanging a smile. This is likely going to take a while.

Osamu inspects the face of the supervisor as the seconds tick by during Chika’s scan, looking between the small girl and the constantly growing number on her tablet in shock.

It's after the testing time passes the forty second mark that she quickly calls over one of her coworkers who’s eyes immediately widen in shock at the number, only for it to continue to rise up, completely unbothered by the attention it's getting.

Yuma and Osamu send Chika an encouraging smile, trying to help a bit with her nervousness as more and more eyes land on her.

By the time the scan is finished five different Border workers have gathered, the oldest one turning to Chika with a nervous and apologetic smile. “Could you please give it another try? There is something we want to make sure of.” He says as he gestures towards another machine.

Osamu watches in amusement as the adults all stare at the results in shock, the mumbling among each other getting louder with every point that Chika’s second Trion ranking goes up.

Feeling a bit of sympathy for their situation Osam walks up to them. “If I may intrude, I’m the one who vouched for Chika’s application. Her Trion is high enough that she is actively chased by neighbors, even prioritized over crowds of people right in front of them.”

The old man seems to consider his words. “Still, for it to be this high. We will run the test with the third machine just in case, but despite the amount, I guess the measurements are correct. Border can count themselves incredibly lucky to have her.”

The man turns toward Chika. “I’m sorry for the bother. You should give your parents a thanks for giving you so much Trion.” He says, getting a forced smile from the girl in return.

The whole procedure doesn't take much longer, and Chika does an excellent job to draw every bit of attention away from Yuma. 

“Great job you two.” Osamu says once they leave the building, making sure to double check all the information on the diploma his friends got. “I don't think you could have done that any better. Looks like the official first day is two weeks from now.”

“Ah, I can't wait. I really want to move a bit.” Yuma says, before turning his attention to the side. His friends follow his gaze in the same direction to see the members of Tachikawa squad walk towards them.

“Mikumo and kids!” Tachikawa calls over to them. “I see it worked out fine. Didn't expect anything else.” He says as he slings his arms around Osamua’s shoulder. “You know, you could have just come to us to say you agree to join the squad instead of telling the higher ups.”

The boy blushes in embarrassment. “I’m pretty sure if you decided to throw a party and skip work again Kido would actually send Kazama squad after you to assassinate you.”

“That is a risk I’m willing to take! To the Yakiniku restaurant!” He declares, grabbing Yuma and Chika to run off towards his car, the rest of the group following after him, and Chika and Yuma get their first experience of Tachikawa’s “driving”, the neighbor taking the experience a bit better than Chika.

“A toast for our new member!” Izumi declares happily as soon as they are inside the restaurant, the group sharing a toast, even if it's just juice. “We are finally back up to three again!”

Osamu still looks a bit nervous, but that doesn’t stop the wide smile that spreads over his face. “Thank you. I will do my best!”

“Don't overwork yourself. Again.” Kunichika says as she takes a piece of meat from the grill. 

“I will try to take better care of myself.” Osamu says, though from the look every other person on the table gives him, no one seems to believe the words. He doesn't know if he should feel offended by that.

Tachikawa turns towards Chika with a small grin. “But I have to say, your Trion is pretty impressive. You easily surpass the previous first place. By nearly three times no less.” He turns towards Izumi. “I guess that pushes you down to place three now.”

But the blonde doesn't seem especially bothered by it, just shrugging and taking another bite from his food. “I mean, It was only a question of time. But I do want to see Nino’s reaction when he hears of that.” He snickers.

He gives Chika a small grin “If you ever need some help with bullet triggers you can always ask me for tips. They can be a bit tricky to figure out at the start after all.”

Tachikawa turns towards Yuma. “Same goes for you with swords, but you feel more like the type who likes to figure things out on their own.”

Yuma gives the man a grin. “Yeah, I like to try things out by myself, but if I ever get too stuck, I will keep you in mind. But right now I would rather you promise me to take good care of Osamu.” Yuma says, making Osamu blush and stutter some incoherent words in response.

Tachikawa lets out a loud laugh, catching Osamu under his arm. “You can be sure of that, I promise. Actually, that is one of the reasons we are eating here.” Tachikawa says as he searchingly looks around the restaurant.

His face lights up as he sees what, or rather who, he is searching for, and enthusiastically waves towards them. “Kyosuke! Over here!” He waves to one of the servers who looks up from where he was collecting plates.

His expression remains unchanged as he comes closer to their table, though somehow Osamu is able to tell he is able to see the members of Tachikawa squad.

Tachikawa slings his arm around the boy’s neck with a grin. “This handsome guy is Kyosuke, our previous team member.” Osamu instantly feels himself tense up as he sees the member he is supposed to replace.

“Kyosuke!” Izumi calls out happily, standing up to catch the black haired teen in a short hug. “I didn't know you worked here too.” The blonde says, completely relaxed in the way that it melts Osamu’s tension away too.

Kunichika sends Mikumo a small smile. “Kyosuke left the team to have more time working his side jobs to finance his family, but he still visits often. It's actually surprising you two haven't happened to meet yet.” She lets out a small sigh. “He should just have taken the money we were offering from our salaries instead and stayed in the team, but that is just not something he would agree to.”

Kyosuke doesn't seem to have heard her, and while his body language seems more bored than anything else, Osamu gets the feeling the handsome teen is happy as he talks to his former teammates.

He turns towards Osamu with a small nod. “Nice to meet you. Izumi has told me about you.”

"Likewise.” The engineer responds a bit nervously, not really sure how to respond, sending a searching look of help to Yuma and Chika, who look just as uncertain.

“Sorry to leave these idiots’ problems to you. But I can give you some tips if you want.” Kyosuke says, making a peace sign that looks extremely at odds with his otherwise emotionless expression.

The fact that none of his ex team members don't even try to deny to deny the statement is telling enough.

Osamu gives him an awkward smile. “I will keep that in mind.” 

“Don't worry if they drag you into any trouble because of them. The higher ups will be thankful enough for you holding them back at least a bit.”

Izumi lets out a small snicker. “Oh I wouldn't be so sure. Don't let yourself be fooled by his innocent looks. Our little Osamu here is quite a delinquent. He already got himself into a personal warning from Kido.”

Osamu blushes in embarrassment as Kyosuke gives him a once over, his features shifted just the slightest bit to surprise, but if Osamu was sitting any farther away, he would have missed it.

“So,” Izumi says, picking up a piece of grilled meat and shoving it into Kyosuke’s mouth before the other can protest. “How have things been with Tamakoma? 

Osamu turns his head towards his senior in interest. Over his time in Border Osamu has heard quite a lot about Tamakoma, the oldest branch of Border, and practically a legend.

They might not be part of the team ranking because their Triggers are so heavily modified that aren't permitted during the rank war simulation, but that doesn't make anybody doubt their capability. Discussions over who would win in a fight between them and Tachikawa squad are a frequent topic in Border’s hall. 

‘Though I have heard that there are other reasons why the main branch doesn't let Tamakoma take part in the rank wars, like wanting to hold the position of top team for power reasons.’ Why such things were necessary despite Tamakoma being part of the same group, Osamu doesn't know. At least not yet.

Though compared to the political power games Osamu would much rather take a look at how their Triggers are constructed. It's basically the golden egg every member of R&D wishes to find.

“Tamakoma is a good place.” Karasuma answers after a while. “It's chaotic too, but in a different way.” 

Izumi grins as he pokes the back hair in the side. “Oh just admit it you would not manage without the chaos.”

The handsome teen looks like he is about to answer when some commotion starts up on the other side of the restaurant. “Sorry, work calls. Enjoy the food.” He says, before hurrying towards it. 

Izumi's expression falls a bit as Kyosuke walks away. “I wish the main branch could get over its problems with Tamakoma and I could see him more often.” He says, Tachikawa comfortably patting him on the head. 

At the end of the evening Osamu is handed Kyoskue’s phone number by the Tamakoma member, something that the engineer takes gratefully. He likes the members of Tachikawa squad, but they attract one half of the existing problems in Border and create the other half.

He will probably have quite a lot of work ahead of him in the near future, but somehow he can't find it in him to dislike that thought.

Chapter Text

Osamu stands on the other side of the room as he watches Chika and Yuma attend the new recruit introduction, as usually led by Arashiyama squad. Jun’s smile is always good at holding any person in place, and this time isn't any different.

Shinoda holds the speech that he always does for the new recruits, short and simple but holding no less meaning than any other.

Soon after, the director leaves the general introduction to Jun again, and Yuma listens despite Osamu already giving him a detailed rundown. The neighbor does his best to look calm, but Osamu knows him well enough by now that he cannot wait to move his body properly for once.

He was very patient over the last weeks so he wouldn't reveal his origin to Border, but the prospect of finally being able to train against the agents does seem to make it harder. ‘Maybe I shouldn't have shown him all those battle logs.’ But Osamu mostly showed him in case Border found out that he is a neighbor and he knew how to combat their fighting styles.

Arashiyama squad divides the recruits into their respective groups, Chika going off with Satori after giving Yuma and Osamu a small wave of goodbye. She has managed to go through some very basic training in the training facility before the day, same goes for Yuma, so she knows some basics of sniping.

But Yuma doesn't really need the training, only getting used to the low power Meeden Triggers.

Chika ended up deciding to be a sniper after they all went through the options together, even if Replica suggested she add some shooter triggers to her arsenal later on, since they would compliment her large Trion reserves very well.

For now Yuma is on the standard 1000 points, but Chika has been boosted all the way up to 2500 after the higher ups saw her astonishing amount of Trion.

‘Still, she has a lot of training ahead of her, and Yuma will be able to gain points a lot faster through the solo rank war, since that one doesn't really accommodate pure snipers.’

When Yuma hears that he will have to get 4000 points to get to B rank an eager grin appears on his face. Osamu has no doubt he is already planning to challenge himself how fast he can reach that rank. ‘At least Replica will hold him back from rising too fast.’

“Oh, Osamu. It's curious to see you here.” Comes Kashio’s voice from the side, and the engineer turns around to give the boy a welcoming smile, seeing the other two members of the team not far away.

“Kashio! It has been a while. It's good to see you again.”

“It's good to see you too. I guess you aren't planned in for R&D work for once.”

The engineer awkwardly rubs the back of his head. “I should probably work ahead some more, but I’m accompanying two friends who are entering Border today.”

Oji and Kurauchi have arrived by now, the captain leaning on the railing, looking down on the crowd below. “Your friends? Now that's interesting.”

He gives Osamu a smile. “Good to see you again. And congratulations on joining Tachikawa squad.”

“I thought that wasn't announced yet.”

“Oh it hasn't been, but I have been keeping my eyes out, and I was there when Tachikawa announced the idea for the position to Kinuta. When I saw him basically happily bounce into the base yesterday, it was answer enough.”

Osamu lets out a small laugh. “I have been shown videos. The rumors for its reason are still running absolutely wild.”

Oji lets out a small chuckle. “It has been quite amusing to watch. By the way, Mizukami and Iko should know too, but I’m sure the latter has forgotten it already.”

The engineer can't help but let out another laugh. He feels he has been doing that more often recently. “That does sound like him. He tends to be a bit scatterbrained. The captain never told me about how he got the permission for this new position. Nor what he actually wants me to do during the rank war.”

Oji gives him a sharp smile. “You will figure something out, I’m sure, and I’m eager to see what you will do. Oh, and don't worry, we aren't telling anybody. I would do anything that could mess up the reaction the other A rank teams will have to it.”

“Except if Inukai needs a high trade  for one of his informations, right?” Osamu asks.

Surprisingly, Oji shakes his head. “Probably not even then. See it as a thanks for helping us out during the last rank war. And don't forget, even if it's not officially announced yet, the position as combat engineer has also been allowed for the other teams. If the spot of being in one of the top teams ever becomes too much, we have an open space.”

Osamu looks over to the recruits as they are slowly led out of the room. “Is that why you are here? Trying to add another member to the team?”

“We are considering it. It would help a lot with our common strategy. But that's only the case if we find someone who is a good fit. Which one was your friend?”

“Yuma is the small white haired one.” Osamu points towards the ground, and his friend is easy to find among the other recruits. “I think you can see him fight very soon.” He says as he and Oji’s squad follow after the recruits.

The members of Oji squad find him easily among the taller recruits with his white hair clearly standing out between them, though he was close to being even more attention grabbing.

When Yuma equipped the standard trainee Trigger, the usually white uniform turned a pure black. (Osamu was very glad he decided to try out if the Border Trigger had any weird reactions to Yuma being in a Trion body created by his ring at all times.)

Osamu manually had to alter his friend’s training trigger to overwrite the usual body generation, but thankfully that didn't turn out to be very hard.

The neighbor notices the attention he is getting, and turns around to wait for them, sending Osamu a questioning look as he tilts his head.

“Yuma, these are the members of Oji squad I have told you about.”

The white haired boy gives them a friendly nod. “Nice to meet you guys.” He says, returning a smile as Oji watches Yuma up and down. 

“Likewise. It's good to have new members in Border. But we shouldn't hold you off any longer. And I admit I am interested to see what you can do.” The captain says, leading the group further ahead.

The virtual training chamber is, like usually, manned by Suwa’s team, and the first handful of trainees are already entering the chambers.

Osamu has already been in something similar down in R&D, though the first attempt wasn't exactly good. But after freezing up and Yuma saving him on the day they met, Osamu has been trying to train whichever he found a minute of time, trying to get the nervousness out of his system.

He has gotten better, but he doesn't think he matches up with even most C Rank members. 

Yuma hurries down to the ground again as Jun turns towards them with a smile. “Your first test will be a fighting exercise against a neighbor, but don't worry, it's just a simulated battle with the data we have gathered, so you aren't in actual danger nor will your Trion run out.”

The recruits seem a bit nervous, but none of them steps away. No one who has already come this far would, so they draw their chosen weapons with determined expressions.

They fight hard to take down the shrunken down Bamsters, the trion soldier reduced to its most basic actions, so the fight should be within the capability of every c rank to beat it.

Osamu has heard that the recent recruitment batch are worse on average than the previous ones, and that does make sense. After all, most people with inherent fighting spirits or high trion will have already found their way here and have been chosen over the competition in the previous recruitment rounds.

‘Kinuta says that's one of the reasons why some teams are outside of Mikado city right now to find new recruits. I wonder if they have already found anybody.’

Osamu shakes himself out of the thoughts as he watches Yuma step into the chamber, and he can't help the smile that creeps on his face.

Like a flash of lighting Yuma flies through the air, bolting over the Bamster’s head and leaving behind a deep cut in tis armor, before jumping back down by kicking off the ceiling to plunge a scorpion blade deep into the trion soldier’s core, its large body collapsing to the ground.

“0.9 seconds?!” Suwa’s shocked voice echoes through the room, his voice breaking out of the usual monotony it has when he usually announces the time. “That's faster than even Shun, right?”

The other recruits make a wide path for Yuma as he leaves the room, too stunned to speak as they looks between Yuma and the number displayed on the screen.

And Osamu is sure his friend could have gotten an even better result if he had more time to get used to Border Triggers. That's just how amazing he knows his friend is.

Kashio and Kurauchi look at the neighbor in shock, and while Oji is better at hiding it he is the same, letting out a chuckle towards Osamu as Yuma walks up the stairs towards them. “You were not exaggerating when you were talking about him. An impressive display indeed.”

The team captain turns towards Yuma with a smile. “I would ask you if you wanted to join my team, but I have the feeling you have some other plans already.”

“Yeah, you are already three people, right? And I plan to form a team with Chika. It's too bad you don't have space for her, or I might have considered it.” He says, crossing his arms behind his head.

It doesn't take too long after that till Jun leads the trainees off towards their first day of contract training, Yuma joining into the crowd again, his fellow trainees now watching his every move with interest. 

“It's a shame, none of them really give off the right feel. At least for now.” Oji says as he lets his eyes search over the new recruits, laying into the railing of the observation platform. “I sadly doubt a lot of them will manage to work their way up to B rank, at least with the current requirements.”

Osamu directs a frown towards the crowd. He knows Oji isn't bad at judging people, but he still hopes his friend is wrong with that analysis. ‘On the other hand, maybe I can convince Kinuta to transfer some of the people that don't make it over to R&D, even if we are in quota at the moment.’

Osamu watches Yuma masterfully scale up the buildings in the topographical traversal training, far outpacing every of his competitors, and he does the same in the other training exercises.

With a sigh the captain pushes himself off the railing. “Well, we’ll see you around, I’m sure. Come to our room more often if you have time. I promise I will at least have some interesting rumors.” 

“See you later.” Osamu gives them an encouraging smile. “I hope you have luck with your search!”

The engineer waves after them for a while longer till they walk around the corner before turning towards the screens displaying Yuma again. Well, technically not just Yuma, but since they usually focus on the members doing the best work, at least one of the displays is constantly focused on Yuma.

Osamu almost feels bad for his friend’s competition. They never stood a chance.

He knew the neighbor was impressive, even from the short amount of times he has seen Yuma fight or even train, but seeing his skills on display like this is a thing that makes Osamu smile.

His friend bolts over trees and buildings like a white flash of lighting, gone before the other trainees ever see him, only left stumbling as they search for something they just caught on the edge of their vision.

The time passes fast as Osamu watches his friend score the top position in every single category, his ranking going up the full hundred points. But as Yuma walks towards Osamu the engineer can already see that the progress won't be enough for his friend, the determined and eager glint in those red eyes still standing strong.

“It will take ages to get to 4000 points at this speed.” The white haired boy frowns as he looks down on the number displayed on his hand. “You said there was another way to gain points, right?”

“I thought you would say that. Let's go to the solo rank wars.” Osamu says with a smile. Thankfully they aren't far from it, and after rounding some corners they find themselves in the large waiting area with the enormous screen hanging above displaying the numerous battles taking place right now.

Yuma lets a sound of amazement as his eyes flash over the different fights taking place in front of him, including everything from new trainees to high B ranks, Kai’s familiar blond hair jumping jumping around on one of the screens, the grasshopper making him nearly too fast to follow if you aren't in a Trion body like Osamu right now.

The engineer leads his friend up to one of the waiting rooms, pointing to the control panel.

“If you want to fight someone specific, you can challenge them over this board. You will just be teleported into the battle map if they agree. Or if you want to fight random opponents, you can press this button. Higher ranked opponents bring more points, but if you lose against someone with less points, you will also lose more points. If you want, I could ask some of my friends for some fights too, even some without points on the line.”

“Nah, I just want to get a general impression for now. But I might ask you for it later. That Ikoma you were talking about sounds really interesting, and I honestly want to fight Tachikawa one day, even if I won't stand a chance yet. There are some important lessons you can only learn by losing.”

Osamu listens to the words in surprise, the words lingering in his head for maybe a bit longer than normal.

The neighbor looks a bit awkward as he tries to inspect the screen. “If I do something wrong, it's probably better if you stay here.”

Osamu lets out a small chuckle. “Don't worry, I have some work with me I can do right here. And I would love to see you fight more.”

The neighbor grins widely. “Then I won't disappoint you!” He says, enthusiastically pressing the random match button.

Osamu watches how his friend instantly evaporates into a cloud of sparks as he is teleported away, and on the screen in the room he appears in one of the standard city street battle maps.

Yuma peeks around the area with a look that is somehow both playful and analytic as his opponent appears in front of him, a C rank too, but looking like this is not his first day, his ranking just above three thousand.

His opponent draws his sword, a Kogetsu, as the timer appears between them, counting down from five, a loud buzzer sounding when it reaches zero.

Yuma’s opponent doesn't hesitate to rush forward, aiming for Yuma’s head with a vertical slash, but the neighbor easily ducks under it, rusing beside the taller boy and cutting one of his legs off in one slash.

The Meeden boy quickly turns around in an attempt to deliver a strike to Yuma, but the white haired boy leaps over the other, his Scorpion lashing out and cutting off the other’s head instantly.

A mechanical voice announces Yuma to be the winner, and he is teleported back into the room onto the bed beside Osamu.

“Hm, that guy has potential, but he needs more experience. Still, he will probably make it up to B rank sooner or later.” 

“Maybe I should recommend him to Oji then.” Osamu says, writing down the name of the trainee. It's always good to keep talented people in mind.

Yuma looks down at his new ranking, looking satisfied with the increase. “Let's start another battle. I want to make some more points today.”

The boy looks at the screen displaying the different opponents and his finger hovers over the random match button when someone else catches his eyes. 

“This guy has a really high ranking. Can I have a match with him?” 

“You can send a request if you want. Usually the random matches don't pair you up with someone with such a high difference to you.“

Osamu doesn't know who it is since the name isn't displayed, only the ranking and the weapon of choice, in this case a Kogetsu. 

“I don't know how well you would match up against the higher ranking agents, but even if you lose, with such a high difference in points you will barely lose anything even if they win.” A small smile appears on Osamu's face. “But challenging someone with such a high ranking will probably make you look like some upstart overestimating themselves, so they might not accept the challenge.” 

Yuma considers it for a moment, his usual duck face appearing once more, before nodding decisively. “I want to give it a try anyway. Maybe I'm lucky. And I want to feel for myself how strong the higher ranked members are. There is only so much you can get from battle logs.”

“Okay. To send a challenge you just have to tap the person you want to fight.” Osamu explains, and Yuma quickly flows it, eagerly watching the screen. 

To Osamu's surprise, the challenge is actually accepted, very quickly even, and with a happy expression Yuma disappears to the simulated arena again. 

But when Osamu sees who the opponent is, he understands why. 

Yoneya gives Yuma a once over when he appears, the usual grin never leaving the spear user's face. 

“Now, let's see who the low rank is that wants to challenge me.”

Chapter Text

Yoneya looks Yuma up and down, a calculating edge in his playful eyes.

“Well, you look strong despite your low ranking.” He says, readying his weapon as the countdown flashes above their heads. “Let's see if you have the ability to back it up.” 

The two fighters jump at each other as soon as the buzzer sounds, their weapons clashing as Yuma diverts the angle of the spear with a blade sprouting from his arm, before trying to deliver a kick with his bladed foot to the other's side. 

But Yonyea swirls his weapon around, forcing Yuma to jump back lest he wants to be thrown to the ground right in Yoneya's stabbing range. 

Before the neighbor even lands on the ground the A Rank rushes forward, delivering a flurry of stabs, and only Yuma’s quick reflexes save him from being pierced. 

Yuma tries to get in close where his Scorpion will have the advantage, but Yonyea has a lot of experience against opponents who use that same strategy against him. 

To Yuma's visible surprise the spear shrinks down, and the black haired teen delivers a quick slash with its blade, creating an opening to deliver a strong kick against Yuma's stomach. An exchange Osamu has seen used against Kazama during the last rank war. 

Yuma is thrown backwards but catches himself with Scorpion claws dug into the pavement, not losing any momentum to jump towards Yoneya again, both striking their weapons together and just narrowly missing each other. 

But watching from the observation room Osamu already know whats going to happen, and only a blink later a large wound is tearing through the neck of Yuma's Trion body, the head nearly detached, and the boy only has enough time for the shock to register on his face before he bails out, dropping onto the bed in the waiting room. 

“I am sure I dodged that correctly.” He mumbles to himself, sounding confused, as the screen lights up with the symbol of a phone. 

“Your opponent is trying to talk to you.” Osamu explains. “Want to accept it?” He asks, getting a nod from his friend, so he quickly pressed the symbol to not make Yoneya wait. 

“That was a really good fight kid!” The A Rank starts as soon as he appears on screen. “How do you have such a low ranking?” He asks, before he spots Osamu sitting in front of the screen with Yuma. 

“Osamu! Long time no see! You know this guy?” 

“Nice to see you too, Yoneya senpai. This is my friend and classmate Yuma. He started being an official agent today. “

The spear user blinks at Yuma. “Wait, you are as old as Osamu? I thought you were Shun's age! But damn you move well already! Do you have some experience with fighting? “

“Yeah, a bit.” Yuma says, not especially bothered by the question. “But can I ask how you got me with that attack? If it's okay to ask.” 

The A Rank gives him a grin. “I'm not really trying to hide it, and you would figure it out pretty fast with a bit of research anyway.” He says as he lifts his spear, showing Yuma how the blade shifts into different shapes at a rapid speed. 

“Oooh that's really useful.” Yuma says in amazement, Yoneya grinning proudly. 

“Thanks! I was part of the development! Though it's most useful when opponents don't know about it, like you. Anyway, are you up for another match? We can do some without point exchange if you just want to train a little bit.” 

Yuma considers it for a moment before agreeing with a nod. “Yeah, that would probably be best. I still need to get used to how Border Triggers work.” 

Yoneya nods in understanding as he starts typing on the screen. “Yeah, that takes a while. Scorpion especially needs some time getting used to. Let's have a ten round match for now.” The spear user says happily, and the two are teleported into the battleground again. 

Osamu watches them fight as he starts working on some construction plans that include the levitation trigger he analyzed from the last Away Mission, trying to slim them down onto something that could be used for smaller devices like observational drones, since the original size is supposed to be used for ships. 

With every match between the two fighters Yuma gets better, and at the end of the exchange Yuma actually managed to earn two wins. 

Both of them are grinning happily when they appear back in the room, and they immediately jump into another ten round match. 

This time Yuma only wins one match, Yoneya taking his opponent seriously from the start, no longer pulling his punches like before and instead fighting with all the dirty tricks Osamu has seen him use in the A rank wars. 

“You will get a lot better once you move up to B Rank. A C rank trigger just isn't enough for the moments you want to do.” Yoneya tells the white haired boy. “And you can use more than just a single attacking Trigger and most importantly shields too. I think you might like Hound for trapping people and Grasshopper for mobility. But I think Osamu can give you a better rundown of the details than me.” 

Yuma nods gratefully. “Thanks for the advice. I will look into it.” 

Yoneya stretches his arms over his head, a disappointed expression on his face. “I would love to have some more fights, but I have to go on patrol now. Osamu, can you give Yuma my number?” 

“I will. No problem. Take care.” 

“Yeah, see you two later. And Yuma, you can come up to my squad room if you want to fight or just hang out. Don't let yourself be scared away by Miwa's glaring. His face is just stuck that way.” He says, before the connection cuts off. 

Yuma has a smile on his face as he sits down beside Osamu. “He is a good guy. I would like to train with him again later.” 

“Sure. I'm sure you two will work something out. But I wouldn't recommend going to his squad room. His captain Miwa is very anti neighbor because he lost his sister during the first invasion, and he is pretty observant. He might pick up on you.”

“Hm, I will keep that in mind.” He rises from the chair with a small hop. “But I think that is enough for today. How about you show me around the base a bit? I would like to see where you work.”

“Are you sure? I know how much you wanted to fight, and I still have more than enough work I can do here.”

“No, it's probably better like this. I don't want to attract too much attention after all.” 

Osamu has to agree to that. Yoneya won't spill the information too far that someone strong appeared, but he isn't the most quiet person. And Yuma earning a lot of points today would only make the rumors worse. 

Together the two leave the room, and Osamu is pleased to find that Yuma looks a lot more relaxed than before. Letting off some steam must have really helped him. 

Yuma gives the large screen in the center of the rank war hall a smile. “It’s a good way to train. No danger even if you are just starting out, and the ability to learn from your mistakes without any real consequences. And the ranking makes it really fun too.” He finishes with a grin. “A lot of countries on the other side would have liked something like this.”

The engineer gives him a small nod. He is pretty sure many nations in the neighborhood would replicate this if given the chance, but it will be harder for them than it is Meeden, since it's made possible by basically the one thing they have over the neighborhood in terms of technology: Pure computing power through the use of normal earth technology.

Osamu’s face takes on a curious expression. “... Do you think there are any countries in the neighborhood that could become friendly with Border? Or rather with the whole of Meeden.”

“I fought with the country of Calvaria before, but with their new government that has taken over after their previous leader died during the war, I’m not so sure if this would make them good allies overall, even if I still have friends there.”

A somber look appears on the neighbor’s face. “Replica already told you that my dad died during that war, right?”

“...Yes. I’m sorry.” Osamu says, but Yuma just waves him off.

“Don't worry about it. It's not like I was trying to hide it anyway. It's just not something that would have fit to talk about out of nowhere. The one higher up I know well there was one of my father’s friends, so if it ever comes down to it, I might be able to call in a favor.” Yuma looks over at a screen on the side of the hallway, a grin on his face. “The A rank wars are coming up soon, right?” He asks, trying to move away from the previous topic.

“Please don't remind me. It's still some weeks away and I’m already nervous.” Osamu says. “I’m not even really sure what I’m supposed to do. It's not like I can really copy what others are doing. Kunichika has been giving me some lessons in what an operator is normally supposed to do, but I should probably do something else too. I have some ideas, but I’m not sure if those are even allowed.”

Yuma just comfortingly pats him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you will figure something out. And even if you don't, I really don't think they expect you to do anything extreme on the first attempt.”

“That’s true, but …” He doesn’t get to finish as his phone rings, and he looks down to see a message from Chika.

“She says her introductory training is up and she asks if we want to meet up.” 

“Sure, lead the way. I haven't been up to the sniper training area yet, and this place is a labyrinth.” Yuma says.

“Hm, I haven't been either. But I think I know where it is.” And his idea seems to have been correct, as after only one wrong lift ride they find themselves in the large room used for sniper training, some of the other agents and new recruits walking the opposite direction.

Spotting Chika isn't hard, despite her small size, the girl is surrounded by a small group of people Osamu recognizes.

“Chika, Oki. And Azuma-san, Satori-san and Toma-san.” Osamu says to the ones he knows, though he has only met Azuma and Toma in passing. The other one he doesn't recognize, a light brown haired boy who looks about Chika’s age.

Actually, it seems like the boy would probably have walked away a long time ago if Toma didn't have his arms slung over the boy’s shoulder and Azuma wasn't blocking his way. 

“Ah, Osamu!” Oki happily says. “So I was right. This little one did belong to you. She looks just like you described her.” He says as he pats Chika’s head, who looks more than a bit nervous. And the reason for that becomes very clear once Osamu sees the hole through the wall on the other side of the training range.

“I-I’m sorry.” She says nervously. “I will somehow pay it off.” She says nervously, but Osamu just gives her a comforting smile.

“The base is built with Trion. You can just donate a bit and it will be fixed up in no time.”

“It would definitely help.” Comes Kinuta’s voice from behind Osamu, making the boy turn around to see the small man approach. “Though even if you didn't, it's the fault of the ones responsible for watching you to give you an Ibis in the first place.” He looks towards Satori. “Didn't you read the application details? Her Trion should have been mentioned there.”

The Arashiyama team member looks to the side in embarrassment. “We only got them yesterday and I was too busy to read all of them in time with the photo shoot on the same evening.”

“No excuses! If you don't manage to do the work in time, tell someone else so they can take over for you.” Kinuta argues as he threateningly points a rolled up document at the chestnut haired boy.

Chika gives the head of R&D a small nod. “T-Then I should probably go right away.” She says, but to everyone’s surprise, except maybe Osamu’s, Kinuta gives her a kind smile, setting his hand down on her head and ruffling her hair. “Don't worry. It's not that urgent. You better recover a bit after such a strong shot. And like I said, you aren't forced to. You couldn't have known better.”

Beside Osamu Oki and Toma exchange shocked looks, and even the yet to be named boy whose expression has remained unchanged up till now looks a bit surprised.

Thankfully Azuma stops their wild thoughts before they can get out of hand. “She probably reminds him of his daughter. I have heard he hasn't been able to see her in a while.” He explains, Osamu nodding along. Kinuta has been far too busy recently, so much that even Kido is getting worried for him.

‘If Rindo and Karasawa didn't pull him to some outings now and then he would probably never leave the base.’

Satori hesitantly approaches Kinuta, doing his best publicity smile. “So that means there is no problem, right?” He asks, immediately making Kinuta’s harsh expression return.

“What are you talking about?! We never would have had any problems in the first place! Netsuki will hear about this!” He announces, making the boy’s shoulders drop.

The small man looks like he is about to continue when Osamu turns towards him. “Kinuta-san, there is something I want to ask you about for the upcoming rank wars. Could I have a moment?”

The man crosses his arms, and starts walking towards the exit of the building. “Hmf, well, let's go back down to our department then. We already wasted enough time here anyway.”

From behind the man’s back Satori is giving Osamu a grateful look, Asuma holding back an amused laugh.

Osamu turns to Yuma and Chika for a moment. “I will see you back home then. I promise it won't take long. Oki, could you help them find the way out? You wouldn't think it from Yuma, but he has a surprisingly bad sense of direction.”

The red clad sniper just gives him a thumbs up. “Okay. I will take care of my juniors. Just promise you will come to our squad room again soon. Iko is missing you.” He says, even if Osamu is pretty sure it has been less than a week since he last met with the team for lunch.

As he leaves the room Osamu sees, Chika waving goodbye to the other snipers, though her attention is mostly focused on the quiet boy, who hesitantly waves back. Osamu has to figure out who that is later.

As he and Kinuta enter the elevator, the younger one turns to Kinuta with a questioning look. “That destroyed wall was one of those still not updated to the newer model anyway, right?”

“You are right, it isn't. But they don't need to know that. A healthy amount of fear is good for everybody.” Kinuta says with a grin.

Osamu lets out an amused huff of air as the elevator door opens again. “I think you have been spending too much time with Netsuki recently.”

“My schedule certainly says the same, but that's a topic for another day. What did you want to talk about?”

Osamu nervously averts his eyes for a moment before he hardens his gaze. “I have a request for the upcoming rank war. There is something I need you to approve of.”

__________________

“Come on Osamu. Last time you wore our uniform you weren't hesitating at all!” Izumi insists, but the engineer is shaking his head vigorously as the entirety of Tachikawa squad with the additions of Yuma and Chika watch. 

“That was just for testing if your trigger was broken. That's completely different from this!” He says, his hand tightly clutching his new official Tachikawa squad trigger in his hand. 

“Why do I even need a uniform?” He asks. “I'm planning to just work as an extra operator for now, right? It's not like I will have actual field work.” 

But Tachikawa crosses his arms, shaking his head as he tries and fails to project a professional aura. “We don't know that yet. I basically just pushed this position on Kido till he gave in. No one has actual limits for what you are allowed to do.”

Osamu lets out a deep sigh. “I still can't believe you actually managed to do that. Not with Kido. He feels like the last person to approve of a random decision like that.”

Tachikawa gives him a smug look. “Well, I can actually be very charismatic if I want to.”

“Very annoying you mean.” Izumi adds, before turning towards Osamu with an expectant look again. 

Knowing that there won't be a way around this no matter what he tries, Mikumo gives in and activates the Trigger, feeling the wave of energy wash over him as the A Rank body replaces his original one. 

Originally it was supposed to be a B Rank one, even Tachikawa's endless insistence not being enough to sway Kido, no matter how annoying his captain can be to the higher ups. 

But apparently Ilia ‘accidentally’ missed the part of it being a B Rank trigger because it was for Tachikawa squad. 

Osamu could hear the lie from a mile away. He knows very well how throughout she is with checking if she is within the parameters of the requests. There is no way she could have missed it. 

(Osamu made sure to express his thanks to her as soon as he realized, but she just continued to act as if it was nothing more than a mistake on her side.) 

“It fits you well, Osamu.” Yuma says with a proud look in his eyes, and Osamu can't help but avert his eyes in embarrassment. He still isn't good at taking Yuma's blunt compliments. 

“Yeah! You look great!” Izumi cheers. “Now you finally look the part of the team!” He says happily. 

Osamu looks down at his own body, even if he has already seen it in the preview when checking the trigger, seeing it like this is somehow completely different.

It's the exact same look as the rest of Tachikawa squad, with the minimal addition of gloves. After always wearing them when tinkering around with triggers, it just felt wrong without them. 

Mikumo likely won't be going into actual combat, but he has still been equipped with some basic combat triggers. Just Asteroid, Shield and Bagworm for now, and after Raizo's insistence also a Raygust. 

‘To keep you safe.’ His fellow engineer said. 

Izumi edges closer to Osamu with a curious look. “You know, everybody with glasses always insists on keeping them for their Trion body model. I don't get why. It's not like you need them, so why not be experimental.”

Yuma gives the blonde a look. “But you look the same too, Izumi senpai.” 

“Not for a lack of trying! The higher ups made a rule so you can only look how you do or did in real life, without too heavy changes, so only stuff like Yuba's different look is possible. And nobody knows why Kitagawa is the exception.”

Kunichika lets out a small laugh. “You fail to mention that said rule was implemented because of you.” 

Izumi crosses his arms. “The higher ups just don't have any humor.” He defends himself without elaborating. 

Chika also gives Osamu a smile. “It suits you well. And you look really happy.” She says, only now making Osamu realize the large smile on his face. 

“Yeah. I really am.” He says both to her and himself.

He feels palm land on his head, Tachikawa playfully ruffling his hair. “It's good to have you on board. So, do you already have some plans for what you want to do in the upcoming rank war? 

Osamu can't help the eager smile that appears on his face. “Actually, I do have some ideas.”

Chapter Text

Kitora looks at the screen in front of her, trying to keep her cool, but in reality she feels more nervous than when she has to speak to a large crowd of reporters. 

Rank wars have always done that to her, and with them being part of the first match this season, it isn't made any better. 

Still, interacting with the public has taught her how to mask and control her emotions well. Even Satori can do that without problem, so she can too. And she absolutely isn't counting down the seconds till it is announced which map will be chosen. 

As the PR team, their ranking is honestly not that important, as long as they do not drop out of A Rank. 

Still, this battle will not make that goal easier, since Arashiyama squad had the misfortune of matching up against Tachikawa squad. 

Even without Karasuma (of whom she still does not understand why he would choose to leave the top ranked team, even if he switched over to the legendary Tamakoma) they are a force to be reckoned with. 

Both Tachikawa and Izumi are a one man army in of themselves, even without Karasuma to balance them out and provide cover. 

Still, last season they had a much harder time to hold onto their top rank without their ex teammate, so maybe the chance of victory is not out of reach. 

With a small chime the screen in front of her flashes up, revealing the maps to be cityscape C with its sloped battlefield. A standard pick to counter Tachikawa squad's lack of a sniper, especially from Miwa squad who has two of them. 

She looks at the lists of the teams, their combat and support members displayed with small pictures, the place that was once taken up by Karasuma now empty in the four person team. 

Wait, four? 

She blinks once. Twice. Before standing up from her chair and pointing at the screen. “Since when is there a second support position?!” She calls out, and her teammates who were already coming over to look at the turn their walk into a sprint. 

“What?!” Satori shouts as he looks at the screen. “I haven't heard anything about this! Have you?” 

Ayatsuji is typing at her keyboard with a curious look. “It says he is a combat mechanic. I definitely have never heard about that. It must be something new.” 

Satori's eyes flash with recognition. “That's the guy who was in the photo wearing the Tachikawa squad uniform! So the rumor was true after all!” 

Jun gives the green eyed boy a curious look. “But I don't get why they waited so long. We're they keeping him hidden just for the rank war?” 

Tokieda shakes his head. “I don't think so. I remember this boy from when he was calibrating my updated A Rank trigger for me. I would suspect they actually only got official permission for the position of combat engineer a short time ago.”

Jun looks at the new lineup of Tachikawa squad with interest. “Well, it looks like he is a support unit like an operator who won't enter the battlefield, so I do not think we should change our lineup.” 

Satori lets out a huff of air. “Not that we would know how we would change it anyway. We have no idea what he would do, after all.”

“We could still let Miwa squad take the initiative.” Kitora suggests. “They will want to use the advantage of the map early on before Izumi climbs up the coast and starts with his bombardment.”

Jun nods in agreement. “Okay. We will be laying a bit low at the start and try to solidify our position early on. I don't think we can do it for long, but after that we will go with the standard strategy. Anyone have anything to add?” His team shakes their heads, so he gives them an encouraging smile. “Okay guys. Let's win this!” 

Only moments later they all get teleported to the battle map, Kitora immediately activating her Bagworm as she dives into one of the alleys out of any potential snipers view. 

“The expected number of fighters.” Ayatsuji informs them over the coms. “Mikumo isn't on the battlefield, like we thought.” 

Right now no one is uncloaked, everybody having activated their Bagworms immediately when landing on the map. Honestly not a rare occurrence in A rank matches.

“Sorry guys.” Satori says. “I spawned all the way down by the river. I don't know how long it will take me to sneak all the way up.”

“That's some bad luck.” Jun says. “Just be careful while you do.” He instructs when Tokieda raises his voice. 

“First visual contact on Narasaka. He just sprinted up two roads down beside the central one. It will take him less than a minute till he reaches the top of the map.”

Kitora hurries through the alleys as fast as she can without revealing herself to the locations Narasaka is likely to position himself, when she sees movements in the corner of her eyes, and moment later Izumi rushes down the streets, a ring of bullets floating around him.

She quickly readies her gun, preparing to engage in combat, when not that far from her Yoneya drops his Bagworm. 

“Hey bullet idiot!” He calls out to Izumi. “Why didn't you tell me Osamu was joining your squad?” 

“It was a surprise! And it's a pretty good one, right?” 

“Yeah, I don't think anybody expected them to add a new position like that. Does he work like a second operator who also fixes up your equipment?” The spear user asks, but Izumi only grins in response. 

“You will have to figure that out on your own!” He says and shoots out a volley of bullets. 

Yoneya immediately jumps behind a building for cover, not even attempting to tank a shower of what turns out to be hounds from Izumi, his Trion like Kitora's on the lower end, especially for A Rank's. 

Izumi uses that as a distraction to throw a Meteor at the attacker, blowing up the other's cover in what looks like blind destruction, but the way he specifically avoids buildings would open up the path of snipers and cuts off any escape path towards them proves the opposite. 

Kitora quickly links up to her team. “Yoneya and Izumi are fighting. Neither has noticed me. Should I try to engage?" She knows the basics of combat very well, but the A Rank wars is something her teammates have more experience with than her, so she would rather have their opinion on the matter. 

“If you think you have a chance, do it.” Jun says. “A strike against Miwa squad would be good, and Izumi is always best taken out while he is distracted.”

“Roger.” She readies her gun loaded with an Asteroid, changing the setting to a higher output of bullet speed that she normally does not use because of her low Trion, as she edges closer. 

Yoneya knows he can't win against Izumi in their current position, and his movements suggest he is buying time for his team's support. 

But Izumi won't let him. 

Releasing another volley of Hounds, all with different delay timings, speeds and trajectories, he materializes two Trion cubes in his hands while the previous bullets still chase after his opponent. 

Composite bullets is something Kitora has read about in the logs, but she hasn't had to face it in actual combat yet, but she knows to respect their impact. 

Faster than she expected the bullets combine and shoot out, tracking like Hounds but easily piercing through solid rock like it wasn't even there, taking multiple walls to fully stop the bullets, leaving deep wounds in Yoneya’s body as they chase after him.

But Kitora won't let Izumi release another such attack. She is going to get both the points of the injured Yoneya and if Izumi for her team. 

She dashes forward as she fires her gun, trying to finish Izumi off manually if it isn't enough.

But suddenly, despite Izumi not having looked in her direction or having shown any signs of being aware of her presence, his shield activates, concentrated on the exact point where she was firing, the bullet harmless bouncing off. 

The blonde himself looks a bit surprised, before turning towards Kitora with a wide grin that looks surprisingly menacing with the glowing Trion bullets still floating around him. 

Interrupting his attack on Yoneya he turns his attention towards her, and the Asteroids Izumi still had in his one hand unused for the shield tear through the air directly towards her at an incredible speed. 

She quickly dodges to the side, but one of the bullets still manages to land as she activates her Bagworm, running away from the fight as fast as possible. 

Thankfully Izumi doesn't seem to follow her, and only moments later the thundering of his bullets hitting the ground continues behind her. 

“Izumi's shield activated automatically.” She quickly submits through the coms as soon as she has the chance to. “I don't know how, but in the absence of other ideas I would suggest it has something to do with their new teammate.” 

“That's bad.” Tokieda immediately says. “We will have to focus him down with heavy fire if we want to take him out. I don't think we should approach him before teaming up.” 

Behind Kitora a streak of light flies into the sky as the explosions of the fight quiet down.

“Yoneya bailed out.” Ayatsuji informs them. “Tachikawa held off  Miwa, and the snipers weren't in beneficial enough positions.” And in Kitora's opinion Yoneya wasn't used to the sheer power of composite bullets yet. Only a handful in Border use them right now, and since they aren't really that useful in solo rank wars, he didn't have time to study then. 

Kitora quickly turns the corner, a small smile appearing on her face as she sees Jun and Tokieda, her captain giving her a small nod.

“Good. That should be enough to take down Izumi. Let's focus on him while Tachikawa is distracted with chasing around Miwa. If the two of them meet up, we will likely lose.” 

Right now the top attacker is focusing on the other team's captain, who in turn is trying to maneuver the fight into a position where the snipers can properly use the map to their advantage. 

“Izumi hasn't put on his Bagworm again.” Tokieda says. “I don't know why he wouldn't.” 

It could be a trap, but while Izumi is a crafty fighter, he is one to use his tricks during the fight, not before it, so Kitora is as uncertain as her captain looks. 

But they do not have to theorize any longer as suddenly a swarm of large bullets fly through the air, Izumi having charged them up since the moment he took down Yoneya. 

If Kitora remembers correctly, these ones are called Salamanders, a mix between Meteor and Hound to keep the former's power even at large range. 

They arc through the air over the battlefield like shooting stars as they fly towards the upper area of the map, all curving towards the same point. 

The moment they hit the ground they explode with a bright flash of light, the ground under Kitora's feet traveling from the shockwave as a large cloud of smoke rises into the air from the impact crater, and only moments later a familiar streak of light of the bailout flies up from its center. 

“That came from the exact center of the impact.” Ayatsuji confirms over the coms. “There is no way Izumi just happened to hit whoever that was perfectly like that.” 

Jun takes on a more serious expression. “Then we can assume that they can somehow locate us despite us having Bagworms on. There is no way that shot could have been so precise otherwise. It seems Tachikawa squad has added quite some tricks to their arsenal.”

The captain drops his Bagworm as he tightly grips his assault rifle. “Until we figure out how the tracking works it would be useless to go with stealth tactics. We have to go on the offensive right now while Tachikawa is still busy. Miwa and Narasaka aren't likely to win against him, especially if he also has the same new advantages as Izumi.” Jun decides. It would certainly make sense with how both of them have managed to avoid going into any sniper paths.

His teammates follow after his example and start their sprint through the narrow alleyways. 

With any other sniper except Touma or Azuma they could have used the main road, but they have learned the hard way to never assume the sniper to be too distracted to take one of them out for some extra points. 

“Incoming!” Satori warns over the coms, and only moments later Kitora sees the Salamander fly towards them from the sky, and the members of Arashiyama squad barely have enough time to dodge, even with their shields up in time she can still feel the impact in her body. Even an indirect hit like that still chips away at her durability. 

But the trio does not stop, rounding the corner to see the grinning Izumi already charging up another shot, though what kind of composite bullet it is this Kitora won't know until it is flying towards her, and maybe not even then. The fact that they all look so similar despite their differing abilities makes them hard to deal with. 

The blonde releases the bullets towards them, and from their straight trajectory and thin size Kitora expects them to be Gimel, so she dodges to the side instead of trying to block them, and her suspicion is confirmed when the bullets sink through the wall behind her as if it was butter. 

But even if the trio manages to dodge the attack, it still did it's job of splitting them up, and Izumi capitalizes on that fact with sending a volley of bullets towards Jun, trying to take out the strongest enemy first before he can get a proper grasp of the battlefield. 

This consistent fire must be burning through his trion, but when facing Izumi, trying to outlast him is not an option like it would be with others.

But the captain is more than a pretty face, and without hesitation he shoots a Meteor at the new wave of bullets, exploding immediately as it collides with the projectiles and scattering the trion, covering the area in a cloud of dust. 

Since Izumi had no time to charge up another composite bullet, there is no way these projectiles could survive the explosion, so Jun dashes forward into the cloud he created to close the distance to the enemy shooter. 

From the other side Tokieda sends out a scattershot of bullets that covers Izumi's last location, and the flash of turquoise as the collide with the shooter's shield betrays his hiding place.

Jun does not hesitate to jump forward as both Tokieda and Kitora fire their weapons at the now visible orb that audibly cracks under the assault, and Jun goes in for a point blank shot, but the moment he gets close he freezes up, instead of Izumi inside finding the full guard an empty sphere. 

He quickly covers himself in a shield of his own as he jumps away from the decoy, and not a moment too late as from the side a meteor collides with him, the shield not enough to block the attack and takes out his left arm. 

The explosion scatters the cloud of dust, and Kitora jumps in to help her captain, Tokieda right behind her, but Izumi expects the move, quickly turning around and releases the Asteroid she thought was meant for Jun at her and Tokieda. 

It easily rips through her already damaged arm, throwing her gun out of her hand and disabling Tokieda's legs, making her crash into the ground from the impact. 

She quickly tries to stand up, but Izumi already has another Meteor in his hand, trying to take her out even if she throws up another shield. 

But the blonde forgot about the last member of Arashiyama squad. 

From the other end of the battleground a bullet comes flying through the air and hits Izumi in the arm, blasting it off with one shot, and the Meteor he was charging up goes flying into the buildings around them as the blonde loses control over it. 

And Satori doesn't stop there. While his shots aren't as precise as the other top shooters, no one can surpass him when it comes down to the balance between speed and accuracy. He snipes as fast as others fire a gun.

Izumi has to take cover behind a piece of debris as the sniper rains down bullets on him, but Kitora and Tokieda will not give him any moment to reorganize himself, jumping in and releasing a volley of bullets at the same time while Izumi is vulnerable. 

Or at least, Kitora assumes him to be vulnerable until she sees the wide grin on his face. 

From the ground below her feet suddenly a swarm of black and pink blurs erupts, one of them painfully biting down on her remaining arm while the other jumps in the way of Tokieda's bullets, blocking them with their bodies. 

“Nice save, Osamu.” Izumi says, already new bullets in hand, less than a meter away from Kitora's face. 

She doesn't even have time to think how she could react before they rip through her body, taking out both her and the equally surprised Tokieda. 

Immediately her body bails out, landing back in the bed of her squad room, but she does not linger for a second to rush out toward the screen to see what attacked her. 

Izumi is still standing where he was before, surrounded by what can only be snake based Trion soldiers in the colors of Tachikawa squad, the Border symbol displayed on their heads. 

Most of them are broken from Tokieda's bullets, but the remaining ones are looking towards Yun with their tongues stretched out, including the ones that are behind walls. 

“They work like trackers.” Kitora concludes. “They must have been built with a small radar inside them. They probably have been spreading out through the city from the start of the match.” 

Tokieda walks into the room too. “But even if they are mainly used for tracking, their bite managed to damage Kitora's Trion arm. They can also be used in combat. And since the fight has gone over into all out combat now…”

Kitora's eyes widen in shock. “Satori, watch out!” 

Thankfully the sniper of their team is fast to react, catching the black snakes slithering towards him on the edge of his vision. 

He jumps up from his sniping position and quickly turns around, taking out two snakes immediately, but another one manages to leap towards him in a motion Kitora is sure normal snakes aren't capable of (or at least she desperately hopes they aren't), and it bites down on the sniper's leg. 

Immediately the Trion body cracks under the force of its jaw, but Satori is quick to respond and takes it out with another well placed shot. 

The bullet destroys it easily, and from how much of the body was ripped apart from the impact of the shot alone, Kitora assumes the only Trion reinforced part of the entire snake is probably the jaw, the rest so soft a kick could destroy it.

On Jun's side of the battle things are at a standstill, the captain hidden behind the broken buildings as his body leaks Trion, making sure to not leave the rock Izumi is hiding behind out of his view.

But the damage delivered by Satori is severe, a steady leak of Trion coming out of the shooter's stump where his arm used to be. He won't be in fighting condition for much longer. 

Not that Jun is in any better condition. 

In unison they jump out of their cover, Izumi not risking charging up a composite bullet in this condition, but his bullets are still too dangerous to ignore. 

But to his surprise, the captain doesn't even try to evade all the bullets, only protecting himself from the worst of the barrage as he jumped directly at Izumi, and firing a Meteor with all his remaining Trion so that even the shooter's shield breaks under the attack. 

Both fighters are flying back from the explosion, crashing against the walls behind them as their bodies shatter apart. 

“I didn't expect that from you.” Izumi admits.” I thought you would try to take things a bit slower instead of going for a mutual kill immediately.“

“This damage you inflicted on me would kill me anyway, and even if I take you out, those snakes would do the same to me anyway.” He says as he crumbles into Trion particles. 

“Oh, right. Didn't think of that, honestly. Still have to get used to them.” Izumi says with a grin, as both the fighters bail out in unison. 

Jun drops down on his bailout bed with a sigh, joining his team in the control room. 

“Not our best round. Satori, how do things look on your end?” 

“Not good, honestly. My leg is near nonfunctional, and the only reason it hasn't broken off yet is that I haven't put any pressure on it yet. I could try to get into a better position to try and take out Tachikawa or Narasaka, but it's going to be hard.” 

The captain is silent for a moment. “Try to earn another point, but bail out immediately as soon as Tachikawa turns towards your direction. And be careful of surprise attacks from both Narasaka and the snakes. There are still some where I was fighting Izumi too.” 

“Roger that, captain.” 

Kito lets out a huff of air. “Seriously, those Trion soldiers give them such an advantage, even if individually they are nothing but small flies.”

Jun nods in agreement. “They really got us good this time. We will have to adapt our strategy pretty heavily for the next match.” He says as Satori reaches the fight between Tachikawa and Miwa. 

Miwa, well, he is doing about as well as one would expect when going against Tachikawa in a melee battle. 

Narasaka is doing his best to support his captain, but the top attacker manages to dance around the bullets even when they come from angles that he shouldn't be able to see with ease. 

“The snakes probably send him visual information as well.” Tokieda observes. “But Miwa doesn't watch his surroundings very much, so I doubt the snakes have revealed themselves to Miwa squad yet.”

Kitora gives him a nod. “Then Narasaka will have a bad surprise soon. With his frequency of attacks, they must have long located him. And with the pressure Tachikawa is applying to Miwa, Narasaka doesn't have time to relocate. I have no doubt all snakes that have spread out through the town are currently on the way to attack him and Satori.”

Their sniper teammate visibly shudders. “I didn't think I would have to ever fight that in a Rank war.” He says, the scope of his rifle observing the debris around the fight between Miwa and Tachikawa. 

“Ah, found one.” He says, and Kitora can just make out the outline of a snake hidden in the shadow of a collapsed building, easily blending into its surroundings. 

Miwa tries to fire a lead bullet at Tachikawa, but before he can even try to aim, the top attacker is right in his face, cutting off the all rounder's arm with a quick slash. 

“I don't think hitting Tachikawa will work. I will try to kill-steal Miwa from him.” Satori says as he drops his Bagworm again to pull out his second rifle, not wasting a second to release a pair of shots.

Tachikawa reacts first, preparing to block but he stops when he realizes the trajectory of the bullets.

From his current distance towards Miwa he won't be able to stop the bullet either. Not without the risk of exposing himself to the other captain's attack at least. 

With one clean shot Miwa's head is blown off, his eyes locked towards Satori's direction as he bails out, but the happy expression on the sniper's face doesn't last long as Tachikawa turns towards him, around a dozen snakes sliding out of the debris around him, all turned towards Satori. 

“Bail out!” He quickly shouts, and not a moment too late as suddenly a snake jumps out at him from the edge of the roof, but its fangs miss as the sniper shoots up in the air. 

Jun lets out a relieved sigh. “Good news is that the Trion soldiers don't block voluntary bail outs. That's something.”

“But Narasaka wasn't as lucky.” Tokieda says, pointing to the bailout streaking over the sky. The snakes must have gotten him. 

Jun gives his team a grin as Satori walks out of the bailout room, stretching his arms above his head. “Well, we at least got two points from this match. Considering the circumstances, I see that as a win. Good work team.” 

Kitora isn't exactly happy with the result of the match, but she knows her captain is right. At least they did a better job than Miwa squad. 

Tachikwaw has a wide grin on his face as his team is declared the winners, easily outpacing the competition, and that is with the captain himself not even heavily going on the offensive this time around. 

Satori lets out a small sigh. “We really have to gather some possible strategies. I hope our next match isn't against them again.” He drops down on one of the chairs, his exhaustion turning to contemplativeness. “You know, maybe we could recruit a combat engineer too.” 

Jun lets out a small laugh. “If we can find one. This Mikumo might as well be the only one in Border right now, though I suppose Raiso could fill the position too.” 

Tokieda tilts his head. “But if he were to join a team, we likely wouldn't be the first or even second choice. You know how he dislikes attention.” 

Satori does another full body shiver. “Oh please don't make him join Kazama squad. I don't want to fight surprise attack snakes in addition to their usual strategies.” A statement that the whole team immediately agrees with. 

But there is one thing that is bothering Kitora that she cannot get out of her head. “If we add another member to our team, will we have to change our squad logo on all of the merchandise?” 

Chapter Text

“To our victory!” Tachikawa and Izumi call out loudly as they hold up their glasses together, Osamu and Kunichika following the shout in a more controlled manner. 

“Congratulations.” Chika offers them hesitantly, she and Yuma sitting on either side of Osamu as Tachikawa insisted on inviting them too. 

Izumi gives the girl a wide grin. “Thanks! And thank you for helping provide so much Trion beforehand so we could properly experiment with how to design the Trion soldiers!” 

Currently there are no solid rules in place for how many Trion soldiers they can bring, but Kido personally warned them not to overdo it, or there will be consequences, so Osamu focused on creating a huge number of low cost Trion soldiers with support purposes as a focus. 

The designs are excessively simple, the only things he could do in such a short time, but they certainly did their jobs well. 

They were teleported in with Tachikawa and Izumi, spreading out through the city immediately to track down the opponents, and Osamu is happy that it turned out to work nearly exactly how intended. 

“For the next time I will try to make them faster. They took a bit longer than I hoped to reach the snipers‘ locations.”

Yuma nods in agreement. “You should have made them centipedes like I suggested.” He says, making Tachikawa laugh out loud.

“I think the snakes already scared Satori enough. Imagine a centipede that size jumping at his face.” 

Osamu makes a guilty expression. “It would definitely be more effective than snakes, but we have to watch Border's image. Using Trion soldiers alone is already a risky starting point, so we can't design them in a way that scares people.” 

Osamu made sure they look more animal-like so they don't have the same design style as regular Trion soldiers from the neighborhood, making it harder to mistake them with each other. 

And of course the color of their squad to differentiate them further. White things that are moving is something every member of Mikado city has started to dislike on an instinctual level. You don't even see white cars anymore.

Yuma nods in understanding. “I will try to think of something else. Your opponents won't know what hit them.” 

Osamu gives his friends and team a smile. “For now we have a number of different designs for the stages and all kinds of situations prepared, so don't stress yourself.“

Izumi happily takes another bite from his food. “If the other teams prepare to face the snakes again, they are in for a surprise.” 

“If we end up fighting Katagiri squad in their first A rank war, we should probably not use stealth based Trion soldiers like these. With Amakura’s Enhanced Radar, they will be able to locate the snakes anyway.”

But before the boy could continue theorizing, Tachikawa showed another piece of meat from the grill in front of his face. 

“You can theories later. For now we celebrate!” And celebrate they do. 

Osamu has to stop Tachikawa and Izumi from causing problems a double digit amount of times during the evening alone, three times of those involving nearly causing a fire, but he still finds himself smiling more than he has in a long  time. 

Even Chika seems to relax a bit, happily talking with Kunichika despite the chaos surrounding them, and Yuma fits right in between Tachikawa and Izumi. 

When they finish with the celebration the sun has long since set, the stars now decorating the night sky as the city begins to fall asleep as Osamu steps out of the restaurant with his friends.

“Yuma, Chika, do you want to sleep at my home for today? It's too late to make it all the way back to yours.” Yuma doesn't exactly need to sleep, but there is that one game at Osamu's home that he wanted to finish anyway. 

His friends happily agree to the invitation, and Tachikawa drives them home, dropping them off at the engineers front door, Izumi leaning out of the window of the car and waving them goodbye as they disappear down the road. 

He quickly sets up a bed for the tired looking Chika and prepares a mix of sweets and that one very soft blanket that he knows Yuma will like, the neighbor taking them with a large grin on his face as Osamu wishes him a good night. 

With a loud yawn the brunette lies down in his bed, the smile still not having left his face. 

Somehow, Osamu can't wait for tomorrow. 

_____________

When Osamu enters his classroom with Yuma by his side, he did not expect the first thing to greet him to be his classmate Miyoshi literally throwing himself at Osamu, eyes sparkling like stars. 

“Osamu! I saw the updated Border agent list! How did you get all the way up into Tachikawa squad?!”

His words immediately gather the attention of the rest of the class, all heads snapping towards the engineer in shock. Apparently Miyoshi had been holding the words in until Osamu arrived. 

“Mikumo is what?!” Yotsuya asks, running up to Miyoshi who holds his phone with the Border member list out for him to see, immediately making his mouth fall open. “Not only A Rank, but top Rank?! How the hell did you manage that Mikumo?” 

“He has a new team role!” Miyoshi says before Osamu even has a chance to respond. “Combat engineer sounds so cool!” 

Miyoshi’s head snaps to Osamu again. “Hey, I have heard some rumors. Apparently your team used artificial Neighbors during the fight. Is that true?”

Osamu isn’t exactly surprised that the info got out so fast. After all, the A Rank wars are watched by a lot of trainees, and Border has given up on keeping general information like that locked up a long time ago. It's simply not worth the work, and by showing that they aren't hiding things (at least on the surface) it improves public relations. 

“Arashiyama squad would have made the official announcement in two days, but yeah, the rumors are mostly true. We analyzed them enough to make small versions out of Trion that we can control. I'm the one responsible for designing and maintaining them in my squad.”

Theoretically Osamu would have access to the technology that would allow them to build and maintain bigger Trion soldiers too, but he got that from Replica, and he can't exactly say that. 

‘Maybe I should follow Yuma’s advice and smuggle a lot of files into the documents the next Away mission retrieves before anybody can properly work through all of them.’ Like that he could provide Border with a lot of useful information without endangering Yuma. 

From the other sides of the classroom slowly his classmates move closer, throwing in questions of their own, everything from how it is to be in Tachikawa squad, to if he has some Trion soldiers with him and can show them. 

Osamu in fact does, stored in eggs and ready to be used, but he isn't sure if he is actually allowed to, so he will not answer that question for now. 

But even then, the questions just do not stop, and not soon the engineer finds himself surrounded by his classmates from all sides. 

Osamu sends a small helpless look at Yuma, but all the neighbor can offer him is a supportive thumbs up. 

Well, at least he can see the bully trio slowly move away from him in visible worry, so no problems should come from that corner for once, but by the time the lessons start Osamu feels as tired as if he worked through the night again. 

He turns over to Yuma, keeping his voice low so no one can listen in. “Having a black trigger makes you the center of attention in the neighborhood too, right? How do you handle this?” he asks desperately, but he only gets a shrug in return. 

“It's something you just get used to over time. Sorry. If you want me to cause some kind of distraction, just tell me. And if it's at least some small condolence, once I make it up to B Rank, their attention will be split between us.”

Osamu gives his friend a grateful smile. “Thanks Yuma. And I will tell you if it ever gets too much.” 

Class feels more and more irrelevant to Osamu every day, and he sometimes really finds himself agreeing with Yuma's general sentiment that it is a waste of time when Border is more important anyway. 

Or, in the white haired boy's case, does not bring him any closer to finding his father, if as by Replica's request and Osamu’s intention, right now they have managed to get Yuma focused on something else. 

With Osamu’s new A Rank he has been allowed to access more documents, but even the name Mogami hasn't appeared. If Osamu does not find it by the end of the week, he decided to just ask higher ranked people directly, even if it might be risky. 

Yuma seems to be conflicted with the idea, but with no better plan of his own, he ended up agreeing. 

Osamu does not like what his friend is planning, and he will try to convince him to stop putting off the revival of his father for as long as possible, but that does not mean Osamu will lie to Yuma what he thinks his friend should do, or not help him with the goal. Because at the end, it is Yuma's life and his choice what he should do with it. 

As soon as the bell for lunch break rings Yuma and Osamu rush up to the roof before their classmates can dogpile Osamu again, the boys sitting down in a quiet corner with Chika arriving only moments later. 

She lets out a small laugh as she sees the exhausted engineer, a glint of sympathy in her eyes. “The rumors have already reached my class too. It's probably better if you don't leave school through the main gate today.”

He lets his head hang in defeat. “But avoiding them only makes it worse in the long run. Everybody knows Izumi-senpai's rank too, but they don't bother him because of it anymore. I just have to get through the first few days.”

Yuma gives him a thumbs up. “Stay strong. I know you can do it.”

Though maybe Yuma's trust in him is too big, because as he sees the interested faces of his classmates peek out of the door to the room, Osamu is actually considering just fleeing with the Trion soldier he designed for such situations.

____________

Osamu is on his way out of his office down in R&D when he crosses paths with Kinuta, the man looking a lot more happy than he usually does. 

“Hello Kinuta.” Osamu greets him. “Did something good happen? “

The man turns towards Osamu with what for him is a smile. “Ah, yes. It in fact did. Not in small parts because of you.”

Osamu tilts his head in confusion. He doesn't really remember doing anything today that would make the man happy, at least nothing except the same helping out with work he has done since he started working for Border. 

The department head seems to notice his confusion. “Today was the official press conference where Border announced that we can now reconstruct small Trion soldiers, though they still called it neighbors for the public. And along with it we announced the position of combat engineer who will be responsible for them.”

The man holds up a handful of paper. “It has barely been a day, and we already have some applications for our department. For now most are from c ranks who found they aren't really fit for combat, but also some who have left Border before because they couldn't fight well and want to help this way. You really have made a good first impression on people in that match.”

Osamu can't help but smile as he hears that, a small blush dusting his face. “I'm just glad I could help bring more people into R&D. It will be a lot easier if we have that many people to help.”

Kinuta lets out a small huff of air. “Well, I doubt that even half of them will pass the examination, and another half of them will leave because it's too much work, but still. There are some promising candidates. Kurauchi has actually asked if he can start learning to work as a combat engineer on the side of being part of Oji squad. “

Osamu isn't surprised by that. Kurauchi was always interested in Trigger technology, and the only reason he didn't join R&D is that he also wanted to be able to defend himself. 

‘I should give him some tips where to start since he already has the basics in trigger technology down. I can probably visit him later.’ 

Kinuta gives the documents another happy look. “Anyway, these will have to be processed by human resources first if these ones are judged as stable and trustworthy enough to be told about general Trigger tech and the deeper information about the neighborhood. That will take a while. But if they are accepted, I would be happy if you helped with the general introduction.”

“I can do that. No problem. Just tell me when.” 

“I will. But you enjoy your evening off. You should really take some time for yourself while you are still young, after all.” He says as he disappears down the hallway. 

Osamu has to hold back a small laugh. He really wonders how Kinuta has such a bad reputation in the rest of Border. 

As the brunette enters the elevator, he catches sight of his reflection again. No matter what his friends say, he still thinks the Tachikawa squad uniform looks a bit too extravagant on him, especially since he also wears it when simply crafting and tinkering around on triggers. 

The amount of looks he still gets when he walks through Border’s hallways now is something he thinks he will never get used to, he fears. 

It's weird to think how not that long ago the hallways of Border were still completely foreign to him, but now he thinks he could probably find his path up to the squad rooms with his eyes closed. 

On his way Osamu passes the solo rank war room, and it doesn't take him long to find the screen displaying Yuma, his white haired fiend once again sparring with captain Kageura. 

Yuma never really said how they met, but in the end it's really not that important. Osamu is happy the boy makes other friends, especially ones that can keep up with his desire for battles. 

Osamu has trained with Yuma before, but it was very clear that he could not at all satisfy the neighbor’s desire for a good fight.

Constantly sparring with such strong opponents that use higher ranked triggers, not C rank ones like his, is not really doing Yuma’s ranking any good, but he was planning to take it slow anyway. 

Still, despite the frequent losses he is still very close to the 4000 points now, and Osamu thinks it won't be more than a week before his friend officially reaches B Rank. 

And that is with him still only having a C Rank trigger. 

Chika will still take a bit longer. Snipers have it a bit more difficult to quickly gain points after all, and she isn't trained like Yuma. 

Oki has been helping her out whenever he has time, though mostly she ends up training together with Ema. ‘I think the two actually planned to meet up again today. But if I remember right, she said Ema usually has to end training around this time. I should go visit them.’ 

Well, he will after one more small thing. 

Osamu turns to the hallway that he knows doesn't have a camera pointed towards this section before turning on the Chameleon he borrowed from the storage, before quickly turning around to the locations of the B Rank squad rooms. 

He hasn't been to this room specifically yet, but he passed Ninomiya squad's room often enough that he didn't need to search it. 

From his pocket he pulls an SD card and places it in the corner of the door, making sure that the clattering of its opening will be attention catching enough, before quickly running down the hallway before his Trion reserves run dry from using such a trigger. 

The higher ups still haven't allowed Ninomiya access to composite bullets, and while Osamu likes to think that it won't take long till they do, it's not a treatment the now B Rank captain deserves. 

And if Osamu has to smuggle him the updated documents detailing the process, no one needs to know. 

He made sure to leave a message to Ninomiya instructing him to just claim he learned it from watching the others use it, just to make sure, even if Osamu isn't  sure the man will follow that advice. According to Tachikawa he can be very stubborn. 

As soon as Osamu is at a safe distance he deactivates the trigger and heads off towards the sniper training hall, arriving just in time to see Chika say goodbye to Ema, the blonde boy giving her a small nod as he dematerializes his sniper.

A large smile appears on Chika's face as she sees Osamu, the engineer hurrying over to her and giving Ema a small nod that the boy returns. 

“How was training?” Osamu asks the girl as she dematerializes her weapon, an Egret this time to not damage the base again.

“It was fun. Ema is a really good teacher, and even Azuma and Toma gave some tips.” She says happily. “Did you need something? I made sure I still have more than enough Trion if you want to experiment around with Trion soldiers again.”

“Not today, but thank you anyway. I just wanted to see you were doing fine.” He says. “It's amazing to see how fast you got better at sniping.” 

Suddenly Chika looks a bit nervous, the smile disappearing from her face. She takes a deep breath before she starts speaking. “Osamu, I have to tell you something.” She starts, pulling him away from the crowd into the empty hallways. 

She almost looks guilty, but Osamu is doing his best to appear relaxed and calm, even if he has to admit that Chika's nervousness is slowly infecting him too. 

“I- I can't shoot people.” She quickly says, as if she couldn't say the words if she waited any longer. “I have been trying over the last few weeks in training, but every time I try to pull a trigger with actual bullets loaded, I freeze up. I can't help but imagine if it was a real bullet and a real body, and-”

Before she can talk herself into a panic, Osamu catches the girl in a hug, gently pulling her closer. 

"It's okay. It's not a problem. We will figure something out.” He ensures her, the girl giving him a doubtful look.

“But like this I won't be able to help in a fight. That's why I came to Border for.” 

“Firstly, that's not true. There are many other things you can do here even if you fight people. There are many agents in B Rank that never took part in the rank wars because they don't like fighting other people and just focus on taking jobs that take out Trion soldiers. That's very important too. Even if you would be too afraid to do that, you could still help out a ton with your Trion reserves.”

Osamu moves a bit out of the hug so he can give Chika a warm smile. “So I promise you, you never have to worry about that. And no one is going to be angry at you. Especially not me.” 

It's not a surprise to him, after all. She is such a gentle and kind soul. Always has been. And he could never judge her for it. 

She gives him a small nod, her eyes a bit wet but still shining happily. 

“Thank you.” She says in a quiet voice, tightening her hold on him for a moment longer before suddenly splitting off, features set in determination. 

“I will ask Toma for some tips on how I can do it.” She suddenly declares, and before Osamu can even think to answer she runs off, rounding the corner before he can call after her towards the A Rank squad rooms. 

“I even said you don't have to.” Osamu mumbles, a fond expression settling on his face. 

Just like her hesitating to shoot people, this is just as much a thing Chika would do. 

“She can do it.” Suddenly comes a voice from behind him, and Osamu's head snaps around to see Oji walk up to him. 

“Sorry, I was passing by and couldn't help listening in.” He says, though he doesn't look even the slightest bit apologetic about it. 

It takes Osamu a moment to register the words the captain said. “Are you sure?”

“I'm certain. I have been looking at the new recruits a bit, and I have seen her during  training. Some people don't have the spark to attack others, Ema's old teacher for example, but she is different. For good or for bad, when it becomes necessary, Chika will be able to pull the trigger, and once she does, the ceiling holding her back for now will no longer be able to stop her.”

The blonde teen gives Osamu a smile. “But it's probably better if that isn't today. Let her grow her roots a bit more.”

Osmu gives Oji a grateful nod. “I wasn’t planning on pushing her, but thank you.” He says. Oji can be a bit unique at times, but he would never lie about something like this. 

“Always happy to help. It's the least I can do after the support you gave my team. If Tachikawa didn't strike first, I would have tried to recruit you too.” 

Osamu isn’t really sure how to respond to that, blushing a bit in embarrassment. He isn’t used to people wanting him on their team. 

Thankfully Oji takes mercy on him and doesn't push for a response, saying his goodbyes and leaving into the hallways of the base. 

____________

Osamu is sitting on his desk down in R&D when he hears a knock on the door, a bit louder than he is used to from Ilia and Teru wouldn't even bother with knocking. 

Being part of Tachikawa squad didn't fully  free him up from his work here, even if his workloud has been reduced by quite a bit to trai and spend time with his squad. 

And honestly, he wouldn't have liked it if he completely left R&D. He is getting along with the people very well after all, and he has a lot of fun tinkering around with Triggers. 

And recently with Trion soldiers too. 

He is incredibly thankful for the lessons Replica has given him on the topic, or he would have been completely lost. And even with the mini Replica giving the brunette advice as he works, he still only manages simple constructs. 

Creating the combat protocol for the trion soldiers is especially difficult. At the moment they can barely fight on their own, requiring Osamu to take over direct control for anything that isn't spreading out and hiding. 

Nearly having forgotten about the knock on the door in his drifting thoughts, Osamu quickly stands up from his chair, opening it up to see Yuma standing on the other side, proudly holding up his hand displaying a ranking over 4000.

“I finally made it.” He says, and instantly a wide smile appears on Osamu's face. 

“Congratulations! Amazing work Yuma!”

From behind Yuma a small scoff sounds. “The shrimp would have made it much quicker if he didn't insist on constantly fighting with some of the strongest people in Border.” Kageura says, leaning on the frame of the door. “How many times did you lose to Yuba at this point?”

The white haired boy makes a duck face. “I'm getting better at dealing with his attacks. I'm sure I will beat him soon enough.” 

“I would like to see that.” The captain says with a grin. “And now that you are B Rank, you can finally fight with an actual trigger, not just the training one. That will make the fights a lot more interesting. Let's go to the office right now, and they might have one ready by the end of the week. “

A small smile appears on Osamu's face. “Actually, I have something for you, Yuma.” He says, digging around in his pocket and pulling out a Trigger. 

“I got it ready a while ago. I included all the combat triggers you were interested in for now, but if you want to make any adjustments, just ask.”

Yuma takes it with a wide grin on his face, taking it carefully into his hands even if Osamu made it as sturdy as possible for his friend, knowing that since he is always in a Trion body he can get a bit rough sometimes. 

From behind him Kageura leans over the white haired boy's shoulder, an inquisitive look on his face. 

“Oh wait a minute. I have seen that design before. There is no way this is the B Rank trigger you would normally get when you just move up a Rank.”

Osamu averts his eyes in embarrassment. He did not think he would get called out like this, since Yuma wouldn't have noticed.

“Let's better keep that to ourselves. I don't think the higher ups would be happy if they knew.” He says, making Kageura let out a loud laugh, his sharp teeth on full display. 

Yuma happily inspects the trigger, almost bouncing in place, as he gives Osamu a happy smile. “Thank you. I promise I will put it to good use.” 

“I know you will. Don't hold back.” 

A grin spreads over Kageura's face. “How about you try it out with Ko and me right away? He should arrive at the base any moment now.” 

Yuma looks to Osamu as if looking for permission, getting an encouraging nod from the engineer. “Have fun. And tell me if you want some changes, no matter how small.” 

That is all the boy needs to hear, grabbing Kageura by his jacket and dragging him out of the room. 

“Thank you! See you later! Come watch our fight in the solo rank war room if you want!” He continues talking even if he is already out of the door, Osamu holding back a laugh as his friend's voice disappears in the distance. 

Chapter Text

Osamu sits in the Tachikawa squad room with his entire team, as well as Chika and Yuma,  when Izumi walks up to the brunette with a wide grin.

“So! The next match is coming up! Any ideas already?”

If Osamu was asked that by anybody else, he would have been concerned that they didn't start planning earlier since the match is only two days away, but Izumi and Tachikawa have proven time and again that they really don't need that precise of a strategy, mostly just following their instinct.

Osamu has tried to adapt to that, not preparing any detailed strategies, only preparing some different responses to different strategies the enemies could follow so his two teammates would not fall into any traps.

“Well, since our opponents are Kazama squad and Kusakabe squad, they are both teams who are very good in direct combat, but there is only a single true long range fighter among them in Uno, so I was thinking we could build on that.” Osamu says, turning around his laptop to show a new trion soldier design.

His friends move closer in interest, Izumi curiously tilting his head. “It looks like some kind of bird. What does it do? Wait, does that mean we can just watch the entire battlefield from above?”

It honestly doesn't look that special, not that different from what you would expect from a bird trion soldier, the core behind the beak but trying to make it look a bit more friendly for PR sake, though it has turbine-like structures in its wings

"That's the idea. And as soon as you take out Uno, no one should be able to shoot them down. Well, except Satomi maybe, but only if I let them get too close.”

Yuma lets out a curious sound. “What is that part of the trion soldier? It looks different from the cores of the previous trion soldiers.” He says as he points to a part behind the beak.

Osamu gives his team a proud and almost giddy look. “Well, it would be a waste if they are useless in the later parts of the fight when all the locations have been revealed, so I took some inspiration from australian magpies. I build them so they are very good in divebombing.” He starts explaining.

“But that alone wouldn’t inflict a lot of damage, even if they are faster than the snakes, but since such a dive attack would mostly likely destroy them anyway, I made it so that their trion core essential explodes inside of them, and it shoots out their hard beaks like a piledriver.” He explains.

Izumi and Chika look somewhere between amazed and horrified at the idea as Tachikawa lets out a loud laugh. 

“That sounds like it would be able to break most shields unless they are prepared for that. That will definitely get at least one person before they know to properly protect against them. And if Uno decides to start shooting them down, he has to reveal his location, and that is very dangerous for him.”

Izumi nods in agreement. “I could just shoot him down with a Salamander from a distance.“

“They cost more Trion than the snakes, but with the new rules we should actually be able to use about the same amount of units. But it might be a good idea to use a mix of different trion soldiers this time. But I’m still not sure about that.”

The higher ups have finally agreed on an official regulation on how many trion soldiers can be used, basing it on the trion amount of the squad to emulate a situation where they could realistically reconstruct them in the span of a single day.

And Izumi’s high Trion really makes that very easy, even if Osamu adds barely anything to that amount. (Though Osamu can't help but wonder if that was a good thing to base the amount of trion soldiers on, sending a look over to Chika with an amount of Trion larger than entire teams combined.)

But even without a powerhouse like Chika on the team, there are still a lot of Trion soldiers Osamu would like to include, but most of the designs he only knows of because of Replica, so he can't just make them appear out of nowhere. 

He did include some technical advancements that Border shouldn't know about in his current designs, but only brought them in piece by piece and documented the whole process as if he was just lucky and found it out on his own. 

The boy just really hopes no one notices. 

‘It shouldn’t be that long till I can use Trion soldiers who are useful in longer direct combat. Not just for suicide attacks.’ 

Chika gives him a small smile. “If you want to try some designs for the non bird units you want to use, I can offer my Trion again.” 

“Thanks. That would be a great help.” 

When the two go into Tachikawa squad's training room, Yuma walks with them. He is very good at spotting some easily exploitable weak points in Osamu’s designs, being the one with the most experience fighting different Trion soldiers. 

Tachikawa and Izumi fight a lot too, of course, but they are usually just Bamsters and Marmods, or some variations of those. 

They are more or less the baseline for Trion soldiers, their design plans leaked and distributed in the neighborhood so often that basically every planetary nation has them. 

And admittedly, despite their simple design they are useful at what they are supposed to do, and most importantly extremely Trion efficient. 

With more specific Trion soldiers designs the different countries are more careful so their functions aren't leaked, so they are rarely sent to Meeden. 

Yuma watches how the birds move in flight with an approving look in his eyes. “The speed is good, but the moment their core detonates they pull in all the Trion from the soldier, so they wouldn't be able to adjust for last second dodges of their targets.”

Osamu gives his friend a nod. “Okay. I will make sure it leaves just enough Trion behind in the body so it can still aim. Anything else?”

“Hmmm, don't think so. At least with the current technical situation.” Yuma says, but Osamu is pretty sure his friend will come up with something else later, putting all the experience he gathered with his father in the neighborhood to practice.

Sometimes Osamu wonders what would have happened if Yugo decided to return to earth earlier, bringing all the technology he collected back to Border. 

And wasn't that a shock when Replica revealed it. Osamu was under the impression that Yuma was a full neighbor, but with his father originally coming from Earth, he would technically be a half neighbor. 

Not that Yuma sees it that way. From his perspective he was born and raised on that side, so he doesn't really see himself as coming from Meeden in any relevant way.

‘If Yugo was alive, we also wouldn't have to worry about Yuma’s safety from Border.’

Osamu looks at the statistics of the Trion soldiers on his laptop. “With the amount of the magpies that I want, I could easily fit in a handful more units. Maybe I should throw in a single larger unit since we have the space for it.”

“Sounds good to me.” Yuma says curiously. “What did you have in mind?”

Osamu eagerly turns his laptop towards them. “So, here is the plan… “ 

__________

As Osamu sits in the squad room and sees the time till the start of the match countdown, he finds himself nervous like the first time, entire body jittering with adrenaline and anxiety. 

Izumi leaning against his shoulder, who is completely relaxed, does help a lot, but still, Osamu always had the tendency for worry. 

With a small chime like sound the screen on the other side of the rooms displays a message as the information about the chosen battle map is sent to them.

Normally there is no map that would be a good counter against Tachikawa squad, like for example the factory district would be against a pure sniper team like Arafune squad, but Osamu's Trion soldiers are a bit more situational.

Kusakabe squad who get to pick the map seems to have realized that too, having chosen an area with more well lit and less cramped streets where the snakes wouldn't be able to hide as well. 

Luckily for Osamu, he did not plan on using the snakes this time, so the countermeasure is practically null. Even the opposite, since the roads are very clear and clean from above, offering little space to hide. 

If they had used the forest battle field or the mall, Osamu's Trion soldiers would be pretty useless, but especially the former is rarely used. 

And no one wants to fight Izumi or Tachikawa in an enclosed space like that mall. 

‘It's kind of sad that Kinuta made the rules so I can't adjust which Trion soldiers to bring in the moment the battlefield is announced.’ But it does make sense. He wouldn't have all of them prepared in actual combat either. 

The counter till the teleport begins to flash in the corner of the screen, and Osamu makes sure all the eggs containing the Trion soldiers are in their transport device, even if he has done so multiple dozen times already. 

Osamu gives his two teammates an encouraging smile, even if they don't really need it. “Good luck you two.” 

Izumi returns him a grin. “We will show them why we are number one!” He declares, before scattering into a cloud of particles as he is teleported away. 

Osamu quickly turns towards the screens in front of him, set up beside those of Kunichika. 

As Izumi and his captain land, the magpies appear in the air around them, and immediately they dart up high into the sky, as does the larger, more combat oriented version of the Trion soldier that Osamu included, its enormous wings sending a cloud of dust whirling around the street. 

Right now four combatants are using their Bagworms, probably the members of Kazama squad and Uno.

From what Osamu has seen of the logs when fighting Kazama squad, a valid strategy is to let them drain their own Trion for as long as possible before engaging in combat, since all their stealth triggers constantly drain it. But he has a feeling Izumi and Tachikawa would be too impatient for that strategy. 

Instantly the visual feed from the magpies appears on the screen, and Osamu quickly focuses them on the known locations of the opponents, immediately identifying who they are before they have a chance to dodge behind buildings to hide their identity. 

Kunichika quickly relays the information to Tachikawa and Izumi, the two both deciding to rush towards Ryuji. 

“I don't see Uno on any of the sniping points yet, and he hasn't shot any of the magpies, so I guess Kusakabe ordered him to stay put for now.” Osamu decides, because there is no way he would have decided that on his own, if the logs are anything to go by. 

Ryuji stops looking up at the birds in shock and quickly turns around as soon as he realizes he is getting targeted by the top team. 

Osamu orders most magpies to give chase, making sure Ryuji wouldn't get away even if he would use his Bagworm, but orders the large one to fly higher. 

The battle arena of the rank wars never had a maximum height or depth. It was never really relevant. 

But at the height the large unit flies, sniping shots will become more inaccurate, and most importantly, it is near impossible to keep eyes on both it and the enemies on the ground, forcing both teams to always split their attention. 

‘I was hoping I could urge Kusakabe into making an early attack with this, but I guess a taunt this simple wouldn't work on her.’ 

Slowly Tachikawa is getting closer to Ryuji, Izumi still farther behind since he doesn't have a mobility Trigger like the captain, but instead the blonde is already forming a threateningly large cube of Tomahawks in his hand.

It's honestly a bit risky to leave himself open like this against a stealth team like Kazama’s, but Izumi has always fought like this. 

“Osamu, Izumi. Get ready.” Tachikawa says and uses a Grasshopper to leap above the roofs, charging up a Senku with both of his swords. 

The energy blades release in unison when he is directly above Ryuji, forming a cross as they fly through the air.

Ryuji throws up a full guard to defend himself from the strike as the buildings around him are cleves in half, and even with the amount of trion he put into it the barrier still shatters under the force, but it manages to divert the energy blades far enough that it allows him to dodge enough so it only leaves a deep cut in his calf . 

Osamu makes sure to steer the birds to proper positions as he continues to send Izumi the visual feed of them, and the shooter does not plan on giving Ryuji the time to recover from that attack. 

Releasing the swarm of Tomahawks in four different waves, they rush through the sky directly towards the all rounder who quickly tries to duck into an alley to avoid them, only to be met by the second wave of bullets. 

He reacts fast enough to create a shield, but a single bullet suddenly changes course and dives lower than the rest, managing to scrape at his ankle. 

It's not enough to disable his leg, but when the next wave of bullets reaches him not even a second later, he did not have time yet to adapt to the change. 

They rain down from above, but as soon as they are about to hit Ryuji, they split off from each other, hitting from almost random looking directions, forcing the Allrounder to go into full guard, essentially cutting off his ability to strike back. 

“Captain.” Kunichika warns. “Satomi will be there in a second, so Uno is probably aiming at you, and Shun is getting close too.”

Concentrated as he was in the fight, Osamu would have neatly missed that, but with the lower amount of searching necessary now, he orders two birds to descend from the sky. 

They go into a dive as Tachikawa sends out a wide slash with his Senku in a circle around himself to form a full arc right as a shadow jumps out from between the buildings behind him. 

Shun, who just jumped into the battle from the side streets, quickly leaps over the blade, but Ryuji who is still locked in place by the continuous rain of bullets is not so lucky. 

His already damaged shield is split apart by the blade, taking off one of the fighter's arms and cutting deep into the side of his chest. 

But just as bad is the fact that now his shield is out of commission, leaving him open to Izumi’s barrage.

But before any of the bullets can land, Shun sets up a Grasshopper under his teammate's feet, flinging him out of the way of the bullet, Ryuji immediately pulling out his gun to fire multiple Asteroids at Tachikawa. 

The captain easily dodges to the side, going in to finish the job, when suddenly he sees a glint from the corner of his eyes. 

He quickly drops to the ground as an Egret flies by where his head was only a moment ago, ripping apart the stone wall that it hits. 

Osamu immediately follows the path of the bullet to a taller building to the north of the map, quite a distance away from the fight itself. 

His birds have a good view of the structure, had so from the start of the match, so Uno must have been inside from the beginning of the match. And if he would leave, Osamu could track him. 

But the sniper doesn't seem to be planning on that, instead sending out another bullet flying towards Tachikawa to pin the top rank in place, or at least do it as much as one can with someone like Tachikawa  who is used to training with someone who can literally see the future.

Shun and Ryuji try to use that distraction to gang up on Tachikawa, when they suddenly see a shadow move above their heads. 

The two quickly throw up a concentrated shield above them as the magpies dive towards them, but the one flying towards Shun changes course at the last second to fly towards Ryuji too. 

With a loud and disorienting explosion the magpies’ cores burst, shooting their hard beaks out towards the Allrounder, breaking a large hole through his shield and all the way through his chest. 

He bails out immediately as Shun rushes forward again, trying not to lose the initiative despite the loss of his teammate. 

And for good reason, as suddenly heavy gunfire is aimed at Tachikawa from the side, adding on top of the sniping in a way that even the top attacker has some bullets scratch his body, small trails of Trion flowing off him. 

“Osamu, can you distract Uno for a moment?” Izumi asks, so the brunette immediately diverts a flock of magpies towards Uno, the smaller bird falling in line with the one large unit. 

The birds will not be as good inside of a building, but neither is a sniper, so hopefully it evens out. 

Uno has a shocked expression on his face as the swarm dives through the windows, making shards of glass fly through the air that the sniper protects his eyes from on reflex, but his instincts make him react fast, sending a precise shot at the core of the large bird. 

But Osamu didn't expect any less from him, making the beak of the combat unit snap shut to protect the core, the bullet simply bouncing off the cone shaped beak. 

And while normally that would blind it, the visual feed from the smaller birds make it easy enough to control manually, flying towards Uno with its claws stretched out. 

The sniper shoots at its wing instead, leaving behind a sizable hole, but it's not enough to keep it down, and the small birds use that moment between shots to dive in for the kill. 

As the other birds try to surround him, Uno does not hesitate to jump out of the windows, the glass shattering as he takes out a small bird with a well placed shot while he is falling, but the birds aren't the only thing he should worry about. 

From the streets in the distance a large trion cube flies through the air towards him with pinpoint accuracy.

Instead of trying to block the attack he insteds quickly aims at it, and one quick shot he sends a bullet flying directly towards it to make it explode before it can reach him.

But unlike what the other expected, it is not a Salamander that would explode on immediate contact because of its Meteor component, but a hyper charged Tomahawk made to look like one, its flight arc programmed to look indistinguishable from the former until the last moment. 

The sniper bullet practically just bounces off as the homing function activates, and even a shield is quickly thrown up in a last ditch effort, it was not fast enough, and the bullet takes out half the sniper's chest, forcing him to bail out immediately. 

But Izumi does not notice when someone uncloaks in the street right behind him, nor the fast steps rushing towards him.

Osamu is too distracted with controlling the birds to notice when someone drops their Bagworm right beside Izumi, but Kunichika isn't. 

“Block.” She simply says in an almost calm voice, and in a trained reflex Izumi throws up a shield around himself, partially catching the scorpion blade that was flying towards him, slowing it down enough that only the tip reaches his body, the point piercing into his arm.

Izumi quickly turns around to see Utagawa already cloaking himself with his Chameleon again, the blonde shooting some bullets blindly by using his radar, but they don't seem to hit.

Utagava dives into an alley as he disappears from the radar again, switching out his Chameleon to a Bagworm at a moment’s notice.

“I’m sorry Izumi.” Osamu says, flying his bird over towards Izumi again. “I didn't notice him.” Osamu really wishes they could just locate them with a radar, but he hasn't found out how to implement one into a trion soldier while keeping them at a manageable amount of trion cost.

“Don't worry. That's what they are good at, after all.” The shooter answers, stopping his attacks that support Tachikawa in his fight with the two remaining members of Kusakabe squad.

Not that their captain really needs the help. With some well placed Senku slashes Tachikawa cuts off Shun from joining up with Satomi, collapsing buildings that slow down the gunner.

But with Shun’s high mobility and good reflexes, it's only a question of time till Tachikawa will make a mistake. At least that would be how it is if Osamu’s birds weren't there.

The large bird suddenly comes flying down from the sky, Shun creating a shield to block the sharp talons. Uno had dealt a lot of damage to its wing, but that doesn't hinder its dive attacks much.

He tries to create another Grasshopper to dodge away, but before he can do so Tachikawa sends a targeted Senku towards the boy, forcing him on the full defensive.

Maybe that shield would hold long enough for him to survive till Satomi can help him if Tachikawa doesn't get in a good hit, but Osamu won't leave that up to chance.

The core of the large bird starts to pulse with energy as it fully envelopes Shin’s entire guard sphere in its wings, worry appearing on Shun’s face, when suddenly the trion soldier explodes in a bright blast.

But unlike the smaller bird’s single beak that could function as a piledriver, a good dozen thin, hardened trion needles fling into the sphere from all sides, shatting the barrier like glass as they rip into the trion body, the heat and pressure of the explosion following after it.

The shield was strong indeed, Shun’s small body needing less surface area to protect itself, but the damage is heavy, and Tachikawa rushes in before his damaged body even hits the ground, cutting off his head.

As soon as the kill is confirmed, Osamu quickly looks over to the screens portraying the other magpie’s visions, just catching as another scorpion blade slashes out at Izumi, Kazama cutting off his right arm with a well placed attack.

Kazama ducks into cover before there is time to retaliate, and on the radar Osamu sees how the three members of the team constantly appear and disappear as they continuously shift between their two stealth triggers.

Bit by bit the team chips away at Izumi’s defenses and body, even when he is using full defense they break holes into his shield, the cuts gathering up all over his body and slowly making the trion loss add up.

Seeing as the birds scanning functions aren't really of use, Osamu makes them fly lower, surrounding Izumi to recreate something akin to a living shield.

“Thanks Osamu. Please cover me for a moment. I need to do something bigger.” He says, before creating two bullets in his hands, both large and close to the maximum trion Izumi can put into them.

Immediately Osamu sees on the radar how a member of Kazama squad switches to Chameleon, and Osamu might not know how exactly the attacker is moving, so right away he sends a good part of the swarm to intercept, the birds wildly fluttering the wings and reaching out with their talons to cover a much space as possible.

The attacker reveals himself to be Kikuchihara, slicing apart two of the birds before they can even respond, their battle AI not fast enough to keep up with the fighter's speed, making Osamu take manual control of one of the birds.

Trying to predict the A ranks movement, Osamu dives in with the bird, not hesitating to force it to self-destruct, knowing that his other attacks would be too slow anyway.

Kikuchihara seems surprised as the bird shatters in a flash of bright light, wincing in pain from the loud sound, but reacts fast, quickly dodging to the side to make what could have been a shot to his trion relay system instead only hit his arm.

But Osamu doesn't have any time to focus on attempting to finish him off, as Kazama and Utagawa also dive out to attack, trying to take out Izumi while he is vulnerable.

Osamu calls the birds in closer again, letting the ones who were still trying to observe from above dive towards the ground, immediately making two of them detonate to shoot their beaks, slowing Utagave down in his charge while Kazama skillfully dodges the projectile without losing any speed.

Mikumo quickly directs the birds to flock to him, but Kazama easily ducks through them, taking out some with well placed attacks, their numbers falling quickly, but at least they manage to slow down Kazama. But with the flock distracted by the captain, Utagawa and Kikuchihara are freed up again.

Though that  doesn't matter now, as Izumi has finished molding his bullets.

He scatters the large cubes into dozen of small bullets, and what turns out to be Cobra bullets shoot out form him in a spiral, spreading out like a tornado, but keeping close to the ground, ripping apart everything they come across, even if a lot of the magpies are caught up in the attack.

The members of Kazama squad are forced to dodge the attack, Kazama and Kikuchihara managing to back off, but Utagawa wasn't in a position that allowed him to, so he jumps up into the air.

But that leaves him vulnerable, since with how focused on stealth the team is, their trigger lineup doesn't include bullet triggers or utility triggers like Grasshopper. 

A wide grin appears on Izumi’s face as he charges up another attack, aiming at his opponent.

Kazama doesn't need any official ranged triggers to extend his range though, as he forms his scorpion into a throwing knife, flinging it at Izumi with pinpoint accuracy as he charges up the bullet, but sacrificing his last undamaged magpie in the process, Osamu manages to block it.

But the trade is well worth it, Izumi managing to release a full barrage of Asteroids flying at his opponent, who tries and fails to stop the attack with his shield, his body littered with holes, dropping to the ground and bailing out.

Osamu tries to make the two remaining birds with damaged wings walk towards a more beneficial position to support Izumi, but they are instantly sliced apart by Kikuchihara, leaving Osamu without a single trion soldier.

Izumi still releases another round of Hounds at the boy, not letting himself be slowed down by the loss of support. Kikuchihara dodges to the side, but the bullets still hit him, adding another injury to the many other ones he has collected during this match.

But Kazama won’t let his teammate go down like this, his Scorpion forming into a claw-like form like Osamu has seen Kageura do, catapulting himself towards Izumi, twisting through the barrage of bullets with only a single one managing to hit him.

The captain flips around in the air as a long Scorpion sprouts from his foot, and he plunges the blade deep into Izumi’s trion relay system.

“Heavy Trion loss detected.” A familiar mechanical voice announces as deep cracks spread over Izumi’s body. “Bailout.” 

But Izumi will not go down that easily. With all the trion he has left, even as his body is cracking apart,  he releases one last wave of Hound, Kazama immediately bolting away and behind cover, but he wasn't the target, the bullets instead shooting over Kikuchihara, taking the boy by surprise.

One last grin spreads over Izumi’s face as he sees cracks spread over the shocked attacker’s face, before his own body explodes.

Osamu hears as Izumi drops into the bailout bed in the other room, walking over with a sigh. “Ah, Kazama is as nimble as always. He really is a pain to deal with. But I should have done enough.” He says with a grin as slowly Kikuchihara lets out a frustrated sigh, willingly bailing out so he isn't taken out by the injuries inflicted on him.

Osamu sends a guilty look towards the ground. “I’m sorry. If I had just supported you better, you could have won.” 

But Izumi simply reaches out to sling his arm around Osamu’s neck, giving him a happy grin. “What are you talking about? I took out three people, damaged another one and helpt hold the last two off. That's absolutely a win. The captain can clean up the rest.” He says confidently, pointing towards the screen.

Osamu turns towards it to see Tachikawa cut Satomi in half with a Senku that the captain slashes from behind the cover of a building, cleaving through both it and his opponent.

Izumi watches the fight end with a proud grin on his face. “Captain is amazing at predicting his opponent's movements from the smallest clues. Jin is his rival after all, and there was no other way to beat him.”

On the radar Osamu sees how Kazama disappears, putting on his Bagworm again, Tachikawa doing the same, making Izumi let out a sigh.

“I guess this will be a timestalling match again. I don't think the injuries I Inflicted on Kazama will be enough to bleed him out before the time runs out.” He suspected, which turns out to be true when a handful of minutes later the timer runs out, both of the fighters still alive.

Tachikawa is teleported back to their squadroom wearing another wide grin. “Another victory for us! We built out quite a point advantage to the other teams this time.”

Osamu nods in agreement. By now their team has built up quite a lot of high points wins this rank war. It will be hard for the others to catch up.

Now that his adrenalin is starting to ebb down, Osamu collapses into the chair back, to the audible amusement of Izumi. “Good work out there. We wouldn't have gotten this many points without your help. There is a good chance I would have taken out one or less member of Kazama squad. I have a bad matchup against them.”

Kunichika lets out a small hum, standing up from her chair and stretching her arms over her head. “Everybody has a bad matchup against them if they manage to surprise you. Though I guess if you have a Grasshopper, you have a chance to escape.”

Osamu just listens to his team, letting out a small yawn. He isn't really that used to the night rank war fights yet. He has always been more of a morning person.

Tachikawa gives his team a grin. “I would love to celebrate the victory right now, but you have school tomorrow, right, Mikumo?” The team leader says, getting a nod from the boy. “Then let's get you home. We all know you already skipped enough sleep to get those trion soldiers polished down.”

“They weren't that good.” Osamu says with a yawn. “I should have implemented some more bullet dodging capabilities and a better walking cycle once their wings are broken.”

“Nah, they worked out fine. They absolutely caught Kusakabe squad off guard. Ryuji looked so shocked.” Izumi says as he grabs his jacket, also taking Osamu’s and throwing it over to the boy.

The team leaves their squad room together, and Osamu half questions if there is something wrong with him to willingly enter Tachikawa’s car.

It doesn't take long till they arrive at Osamu’s home, in no small part to Tachikawa’s complete disregard for street rules, or more likely he just doesn't remember them.

“See you tomorrow.” Izumi says, playfully bumping a shoulder against that of his teammate. “Don't stay up analyzing the match again.” He teases, making Osamu let out a small laugh. 

“I wont. See you guys tomorrow.” He says tiredly.

His team waits till the door closes behind Osamu, and the boy listens for a moment as the tires of Tachikawa’s car screetsh over the concrete, before he walks up the stairs to room, dropping his jacket on the floor as he passes through its door.

He collapses onto his bed with a satisfied smile on his face, feeling the exhaust flow into his mind as his eyes drop shut.

The rank wars are hard, and Osamu still has to learn so much more, but fighting at the side of his team like this, is probably the most fulfilling thing he ever had in his life.

Chapter Text

Osamu sends a nervous look towards Tachikawa, pretty sure this is not a good idea, but he has run out of options a long time ago, so he basically just blurts out the words before he can convince himself otherwise. 

“Captain, do you know of someone named Mogami?” 

Yuma, who is sitting beside Osamu and going over some schoolwork, tenses up just for a moment, but continues onward like nothing happened. The only reason Osamu knows his friend is paying attention is because they have spent so much time together. 

Tachikawa gives him a curious look. “Well that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Where did you pick that one up?” He asks, but continues before Osamu could nervously think of an answer. 

“Mogami was part of the old Border, or rather the organization of what we now call Border split off from. The original Border was what we now call Tamakoma.” 

Osamu listens to the explanation in surprise, pretty sure he isn't supposed to know, and especially not Yuma and Chika who are in the room too, but stays quiet for now. 

“Mogami used to be a founding member of that group, and he actually taught Jin how to fight. Same for Shinoda and Kido. “

“So where is he now?” Osamu asks hesitantly. 

“You have actually already seen what's left of him, I think. When you met Jin.” 

It takes a moment before the information settles in Osamu's head, but he doesn't need it spelled out to him. Jin, one of the Black Trigger users of Border, and the user of Fujin. 

Tachikawa gives the brunette a nod as he sees the realization settle in his eyes. “Right before the big invasion on Mikado, they were holding off another large invasion approaching us. It was repelled, but the sacrifices were huge. Over half of the original members lost their lives.”

Osamu and Chika let Otto shocked wounds at the revaluation, a grim expression taking over Yuma's face. 

“That's the reason Kido hates neighbors so much. Tamakoma was just as close knit as it is now, even more so probably. I know it's hard to believe when you see him now, but Kido used to be a family person. He saw the people there as his own, like his siblings and children.” Tachikawa says with a sad look on his face.

“All the deaths suffered there is the reason that all agents sent out to combat have to be equipped with a Bailout function. It's also the reason he was so angry at you for saving those guys from the Bamster without permission. He does not want there to be a precedent for the C Rank without a safe way out to endanger themselves.”

A wave of guilt appears in Osamu's chest. He did not think of that when he jumped into danger that time. His borrowed trigger had a bailout, but the C ranks he could have encouraged to act the same would not have. 

He feels his stomach twist when he feels two warm bodies lean against his side as a hand lies down on his head, softly ruffling his hair. “Don't feel guilty. You didn't know any better and it turns out perfect in the end. You don't have to worry about things that didn't happen.” Tachikawa says, and he looks at Osamu until the boy gives him a small nod. 

The captain offers Osamu another smile as he straightens his back. “Well, that's enough heavy topics for now. We need something sweet! Izumi, Kunichika! You two come with me! We are going to raid Kako's secret stash!” He declares, getting a small warcry from his two teammates. 

It's only seconds till the older three are out of the room, the door closing behind them, leaving the room in silence, as a heavy realization settles in Osamu. 

Yuma came to Meeden to find Mogami in hope the man could help his father. But with the man dead, there is no reason for the neighbor to stay. 

And Yuma is aware of that too, a knowing look settling in his eyes, but before he has the chance to say anything, Osamu speaks first. 

“Yuma, could you … could you please not go yet?” Osamu asks in a weak voice, eyes unable to look at his friend's face. 

“I know it's selfish. I know your time is scarce, but can you still stay here, at least for a while longer? I promise I will make it worth your time. I will try to look into how you could recover someone from a Black Trigger, so please, just don't leave yet.”

He is interrupted when the white haired boy's hand lands on his own, making Osamu look up to see his friend grin at him. 

“Don't worry. I promised I would reach you up in A Rank with Chika, right? I can't just break that promise.” 

A relieved laugh tumbles out of Osamu's mouth, and he quickly blinks away the wetness that has gathered in his eyes. 

“Thank you, Yuma.” 

“You have nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking you for helping me this much. Besides, I have a lot of fun here.”

By the time that the other members of Tachikawa squad return, the three children have calmed down again, and the captain presents their spoils with a large smile on his face. 

“Don't let Kako know you ate this or she will actually gut you.” Tachikawa warns with a seriousness that actually makes Osamu worried, but he is in the mood for something sweet right now, so he is willing to take the risk. Especially because it turns out Kako has a very good taste in sweets. 

Tachikawa happily munches on some mochi flavored sweets as he gives Yuma a grin. 

“I heard that you are giving Kage and Ko quite some fights lately. Did you get used to the more versatile B rank triggers? Any favorites yet?”

“I think I have the basics down. Now I just need to train more. Especially with the Grasshopper. There are so many more things you can do with it.”

“I'm sure there are. So, how about a handful of matches? “

Immediately a wide smile appears on the white haired boy's face. “Yes! I have been waiting for this!” He says happily, jumping up from his seat towards the training room, Tachikawa following behind him at a leisurely speed.

Osamu quickly hurries over to the observation screen, really wanting to see that match but not being brave enough to be in the same room while the two let loose. Osamu values his life, after all.

Kunichika quickly moves the video feed to the large screen in the center of the room, and Izumi has already gotten some popcorn from who knows where.

“You knew the captain would do that, right?” Osamu asks his blonde friend, getting a grin from him.

“The captain has been waiting for it for a while now, but he wanted to let Yuma get proficient in the use of triggers. I guess he judged that this is the point where Yuma has developed and gotten used to his own style enough. He didn't want Yuma to specifically build his style to counter his own, which would have left openings against other opponents.”

The shooter holds out the popcorn towards Osamu and Chika, the two taking a handful each with theory yes still locked on the screen. “But with him regularly fighting against Yonyon, Kage and Ko, that wouldn't be happening anymore.”

Osamu nods in agreement. He didn't even think about it like that. “Yuma also started fighting with Shun after the last rank war.” Osamu says. “Yuma has been getting some more practice in how to use the Grasshopper that way.”

The young attacker met Yuma while he asked Osamu for a training session against flying trion soldiers after the match, and even if from a tactical standpoint Osamu should keep his secrets hidden, he really couldn't say no. 

Besides, in the end the rank war is designed as a training simulation against invasions in mind, so it's only logical that Osamu helps his fellow agents get used to fighting more complex and unusual trion soldiers.

“When It comes to the Grasshopper Shun really is the best teacher. The shrimp has that trigger down like no other. They don't call him using it a pinball for nothing.” Izumi says with a laugh as Tachikawa and Yuma get into position.

Without a visible signal the two jump at each other, Tachikawa immediately opening with a large Senku, Yuma using a Grasshopper to duck under it before accelerating himself with another one, rushing over the ground like a blur of white.

Tachikawa follows his movements with his eyes before sending out another Senku as an arc, low over the ground to force Yuma up into the air, the boy leaping at the captain with his weapon drawn, Scorpion spouting from his arm.

With practiced ease Tachikawa dances out of the path of the attack, when the Scorpion shifts shape, a sharp spike jutting out of it directly at the top attacker’s throat, but before it can hit him it is cut off with a slash of Tachikawa’s sword.

The severed piece of Scorpion goes flying into the air as Yuma sends a bladed kick at his opponent, never once slowing down as he constantly pressures Tachikawa with his attack, even imitating Kageura’s Mantis to compensate for the reach of the Senku.

The fight is incredibly quick, and Osamu immediately turns on his trigger so he can watch properly, the rest of the people in he room doing the same, trying to burn the barrage of attacks into his mind.

Izumi lets out a happy laugh. “Wow, they are really going at it. I don't think Yuma will take much longer till he can actually make captain get serious. But not yet.”

Osamu doesn't need to ask why his friend thinks that Yuma ist good enough to truly challenge Tachikawa yet, till now the captain only having drawn a single blade, lacking the sharp glint in his eyes he gets when he gets serious.

Still, the man seems to be having fun, both him and Yuma, grins on their faces as their blades clash together, sending shards of Trion flying through the air as their weapons grind against each other.

A precise twist of his blade lets Yuma fall to the side, and with a quick slash he cuts the boy's head off, but when the white haired boy’s body regenerates, he immediately jumps back into the fight without even a second of delay.

Osamu and the rest watch them fight for about an hour without even a second of breaks, till eventually the two fighters drop their battle stances in unison, giving each other a grin as they walk out of the room without a single word exchanged.

Yuma is practically glowing with energy, a satisfied expression on his face as he lets himself drop on the sofa beside Osamu, the smile only growing when the brunette hands him some food that the onlookers prepared while the fighters were busy. 

“Had fun?” Osamua asks, even if he already knows the answer to that.

“Yeah. I learned a lot. That you don't run out of Trion in the simulated rooms is really helpful for training.” He says, letting his legs dangle. “I have found a lot of areas I still have to work in. Next time I will give you a proper fight, Tachikawa!” The neighbor promises.

“I know you will. But don't overwork yourself. Take as much time as you need. I won't be running away, after all.” 

_________

Osamu knocks on the door of Oji squads room with a small smile, though he doesn't wait for any answer before opening it. After all, they were expecting him. 

Kurauchi looks up from the tablet where he is sitting at the table, giving Osamu a welcoming nod. “It's good to see you. I'm sorry for asking you for this.”

“It's really not a problem.” The engineer answers, putting the stack of files on the table, really glad that he had his Trion body to carry them. “I'm glad I could help you. I know how hard the start was when I first worked with trigger construction.”

Kurauchi has a bit better of a starting point than Osamu did, already having some experience with neighbor technology and a general interest into the topic, but it's still a lot to learn. 

“I hope it makes it easier to understand. If you think I should add or clarify anything, please tell me. We should try to make the best start for everyone who wants to start being a combat engineer after all.” 

Around next week the other applicants will start too, but Kurauchi got a headstart on the material since he already is part of Border and managed to avoid a lot of the paperwork. 

Of the over a dozen applications only five were accepted for now, most not managing the initial tests, but that's only for the first wave, since Border is still trying to file down the edges in the new position. 

Osamu hopes they will have more luck next time. 

Kurauchi sends the engineer a smile. “I will. But I'm sure since you made this, it won't be much too hard.” 

Osamu runs the back of his neck in embarrassment, before a question pops into his head. “Did your team already think about battle positions now that you will be  gone from the direct battlefield? “

“We didn't.” Oji's voice comes from behind Osamu. “We are still looking for someone we might add to our team, and it will at least take two months before Kurauchi will fully take on his new role.”

Osamu gives the captain a smile “Ah, hello Oji. I didn't know you were here, but good timing. I have something for you. I know Kurauchi will soon make his own Trion soldiers, but I was on a small designing spree with Chika and couldn't help but think of you when we made this one.” He says, handing Oji a data drive and a trion soldier egg. 

Osamu has a bit of an embarrassed expression on his face as Oji curiously  walks over to the computer, inserting the data drive. “It's not really combat oriented, more for mobility, but I thought you might like it. “Osamu says as the model of the Trion soldier loads on the screen, revealing itself to be a large, horse-like unit. 

Oji looks at it with big eyes before he composes his expression again, a controlled but genuine smile on his face. “Every day you make me regret more that I did not manage to recruit you into my team.” 

Osamu just smiles happily. “I'm glad you like it. The drive also includes models for different versions. There is also one with wings, but it runs out of Trion really fast. I'm still working on that.” 

The captain stands up from the chair with an enthusiastic motion. “Well, I will have to test that out for myself. If you would excuse me.” He says and hurries off towards the train room, tablet in hand as he already makes the simulated area  recreate the horses. 

Osamu lets out a chuckle as he steps away from the screen, giving his friend some privacy, and joining Kurauchi at the table again. 

The fighter gives Osamu a great full smile. “Thank you for giving him that gift. My captain has been a bit down since we still haven't found anybody to add to the team.”

“I'm sure you will find someone soon.”

“I hope so too. There were actually a pair of newer recruits that managed to catch Oji's attention, but it seems Azuma has already gotten his attention on them. He is free now that Katagiri and Ichijo have finished their lessons with him and split off to create their own team.”

The two talk about the documents Osamu brought Kurauchi for a while longer, discussing the viability of combat or support oriented Trion soldiers for a while longer, till the B Rank stands up with a sigh. 

“Well, I will have to give you my goodbyes for today. We are designated for patrols today.” 

Osamu nods in understanding. “The others from Tachikawa squad are out right now too. The gate activity has been a bit weird over the last week, after all.” 

Not actively out of the ordinary like it was when the Rads appeared, but Border is very diligent with their documentation, so even small differences in the attacks are easily noticed. 

Recently there have been a higher number of Trion soldiers with scouting capabilities mixed in with the usual groups of Bamsters, and the armor casing of said soldiers seems to be of higher quality than they usually are, something that Replica confirmed when Osamu asked him. 

There was even another attempt at sending out Rads, but with them now implemented into Border's radar, the attempt was instantly squashed. 

Izumi seemed a bit tense too, when the topic was brought up. Apparently Jin went to the higher ups on the day that it started, which is never a good sign. 

But till now, nothing has been officially announced. Maybe the S Rank managed to shift the future into a direction where the problem will never appear. 

If something is going to happen soon, Osamu knows he will be informed in time. After all, he will be part of the group preparing the Trion soldiers in that case. 

____________

“Takeru-kun, how do you like Border?”

“Well, of course it is satisfactory. My father would not have invested so much money into this if that wasn't the case.” Yuiga says, twirling his hair around his finger. “I have decided. I should be part of this organization!” 

Kido looks visibly displeased by the announcement, face darkening to the point that Shinoda takes a worried step away from him, but Yuiga stays unaware.

“And if I join Border, only the highest ranked squad would do, of course. That fits me best, after all.

Kido clenches his fist, looking over to Karasawa, the business director shaking his head. They both know they need the funds, especially with some of the predictions Jin has gotten recently. This isn't an opportunity they have the pleasure to pass up.

Adding someone to the top team though money alone is not a good choice, both for image and morale, and not least of all that Tachikawa, Kunichika and Izumi won't be happy. Kido isn't sure how the newest member of the top squad will react, but he can't imagine Osamu would be happy either, even if he probably will not make it as obvious as his team members.

But Yuiga doesn't seem like he would settle for any lower ranked team where it would cause less damage if he joined through money alone.

Kido forces himself to give Yuiga a nod. “Very well. We will lead you to their squad room.”

The ride up the elevator is tense, but luckily for everybody aware of Kido’s murderous aura the ride does not take very long, and soon Kido the elevator opens and they walk down the hallway towards the top team’s squad room.

In resignation Kido opens the door, but he feels himself freeze up as soon as he looks inside.

The members of the squad have not seen him yet, their attention instead focused on what he assumes (or rather hopes) to be another trion soldier Mikumo created, in this case what looks like a horrifying mix of a spider, centipede and scorpion, it's enormous body stretching out over the walls and ceiling.

“Hm, I don't know if that's actually scary enough to work as a deterrent.” Osamu muses out as the horrid creature clicks its fangs together, the countless legs twitching erratically. “Maybe I should have included the wasp parts after all. Or should I make some insect-like parts look more human? Like the eyes?”

Izumi gives him an uncertain look, his skin a bit pale. “I think this is plenty, you know.” Chika seems to nod in agreement, even if her body is a bit too tense to be sure, but Yuma, Tachikawa and Kunichika seem to be more on Osamu’s side.

Slowly the door that Kido opened falls shut, the entire entourage shocked into silence until Yuiga clears his throat. “W-Well, maybe I should take a look at the other teams after all if there is a better fit.” He concedes.

Chapter Text

Yoneya sits down on his commentator seat in front of the rank war viewing room, giving Kusakabe and Toma a small grin.

“You are late.” The captain says with a cold side eye, but the spear user is unbothered by it, despite the pressure the words hold, like they always do with Kusakabe. When you are on a team with Miwa you start to ignore glares pretty quickly.

“I had some stuff to do.” He defends himself. “Besides, things haven't even started yet.”

“The battle might not have, but as an A rank agent you should not be cutting it so close.” She insists, turning towards the screen again as Yoneya sits down on his seat. “Even Toma arrived in time, and everybody knows how he is.”

“Hey, what is that supposed to mean?”

The operator ignores the sniper, turning to the screen in front of her again as she turns on her microphone. “I welcome everyone who came to follow the A rank wars today.” She says as the screen in front of her changes.

“Today the B ranked Katagiri squad will be taking part in the match, and depending on their performance they might be ranked up to A rank. Except for them, the fight will include Arashiyama squad and Tachikawa squad.”

Toma lets out an amused hum. “I wonder if Arashiyama squad learned from their last clash with the top squad. I hope for them that they managed to adapt their strategy to the trion soldiers.”

Kusakabe nods in interest. “The addition of trion soldiers did add a lot more strategic options to their usual fighting style. They might not use them to their full potential yet, but just like Karasuma did before, their new teammate manages to fix up some of the holes in Izumi’s and Tachikawa’s usual fighting style.”

The sniper gives her a grin. “You experienced that yourself, huh? Those trion soldiers are vicious, especially since Mikumo has used a different design every time, so it's hard to prepare strategies to counter them.”

“I agree.” The captain says. “But this time they will have a harder time to use them. This time both opposing teams have snipers, and Amakura’s improves radar makes it able to track the soldiers despite cloaking. And with the current technological progress, high power combat soldiers aren't really viable yet.”

Beside them Yoneya lets out a small laugh. “Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that. On that topic, Izumi said that the one they are going to use today might not be for those of faint heart.”

Toma gives the Kogetsu user a very worried look. “Now you are making me nervous. I’m not good with scary things.”

“I haven't seen it yet. Izumi just said that they created a combat ready trion soldier and wanted to include some scare tactics.”

Kusakabe does look curious, but focuses back on her work. “The map Katagiri squad chose seems to be cityscape A. A standard pick that doesn't give any certain strategy any large advantages or disadvantages.”

Toma lets out a curious sound. “But I think it makes sense. In the map snipers can properly fight, but the large size makes the battlefield less dense. It seems that Katagiri squad is aiming where the squads have a better chance at choosing their opponents, which in this case is likely Tachikawa squad.”

Yoneya lets out a laugh. “It feels like something Azuma’s students would do. If you can't win in power, win in numbers.” 

“Likely. Let us see if Arashiyama squad understands the idea and decides to go along with it. The teams are getting teleported in now.”

A number of dots appear on the city map, scattered out widely between the many streets, with the icons of the members appearing beside them a moment later. 

“It seems that the teams did not end up close together, and Tachikawa and Izumi seem to be spread apart relatively far, the other teams on the other had-” She want to continue until the screen shows a close up picture of Izumi, or rather the large trion soldier coiled around him, with its countless centipede legs and horrifying mix of insect features, but also some things like its many eyes on the spider head looking distinctly human.

Kusakabe clears her throat. “That- That certainly fulfills the idea of a scare tactic. But I wasn't aware we are able to create trion soldiers that large yet. Yoneya, did Izumi tell you how they achieved this?”

But the spear user shakes his head. “No idea. Izumi didn’t go into detail. I think he didn't want me to accidentally spill the info before the fight began.” He says, looking at the large red dot on the map that is the trion soldier.

The horror centipede lifts its head into the air, before turning to the direction of Tokieda, who happens to be the closest fighter, even though the boy has his Bagworm on, Izumi immediately jumping on the trion soldier’s back as it rushes towards the All-rounder.

“It seems that Izumi has already aimed for his first target, trying to quickly reduce the amount of enemies, lest he be focused down like last time. And while the trion soldier isn't as fast as moving with a grasshopper, it is still far faster than running.”

Toma gives him a nod. “The snipers will need a moment longer to get into position, but Tokieda seems to be aiming to join up with his team. Arashiyama isn't far away after all.”

But Izumi catches up before that, the shooter tightly holding onto the trion soldier as it coils into itself, before catapulting itself up high into the air.

The blonde charges up a trion bullet in each hand while they are still leaping over the buildibgs, shooting them down on the all-rounder. 

Tokieda ducks behind the wall and creates a full guard shield to lessen the impacts of the dropping meteors, but even then its sheer force throws him away, catapulted over the roofs as a large smoke cloud rises from the ground, away from Jun.

From the other side of the map a sniper shot comes flying, but the centipede lashes its tail around, the armored top side of its sturdy body blocking the attack easily, the bullet bouncing off the surface.

“Satori takes a shot, but it seems that once again the trion soldier is calibrated to protect Izumi from these kinds of attacks. Unless it's distracted, those kinds of attacks aren't likely to hit. But it seems Ichijo does not plan on taking out the sniper even with his position revealed like this, continuing towards Izumi.”

Yoneya lets out another laugh. “They are really focused on the top team today. That's going to be hard for them.”

But Izumi seems to be intent on reducing that number advantage fast, as the centipede dives down towards Tokieda, the shooter and trion soldier splitting off to encircle him.

Tokieda releases his bullets towards the Trion soldier as he tries to cover behind a wall to hide from Izumi’s attacks, when the centipede suddenly lunges forward at the same time that Izumi releases a meteor, breaking through the wall and the centipede catching Tokieda in its front legs and pincers.

But even if some of the people in the audience seem no not to have taken the rapid movement very well, the gunner doesn't stop with his attack, shooting directly at the creatures head, as he tries to stall the long pincers and sharp legs with a shield, when some confusion appears on his face.

Still, while the centipede doesn't seem to manage to break the shield this quickly, holding the gunner in place allows Izumi to charge up a Gimel.

The blonde takes cover behind the trion soldier’s tail as Satori tries to keep the shooter on the defense with continued fire, but it's not enough and Izumi sends a concentrated attack at Tokieda, and with their combined attack the shield quickly brakes, and with it, it only takes a moment before the gunner’s body is destroyed too and bails out.

Kusakabe in the audience seems equally confused as Tokieda, Toma too tapping his chin curiously. “Where is that thing’s core? I didn't see one during the entire fight, now that I think about it.”

Yoneya learns forward with a grin on his face. “Normally the trion soldiers use their cores to see. With them covered they are essentially blind. And radar alone is nowhere near enough to make up for that even if installed. At least that's what Osamu said. They must have found some way to circumvent that.”

Toma crosses his arms. “But there has to be a trick to that. Trion cores are pretty flawed on many levels, which highly limits their functions. There still has to be some kind of tradeoff. Maybe the Trion cost from their creation is extremely high. After all, this is the only trion soldier they have brought to this fight.” 

Kusakabe nods in agreement. “Maybe the teams will figure it out. It seems that on the other side of the battlefield Jun and Kitora are engaging Tachikawa in combat, and since he doesn't need to reposition yet Satori is immediately giving support fire.”

The top attacker dodges out of the path of the attacks, but this time he has to spend more attention to the shots without trion soldiers automatically sensing the attacks for him. But he isn't in the top spot for nothing, and even while being outnumbered like this, neither group is pushed back.

Izumi steps onto the centipede again, aimed towards his captain’s direction, but his path is blocked by the two close combat members of Katagiri squad.

Ichijo brandishes his two Raygusts, blocking the bullets Izumi immediately shot at the glasses wearing captain.

Katagiri holds his assault rifle in one hand as he releases a rain of bullets at Izumi and the centipede, the latter protectively coiling around the shooter as he starts charging up another composite bullet.

But his opponents won't let him do that so easily, Katagiri shooting out a large clump of Spider cubes, scattering into a thick web of sturdy looking strings, the spikes also trying to lodge into the trion soldier.

All that hit the armor just bounce right off, but the ones that lodge between the body segments and the joints of the legs stick, anchoring it to the ground.

The trion soldier immediately starts lashing its body around to free itself, but it cannot properly do that without leaving Izumi defenseless, especially from Momozono who is no doubt already in a good sniping spot.

And there is no way the members of Katagiri squad will just sit by and let it free itself. Ichijo activates a thruster while covering as much of his body with his Raygust as possible, shooting forward like a cannonball.

The centipede raises its tail in an attempt to block the attack, but Ichijo quickly activates his second thruster, shooting himself off course and instead colliding with one of the Spider strings.

The wire stretches under the weight but holds through the strain, and Ichijo bounces off the setup strings to maneuver around all attempted blocks of the centipede without losing any speed, until an opening reveals itself.

Ichijo rushes forward like a bullet, crashing to the body with full force, causing some deep cracks to start spreading through the trion soldier’s body segment.

Toma lets out a small chuckle. “I heard Ichijo has commissioned some modifications to his Thruster trigger to increase his control over the charge, but it seems that it wasn't fully finished in time. I guess that is one of the problems if you don't have a personal engineer.”

But even with the damage it received, the centipede managed to scrape up enough time for Izumi to charge up his Gimel, releasing the large cube at the members of Katagiri squad, split up into very small parts as they are released almost like a shotgun.

They rain down on the members of the opposing team, Ichijo immediately rushing over to cover his captain, hiding behind the Raygust and both using a full guard.

And it's more than necessary, the armor piercing bullets easily destroying the first shield, then the next, colliding with the Raygust. And while the weapon doesn't shatter, some holes are punctured through it, hitting one of Ichijo’s arms and one of Katagiri’s legs.

Yoneya lets out a whistle. “Izumi packed a lot of power behind that. I bet if I fired that one, half my trion would be gone.”

Kusakabe nods in agreement. “But I would say it was worth the trade. The combination of these two members of Katagiri squad is very dangerous, so dealing damage to them early on is essential. Now the question is if he can capitalize on that advantage.”

“And that exchange wasn’t without cost either.” Toma adds. “Katagiri squad managed to deal some good damage on the trion soldier.”

Izumi sends out a handful of Hounds, arcing around to attack the others from different directions, but they react fast, Ichijo taking out his second Rayust again and creating a barrier around him and his captain.

Said captain retaliates with heavy gunfire, once again forcing the trion soldier into defense, when suddenly an Ibis bullet flies through the air, Momozono precisely hitting the already damaged tail segment of the centipede.

With a loud crack the tail segment shatters, the later third of the tail dropping off and falling to the ground. The members of Katagiri squad immediately jump forward while Izumi and the trion soldier still need to find their footing again.

Izumi quickly creates a shield as he retreats into an alleyway with the now smaller trion soldier, large enough to cover the both of them. But this time Izumi fully goes on the defense as their opponents chase after them, and the centipede behind him starts to coil into itself.

The member of Katagiri squad seem to hesitate for a moment, before they decide to double down on the barrier, even Momozono sniping to break through the defense with an Ibis, the shock penetrating the barrier enough that some bullets can slip through, taking out one of Izumi’s arms.

But in their attack, they are too distracted to notice something move behind them.

Captain Katagiri doesn't even have time to react when suddenly something pierces through his chest, taking out his trion supply system with a single attack, deep cracks immediately spreading through his body.

When he looks back, he sees the detached tail of the trion soldier behind him, having moved on its own despite being cut off, the scorpion-like stinger on the end buried deep into the captain’s chest.

Ichijo gasps in shock as his teammate shoots up into the sky, but quickly covers himself with his Raygust again as the now divided trion soldier attacks him from both sides.

Activating his Thruster he throws himself to the side alleys surrounding the battlefield, avoiding a position where he is surrounded as quickly as possible. 

And he isn't a moment too late as both Izumi's bullets and the head part of the centipede crash where he stood a blink ago, ripping apart the concrete ground.

Momozono covers him with another precise shot to Izumi’s face, the only barely blocked before it can hit its mark, but it's enough to stall Izumi so Ichijo can retreat. 

Knowing they will not have a chance in a direct fight anymore, they are trying to reposition, and with the centipede cut apart, it will no longer be fast enough to catch up.

Or at least that's what they think until they spot the two parts of the centipede crawl towards each other, the cut apart pieces moving reaching out to each other.

Without any fanfare the two parts link up again, not leaving behind a visible injury and the horrendous creature looks towards the shocked Ichijo.

In the audience, the commentators look at the events in confusion, Yoneya looking somewhere between amazed and horrified. “A trion soldier that can reassemble itself? I have never seen something like that. That should be impossible, right?”

Kusakabe nods in agreement. “To my knowledge, yes. And even if it was able to restore itself, that speed would be abnormal.” She says, as she hears a small laugh from Toma.

“If I’m correct you aren't saying anything incorrectly. You are just approaching the situation wrong.” He says as he zooms closer on the visualized battle map with the camera, ignoring the confused looks he gets until the large red dot that was the centipede trion soldier becomes clearer, instead of one big red point revealing itself to be chains of individual points.

“I was right. I think each of the segments is an individual trion soldier designed to fit together like a puzzle. If one part is destroyed, it will only minimally hinder the combined unit.” He says, gesturing to the one destroyed body segment hidden by the rubble of the battlefield.

Kusakabe gives the creature a once over. “That would also explain why no trion core was fully revealed. They are probably behind enough plating that they can still sense some small amount of signals, and together they can form a clear enough picture to fight.”

Yoneya lets out a whistling sound. “How are you even supposed to fight that? Do they have to take out all the parts individually?”

“Not really.” Toma says. “Since the soft part to the cores seems to be on the bottom part of the segments, that means one of Fuyushima’s mines would be enough to take it out. It’s just that Osamu designed this monster with the abilities of the enemies in mind, so they have a very bad matchup against it.”

“Then let's see if the other teams manage to find a way to destroy it anyway. For now Ichijo seems to be staying in the area where his captain has still set up the wires, but Izumi’s attacks and the wide swings of the centipede’s attacks are greatly reducing the amount of wires as time goes on.”

With a determined expression Ichijo turns towards the trion soldier again, knowing he wouldn't escape like this anyway, as he puts his Thrusters to full power, catapulting himself at Izumi without any care for the trion drain.

And Momozono seems to be doing the same, a powerful Ibis shot flying towards Izumi.

The blonde sends out an asteroid to intercept the bullet before it can reach it, causing it to explode mid air and throwing out a large cloud of dust. 

From its cover the Raygust user rushes forward and crashes against the Trion soldier as it protectively coils around Izumi, throwing it off balance while Izumi charges up another composite bullet. 

Immediately Ichijo dives into the cover of dust again, just in time as another Ibis crashes into Izumi, disrupting his attack enough so that when they fly out towards Ichijo his shield is enough to block them, but they still reveal his position in the cover of dust.

The large insect quickly goes into motion, trying to get out of the cloud, only for Ichijo to come barreling into it again, large cracks begin to appear on the centipedes armor, but Ichijo isn't doing much better, the recoil of his attacks slowly but surely stacking up.

Yoneya watches the exchange unfold with a grin on his face. “They would have won if they went in like that from the start, I think. Their strategy is fit more for the slower and more methodical fights in B rank, but they are learning fast. Still, against someone like Izumi, this boost came too late.”

Another Ibis comes flying through the air, but this time the centipede is holding out his head to track the bullet through the cloud, Izumi quickly charging up an asteroid and sniping the attack out of the air.

The second he does a tremor goes through the body of the centipede, as it suddenly breaks apart, diving into its countless segments that scatter over the entire area like a swarm.

Ichijo let out a shocked scream as he is jumped from all sides, his Raygust changing into a lance-like form to fight in close combat, easily piercing the hard carapaces, but overwhelmed from a number like this, it only is a question of time until one of the body fragments jumps at his back, its legs locking around him.

The pressure of the sharp legs isn't enough to break Ichijo’s body, the small trion soldier not strong enough for that, but it's enough to drag him down so that the other ones can gang up on him, locking him in place until he is taken out by one of Izumi’s bullets to the head.

But that gives Momozono a chance to strike back, and another Ibis bullet is flying through the air, the shooter barely having enough time to cover himself in a shield, some of the centipede pieces jumping in front of him to serve as an additional shield.

The earth trembles under the blast, but Izumi’s shield catches most of the damage, but even then some cracks run through the blond boy’s remaining arm. 

In just a moment the centipede reassembles, even if it has lost most of his body, and the rest probably won't hold that much longer.

Still, for now it's enough, Izumi jumping on its back as they rush towards Momozono, the shooter hitting each explosive out of the air before they can reach him.

As they rush away from the battlefield a voluntary bailout flies into the sky behind them, and only a moment later Momozono does the same.

Kusakabe nods in approval, even as the last members of Katagiri squad fly into the air. “A good decision. In their current state, they would not have been likely to win, and this way at least they managed to avoid giving their opponents even more points.”

Toma lets out a small laugh. “It seems that Katagiri squad didn't manage to earn any points, but in my personal opinion, they still displayed their competence. I think they will be allowed to be promoted. Let's see if the higher ups agree with that.”

But with that side of the battle cleared up, Izumi moves over to the other side of the battlefield, something turns out to be very necessary as Tachikawa is solely but surely worn down by the members of Arashiyama squad.

The top attacker has already lost an arm, but he still expertly swirls his blade around in the air like a fish swimming through water, sending out blades of Senku that whip around the battlefield towards Jun.

But before they can reach the captain of Arashiyama squad, his body is covered in energy, teleporting directly behind Tachikawa to release a shot of trion, but the top attacker immediately turn around to cut the bullets out of he air, leaping forward with a grasshopper and making Jun crash against the wall with enough force that even his shield is starting to crack.

The leader of the PR team gives Tachikawa a grin. “You figured out the trick pretty fast. I thought it would take you at least some minutes to figure out we can only teleport to where we are looking.”

“It was just a lucky guess. We should have another fight after we finish here.”

Jun gives him a grin. “Already thinking about a rematch, that is just like you.” He says as bullets rain down where they stood, quickly jumping out of the way of Satori’s attack, but before he can even land Kitora catapults herself towards him using her Spider, their blades clashing together.

But as Tachikawa grinds his blade against her’s, the cracks on his body slowly creep over to his arm, the damage from the precious fight slowly adding up. Until he figured out how the teleport worked, he had accumulated quite some injuries.

The top attacker frowns down at his breaking body a bit, before the battle hungry grin returns.

Jun fires his assault rifles at Tachikawa, who immediately creates a Grasshopper where his and Kitora’s blades meet, catapulting the two fighters away from each other.

Kitora crashes into the ground and slides over the concrete, but Tachikawa just crates another Grasshopper not letting up on the pressure on Kitora, immediately jumping her again as he takes cover from her teammates’ bullets behind the derby.

She quickly retaliates by thrusting forward with her scorpion, expecting Tachikawa to block, but instead he just takes the blade to his chest, and Kitora just has enough time to realize her mistake as Tachikawa’s blade slashes down towards her head.

She immediately throws up a shield, only for Tachikawa to dematerialize his sword, it reappearing on his hip as it begins to glow with the familiar light of a Senku, and with a lightning quick slash her head is cut in half.

Not slowing down as his body is starting to break down he leaps over the wall, thrusting his sword forward, but before he can reach Jun the captain teleports out of the way and riddles the top attacker with bullets.

“Ah, that's it I guess. Good fight Jun and co. Your teamwork has gotten a lot better since last time.” Tachikawa says as his body shatters apart.

The PR team leader gives him a wide grin. “Thanks! We have been practicing a lot since last time. We are going to win this round.”

Tachikawa lets out a loud laugh. “Let's see if you can manage that!” He says as he bails out.

In the audience Kusakabe lets out a satisfied sound. “About time Tachikawa lost a fight. He has gotten a bit too cocky after his recent win streak.”

Toma looks at her with an amused glint in her eyes. “Don't you just want some revenge for him basically massacring your team in the last match?” He asks, but is silenced with a cold look, the sniper raising his hands in defeat.

Yoneya lets out a contemplative hum. “From the current position, the fight could honestly go either way. Both sides are already injured, and both have some new tricks that the other side isn't used to. We can only see who has the best combination of skill and luck.”

From a point of health, Izumi is in the best condition, even Satori having been injured by Tachikawa when the sniper was forced to move closer, but the Trion soldier is last, the heavy assault from Momozono having inflicted quite a lot of damage, and the splitting strategy it used to catch Ichijo didn't help it. 

But that doesn't stop it from immediately attacking when the members of Arashiyama squad jump out between the ruins of the destroyed buildings. 

The PR squad can't waste any time in this condition, knowing that Izumi could just out-endure them. And if they voluntarily bailed out now, the top squad would gain another win. 

Jun starts off the encounter with a meteor aimed at the feet of the Trion soldier before quickly dodging to the side to avoid Izumi's bullets shot at him, making the trion soldier stop its charge to protect its softer underside. 

But Izumi’s bullets float to him much slower than expected, the Hounds entirely focused on tracking instead of speed, functioning more as a hazard than anything else, as Izumi begins to form a new volley of bullets in his hands. 

Satori of course wouldn't just let him do that unhindered, but when two Egret bullets fly through the air, the centipede catches them with its tail, both bullets so close together that they collide with the same segment, shattering it instantly with their high power. 

The back part of the tail falls down to the ground with a loud crash, and Jun takes that as a sign to attack, rushing forward while still being mindful of the segmented part, Satori having spied the exchange during the previous combat. 

Noticing that the trap wouldn't work this time, Osamu immediately makes the tail jump into action, the large stinger striking out towards Jun, and the captain just narrowly avoids the strike by using his teleport, slipping through the living wall that is this Trion soldier. 

Izumi turns towards Jun as the Trion cube in his hand begins to glow, but in the last seconds he turns the attack towards Satori. 

What he didn't expect is Arashiyama squads reaction to the feint, Jun and Satori just continuing their offensive, never even having considered to stop their combined attacks, even at their own detriment. 

Izumi tries to throw up a shield to block Satori's twin snipe as the head of the centipede blocks Jun's attack, but the pair of bullets manage to hit the blonde shooter in the head and chest just as the same moments as his Gimel rip apart Satori's legs. 

Izumi instantly bails out as Satori’s body collapses to the ground and starting to shatter apart, but with Izumi’s absence, his voluntary Bailout function is active again, and the boy does not hesitate to use it for even a second, shooting up into sky after Izumi to deny Tachikawa that last knockout point, leaving the ruffled and injured Jun behind as Osamu stops the centipede from attacking, the giant Trion soldier laying down flat on the ground. 

Jun gives the creature a thumbs up, though it is most likely aimed at Osamu, the engineer trying to return the gesture with a wave of the centipede’s antenna, and judging by the laugh the captain gives in return, it was understood. 

The audience in the observation room is also clamoring as the fight comes to an end, the commentators having a satisfied expression on their faces.

“And there we have it.” Kusakabe announces. “The last standing bonus goes to Arashiyama squad, and with Satori’s last second retreat this match ends in a draw between them and Tachikawa squad, breaking the top squads win streak.” 

The screen in front of them shows how the ranking moves with the new results of the match, but even with the new points Tachikawa squad is not moved from their first place. 

“It was a good showing for all teams.” Toma judges. “Katagiri squad adapted to the fighting style of A Rank incredibly quickly, and despite having lost both their members to Arashiyama squad, Tachikawa managed to analyze their new trigger at top speed, while they knew to leverage their advantage while they could.”

Yoneya nods in agreement. “And I have a feeling this match will also give the aspiring combat engineers some inspiration. Maybe we will actually see more combat oriented Trion soldiers from now on.”

Toma gives him a nervous chuckle. “As long as they don't take the same visual design approach, it should be okay.” He says, to the visible amusement of the other commentators. 

Chapter Text

Osamu comfortingly pats Oji on his back as the captain lies face first on the dining table in Osamu's home, wearing the expression of a man determined to drink himself into a coma in a rundown bar on the edge of town, for once dropping the confident expression he insists to always show around his team and strangers.

Luckily he is too young for bars to sell him any alcohol, so he took the next best option and broke into Osamu’s house to hide and be cooked for, something the engineer is more than ready to offer his friend.

Osamu also feels a bit guilty, since he kind of has pushed this problem off from Tachikawa squad onto Oji, even if he was only made aware of that a handful of minutes ago that his trion soldier scared away the rich boy that wanted to join Tachikawa squad at first.

“What are the higher ups thinking, putting someone like that on my team without asking for my permission.” Oji says, and it's probably the first time Osamu has seen him break role, especially to this degree. “I wish I could just throw Yuiga back into the ditch he crawled out from.”

The reason for this sudden meetup is how Yuiga basically assigned himself to Oji’s squad, and how he has been acting in the team training session that followed right after.

Osamu puts a plate of freshly made pancakes in front of the captain, who doesn't waste a moment to take one of the forks and pierce it into the food like it has personally offended him. He probably was imagining Yuiga’s face on it.

Sadly Osamu doesn’t have any croissants at home, or he would have served them. 

Worst is probably that the captain doesn't even feel like he can judge the higher ups for their decision. It's a logical choice for the organization, but that doesn't make handling their new addition any easier for him personally.

“I know I was searching for a new team member, but this is not what I meant. In the slightest.” He says, chewing on the sweet food, his body slowly relaxing a bit, especially as Osamu places a cappuccino in front of the fighter.

Just getting his complaints out like this seems to help a bit, and when takes a sip of the drink his shoulders start to relax slightly. 

“I'm sure you will find a way to make him useful anyway. If there is one person who can whip him into shape, it would be you.” Osamu says. Granted, Kusakabe might be able to do it too, but Osamu has heard Yuiga talk about how he thinks about women, so she likely would have a harder start. 

‘Oh the other hand, maybe that would actually make it easier for her if she just beat him up in a training room for some hour straight.’ He isn't sure. 

Oji seems to consider his words for a moment, mulling over his friend's suggestion, before his expression turns back towards that dignified look and customer smile again, though it is a lot sharper than usual. 

“You are right Osamu. I will manage to whip him into shape. And knowing his pride, he wouldn't allow himself to run to his father for help even if the reeducation is a bit harsher, so I even have a lot of playing room.” He says, and Osamu has never seen someone look so menacing while cutting a fluffy pancake with strawberries and cream. 

Still, Osamu sends him an encouraging look. “If you need any specific Trion soldiers to encourage the training, just ask me. I will send them over as fast as I can.” Because Kurauchi has already come far with his new position as a combat engineer, but he still needs more practice before his Trion soldiers will fully work. 

Oji gives the boy a thankful nod. “I knew I could rely on you. I will contact you if anything comes up. But feel free to tell me if you are too busy. They recently changed the ruling for how the Trion soldiers will work in the rank war, am I correct?”

“Yes they did, but it's only a small change. The Trion soldiers will no longer be spawned with the fighters of their team, but will be randomly teleported in just like the other fighters.” Well, with the exception of the combination soldier like the centipede. Kinuta approved of that strategy after all, and altered the rule so that it still would be possible. 

Osamu takes a bite from the pancakes himself. “I don't really think it makes sense from a realistic standpoint, since most Trion soldiers will be created from the eggs that the fighters carry around, but from a balancing standpoint, it makes sense.” 

Oji nods in agreement. “After the display of the combat soldier and Izumi ganging up on Tokieda from the start, it was only a question of time. It's like having a guaranteed teammate spawn right beside you. Still, it's a shame that strategy is gone.”

Osamu lets out a small laugh. “You would have loved to use that in combination with your Hound turrets, right? Enabling a three-on-one strategy from the first second one of the match would have been terrifying to face.”

“You know me too well, Osamu.”

“But it's honestly not so bad that the Trion soldiers get split up. It makes scouting type soldiers so much easier to use.” 

Oji agrees with a nod, cleaning off his mouth before standing up from the table. “Well then, I think I took up enough of your time already. I will excuse myself for now.” 

“Oh don't worry. You can stay as long as you want.”

“No, I don't want to impose. Besides, I should start with educating Yuiga before he gets comfortable in his position on the team. Strike the iron while it is hot and all that.”

“Okay. Then good luck, though I doubt you will need it.” 

Oji gives him a thankful smile. “Thank you for your help in this matter. I have the feeling we will see each other soon.”

____________

“Congratulations for moving up to B rank!” All the people in the Tachikawa squad room call out to Chika who blushes in embarrassment at the attention she is getting.

“It's not that impressive.” She tries to say. “Yuma made it up much faster.”

Izumi lets out a loud laugh. “Yeah I don't think anybody should try to measure themselves by his speed. Besides, it's harder for snipers to begin with.” 

From the kitchen attachment of the room Kunichika carries in a large cake decorated with fresh fruits and copious amounts of frosting, piled up three layers high.

“I'm sorry.” She apologizes to the sniper. “We would have preferred to go to Yakiniku like we did when Yuma ranked up, but the commander is pretty tense at the moment, so we probably shouldn’t just skip guard duty again.”

Chika vigorously shakes her head. “It's not a problem. This is more than enough.” She says, and even if she is embarrassed, her genuine happiness shines through. 

But Yuma gives them a curious look. “Why are the higher ups nervous? Is something big coming up?” 

Tachikawa seems to consider it a moment before answering. “We have told you about Jin's side effect already, right? Apparently there is a possible future approaching that has a large-scale attack, so the higher ups are a bit tense.” He explains with an expression that is not nearly worried enough for the situation, at least in Osamu's opinion. Maybe he is the odd one out, considering only him and Chika look concerned. 

The captain seems to notice their nervousness, so he reaches out with a relaxed laugh to ruffle their hair, before letting himself fall into his chair again. 

“You don't have to worry. It's still a good time away, and it's not even set in stone yet. And it looks like we on our side have basically no influence if it will happen or not, so just relax.” 

Osamu tries his best to follow the advice, and after the time he spends in the whirlpool of chaos that is Tachikawa squad, he at the very least has gotten very good at calming himself when necessary. 

Izumi starts cutting into the cake with a hungry smile, handing them out to everyone as Kunuchika gives Yuma and Chika a curious look. 

“So, now you are able to officially create a team. Any ideas for the setups already?”

Chika gives Yuma a small smile. “We have decided that he should be the captain. I think I would be too nervous to do it. And Yuma is good at strategizing.”

The white haired boy crossed his arms as he makes his usual duck face. “Well, I'm good at making up strategies on the fly. I don't know how good I will be at the other stuff. But I will do my best.” 

Osamu gives his friends a soft smile. “I know you two will figure something out. I have no doubt about that. But you still need to find an operator. A team can't officially start working as such until you have one.” 

Kunichika gives the two a smile. “I can introduce you to some people. I still have some connections with the trainee operators. But don't just take the first one you see. It has to be a good fit. You can change operators later on, but it's a pain to adjust for everyone involved.“

Yuma gives her a nod. “We will keep that in mind and appreciate the help.” 

____________

Osamu has not gotten a direct request since the day he officially joined Tachikawa squad, so when he sees one concerning some trigger calibrations in his inbox, he can't help but let out a sound of confusion. 

Izumi leans over his shoulder in interest, eyes flashing in recognition as he sees the sender. 

“Oh, that's from Azuma. I heard he took in two new students recently, so this is probably for them.”

“But why me? Ilia is better at that than me. The only reason I'm good at doing your's and captain’s so precisely is because I know you so well.” 

The blonde shrugs in return. “Who knows. Maybe Azuma just wants to meet you for himself. Katagiri squad is led by his previous students, you know. Maybe you caught his attention after our win against them. “

Osamu's face shifts a bit to guilt, making Izumi let out a loud laugh. “Oh don't worry, he won't be angry. It's Azuma after all. Besides, Katagiri squad was approved for their rise to A rank anyway.” 

“I guess you are right. He doesn't feel like the type.” Osamu hasn't met him often, but he always appeared like a very fair and respectable person. ‘And he has been helping Chika out during sniper training.’

Osamu takes a look at his schedule, finding it pleasantly empty, or all the tasks he is supposed to hand in by the bed of the week already crossed out, so he quickly sends an answer to the mail, asking if right now is okay. After fall, you never know when new work might appear. 

Only a handful of minutes after sending it, Osamu gets an answer telling him they are happy for his response and which room to come to. 

The engineer quickly gathers his equipment, and after a short goodbye to his teammates he hurries down to the B Rank squad rooms. 

Technically the rules would say that Azuma would be in the upper B ranks or even A rank by some other metrics, but he seems to have made a deal with the higher ups to willingly downrank himself to train his new students properly. 

Not that the higher ups would have a reason to deny the request, considering how many of their top teams’ captains were trained by Azuma. 

Finding the room isn't hard, so Osamu knocks on the door that only opens a moment later, revealing a blonde boy giving him a wide grin. 

“You are the engineer Azuma was talking about, right? Come in!” He says as he practically drags Osamu inside the room with an eager expression on his face. 

‘Somehow this reminds me of Ikoma squad.’ 

“Don't push him around like that, Koarai.” Another dark-haired boy in the room says.” Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mikumo.” He says with a polite nod.

“But Okudera, I know you want him to take a look at your trigger just as much as I.” Koarai says, his teammate averting his eyes, not denying the statement. 

From the other side of the room Azuma steps out, expression relaxed and open. “Calm down a bit, Koarai. Mikumo is not going to run away. Or at least he won't if you calm down a bit.” He tells his apprentice before tuning to Osamu. “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mikumo. I'm sure you are busy.”

Osamu gives them a smile. “It's not a problem. I finished my work for today already, and Tachikawa hasn't caused any problems today, so I have some free time.”

Azuma lets out a small laugh. “That sounds like he has a calm day. Let's see how long it lasts. Then I will take you up on your offer and start right away, Mikumo.”

“You can call me Osamu if you want to. So, do we want to get right down to business? You want me to adjust the Trigger for these two, right?”

“You got it. These two will learn the basics better if it's already adjusted for personal quirks like it will likely be done later anyway.”

“Do you also want me to do some custom modifications to the triggers? I'm not sure if I will have enough time for that.”

“Not for now. I would appreciate your help with that in the future, but for now they should get used to using standard triggers and find their own giving style before making changes like that.” 

“Okay, in that case let's just go to your training room right now and go through your usual routine. A spar would be helpful too. But first let me link up to your triggers.”

The two boys do so immediately, and Osamu can't help but notice that their triggers are probably of a bit higher quality than it was normal to be for their rank. 

Azuma would probably realize that too if he saw these scans, but he doesn't seem to be aware of that fact yet, or his expression would have probably shown at least something. 

‘I guess someone is putting some trust in Azuma's choice of disciple.’ Not that Osamu doesn't understand why. 

Or if he had any doubt before, once he sees Okudera and Koarai start to train, it would have disappeared. 

There are of course many better fighters in Border than them, but these two have only joined a relatively short time ago. To learn how to move in a fight this quickly greatly speaks for them. 

Osamu watches the energy diagrams on his screen fluctuate as the two fight, and he notes down the different changes that need to be made. The quirks that the mass produced triggers aren't calibrated to handle.

It's almost like a puzzle, in Osamu's opinion, and by now he has become familiar enough with the system to spot some patterns. Ilia once said she thinks of it like adjusting the handle of a sword to fit the hand of the user.

Koarai's Trion flows like a mix between Kai, Mizukami and Tachikawa, regulars spiking out and swirling but never losing that certain rhythm it has. 

Okudera's is more controlled, similar to Kurauchi but with a dash of Ikoma added in, but the rigid way his trion acts needs to be adjusted for so it doesn’t block the flow. 

Still, the adjustments are only done to the current triggers, so once they are switched out, the work will be lost. And B ranks, especially lower ranks, rarely get their new triggers adjusted whenever they receive new ones. 

The basic adjustments could be copied over, but it's not the same as manually adjusting them. 

So Osamu turns towards Azuma with a curious expression. “You are trying to do something else here beside them having adjusted triggers for now, right?” 

The man lets out a warm laugh. “You found me out, huh? I guess I was a bit obvious. But yes, you are correct. I want them to figure out on their own early on how useful it is to have teammates to help them in different ways. Them switching to another trigger during the regular rotation and having one without your adjustments should help them realize that very quickly. If they do that in the form of a combat engineer or just a regular one they become familiar with, that is up to them.”

Osamu nods in understanding. “But if they don't find someone on their own in time, feel free to ask me again. We are lacking a bit in the amount of combat engineers, after all.”

“Thank you. Your help is very appreciated.” Azuma says, proudly watching his students train. 

____________

Being part of Tachikawa squad excuses Osamu from a lot of work he would have done while he was still only part of R&D, but sometimes, especially when another member is sick like today, he will have to take over some routine work. 

But it doesn't bother him. He does have fun when toying around with triggers, after all, and if he can do the repair on the triggers of one of Yuma's friends like Kage, that's even better. 

Osamu notices the captain staring at the disassembled trigger in interest from the other side of the room, so the engineer sends him a welcoming smile. “You are free to watch if you want. You never know when it might help to know how a trigger is assembled. “

His outwardly behavior might be a bit rough, but Osamu has seen him with Yuma many times and heard many more stories to be actually intimidated by it. ‘Maybe he is just shy.’ 

Kage quickly turns around and pulls up his face mask, Kitazoe sending his captain a small, knowing smile. 

‘Definitely shy.’ Osamu thinks to himself, returning to his work and not noticing how Kageura moves away to avoid the wave of fluffy feeling emotions sent his way. 

“The damage wasn't big.” Osamu explains to the three team members present, everyone except Ema here since the boy is training with Chika again. “I only need to replace the main hand Scorpion trigger with a new one. I don't even need to take it down to the lab for that.”

Zoe moves closer to Osamu with a smile. “Thanks for coming here so quickly. The captain gets nervous when he doesn't have a working trigger.” 

“Hey! Don't say unnecessary things!” The man in question complains loudly, making his teammates laugh, and Osamu can only barely hold back his own. 

“That's pretty normal. Even Ninomiya looks nervous when he has to give someone his trigger for repair. He just sits there and stares at it until it's back in his hand.” Osamu remembers that time when he repaired the top shooter's trigger. He also did some updates on it while he was at it, since the higher ups are still acting like children, even if not as bad as before. 

Kage lets out a laugh as he hears that. “Oh I would pay money to see that. Maybe we can convince Inukai to hide his captain’s trigger for a day and shoot photos.” 

Osamu sends her a wry look. “Please don't. We don't have the extra Trion to repair the base after the disaster that would cause.” 

Osamu puts the outer casing of Kage's trigger back in place, screwing it tightly shut and hands it back to the captain with a smile. 

“That should be everything, but just to be sure we should test it out in the training room.” 

The back haired man nods, face half buried in the large collar of his jacket. “Yeah, sure. That's probably a good idea.” He says as he quickly activates his trigger. 

Osamu stands up and turns towards the train area when suddenly the door to the squad room is thrown open to reveal a ruffled looking Ema. 

“Chika and I are meeting this weekend. What should I wear? Should I plan something? Do I need to bring gifts?” He spills out, only to notice Osamu standing in the middle of the room. 

Osamu looks the boy up and down for a moment. He actually never thought about Chika spending time with a boy that way, but Ema is a good kid, so the engineer gives him a thumbs up. 

Instantly the sniper's face turns as red as a tomato, and he rushes out of the room again. 

“Chika likes small animals and white rice dishes.” Osamu calls after him through the open door. “And you don't have to dress up. She thinks your normal outfit looks cool.” He says before the door closes on its own. 

Behind him the other members of the team burst out into loud laughs, Nire looking like she is one breath away from falling off her chair. 

Osamu awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “Did I go a bit too far?” 

“Nah, that was the exact right amount.” Kageura ensures him. “Ema needs someone to pull him out of his shell.”

Osamu hopes the captain is correct with that, and lets out another laugh. Chika is not so unlike her new friend in that matter. Hopefully the two will manage to help each other out a bit. 

And when two days later Chika arrives in Tachikawa squad room with a wide smile and a package of bunny shaped rice cakes in her hands, Osamu can't help the wide smile that appears on his face. 

____________

“We really did it! We made it to first Rank again!” Izumi cheers loudly, holding out his cup into the air.

Osamu gives him a happy smile, letting himself be pulled along by his friend’s enthusiasm as he sets down another plate of food on the table, Yuma eagerly taking one of the croquette and biting into it with a satisfied hum.

Unlike last time when they celebrated in one of the restaurants, Tachikawa has decided for a more private party, and Osamu happily offered his home for the celebration.

The white haired boy sits down on the sofa beside Osamu, leaning their shoulders together as he happily lets his legs tangle. “No matter how many other shops I have tried croquettes at, yours are always the most delicious ones.”

Izumi instantly nods in agreement. “I know, right? They are sooo good! Ah, I will miss them so much during the away mission.”

His team has been assigned for an away mission again, set to start in one week, but Osamu has been excluded from that order.

He isn’t really sure how to feel about that. On one hand, he absolutely knows he is in no way ready for something as big as that, on the other hand he feels terrible about the idea of leaving his team to fight on their own.

In exchange for his absence Osamu might have overcompensated with a small  army of Trion soldiers for every situation, thanks to the help of Chika who offered copious amounts of trion for their creation. 

Osamu made sure to thank her deeply for it afterwards, knowing it would have taken him literal months if he tried to do it with only his own trion. Still, Chika says she didn't want anything in return,  saying she is happy to help in any way she can.

Tachikawa seems to notice Osamu’s emotions, ruffling the boy’s hair so much that he nearly throws off his glasses. ”I’m sure you will be along for the ride next time. The first Away mission after Kikuchihara joined Kazama squad he wasn’t allowed to join either.” He gives Osamu a grin. “Maybe you can talk to him so you can get some tips on how to overcome the boredom.

Osamu lets out a nervous laugh. “I have a feeling that he wouldn't exactly be happy if I just bothered him for something like that.” From what little contact Osamu has with the attacker doesn't exactly seem like the social type.

“Ah, I’m sure he won't mind.” Tachikawa ensures him, though the doubtful looks from Izumi and Kunichika tell a different story.

The operator turns to the two smallest members of the group, giving them as serious an expression as she can. “You two promise to make sure to keep Osamu safe while we are gone. I place my full trust in you.”

Yuma’s expression turns equally serious, as he does an almost knightly nod. “You can leave it to us. We swear to keep him safe.”

“Wait,“ Osamu tries to interrupt. “I’m the A rank here. Shouldn't I do the protecting?” He asks, but everyone just averts their eyes with an awkward expression as the silent continue to eat their food.

He really wants to deny their silent statement by saying that he has gotten a lot better at fighting than he did when he joined Border, but that argument doesn't exactly seem like it would hold much weight compared to an elite fighter like Yuma and a trion monster like Chika.

“I still have my Trion soldiers, you know. I can take care of myself.” Osamu basically doesn't leave the house without them. ‘You never know when you might need them, right?’

‘But if they are that worried, maybe I should increase my training a bit. I should have more time while they are gone anyway.’

Still, Osamu is going to enjoy the time while his team is still here as much as he can, and probably make sure that neither of them causes any big trouble right before the trip.

So basically the same old work as usual.

He just hopes he doesn't have to prevent another one of Tachikawa’s involuntary attempts to burn down HQ with a microwave. 

____________

“Yo, Mikumo.” A voice calls out to the boy in the hallways when he was just about to leave and get Yuma from where he is training in the solo rank war area. 

The engineer turns around to see none other than Jin, the S Rank jogging up to him with his usual grin. 

“We haven't seen each other in a while, haven't we?” The man asks casually. “How have things been going?”

“They have been going well. And for you?”

“Of course for me too. I’m Border’s power elite after all!” He says with a confident grin.

Still, there is that nagging in the back of Osamu's mind that he just can't shake off. “Say Jin, did you really search me out for that or is there something else? Is it something related to your side effect?” 

The grin on the other's face only becomes wider. “Ah, found out so quickly. But yeah, that part of it. I'm trying to get a better picture of some things that are about to happen, so I'm looking around a bit more than usual. But I also just wanted to know how you are.“

Osamu offers him a warm smile. “Thanks for the hard work then. It must be difficult. If I can help somehow, just tell me and I will do my best. Is there something in the future I should do?” 

Jin is silent for a moment, searchingly looking at Osamu, and it's actually a bit weird to see the other's face this serious, before the usual grin reappears just as quickly as it left. 

“Nothing direct. Telling you want to do would likely make things worse, but I can tell you things are going to be a bit stressful in the future, but we are on a very good timeline right now, so things will likely work out fine. Oh, I should probably thank you for getting the permission to use Trion soldiers this early. It will make things a bit easier.“

Hearing that makes Osamu a bit nervous, but he gives the S Rank a small smile. “Thank you for telling me. I will do my best.” 

“Thank you. That's all I can and need to ask of you. But loosen up a bit. If you constantly worry about the future, it will get you nowhere. Believe me. I should know.” He says, and Osamu accepts that advice with a small smile. 

Jin looks over into the next hallway as a group of people walk by. “Well, I think I need to go now. It was nice talking with you. See you around! And don't forget, if you need help with something weird, call me!” He says as he runs around the corner.

Chapter Text

Osamu is once again visiting Oji squad to meet up with Kurauchi to plan some trion soldier designs, the older teen by now having advanced quite well in the material the R&D provided.

But today the atmosphere in the room is different, tense in a way that Osamu has never seen, and Kashio seems to be just as confused about it as Osamu, the young swordsman worriedly looking around, fearing that he has done something wrong.

Even Yuiga is silent, which is a first since Osamu has seen him join the squad.

It is only half an hour in that Osamu’s curiosity and worry get the better of him. He didn't used to be so impatient, but he guess the constant chaos he has recently found himself in doesn't exactly breed patience.

He just hopes the members of Oji squad won't be angry.

“Did something happen?” He asks Kurauchi. “If so, maybe I can help somehow.”

The shooter tenses up, eyes drifting down towards the ground, but he isn’t the one who answers, Oji himself leaning into the back of his chair with an exhausted smile.

“It's nothing you can change. It's not like you are the one who made that decision.” He almost sounds insulted as he says it. “Kanda decided to leave Border all on his own, after all.”

Osamu turns towards the captain in shock, before quickly turning to Kurauchi who confirms it with a solemn nod.

People leaving Border of course isn't new, but it practically never happens with higher ranked agents. Especially for middle to higher B rank. He might actually be the first one that ever left.

And there is one more thing that makes Osamu worry greatly. 

“But … won't he have his memories wiped? Depending how things turn out, he might not be able to remember any of you.” The engineer says, horrified.

Oji lets out another sigh, playing with the trigger in his hand. “The higher ups have not decided that yet, but yes, the chance is there. And Kanda is aware of that. He still made this choice.” Oji says, and while he keeps his face emotionless, Osamu can see how it hurts his friend.

He quickly walks over to Oji and catches him in a hug, and the fact that the captain doesn't immediately make a comment about it is more than telling of his current state. 

The prince lets out a sigh, not quite able to hide how unsteady it is. “It's okay. I just did not think we were that low on his list of priorities. Especially not after all we have been through together. That is all.”

Osamu gives him a look, before turning towards Kurauchi to do the same. The shooter was apparently not as close with Kanda as Oji was, but they were still friends who fought together on the same team. 

“You have every right to be hurt by that. No one is deciding how you should feel beside yourself. And I know I would be hurt too if I was in your situation. Or most likely angry even.” 

Oji lets out a small laugh, though it's so weak it's almost inaudible. “You becoming angry? I don't think I can even imagine that.”

“Don't treat me like I'm some innocent maiden.” Osamu tries to defend himself, but it only seems to amuse the rest of the squad. 

Slowly Oji frees himself from his hug with Osamu, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. 

“I think I have moped around enough. What I personally think about the matter will not change Kanda's mind on the topic. And as much as I question his personality right now, Kanda was a great fighter, and this will be a loss for Border. We will have to increase our training to make up for that.”

Osamu gives him an amused laugh. “How much of this decision is influenced by the fact that you now have a much higher chance to win against Yuba squad?” 

The price gives him a sly grin. “Well, that definitely is a notable bonus. Now, everyone into the training room. We will be testing out some of Kurauchi's Trion soldiers in combat.” He decides. “And there will be no slacking off today.” He adds with a sharp look at Yuiga, who visibly flinches but tries to overplay it by fixing his hair, but the rich boy still can't help how his hand instinctively reaches up to rub his throat where Oji has taken to stabbing him with his Scorpion. 

Osamu gives them all an encouraging nod. “Then I will not bother you any further. Kurauchi, if you have any more questions about the Trion soldiers, just call me again.“

“I will. Thank you for your help as usual.” 

With that Osamu leaves the squad alone and steps out of the room, making his way back to his own squad room. Because he has no doubt Tachikawa has attracted some kind of trouble over the last hour he will need some help with. 

_____________

“Here I come!” Kai announces as he leaps over one of Mikumo’s large lizard trion soldiers with a grasshopper, holding out his Kogetsu as he flies by and cutting deep into the spiked armor on its back, but even with the force it's not enough to fully destroy the hard spikes covering its hide.

The spiked lizard about the length of an alligator rams its tail into the ground as an extra foothold as it whips its entire body around, trying to grab Kai by his legs, but the boy creates another Grasshopper, diving down towards the ground to avoid its maw.

The trion soldier snaps its mouth shut immediately to hide its core, but instead of directly going for the weak point though the opening of the mouth like Osamu expected, Kai ducks towards the soft underside of the trion soldier.

Not wanting to leave its softer underside in the open, so the lizard quickly tries to lower its head to the ground again, but before it can reach the ground again Kai shoots out a large Grasshopper toward the ground, easily as large as himself, catapulting the trion soldier's head back up into the air with enough force to lift its feet off the ground.

The blonde creates another grasshopper as he holds out his sword almost like a lance, and using the repelling force of he thrusts his weapon into the hard skin, piercing through it and the core, making the large body collapse to the floor with a loud crash.

With a wide grin the boy turns towards Osamu, enthusiastically waving as he runs up to him. “This one was really fun to fight!”

“I’m glad you liked it. But I guess this one isn't that functional as a combat soldier when facing quick fighters like you.” He says, looking down on the tablet displaying the combat data.

“I’m sure you will find a way to make it even better. It was already pretty good. If it had support, I don't think it would have been easy to beat.”

“Thank you. More importantly, how did the modified Grasshopper work? Did you feel any problems with it?”

After a lot of consideration Kai finally had an idea for a modified trigger he would want, and in the end he wanted to have his grasshopper modified to allow for higher power outputs.

It turned out to be a pretty simple adjustment, so now both the size of the launch pad as well as the power can be increased. Osamu still would like to reduce the trion cost for it a bit, but the general functionality is more important for now.

Kai gives him an energetic nod, creating another launchpad under his feet and catapulting himself against Osamu with his arms spread out, crashing into him and latching on like a big octopus. “It's perfect! It's everything I could wish for!”

The brown haired boy can barely keep on his feet even with him being in a trion body, but he gives the energetic boy a small laugh and a pat on his head. “I’m glad you like it. Yuma, do you want any adjustments?”

Darting out between the buildings, the white blur quickly approaches Osamu too, latching onto his body just like Kai did before.

“Everything works like it's supposed to. My only idea would be to include a setting to reduce the size of the grasshopper. It could be easier to use it as traps like that.”

“Hm, I will look into it.” Osamu says, before looking down at the two boys hanging off him with an amused smile. He is glad his trion body is strong enough to hold them up. “Then let's end the tests for now. I’m sure Iko is already getting hungry after all.”

The two boys give him a nod, though neither makes a move to detach himself, so Osamu just lets out a fond sigh, starting to stumble out of the training room as the two boys he is carrying giggle in amusement.

In the squad room the other members are all seated around the table as Chika and Oki discuss some sniping strategies, with Iko sitting beside them and doing his best to help.

Mizukami and Maori are sitting in front of the pc, having watched the training unfold.

“Good work everyone.” The ginger says in a relaxed voice. He looks uninterested like usual, but Osamu can see how he is already deep in thoughts, new strategies forming around Kai’s upgraded trigger. 

Not that he is ever going to actually tell his team the strategies he comes up with. He gave up on that a long time ago. He just secretly moves the battle into the directions so things are most likely to turn out in the way he wants.

Osamu gives him a  questioning look. “How did you like the trion soldiers? I heard from Kinuta that you recently went down to R&D to look at the documents concerning their construction.”

“Hm, yeah, I wanted to take a look. I like the idea of Trion soldiers, but all the engineering stuff that comes together with being a combat engineer and all the trigger construction tasks seems like too much work for me.”

Maori lets out a sigh. “Of course you would think that. And there go my hopes of maybe ever managing to fully complete all the tasks I want to do as an operator. Without any supporters I will never keep up with this team.”

Osamu rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Don't get your hopes up too high even if you get a combat engineer. I'm usually so busy with my trion soldiers that I can barely help Kunichika out. The only time when I can is during the later parts of the match where she doesn't really need the help anyway.”

Maori shakes her head. “That's only because it's her. Don’t compare me to the operator of the literal top ranked team. Every normal person would still really appreciate the help.” 

From beside the table Iko quickly stands up. “If Mario-chan wants someone to join our squad, we will definitely find someone!” The captain announces enthusiastically. “I’m sure we can convince someone who started learning as a combat engineer, right?” He asks, turning to Mizukami and Oki.

The ginger just keeps his face passive, but Oki does not hold himself back from showing his doubts. At least Kai seems to be just as happy as Iko about the idea.

“We should start looking around right now!” The older swordsman announces, running towards the door, but before he can open it Maori catches him by his collar. 

“Did you already forget the plans for later? We were just talking that we were planning to eat together.”

“Oh, right. There is eggplant curry in the cafeteria today! We can't miss that!” He says. “And we can try recruiting people over there!”

Their operator just lets out a tired sigh. “Please don't make a fool out of yourself. Mizukami, you take care of this, or I’m telling everybody about you-know-what.”

The shooter visibly flinches for a moment, before composing himself again. “Okay okay. I will do it. Iko, if you approach someone while they are eating, they probably are there to eat something. And no one wants to be bothered while eating. That won't help make them want to join our team.” 

The team leader thinks the words over for a moment before giving Mizukami a decisive nod. “You are right. No one likes that. But all the talking about food is making me really hungry right now.”

It only takes him some seconds to animate his team into moving, and the large group makes their way down to the canteen. 

Even after all this time Osamu hasn't exactly gotten used to the attention he receives whenever he wears the Tachikawa squad uniform, but surrounded by the loud crowd of his friends like this, he barely notices the stares.

In the cafeteria Iko insists that everyone try out the eggplant curry here, saying that Border’s is one of the best he ever tasted. It wouldn't even be impossible, since Border actually provides some very tasty food for very low prices.

(Osamu has actually heard that it was a strategy by Karasawa to make sure more people spend time in the bases, both encouraging them to train and allowing the base to collect more of the trion they passively give off. But that's just a rumor in R&D.)

“I found a free table!” Kai calls out, waving at the rest of the group and somehow not dropping or spilling his food in the process, and the rest of the group quickly follows before he does during his attempt to get their attention.

Osamu is sat down right in the middle of the energetic crowd of people, Yuma right beside him, the white haired boy not waiting to dig into his food.

The neighbor lets out a satisfied hum. “It tastes really amazing. Good choice Iko.” He praises the captain, who gets a proud smile on his face. “But I feel like there's just something that I would add, but I just don't know what.”

Iko looks like doesn't know if he should be offended or consider the idea of adding something to the dish, while Osamu can't help but think if Yuma is referring to some ingredients from the neighborhood that he can't really say he knows.

Oki takes another bite from his food, stating it for a moment before tugging to Yuma. “Maybe something mushroomy? That could fit well.” He suggests.

Soon the group is throwing in all kinds of suggestions, though they lose the original idea pretty fast, and quickly they basically just list the weirdest things they can come up with.

Caught up in their discussion they don’t notice another group of people approach them in the people filled cafeteria.

“Oh, hello Mizukami. It has been a while.” Suddenly comes a voice from the side, and when the group turns towards it they see Inukai lean on the table, Tsuji and Ninomiya standing behind him, all holding a tablet with food of their own.

“Inukai. What do you want?” Mizukami says in a bored voice, though his eyes turn a little bit sharper than they did before. “What are you planning this time?”

But Inukai isn't bothered by the suspicion sent his way, placing his food on the table and taking two empty chairs from one table over from himself and his captain, Tsuji taking one of his own right after, following after the blonde’s example. 

“What? I would never do something like that.” The gunner claims, pushing Ninomiya to sit down on the chair, the captain sending his teammate an annoyed look but goes along with it. “I just wanted to congratulate you about your success in the last rank war.”

Oki gives him a small smile, leaning a bit closer. “Ah, so this is about how we are catching up to you in the point ranking, right? Scared we will take your top spot?”

Kai nods eagerly. “Yes! Next time you won't win! I won't let the victory slip by this closely another time!”

Osamu nods along with that statement. The last B rank war’s top positions were only off by a couple of points, only a two point difference between first, second and third space each. 

With Ikoma’s upgraded Senku, he can give even Ninomiya a run for his money if the situation is right, after all, attacking at range and breaking through the shooter’s hard shields in close combat.

‘Actually, all the top positions were extremely cramped. Oji did amazing too. There is a really big difference between the top B rank teams and the middle squads at the moment.’

Inukai gives Oki a small laugh. “Ah, already figured me out. So you have added even more things to your strategy since then if you are so confident?”

”Yeah! We-” Kai starts, but Mizukami holds out his hand to cover the blonde’s mouth before he can answer. 

“At least make it a bit harder for him to figure out our new tricks, Kai. Inukai already has it easy enough as is.”

The gunner in question just answers with another sharp smile, before turning to Osamu. “I guess since you are here, it's another of your works. But I don't think we have properly met before. I’m Inukai, nice to meet you.”

Osamu gives him a small bow. “Nice to meet you too.” He says, causing the blonde to analyze him for a moment before giving him another smile, this one seeming more genuine than the previous one.

Inukai takes a bite of his meal, eating quickly in an attempt to catch up with his teammates, who have been concentrating on finishing their food in silence while their teammate was talking.

“Actually, we have a patrol now.“ Inukai says between bites, “So I really can't talk for long right now.”

Mizukiami gives him a bored look. “If you didn't have the time, why did you even bother to sit down? Doesn't the next patrol shift in less than five minutes?”

The gunner makes something that looks similar to a pout. “Oh just let me have some fun.” He complains, when Ninomiya stands up from his chair, having finished his food without anybody even noticing. 

“Inukai, Tsuji. Let's go.” The captain orders, the swordsman of their team standing up with him, leaving only Inukai behind who looks between his teammates and his plate, quickly shoveling the remaining food into his mouth before running after him, Kai letting out an amused laugh as he watches him go.

Inukai quickly places his empty tray on a dish cart as he hurries after his other team members with a jog.

As he catches up, Ninomiya sends his junior look. “What was that about?” He asks, and while it might sound like a normal question, the blonde knows what he is referring to. His captain has seen him act out his plays many times before, after all.

Inukai considers how to answer for a moment, but after a moment he decides to just spill. He doesn't want to make Ninomiya annoyed, after all.

“Osamu is the one who updated your trigger and secretly handed you the instructions on how to use composite bullets.” He says, greatly enjoying the surprise that enters his captain’s face. “He kept it hidden for now, but I wanted to see if he was doing it to manipulate you later on. But it seems that's not the case.” 

Ninomiya is still visibly shocked. “He did? Why would- I don’t think I have ever even spoken to him.”

Inukai nods in agreement. “That's what I’m trying to figure out too, but nothing has really been fruitful in finding a connection. Maybe it's really just out of the goodness of his heart.” He gives his captain a grin. “My other idea was that someone had a thing for you, but that seems to be the wrong idea too, or he would have acted differently.”

Ninomiya clears his throat, a small blush dusting his face. “Don't say such unnecessary things, unless you want to be assigned extra training. Personal training with me, specifically.”

Inukai raises his hands in defeat. “I’ll stop. I really don't want to have more holes than skin again.” He says with a laugh.

“Good. Then let's go to our assigned position. We do not want to be late for our patrol.”

Chapter Text

Osamu makes his way down to Kinuta’s office, walking the familiar hallways of R&D as he once again reads over the email he has gotten to come here.

It doesn't really say much, basically nothing, but it seems they have a job they want Osamu to do.

Honestly, it has been very boring without the rest of his team still out on the Away mission, and he can only design trion soldiers for so long before it gets too much, so every distraction is very welcome.

Osamu didn't even realize how much time he was spending with his team and how much faster he had gotten at filling his daily quota of work on the regular Border triggers. Even spending time with Yuma and Chika only goes so far, especially since the two have been training together more often, and since they plan on facing Tachikawa squad in the future, Osamu can't exactly watch and learn their strategies.

So it's not a problem he has likely been assigned some extra work, and judging how Osamu got called to Kinuta directly, there is a good chance he might be able to work with the man himself. Something Osamu would greatly appreciate since Kinuta is quite inventive despite his usually so rigid personality.

Besides, Osamu didn't spend enough time with the man recently. 

Osamu knocks on the door of the office, and when he hears Kinuta’s voice to come in he quickly steps inside, only to see the room already filled with three people including Raizo, Taru and that one new combat engineer recruit called Saotome, If Osamu remembers right.

Looking at all the people already there, Osamu takes a worried look down on the clock and  email on his tablet if he is too late, since he planned to be early, until he hears a small laugh from Kinuta.

“Don't worry. You are on time. I just gave these guys an earlier time to make sure they aren't too late for once.” He explains as another knock on the door, and it opens to reveal Kurauchi.

“Good.” Kinuta says. “Now we are all here, we can begin. Let's get right to the point. The higher ups have decided to create a standing troop of trion soldiers in case of another invasion.”

Kurauchi lets out a curious hum. “But I heard that the idea was previously ignored because the Trion required would be too much to handle.”

Teru gives them a grin. “Yeah, but thanks to the yet to be released rule for rank wars, that won't be a problem much longer. We have a real shortage of combat engineers right now, so the higher ups have decided to create a small workaround so the teams that don't have one dont have too much of a disadvantage.”

Kinuta gestures towards a small screen on the side of the wall that displays a handful of different trion soldiers designs. “We are planning to give out some very basic trion soldier designs to teams in return for their trion, similar in the way that Tachikawa squad uses their trion to create their trion soldiers.”

He stands up and walks towards the screen, pointing to a number in the description of the trion soldier. “Of course these ones decay just like any other trion soldiers in the neighborhood do over time, so once that happens their residual trion is reabsorbed by the base and added to our reserves.”

Normally something like that wouldn't be worth the effort by neighborhood standards, but that is only if you have a fully operational Mother trigger, which Border does not, mostly for moral reasons.

‘When the trion soldiers the neighborhood countries use are about to decay, they usually just send them out in hopes that they may succeed in capturing something. We are often the target of that.’

Osamu nods in approval. “And not only would that give us more trion, it would also train the team how to fight alongside trion soldiers. The fully automated designs don't really allow for complex strategy, but it's far better than nothing.”

And he is sure that Tachikawa and Izumi won't have a problem with it either. Quite the opposite, since they are always out for a good fight. ‘And this way I could give Chika and Yuma some Trion soldiers too once they start climbing up the ranks.’

Raizo gives Kinuta a bit of a tired look. “And what is our job in this whole situation?”

“You are supposed to create an assortment of trion soldiers that would be both helpful in the rank wars and in an invasion. You are currently the best Trion soldier designers we have, yes, even you Saotome, though purely by process of elimination.”

Though said boy doesn't seem bothered by it, instead just oozing confidence.

Osamu gives his teammates an excited smile. “I haven't had the chance to work together with others on the same trion soldiers like this. It's a pleasure.”

Kurauchi nods in agreement. “It would be a good learning experience indeed. But I have to admit, except for Osamu, I do not have any idea what either of your focus or method is when you design trion soldiers.”

Raizo nods in agreement. “I think everybody here has seen Osamu’s, but the rest of us probably should give a short rundown. For now I’m focusing on guard type trion soldiers, focused on very long range or direct combat respectively, mostly if used in large numbers with a focus on low cost per unit.”

Taru nods along with it. “My focus isn't that different, but I’m leaning more into the direction of support oriented trion soldiers that could help with work around the base and other logistics.”

Kurauchi lets out an interesting sound. “That does sound very useful to have. I myself have found mostly to direct combat trion soldiers with a focus on power output over efficiency.”

With only one person left, all eyes turn towards Saotome, “I- Uhm, I haven't really focused on anything specific yet, but similar to what Kurauchi is doing I guess.” He says hesitantly.

Raizo gives the boy a look before turning to the door with a sigh. “Well, we better move this to my lab before we bother Kinuta ever more.”

The small man lets out a gruff huff of air. “Well, I can’t really complain since I’m giving you this on top of your other work. If it gets too much, tell me and I will find some other solution.”

Osamu acknowledges the statement with a nod, though he highly doubts he will. 

After all, this seems like it's going to be pretty exciting.

_______________

Osamu is sitting on the roof of the school with Chika and Yuma on both of his sides, quietly enjoying their meal during their lunch break.

It has been a while since the A Rank wars ended, but Osamu’s teammates from Tachikawa squad still haven't returned from the Away mission.

They should arrive soon though if things go according to plan, which judging by the calculated difficulty according to Jin, is basically guaranteed. With how careful Kido is with his agents he wouldn't approve of missions otherwise.

On the other hand school is in full swing again, which means that a lot of his time is spent there and another good amount on making sure that Yuma understands the subjects. 

Him and Chika haven't found an operator yet, so their team isn't fully functional yet, but his friends have been sent out for patrols now and then. 

Osamu made sure that each of their first patrols was together with Tachikawa squad, knowing that for Chika it would be better to have familiar people around, and for Yuma making sure he doesn't do anything that could reveal his identity. 

But in the end Osamu probably shouldn't have worried so much, as every single one of his friends keeps telling him multiple times a day. 

Chika responded to the first sighting of a neighbor reasonably well, though the fact that it was very far away helped a lot, and she shot it down before it came anywhere close to her. 

After that the nervousness evaporated from her stiff body very quickly, and it only got better with every taken out Trion soldier. 

There was one time where they had the bad luck of having a gate spawn directly above them that made the sniper panic a bit, but with one Ibis shot that was a bit stronger than necessary, the problem was very quickly taken care of. 

But Osam and her had to apologize to their superiors for leaving behind unnecessary damage in the forbidden zone afterwards. At least Tachikawa and Izumi were amused by it.

Well, in the end it wasn't much of a problem since Osamu can kind of call in a favor for doing that extra work with the standing trion soldier troops.

Some of the basic models have already been made available to the other squads, but in Osamu’s personal opinion the battle AI of the trion soldiers still needs a good amount of work. But they do function well enough for now.

“Yuma, did you finish the homework for literature for tomorrow?"

The white haired boy looks a bit embarrassed. “I haven't really started with it yet.” He admits, getting a small laugh from his friends, but honestly Osamu kind of expected it. It's not something Yuma has any fun with, even with Replika’s help.

“If you want, we can do it after school together. I have mostly finished it already, so it should be really quick.”

“Thanks Osamu. I promised Shun another fight this evening.”

“Don't worry. We should be finished by then.” Osamu says. Yuma has been training with Shun more often recently, the two both really having a thing for Grasshopper and improving their technique together.

Suddenly Chika’s head snaps towards the direction of Border HQ, her body tensing up in a familiar way as she quickly stands up from the ground, her unfinished food scattering over the ground as a fear filled expression appears on her face.

“They are here.” She simply says, and the trio instantly activates their trion bodies as multiple black rifts open up in the sky above the forbidden zone, Osamu being clad in his squad uniform with a tablet appearing in his hand for controlling his trion soldiers while out on the field, while his friends still wear the standard B rank uniform.

Immediately the familiar siren echoes through the air, but unlike usual it spreads out over the entire town, and right away sound of commotion and worry erupt from the people. 

Osamu quickly looks down on his Border issue phone for instructions, trying to ignore both the sounds and his rising worry.

‘It's good that people aren't panicking yet.’ Osamu thinks, looking down at the schoolyard as the artificial voice of Border’s announcement systems speaks up.

"Warning. Multiple gate activities detected. For safety reasons, we advise all civilians to move away from the forbidden zone as far as possible. Please follow the instructions of the C rank agents.” It says.

Osamu hears a small click as he is linked up to an operator, though sadly not Kunichika since she is still out on the away mission.

“H-Hello. I was assigned to direct you.” She says. “I am assigned to command the general B ranks without an operator present for now. Let's work together well.” She says.

“Roger.” Osamu says, a bunch of other voices joining his own, maybe as much as eight others, and while he doesnt recognize most of the voices, he hears Chika and Yuma among them, so he gives his friends a smile that is instantly returned by them.

Osamu hears some frantic typing through the com link. “As for the current situation, it seems a large number of trion soldiers has appeared and they are heading directly towards the town.” She says, something that Osamu can see even from this distance.

“Um, so, for now everyone is ordered to approach the forbidden zone to try and stop the many trion soldiers that have appeared. Prioritize safety over winning, and if you can't take them out, focus on slowing them down till the other agents arrive.”

Osamu does not wait any longer, taking three trion soldier eggs from his pocket, throwing them into the air where they crack in a blast of light, making three larger bird type trion soldiers appear.

They quickly dive down towards the trio and grab them by their shoulders, lifting them high into the air and flying them over the roofs of the town at an incredible speed, directly towards the gates, already seeing some large, whale-like trion soldiers flying in the air with many Marmods crawling on the ground.

“Those are Ilgars.” Replica comments. “A bombing type trion soldier. Osamu, you already secretly inserted that information into that data drive from the last away mission, so you can give the information to the higher ups.”

Osamu gives their operator a quick rundown of all that he remembers off the top of his head, and even if she seems a bit busy, she does quickly relay his message over to Shinoda. 

As they get closer to the crowd of trion soldiers Osamu does his best to analyze their number and different models, not large enough to form a full invasion like the first, but still far too much for the normal patrols to take care of. 

The agents are already doing their best to stop the flood of trion soldiers, but they are quickly pushed back. 

Chika readies her sniper rifle, and her Ibis charges up with energy before she releases the shot into the center of the crowd, ripping apart their ranks as the large explosion shakes the earth, sending the shards of white armor plating flying through the air.

Instantly the mixed group of trion soldiers changes their tactics, quickly scattering over the battlefield to no longer be such an easy target for such large scale attacks. ‘That means they are either manually controlled or have some more advanced AI.’

The bird carrying Chika desperately flails its wind to make sure it doesn't drop in the stormwinds created by her attack, but it manages to hold out, Osamu having made adjustments just for this case.

But with the crowd of trion soldiers broken up, even if they have lost their formation and are now easier to take care of, they seem to have thrown self preservation out of the window and are now directly rushing the town.

The Ilgar is doing the same, when suddenly a bullet flies through the air, directly towards the core in its mouth, and even with the trion soldier's quick reaction of snapping shut its mouth, the bullet manages to cause some damage to the core, starting to steadily leak trion.

In the corner of his eyes Osamu sees Azuma placed on top of the building, Okudera and Koarai on the streets below taking out all the trion soldiers that are trying to reach their captain.

The Ilgar keeps its mouth closed as it flies forward, now relying purely on the visual input of the other trion soldiers for navigation to try and survive a bit longer so it can self destruct, when suddenly two large bolt of trion flies up from the earth, followed by a large Senku that cleanly claves the already damaged Ilgar into half.

“Ikoma, Ninomiya and Oji squad have arrived on the scene.” The unnamed operator announces. “They will take care of the two remaining Ilgar, so focus on the small units.” She instructs, no longer seeming as nervous as she was before.

Even then the invaders are slowly getting closer to the edge of town, but now that their numbers have been scattered like this, it is the exact situation Osamu has helped Border prepare for.

All over the ground in front of the approaching wave of trion soldiers Switchbox teleport spots appear, depositing large clumps of trion eggs on the ground that instantly burst open to form Border’s own gates, a wild mix of different combat oriented designs spilling out of them.

The invading force is undoubtedly stronger, a single of Border’s creation not even close to being able to take out a Bamster, but they don't have to, each enemy jumped from all sides by Border’s trion soldiers, the reckless attack not letting up even as they are destroyed, building a living wall towards the town.

Yuma is about to drop down into the fray to help when Osamu picks something up with the radar of the birds, a small trion signature slipping through the commotion at quickly making their way toward the city.

Its general shape isn't like any that Osamu has in his system, but what is important is the passive energy signature it gives off, basically the same as the Rads from a while ago, so he instantly contacts his operator.

“A mobile gate creator similar to the Rads is making its way towards town! Our group will engage in combat!” Osamu calls out, steering his bird trion soldiers into the direction that their target is running.

“Chika, that's its general location! Shoot!” Osamu orders, getting a determined nod from the girl.

Aiming while hanging off a bird like this is hard, especially with a sniper rifle (as long as you aren't Satori who can somehow do pinpoint shots no matter the situation he is in) so she switches to a Hound, stretching her hand out towards the ground.

Instantly a large trion cube appears in her palm, splitting off into dozens of bullets that shoot down to the houses where Osamu detected their target with enough force to make the air around them boom like thunder.

With a flash of light they collide with the ground blow, sending out a shockwave that bursts out all around the target, easily taking out the buildings. 

The houses the trion soldier was using as cover are ripped away to reveal its cat like form, but it manages to avoid most of the bullets themselves. At least for now.

But as Chika prepares another volley, now that she sees the trion soldier, the tracking function of the Hounds will finally be able to take effect, no longer leaving any chance of escape.

And the small trion soldier seems to realize that too, either having an extremely advanced intelligence model or being manually controlled, and the back of its body snaps open to reveal a large trion core.

Instantly black lighting shoots up into the air from it, instantly ripping open another black portal above it that releases an Ilgar as the small trion soldier below is destroyed by Chika, but this Ilgar is now behind the line of defense Border has put up.

“Yuma!” Osamu says, as he makes his friend's bird go into a dive, Chika already sending another Ibis at the Ilgar.

The bullet collides with the bomber’s back, ripping apart a good part of its armor, but that's not enough to take it down, especially not from an unsteady fighting position like the middle of the air.

“Chika, reposition on the ground and deal as much damage as you can.” Osamu orders as he flies her down to the earth as fast as he can, Yuma now reaching the bomber’s back.

He detaches from the bird soldiers and leaps down towards it with a grasshopper, materializing a scorpion as he uses the speed to plunge the blade deep into the Trion soldier’s cracked armor.

Immediately the Ilgar’s defensive tentacles grow from its back, trying to take out Yuma with a surprise attack, but the boy already knows of that trap, swinging out a Mantis in a large arc and immediately cutting off most of the stalk-like turrets.

The remaining ones still try to fire at him, when they are taken out by a handful of small trion bullets and a flock of smaller bird trion soldiers, Osamu having flown in range too and doing his best to support his friend. 

Knowing his back is protected Yuma concentrates fully on the trion soldier below his feets, stretching his scorpion deep into the structure and slashing where he knows the weak points to be.

The creature lets out a cry, and begins to do a barrel roll in an attempt to throw Yuma off, the white haired boy stumbling as the ground below his feet shifts, but before he can fall Osamu’s trion soldier grabs him by his shoulder again.

But while that maneuver might be a good way to get rid of Yuma, as the Ilgar rolls around, it exposes the large hole on its back to Chika waiting below.

As the trion soldier begins to move she charges up another shot, releasing it as soon as the opening in the Ilgar’s armor becomes visible.

The bullets rips through the air at an incredible speed, throwing up a shockwave of dust as it flies up into the sky and directly into its target, before detonating into a giant burst of trion, followed by a second explosion as the internal bomb of the Ilgar ignites.

The windows of the building of the forbidden zone shatter under the pressure, and Osamu is very happy about the fact that he is in a trion body, or he is sure his ears would for sure have ruptured.

The trion soldiers carrying him and Yuma aren't exactly taking the blast well either, especially not since Osamu ordered them to shield Yuma, Chika and him with their bodies, so the two still in the air plummet to the ground as the cores of the trion soldiers shatter.

It's a bit stomach-turning, but Osamu lands on his feet, and being in a trion body means even terminal velocity cannot truly injure you.

“You two okay?” Osamu asks, getting a nod from his companions, even if they are a bit dazed, Yuma especially being covered in dark spots of soot from the explosions.

He turns towards the distance where the rest of the battles are still raging behind them as he looks over the scans he got from his trion soldier.

“It doesn't look like there are any other mobile gate generators in the area, so let's join up with the others and take out the main troop.”

“Roger.” His friends reply, and Osamu releases two more bird trion soldiers to fly them towards the central troops of the enemy, jumping into the fray like the other Border members. 

But despite that, Osamu isn’t worried.

After all, he knows his friends have his back.

Chapter Text

Hyuse sits on the long strategy table with his eyes fixed to the screen attentively watching as Hyrein silently observes the data from their last attack on Meeden. 

At first Hyuse thought it a waste of resources, their leader just being overly careful for nothing, but after the last big scouting attack they launched, the young fighter has to admit Hyrein's caution was justified. 

None of the previous attacks so much as indicated that Meeden has access to defensive Trion soldiers yet, so seeing them used on such a scale was a surprise. 

They of course were nowhere near the quality of the units produced by Aftocrator and its vassal states, but they did do their job to fend off those higher quality units for long enough so the human fighter could take them out. 

Viza lets out a small chuckle. “Well, it seems Meeden has grown quite a lot compared to our last contact with them. I would suspect the destruction of Aristera and its allies did force them to grow quicker than before.“

If Hyuse remembers right, the last time Aftocrator was in Meeden's orbit was around four years ago, and while that time Aftocrator did not have the resources to capture it, caught up in a war with another planetary nation, they did send some scouts like they always do. 

Aftocrator is one of the most powerful nations in the neighborhood, but they did not get to that position by being careless. 

Enedora scoffs. “They are still no more than monkeys, even if they managed to learn how to throw stones around. Though I guess they would be worth conquering in their current state.”

“We are not here for that.” Hyrein reminds him. “We are only here for our originally planned capture mission, nothing more. Though your statement is not untrue. Once we have integrated a new God, it might be an option to take.” 

Ranbanein nods in agreement, though there is a wistful expression on his face. “There are a good amount of talented fighters among them. I would love to allow them to grow for longer till we fight them, but it can't be helped.”

Hyrein gives his brother a small nod. “They have been growing quickly indeed. It would be a smart decision to take them out before the resources required to do so become even larger. Besides, if you capture some of their talented combatants, you can train them yourself and have combat with them that way.“

“You know that just not the same as meeting them on a battlefield, but it will have to do.” The redhead agrees, crossing  his arms. “There are already some people that look interesting. They would make great additions to Aftocrator's troops.” 

Hyuse decides to ignore the man's ramblings in favor of focusing on the video feed in front of him again. 

Meeden Trion soldiers won't be a challenge, but they will be an annoyance. 

He lets out a huff of air. Maybe this mission won't be as easy as first expected, but he has a task to fulfill, given to him by his master, so failing is not an option. 

____________

Osamu sits on the desk in front of him with his shoulders tense, eyes glancing between Jun and the reporters in front of him, the PR member giving the press a rundown of the last large scale attack, with Shinoda and Kido adding in things now and then.

He is really glad that he doesn't have to do this alone, both Kinuta and Raizo being here and chosen as the ones who will do the explanations if the reporters direct them towards the development department.

‘I really don't know how Jun is so good at keeping his composure.’ Osamu thinks to himself. It can't be easy to not only keep his calm doing all the pointed questions, but also answer every single one in a way that satisfies the audience.

‘Well, not always satisfied. Some of the reporters seem to be kind of annoyed.’ But Jun has formulated his responses in a way that if the reporters wouldn't accept the answer, they would represent themselves as the bad guy, which is a risk they are never going to take.

“I have another question.” One of the reporters calls out. “What about those trion soldiers that you used during the fight? Are you sure they are safe to use?”

It's obvious he is accusing them, even if not a single bit of damage was done by Border’s trion soldiers. Not even a single stray bullet. 

But he doesn't look afraid, let alone worried, so Osamu finds it unlikely that he actually thinks they are dangerous. ‘That means that he probably just wants to make a story out of it.’ The engineer thinks angrily.

But Jun just gives him a polite smile. If he is feeling any dissatisfaction, he doesn't let even a hint of that show. “For the specific information you will have to ask our workers from R&D, but I personally have never even heard of any problems with them. I know our people wouldn't use them otherwise.” He says with another of his blinding smiles, gesturing to Kinuta and the two boys surrounding him.

Kinuta acknowledges it with a small nod, turning towards the reporter. “Like he said, we wouldn't use trion soldiers if we weren't sure they are safe. For now we have been trying to use them in different situations around the base to see when they are most useful, but it's still a work in progress.”

Osamu nods in agreement. He knows very well how surprisingly safe Trion soldiers are, even the ones used in the Neighborhood. Everything else could cause quite some disasters, after all.

So the danger of them attacking civilians is basically null.

But Osamu can't really give that reasoning out to the public, since they don't know about the true situation in the neighborhood.

And it seems that Kinuta’s explanation was not enough to get this particular reporter either, though he is getting some dissatisfied looks from the other press members, though if they disagree with his continued questioning or simply want their own turn, Osamu cannot tell.

But the complete prevention of a large attack like that, not a single one actually reaching the populated zone, has created quite some goodwill in the community. Even more than usual, so even the media is a bit hesitant to openly criticize Border.

It won't last long. Osamu knows that from experience, but he is still glad about this grace period. If just this one reporter would follow it too. 

“But what would happen if someone gets hurt because of them or one of them goes out of control? What would Border do then?” He pushes, and Osamu really has to hold back the sigh that his body wants to let out. You would think adult people would act more mature, but no, most children in Border are better than this.

“Then we will take responsibility for that of course.” Kido says confidently. “Not that that is going to happen. Our engineers are very competent.” He says, gesturing towards Raizo and Osamu.

The reporter gives Osamu and Raizo a doubtful look. “But can we really trust people that young with something so important? This seems to be some very precarious process we are talking about. And the work from children only counts for so much.” He says, Kinuta’s expression instantly turning into an angry frown.

But before the head of R&D can say anything Kido clears his throat, gathering the attention of the audience to himself.

The commander levels the reporter with a cold stare, his eyes as sharp as daggers, the pressure making the reporter unconsciously take a step back.

“Border has many younger agents in its ranks, and we put our trust in their abilities and dedication to keep our home safe. If you say you do not trust our members because they are young, it seems you do not trust Border as a whole.”

The commander folds his hands together, and Osamu isn't sure how such a simple gesture can somehow be this intimidating. “And I will not allow anybody to talk down to our members like that in any way. I will ask you to leave this conference, please.”

The reporter looks at Kido in shock. “But I-”

Kido sets the documents he brought aloud down on the table, the sound somehow quieting down every person in the room, not even a breath being heard. “This is not a thing I will take any compromise on. It is simply unacceptable to target the young souls who already do so much for us. Now, I will not repeat myself again.” He says, and the reporter lets out a small yelp, hurrying out of the room under the pressure of the commander's eyes.

The door slams shut behind the fleeing man, but the room stays tense even after he leaves, no one daring to raise their voice until Kido lets out a sigh of air.

“I apologize for the interruption. Jun, would you please continue the conference?”

The PR team captain gives him a smile as if nothing happened. “Sure thing! Does anybody still have some questions to ask?” He says with his usual smile, and it seems enough to snap the reporters back into action.

One brave reporter raises her hand and sends a look towards Osamu and the others from R&D. “So, since you ensure their safety, there have been some rumors going around that these trion soldiers could be used as a permanent defense for the town. Is that true?”

Osamu is pretty sure that it's not one of the rumors made from leaked information, mostly because no one who knows would spill it. Not even Saotome because he is too scared of Kinuta.

Osamu is the one who answers first, knowing that Kinuta is probably not going to answer in time for it to be calming to the audience since he is likely to be caught up by the fact that someone guessed his plan.

“Yes, there are plans for that, so we can have a more permanent protection for the town in a way that it wouldn't be possible with just humans. It would be a big step to make the town even safer, even during completely unexpected disasters.” Osamu explains, but as soon as he finishes he looks over to Jun to see if he did okay.

The captain gives the boy a warm smile and an approving nod, before turning to the reporters again, answering every single question that is thrown at him without even losing the smile on his face once.

Osamu really wants to know where he has all the patience from.

Maybe he should try to get some tips. He is sure to need them in the future when dealing with Tachikawa’s problems.

____________

Osamu impatiently waits as he looks at the landing platform of Border’s expedition ship, the work on his laptop he theoretically brought along to pass time barely touched.

Jin said the latest Away mission should arrive sometime today, so Osamu has basically been camping out in the hangar since then, to the great amusement of Yoneya.

The engineer knows his team is okay and that the handful of minutes between their arrival and them coming to meet him anyway would barely make any difference, but he just really missed them over the last weeks.

“Aw, don't worry. They will be arriving soon, I’m sure.” The spear user says, reaching over and slinging an arm around Osamu’s neck, Miwa beside him rolling his eyes.

Their squad is stationed here for safety reasons, just to make sure things don't go bad when the Away mission returns. They have explained that it's mostly just for protocol and nothing has happened yet.

But the rule has to exist for a reason, so Jin probably saw a future once where something like this was necessary. 

‘Considering Miwa’s is a combat squad, maybe opening a portal to the center of the base would allow enemies to slip in with them. It would make sense, since we have to temporarily disable the tracking beacon in this area to enable the pinpoint return.’

Osamu gives the A rank squad a small smile. “I heard you have been training with the new mass produced trion soldiers. Are you liking them?”

The spear user gives him a wide smile, Kodera and Narasaka nodding in agreement too, the younger sniper in particular seeming happy about it. “We have been using some of the tracking units for now and put them on the automatic stealth setting. It's not as good as when they are controlled by an actual person, but the information they provide is invaluable, especially to us snipers.”

Yoneya nods in agreement. “And if things go badly, they can jump if things ever get overwhelming for Miwa and me. Besides, they are snakes! We have them in our squad symbol! It's really a shame we weren't the first to use them.”

“I’m glad you like them. Maybe you will get a combat engineer so you can use them to their full potential.” Osamu says, but Miwa lets out a small huff of air.

“As if it was that easy. As soon as people see the amount of work related to it they chicken out, and the few that remain are weeded out pretty heavily by Kinuta.” 

“I mean, you're not wrong, but there are still a few who are learning right now.” Osamu says. He has been teaching a handful of them, after all. “But you are right, if you want some in their team, you really have to catch them while you can. I would suggest Saotome, but he is already planning to create a team with his friends that just joined Border. But you are an A rank team. I’m sure people would love to join you.”

Yoneya gives him an uncertain look. “You know, our Miwa doesn't have the best image. People get scared away by him pretty quickly. It's a shame. No one really realizes how much of a softie he actually is.” He says, racing over to ruffle his captain's hair who quickly bats that hand away, turning away to hide a blush, covering his face by pulling up his scarf.

“See? Like a cute kitty.” The spear use says, Osamu and Kodera holding back a laugh while Narasaka keeps up his poker face, but even the corners of his mouth are raised up just that slightest bit.

Suddenly a small crackle of energy catches Osamu’s attention, and he turns towards the center of the plattform when small flashes of black lighting start to fly through the air, and the mechanical voice of the Border announcement system begins to speak.

“Warning. The expedition ship is returning. All personnel please remove themselves from the platform immediately.” It says, not that anybody was there to begin with, as the flashes of lighting gather into a gate, the familiar form of the ship appearing from it.

It settles on the floor with a heavy thud as the buzzing of the trion engine slowly shuts down, the staff of the control room hurrying into the landing bay, the higher ups no doubt already informed of the arrival.

It takes some seconds longer till the door slowly unseals itself with a hiss of air as the pressure evens out. Thankfully there aren't any problems with the pressure difference for the humans, as long as they are in a trion body. Like that their bodies just naturally adjust over time.

As soon as Osamu spots his teammates he is running towards them with a large smile, one that is returned by Tachikawa, Kunichika and Izumi as soon as they spot the boy.

“Osamu! We are back! It feels like it has been ages.” Izumi says, catching Osamu in a hug and ruffling the younger boy’s hair. “How did things go on your end?”

“Well, we had one larger negíghbor attack, but we repelled it pretty well. They didn't even manage to reach the town. How was it for you? You look pretty tired.” 

Kunichika lets out a tired sigh. “Wouldn't you guess. But everything went fine. Well, Fuyushima has caught some weird illness again, so he is quarantined for now, but that's nothing new.”

Osamu lets out a small laugh, even if he feels a bit guilty about it. “That does happen pretty often. I hope he didn't catch anything too bad this time.” Osamu heard stories about the state he was in last time. 

He didn't even know human skin could turn those colors.

“I know right?” Izumi says. “He is even one of the people who leaves the ship the least, and you would think he has developed at least some immunity by now.” He says, stretching his arms above his head as his stomach lets out a hungry growl, loud enough that it almost seems to echo in the hangar, to the visible and audible amusement of Yoneya.

A light bush spread over Izumi’s face. “I can't help it! You know how boring food is on the away ship, and Kazama never lets me eat any of the interesting looking stuff during the time we actually land in a neighborhood country!”

From inside the ship Utagawa sticks out his head through the door. “Do you remember that the last time we let you eat something you thought looked delicious it turned out to be soap made from actual rocks?”

“It's not my fault they made it look and smell like that!” Izumi tries to defend himself, though it only makes the people around him laugh more.

“Well, I thought you guys might be hungry, so I brought some food.” Osamu says, quickly walking back to where he was sitting to get a large box, holding it out to his teammates.

When they eagerly open it a cloud of hot steam flows out, and when it dissipates they see a fresh batch of Osamu’s homemade croquettes.

Izumi does not hesitate as he grabs one so quickly it rivals Ikoma’s Senku, swallowing half of it in a single bite, with the other two returnees not far behind. 

Osamu smiles as he watches them eat. “I had to protect them from Yuma or he would have probably eaten them all. Him and Chika are waiting outside the hanger. Kido did not allow them inside.” He explains.

From behind them Utagawa watches with the drool collecting in his mouth. “Wow, you're getting food? I wish Kikuchihara did that when he wasn't yet allowed on the away mission.” He says, only for the boy in question to jab his elbow in the attacker's side, wordless walking out of the hangar, glaring at everyone he passes.

Utagawa doesn't seem especially bothered by it, but he gives the others an apologetic look. “Sorry, he is in a bad mood from being in such a small space with so many people for so long. He will need a day of peace and quiet.”

“It's not a problem.“ Osamu says. “It can't be easy for him with his side effect.“

Tachikawa waves off his worry. “Ah, he is tough. He can handle it.” He says, turning towards the ship again. “Kazama, can you deliver the spoils to the higher ups? I don't want to let Chika and Yuma wait too long.” 

His fellow captain peaks out from the expedition ship, and after a moment of consideration he gives them a nod. “Under the condition that I get one of those croquettes.” 

Osamu lets out a small laugh, handing Kazama and Utagawa one one each. “Thank you. See you later!” He says as Tachikawa quad leaves the room together.

Right outside the door Yuma and Chika are sitting on the bench together with Izuho, the trio looking up as soon as they hear the door opening.

Yuma waves the A Rank squad over to them with his usual duck face as Izuho stands up and gives a polite nod to the group walking out of the hangar. 

“I guess we will see each other later. Have fun!” She says, but Tachikawa stops her before she can go. 

“No no. A friend of these guys is a friend of ours. Just stay. The more the merrier, you know?” He says, looking to Osamu for confirmation.

The brown haired boy gives him a nod. “My home is big enough for another person at least. We would be happy to have you.” Osamu tells the young sniper, getting a wide grin from her in return.

“Then I’m happy to join! I heard  many times how good your food is, so I can't wait.” She says happily.

A small blush spreads over Osamu’s face as he turns towards his friends. “Stop spreading weird rumors like that! My food isn't that good.” He insists, but not a single other person in the room seems to agree with that. 

Thankfully Tachikawa’s car is pretty large, so the entire group fits inside, even if they have to huddle together a bit, which at the very least means that they aren't getting thrown around as much as usually with their captain’s driving style.

After one especially harsh turn that makes the entire vehicle shake like a leaf in a storm Osamu sees Izuho reach for her trigger in worry, every bump the car rushes over making her take in a worried breath in case she needs to activate it.

Honestly a good choice. Osamu should have thought of that when he first found himself in this situation, but Tachikawa’s driving has not killed him yet (somehow) so it won't now. Probably.

Maybe he should keep his trigger on hand just in case.

It doesn't take them long till they reach Osamu’s home, the group walking out of the car, Chika holding out a hand to Izuho whose legs are a bit shaky.

“Don't worry, you get used to it pretty quickly.” Chika ensures her, getting  a dubious look in return.

“Do I want to get used to it?!” Izuho asks in horror, the other three just shrugging in response.

Osamu quickly fishes his keys out of his pocket to open the front door, but to his surprise he spots a light inside, despite how sure he is that he turned everything off when he left.

Just in that moment his mother is peeking around the corner, face seeming impassive but Osamu has more than enough experience with her to see the curiosity and surprise in it.

The boy gives her a smile. “Welcome back. But I didn't expect you to come home today. Did something change with the plans?”

His mother gives him a nod. “Yes, someone got sick, so we had to go home early. Are these your friends?”

“Yeah. Izumi, Kunichika and Tachikawa over here came back from some bigger work for Border, so we wanted to spend the evening celebrating.” He says, gesturing to his three team members.

“Then don't feel bothered by me. I am the one who didn't act according to what we planned on anyway.” She says, turning to the others. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Izumi moves closer to his younger teammate, giving him a surprised look. “You never told us you had an older sister before.” He says, leaning in to whisper into the boy’s ear. “And she is a real beauty on top of it.”

“Mother.” Osamu and her say in unison, instantly making everyone in the room quiet in shock.

“W-Wait, mother?!” Izumi asks, meeting the eyes of the two Mikumo’s as if to see if it was just a joke, but none of the two change their expression a single bit.

Chika just lets out an amused chuckle as she watches the familiar situation unfold. It never gets old no matter how many times she sees it. She can't even count the times how often she has seen Osamu and his mother pull out their passports in an attempt to prove this.

“Literally how?!” The blonde asks aloud. “She looks so young! What kinds of genes run in this family? Does that mean you will also look so young for ages, Osamu?”

Osamu never thought about that. Till now people always thought he was older than he usually is, but that mostly comes from how he acts and glasses that apparently make him look more mature.

“Let's just make some food.” He says instead of answering, because he himself is not sure if he would like that. Looking young isn’t bad, but he knows how annoying it can be for his mother in her work.

‘On the other hand, I will probably stay working at Border. No one there cares for age in the slightest.’

Osamu leads the group to the kitchen, though with how familiar everybody except Izuho is in here by now, he doesn't really have to.

“Since it's been a while since we had this many guests, I will help out with cooking a bit.” His mother says, actually looking a bit eager to do so. 

Osamu is pretty sure they have never had this many guests in this home before. Both him and his mothers aren't very outgoing people after all. Osamu isn't really sure how he himself ended up with so many friends.

With so many people the house is far less quiet than before, but luckily his mother doesn't seem to mind. Actually, the curious looks she sends his friends are slightly worrying.

Osamu just planned some curry for today, topped off with some croquette because every single one of his friends constantly demands them. Luckily, because of his friend’s bottomless stomachs Osamu has gotten used to always buying extra, so Izuho tagging in is not a problem.

He is so glad that his salary from Border is high enough to finance it.

Him and his mother easily fall into the motion of cooking, even if it has been a while since they cooked together like this.

Yuma is leaning over the corner curiously as he watches them cut the vegetables, and Osamu holds out a piece of carrot to the white haired boy that is quickly snatched out of his hands, the neighbor letting out a satisfied hum as crutches it between his teeth.

“You found some good friends.” His mother says after a while, making Osamu look over to her. “I don't think they have left you out of theri view even once. They seem to really care for you.”

The boy lets out a small laugh. “They always worry way too much.”

She is silent for a moment as she puts her vegetables into the pot, adding some spices as they start to fry in the heat, the warm fragrance rising up and filling the room.

“Are you happy?” 

“Yes.” Osamu answers without hesitation, a wide smile on his face as he sends a look towards the other room where his friends are once again spreading the chaos and sounds of life they always bring with them. “I really am.”

His mother studies him for a moment, before giving him a nod. “That's good. It's what is most important, after all.”

Chapter Text

Osamu would have said it came so suddenly, but the signs have shown themselves for days. 

Border was tense, spreading out from the higher ups to the normal members who might not know what is approaching, but unconsciously picked up on the atmosphere. 

Jin of course presented himself as his usual, confident self, but it lacks the carefree energy it usually does, no matter how much the power elite tries to hide it. 

None of that was here during the last bigger attack, so Osamu can only imagine what will await them. 

The tension breaks in the middle of the school day, Osamu and his friends eating on the roof together, though this time Izuho is with them. 

Chika, like always, is the one to react first, and she immediately jumps up from where she was sitting as she quickly pulls out her trigger, her friends immediately following after her.

He doesn't think he has ever seen such a terrified reaction from her during the opening of a gate, though he suspects that it didn't look so different during the first large scale invasion. 

And Osamu understands very well why as suddenly the sky around the base darkerns, countless gates opening all over the forbidden zone, like a layer of darkness shoving itself into the peaceful Mikado city.

Osamu quickly activates his trigger, cloaking himself in the familiar layer of trion, and as soon as he does he feels himself link up to Kunichika, the operator fast and reliable at her job as usual, doing the same with Yuma and Chika being liked up just a moment after.

“It looks pretty bad.” Izumi says. “We will have to move in immediately.” 

“Everyone but Tachikawa.” Kunichika adds. “He has been ordered to guard the HQ. The other ones try to get to the forbidden zone immediately.” She says as the evacuation orders echo over the town.

Thankfully the people are both following it and are staying relatively calm, the ease with which the last invasion was handled greatly raising the confidence in Border, even if Osamu isn't sure if the trust is justified in the face of the sky this filled with gates.

Osamu instantly takes out his bird trion soldiers, just like last time, preparing to engage the enemies immediately.

“Good luck.” Izuho says, turning to her job as a C Rank to evacuate the civilians. “Take care.”

“We will do our best.” Yuma says with a playful salute as he stretches out his arms for the magpies to grab, the boy quickly lifted into the air.

“Any humanoid neighbors yet?” Yuma asks, eyes scanning the area, his shoulders tense as he prepares for a fight.

“None yet. There are also just normal types of trion soldiers so far, which doesn't match up with Jin’s prediction, so make sure to look out for traps or surprise attacks.”

Izumi lets out a groan. “I don't like it when they set up traps. Those are always the ones with the worst triggers too.”

“Come on, it won't be that bad. At least this time we won't be fighting them in their home territory this time around.” Tachikawa says encouragingly.

“Urg, don't remind me.” Izumi complains, and over his tablet Osamu can see that the shooter starts joining combat, releasing a volley of normal asteroids, though not his usual powerful barrage, instead more reserved to preserve his trion as much as possible while not letting up on the pressure.

After all, unlike in the rank wars, there is no clear end in sight with invasions.

From the side of his uniform Osamu feels a small shift, a mini Replica forming. “Judging from the lineup and quantity of trion soldiers, I expect them to be from Aftokrator, like we suspected from the presence of the Ilgar before.”

Before the invasion Replica tried to narrow down the potential attackers, and it seems they had the worst luck among all of the potential enemies.

Osamu gives the trion soldier a small nod. “I hope they didn't bring too many Black triggers. Replika.” He says, holding out his tablet to the mini Replika who quickly floats towards it, sinking into the device.

After a moment the device shifts to show Replika’s body pattern and color. “The link has been established. The trion soldiers should be accessible to me.”

“Good. Feel free to use all that are necessary. No need to hold back.”

“Understood. But I have to say, you really made quite some progress in your development of Trions soldiers. I can scarcely believe where you were only starting to build them a handful of months ago.” Replica praises, and the only reason Osamu doesn't blush at the unexpected compliment is the fact he is wearing his trion body.

From his com Osamu hears Kunichika raise her voice. “Chika, do you see the spearhead of the enemy trion soldiers at 3? Plase slow them down with a big shot. After that the rest of you go there too. You will be joined by some other teams.”

“Roger that.” The team says in unison, Osamu sending out another bird to steady Chika as much as possible, even if she already has the largest one of the three.

They won't be able to fly as soon as they get into the fray, being too much of an easy target by displaying themselves in the air like that, but at least for now they will be useful.

Chika creates a large Meteor cube in her hand, splitting it into eight parts before shooting them at the wave of white trion soldiers in front of them, streaking through the darkened sky before they impact on the ground.

With a blinding flash of light and deafening roar the earth is ripped apart, pieces of Bamsters and Marmods flying through the air as smoke rises high into the sky, the trio getting thrown through the sky by the blast of wind only barely managing to safely land on the ground, opposite the line of craters.

“Good job.” Kunichika praises. “Support is here too.” She says and Osamu looks to the side to see Ikoma squad approach, or more accurately drop in as Kai catapults the entire group through the air at once with his modified Grasshopper.

Mizukami stumbles a bit as they land but his captain catches him before he can actually fall to the ground.

“Oh, it's you guys.” The ginger says. “Good, that will make things easier. How are things holding up?” He says as he hurries over to Osamu to look at his tablet that displays the different viewpoints of the birds he has scattered into the air.

“It's manageable for now. Our own trion soldiers are offering enough support for now that the teams have enough time to arrive. But there is no way this is everything.” Osamu says, getting a nod of agreement from Ikoma squad’s strategist.

Osamu takes a look at the place where Izumi is fighting, once again using the large centipede Trion soldier as support and his main defense, but he also has the human support in the form of Miwa squad.

“Jin and Amo are taking care of the west and northwest, so we don't have to worry about those parts. Till the invaders show their true power we should at least thin out the general flood of enemies.”

Honestly, they are doing a pretty good job at it for now. The traps that R&D set up together with Fuyushima and Kitagava synergize well with the trion soldiers, helping a lot in kiting the enemies to proper positions.

On the other side of the crater the trion soldiers have started moving again, advancing towards the two groups like a white flood, and the two squads jump into action.

Chika and Oki lay down on the ground to have a steady position before they release two concentrated shots each to break out the enemy formation, before the close combat fighters start picking off one enemy unit after another.

Osamu isn't exactly sure how much he should conserve his Trion soldiers and own trion, but it's probably better for him to preserve his resources for now, focusing on sustainability.

Osamu tosses out a handful of trion eggs that form into some of the lizard-like trion soldiers, but they have been modified to have longer tails now that can be used almost like an extra limb, strong enough to push around even something like a Marmod.

The large enemy trion soldiers sink into the debris of the craters as they rush forward, but Osamu’s are more equipped for this terrain, rushing forward behind Yuma and the members of Ikoma squad as support, covering the backs of his friends and preventing them from being surrounded instead of directly attacking with them.

While they do, Replika analyzes the battle through the visual feed from the magpies, taking in as much information as possible. “Osamu, look at that.” He says, showing a battle map of the forbidden zone displaying the movements of both the enemy trions soldiers and the Border squads.

“They are splitting us up.” Osamu realizes, seeing how the enemy trion soldiers force the agents to spread thin to stop them from reaching the city. Worse is that they are very close to being as spread out as possible, so whatever the enemy is planning will likely happen soon.

He quickly tells the same to Kunichika, but the operator lets out a dissatisfied sound.

“I will tell them, but I’m not sure how much it will help. It's not like we have another choice. It's not like we could just retreat a bit and let them into the city, especially not with people still there. The evacuations are coming along, but it's not perfect.”

Osamu nods in agreement. They really don't have large enough troops for anything else. Especially not this early in the invasion when the squads still have to gather.

At least Yuma and the members of Ikoma squad are making some great progress with the enemies, Yuma and Kai leaping over the enemies as a duo and striking at their weak points while Ikoma gathers their attention with his powerful attacks, with Mizukiami running support for him.

Chika and Oki are picking off the stragglers of the crowd with well aimed shots, though whenever the close combat fighters get cornered a bit she also takes out groups of the enemy with well placed Ibis shots.

Osamu watches as Ikoma’s Senku cleaves deep into the enemy's troops, Yuma jumping over the falling trion soldiers and using his Mantis to take out multiple cores with a well placed slash, but slowly a bad feeling settles into Osamu’s stomach.

He releases a couple more magpies to scout the area, when he spots something move in the rubble of destroyed Bamsters, the stomach breaking away to reveal another Trion soldier with a design Osamu is sure he has never seen before, but from the high quality antenna ears on its head alone he can tell they have a lot of trion put into them.

“New Trion soldier type sighted!” He immediately sends directly to the HQ, skipping Kinuchika as the middleman like they are supposed to in these kinds of suítuation. “They hide in the stomachs of the Bamsters. Likely built for high speed combat with fast reaction time, judging from their antenna.” He quickly calls out.

Through his trion soldiers he can see many more of the new model crawl out of the stomachs of the Bamsters all over the forbidden zone, a coordinated attack then.

“Oki, Chika!” Osamu orders as he points towards its location, both of them sending out an Egret shot, but the enemy simply raises its armored arms to block the bullets.

‘That didn't even leave a scratch on its armor.’ He thinks worriedly. That should have been enough to cause some damage to most Border shields, and maybe even break them.

“That's likely a Rabit.” Replica tells Osamu. “I have never seen them in actual combat, but I have seen some of the development documents.” He explains, loading the data on Osamu’s tablet, a worried expression appearing on Osamu’s face as he sees the capabilities of the unit, and also its purpose.

‘Bringing something like this means the invaders are serious. Each of these Rabits is the cost equivalent of a fighter jet in Trion.’ 

Osamu doesn't like to lie but he can't exactly let his fellow Border members be unprepared against this thing, but  he has to give the information to Shinoda somehow. “It's likely a Rabid. I don’t have the full design, but it matches the description from a captured document. They are a unit focused on capturing trigger users.”

He hears a shocked sound from the other side of the line. “Capture?! That doesn't sound good.”

The Rabit in front of Yuma and the members of Ikoma squad is observing them curiously, before in a single burst of speed it shoots forward like a rocket, directly towards Mizukami, but luckily Ikoma intercepts its charge with a Senuke to protect his shooter.

“They analyze our fighting style and aim for weaker links!” Osamu quickly sends to HQ. “Probably even the data of the other units on top of their own experience. Expect dirty battle tactics and feints like you are fighting a human.”

“Understood.” Shinoda answers. “We will relay everything. Thank you and be careful.”

Osamu wishes he could do that, but right now he really doesn't feel like he has the ability to be. Especially not with how he sees the Rabit’s sensors turn towards him, Oki and more importantly Chika. 

Osamu instantly throws out a dozen of trion eggs into the area, including four of the lizard-like soldiers, but most eye-catching is the large lobster-shaped trion soldier protectively leaning over Osamu and the two snipers.

This new creation works similar to the centipede, consisting of multiple parts working in union, but the current version is more focused on defense and endurance than speed.

And Osamu hasn't thrown them out even a moment too late, as in a blink the Rabit rushes forward like a bullet, striking directly for Osamu.

Yuma tries to stop it by lashing out with his Mantis, but the Rabit’s ear turns towards the blade, and with a blind swipe of its armored arm instantly shatters the blade.

The Rabit slams its hands down at the lobster like a hammer, who blocks the attack with its sturdy claws like a shield.

But even with how much they were reinforced with trion, they crack under the force of the attack, but don't shatter, even if they won't survive multiple attacks of this strength.

Though the same can be said for the Rabit. Its arms itself are fully unharmed, but from the way its shoulders shook from the attack they might not be able to consistently survive such powerful attacks either.

The Rabit tries to distance itself from them so it can build up speed again, but before it has any chance to do so the lobster’s feelers and claws shoot out towards it, grabbing its arms and legs with all its might.

But even with all the trion Osamu put into its sturdiness, the Rabit is simply of higher quality, its struggling quickly shattering the limbs holding it down, the hard armor covering the lobster limbs breaking away, not enough for his team to get close and retaliate with an attack.

So instead Osamu makes the lobster catapult itself high into the air by slamming its tail down on the ground with all its force, throwing the Rabit even higher to make it an easy target that is unable to dodge.

“Chika, Oki, Mizukami! Shoot it with Meteor and Ibis in three, two, one!” One Osamu’s commands all three of them shoot their attacks at the same time, colliding with the enemy in a bright explosion, even if the fighters barely had any time to charge up the Meteors.

The Rabit quickly throws up its arms to protect itself, catching most of the damage, but that wasn't the main goal.

Even through the cloud of the explosion Osamu can see how the ear-like sensors twitch violently, messed up by the strong shockwave of the blast, and he doesn't even have to say anything for his friends to know to attack.

The Rabit still manages to dodge some of the attacks, Ikoma releasing a wide arced Senku that forces it to jump to the side, only for Oki’s bullet to collide with its leg, making deep cracks spread through it.

Trying to reposition it slams down its arms and working leg on the ground for a wide leap, but the moment it does Kai jumps above it with a large Grasshopper panel appears between them, and when the Rabit jumps up and collides with it, all the momentum is reversed and it crashes down to the ground with an incredible force.

Mizukami and Chika rain Hound bullets down on it, strong enough that it focused fully on blocking with its sturdy arms, and with its senses limited to its sight Yuma manages to sneak behind it, his Mantis blade curving around its head and slice the trion core hidden in its mouth in two.

The enemy trion soldier collapses to the ground with a loud crash, huge amounts of trion leaking out of it in dense streams.

“That thing is tough.” Mizukami says. “Even with all of us attacking at the same time it still withstood the attacks.” 

And Osamu thinks the same, looking down on his table in worry, immediately seeing the split up teams be cornered by the other Rabit models.

He sees how it grabs Koarai out of the air with an incredible speed, so Osamu immediately makes the magpie go into a dive, shooting down towards its ears.

The engineer sees how the sensors twitch in response to the attack, releasing the young swordsman to block the bird.

The magpie explodes right as it impacts, but barely any damage is visible. At least the shock will disorient the Rabit enough that Azuma squad has some time to recover. Not that Osamu will be able to see without his surveillance drone.

“The range of their sensors is about seven meters. You can assume they will always know your location while you are that close to it unless you cause enough chaos.” Osamu says, to his friends and HQ, when the wave of enemy trion soldiers start moving again.

But before Osmamu can let out new trion soldiers, Mizukami steps forward. “We will take care of things here. You three go and take out the other Rabits. You are more mobile than us, after all.” 

The engineer gives them a determined nod, before turning to his friends and pointing towards the east. “Take care. Yuma.” 

“Roger.” The white haired boy says, creating a large Grasshopper panel below them to shoot the trio high into the air, only leaving behind the handful of trion soldiers Osamu already summoned for support.

The engineer releases another trio of Magpies to catch them, but regrettably he is starting to run low on them. He will have to save the rest or emergencies. Or rather bigger emergencies than the ones they are already in.

“Azuma squad isn't that good in simple close combat yet, and they are the closest. Let's support them first.” Osamu says, pushing the magpies to their full speed, their target slowly coming into view, seeing how they are getting pushed into a corner.

‘We have to hurry.’

Chapter Text

As Osamu and his friends fly closer to Asuma squad they see how they are attacked by the Rabit, each attack of the trion soldier shattering the walls of the old buildings surrounding them.

A deep frown appears on his face as he sees Okudera get pushed through a wall, the Rabit not slowing down in its track and only barely held at bay by Azuma.

“Osamu,” Yuma says on a private channel to get his friend's attention. “With what I know about Rabits, Border’s bailout likely is not a reliable way of escaping if they decide to target you. I don't know exactly how they work, but I don't know if I will be able to protect you.”

Osamu frowns deeply, but shakes his head. “We can't just let the others fight on their own. But if it comes down to it, make sure Chika manages to get out safely. Please.” Osamu asks his friend, but he doesn't get a response from him as they approach the next Rabit.

“Yuma, go first. Chika and I will give support.”

The white haired boy gives him a nod, creating a large Grasshopper between him and the Magpie, before shooting himself down to the ground by using the trion soldiers as a jumping board.

Like a white bolt of lightning Yuma flies down towards the ground, the almost humanoid trion soldier raising its sturdy arms to block the powerful strike as Yuma clashes into it.

The Rabit tries to slam its fist into Yuma, but the neighbor reacts fast, bouncing himself out of the way with another Grasshopper. But he doesn't stop there, and with a wave of Trion the entire area is filled with Grasshopper launch parts, the white haired boy bouncing between them too fast for Osamu to even see, just like Shun always does.

Without slowing down in the slightest Yuma lashes out with his Scorpion, leaving countless thin cuts all over the enemy’s body.

But a high spec trion soldier like it won't be beaten that easily, especially not with how much power its combat system seems to have, and with a calculated move it slams its fist down on the ground with enough force to send out a wave of dust and debris.

The small shards of concrete fly through the air and collide with the launch pads, activating them prematurely and sending the shards wildly flying through the air.

And while Yuma can't see in the cloud, the Trion soldier certainly can, leaping towards the boy with its fist pulled back, trying to take the attacker out as fast as possible. Only it seems to have forgotten to calculate in Chika into that strategy.

The sniper already charged up a large cloud of Hound bullets, focused in speed and range, raining down on the Rabid and tracking it by its trion even if she can't see it.

It tries to avoid the bullets by jumping to the side, but the Hounds make a sharp turn to fly after it without losing even a bit of speed, forcing to steady its stance and attempt to block the bullets.

Without leaving it a moment to recover, Azuma shoots a bullet perfectly aimed at its core, but the Rabit reacts fast, slamming its mouth shut to protect its heart from the attack.

But under the assault of bullets that keeps its sensors overloaded, it's now completely blind, and with a chick motion Yuma uses his Grasshopper to jump directly below it, thrusting his Scorpion up into the crevice between the armor covering the neck.

Since it needs the mobility for movement there, the armor is much thinner, and Yuma manages to penetrate into its body, stabbing into the core from the inside. 

The large body of the Rabit instantly goes slack and drops to the ground with a loud crash, 

the white haired boy letting out a relieved sigh as his teammates land beside him, giving him a high five that the neighbor accepts with a wide grin.

Azuma steps up to them with a grateful smile, but doesn't put his weapon away, eyes still scanning the area for enemies. “Thank you. You came at just the right time. I don't think this would have gone well without your support.”

Koarai is walking beside him, and Osamu can see why he didn't jump in during the previous fight, his arms mostly broken apart from when the Rabit grabbed them, crushing them with its enormous strength.

‘Or rather because he dropped his sword.’ Osamu thinks to himself, seeing the blonde pick up his weapon from between the debris even as his arms continue to break further from the small motion. Knowing Koarai, he would have jumped in even if that meant destroying his body. Especially for his captain.

From the side Okudera stumbles to rejoin them, but thankfully colliding with non-trion material like he did does not cause much damage to trion bodies, so he is mostly unhurt, if really dirty.

“I’m sorry for acting so carelessly. It won't happen again.” He apologizes to Azuma, but his blond teammate looks more guilty. 

“No, it's my fault. You were just following after me. I’m sorry captain.” 

“It's okay. As long as you two realize what you did wrong.” The always understanding sniper says calmly. “But let's talk about this later. Time is of the essence. Osamu, where is the next closest new model?”

But Osamu doesn't have even a moment to answer as he sees a pair of Ilgar form the corner of his eyes, but instead of flying towards the city like he first expected, they are heading directly towards the headquarters.

The headquarters immediately readies their cannons, and Osamu watches in worry when suddenly he feels a hand fall on his shoulder, making him jump in shock as he turns around, Azuma giving the boy an urgent look.

“They can take care of themselves, and we do not have time to waste.” Azuma reminds them.

“Yes. Of course. The closest fights are either Suzunari First or a group of the lower ranked B rank team.” Osamu can't remember the names of them.

“Suzunari First can take care of themselves. We should-” Azuma starts when suddenly Chika’s head snaps to the side.

“Shoot it!” Osamu orders, ripping the girl out of her shock, and without hesitation she releases an Ibis into the direction where she felt an enemy arrive, a black wall of portals opening up in front of the group, not even waiting for whatever dangerous is going to appear this close to them before attacking.

The Rabit coming out of it doesn't even have time to dodge, instantly obliterated as Chika’s cannon rips a hole right through its chest, but the enemy trion soldier isn't alone, multiple other Rabits climbing out of the gate.

But that isn't the true problem. Above the swarm of Rabits are two other figures in black cloaks appear, but they aren't trion soldiers, instead an older man and a blonde boy with horns.

‘Humanoid neighbors!’ Osamu realizes with a shock, his hand instantly rushing to his pocket. He doesn't even consider the possibility that he could win this without using all that he has in store, especially not someone from Aftocrator with trion horns. 

All of the Rabits shoot a laser at Osamu, trying to take him out before he has the chance to do anything, but Chika reacts fast, sensing the danger and immediately throwing up a large shield to cover the entire group.

Despite her enormous Trion, thin cracks start spreading through the glass like barrier, too spread out to keep defending against a powerful attack like that, but it bought enough time.

In a burst of light the alleyway is filled with all kinds of Trion soldiers, all proudly displaying the colors of Tachikawa squad, ready to attack.

And behind them, towering over the rest, is Osamu’s most complex trion soldier yet, a combination of dozen different smaller ones connected into one enormous unit, built with both Replika’s, Yuma’s and Chika’s help in preparation for the invasion.

Osamu hasn't gotten any permission to use it in Rank wars yet, and he probably won’t get it, both because of the amount of Triton in it as well as how much it breaks the design concepts Border has officially set for their trion soldiers. 

But right now that doesnt matter. Even if the higher ups will complain about it later, he as to protect his friends. Thats whats most important.

With a wave of wind the two headed, draconic looking gargoyle spreads its large wings, its four arms and two tails lashing out behind it.

“Replika, I leave the small ones to you.” Osamu says, focusing fully on his ace. He will need all the concentration he can get with it.

“Roger that.” The small trion soldier says, taking control of Osamu’s troops, spreading out his control. Using this many won't be easy even for him, so Osamu didn't throw out all he has yet, but he will as soon as they are destroyed.

The blonde horned neighbor looks down on them with a passive expression, not seeming phased by the group in front of him, instead addressing the older man beside him. “I will focus on the golden chick. You please take care of the enemy, lord Visa.”

“Hm, that's a lot of work with these numbers, but leave it to me.” He says, pulling out a staff from his cloak. “I do not like the idea of kidnapping a child, but orders are orders. You be careful too, Hyuse. Don't get careless.” He warns, his calm expression tuning a bit sharper.

Wordlessly the blonde raises his arm clad in what seem like armor at first, but Osmu has seen enough trigger to know that it's one, and his suspicion is confirmed when suddenly a torrent of metal shards floats around the boy.

With a pulse of electric flashes they shoot forward, but immediately Azuma raises his sniper rifle, and with lightning quick speed he releases his bullet, flying perfectly through the cloud of shards.

Hyuse quickly pulls back the shards to block the bullet, creating a shield in front of himself and making it bounce to the side, but he has to stop his attack to do so.

Azuma immediately releases another shot that weaves through the storm of metal, aiming for the neighbor’s leg that peeks out behind his shield, but quickly a wave of magnets shoot out, colliding with the bullet to bounce it between the fragments and sending it back at the sniper.

With minimal movement Azuma steps out of the path of the trajectory and releases another shot, and once it gets bounced around the fragments to be sent back towards the sniper.

But before the bullet can be reflected back towards him Azuma switches to an Ibis and sends out another attack, though instead of aiming at the shield, it collides with his own bullet still flying through the air while it is still behind the shield.

Instantly they explode in a wave of energy, sending shards of the trion flying through the air like a scatter grenade, ripping through Hyuse cloak and leaving shallow cuts all over his skin.

Four of the six Rabits jump at him from the slides to support the neighbor, when a swarm of magpies descends down on them, the large trion soldiers shutting their mouths as the birds dive at them, but it doesn't hinder their senses completely, and they still manage to precisely hit the magpies out of the air.

‘They must be receiving the visual information from the humanoids. But at least it won't be as reliable as their own sight.’ Osamu thinks as his friends jump into action,Yuma leaping over to the leftmost Rabit while Okudera and Koarai take the right.

Yuma uses a Mantis blade to attack the Rabid most separated from the rest of the group, piercing it forward while also making it shift its form, looking not that different from Yoneya’s rapid spear strikes.

The Rabit lifts its arms to protect himself, but the Mantic weaves around the limbs and pieces in the center of its chest where the armor platings meet, repeatedly piercing at the gap in the chestplate with pinpoint accuracy.

But it's still incredibly sturdy, and the tip of the Mantis breaks with every attack, but Yuma just keeps going, making the blade regrow faster than it breaks.

The other Rabits try to jump into the fray for its support, but Okudera and Koarai block its path, forcing the Rabits to engage them first.

But with the birds still blocking their vision, they barely have time to react when Osamu’s gargoyle jumps at them.

The gargoyle uses its four arms to grab those of the closest Rabit, and while he won't be able to hold out in a contest of pure strength for long, a moment is enough.

Its two tails with spear-like edges shoot forward like a striking snake, the tips lodging themselves directly into the crack of armor in the Rabit’s neck, but it does not manage to break through fully. Not that they need to.

The spear tips split into two, opening like a wrench and forcing the armor plating apart, tearing into the thick hide, and as the spears split apart further, they reveal the trion core in their center.

They light up with energy as they release concentrated laser directly into the gap they created, exploding inside the body of the Rabit and making a plume of tion rise from its mouth.

To the side Osamu hears a shout, and he sees how Koarai’s arms shatter as he pierces his Kogetsu into the armor of the Rabit, the damage finally catching up to him.

The trion soldier retaliates with a swipe of his arms, catching both Okudera and him and throwing them towards the wall.

But the boys react fast, creating a pair of Grasshoppers under their feet and leaping towards the enemy again, not leaving it even a moment to try and fight off the many smaller trion soldiers swarming it from all sides.

The Rabit’s ears twitch as it notices their counterattack, punching towards Okudera with its fist as fast as a bullet, when Koarai creates a shield, angled so the fist slights off to the side, even if it instantly shatters under the brute force of the attack.

Okudera thrusts his sword forward at the Rabit’s core, but is grabbed out of the air by its arm, his body instantly starting to break under the crushing grip.

Osamu thinks they have lost, that is until Osmamu sees the grin on the young swordsman's face.

From behind him Koarai rushes forward with the repulsion force of both of their Grasshoppers, foot stretched out and slamming it down on his Kogetsu still sticking in the Rabit’s armor, hamming it deep inside the enemy’s body.

The Rabit stagger from the attack as its core flickers, but it still manages to survive even as the sword pierces right tight its body. That is until Koarai reaches out to the sword, biting down to the handle as he restores his trion connection to the blade, instantly making it erupt into a Senku from inside the Rabit’s body.

The capture unit explodes from the inside, its shards scattering through the area as the boy’s collapse to the ground, deep cracks appearing all over Okudera’s body as his trion core slowly collapses from the damage received by the crushing grip of the Rabit.

“I’m sorry captain. I’m out first.” He says as he shoots up into the sky.

“No, you did amazingly. Stay safe.” The captain says proudly, releasing another bullet at Hyuse to force the neighbor on the defensive, Chika doing her best to block the constant attacks sent towards him and the rest of the group by both Hyuse and the two Rabits that stayed behind as they shoot concentrated beams of trion at them.

Osamu agrees that they did amazing, but even with the having taken out two Rabits slowly the swarm of small Trion soldier’s controlled by Replika is running out.

“Chika, go on the offensive. They will just wear us out if we continue like this. And I have the feeling they still have more Rabit’s in store too.” They wouldn't be willing to just use them like this if they didn't. Osamu recognizes it from his own fighting style. “Yuma!” He calls out, the white haired boy giving him a nod.

He slashes out with his Mantis, but before it hits the Rabit is suddenly changes course towards the ground, and where it pierces into the ground a large Grasshopper panel appears, shooting the Rabit high into the air.

Chika instantly lifts her gun up into the sky, pouring her trion into the bullet and releasing a devastating cannon towards it while it can't dodge, ripping right through the powerful trion soldier with only a single strike.

But with her now focused on attacking, the enemy also sees their chance.

Osamu quickly makes his gargoyle jump in front of them to block the attacks, the creature using its wings as shields to absorb the blasts while it rushes closer towards the enemy.

But under the powerful attacks the wings quickly start to break apart, no matter how reinforced they are with trion. But even if they won't be usable for flying anymore, that doesn't mean they are completely useless.

The wings start to glow with trion, the indivuídual trion cores in them releasing all the energy they have as the wings explode forward like a claymore, sending the shards of hardened trion forward like a scattershot of bullets.

The enemies obviously didn't expect the attack, and while the enemy trion soldiers protect their cores in time by closing their mouths, their sensors aren't so lucky, shattered from the fine shards that were scattered through the air.

While they still try to adjust to their damaged sensors Yuma jumps behind them, thrusting forward his Scorpion into the holes in the plating created by the scattershot and shifting his weapons around inside their bodies to take out their cores even if the mouths of the Rabits are still closed.

They instantly drop to the ground as their cores explode, throwing up even more dust into the already chaotic battlefield.

Yuma uses that moment of confusion to create a Grasshopper under the gargoyle’s feet,  shooting it forward like a cannon as it crashes into the last close combat Rabit.

One of the Rabits beside Hyuse opens its mouth again to shoot another lazer at the gargoyle, when suddenly a bullet shoots through the air and destroys its core with a single well placed snipe.

Azuma gives Osamu a thankful nod. “Thanks for taking out the sensors. They made things pretty hard to deal with.” He says, aiming at the last ranged Rabit, only for it to be taken out by another cannon shot from Chika, so the older sniper instead turns the bullet towards Hyuse.

The horned neighbor sees the attack coming, but instead of blocking it like before he decided to let it hit his shoulder, in return sending out a rain of magnet shards towards them.

Osamu quickly jumps in front of Chika blocking them with his Raygust and shield, but some of the fragments manage to break though the shield, lodging themselves deep in his leg where his Raygust did not reach.

Azuma also received some damage, but with his higher Trion his shield was enough to block most of the attack on its own, even if his dominant arm was damaged.

Still, Osamu can't slow down now, and neither will his friends, Yuma jumping forward towards the Rabit still held down by his gargoyle to take it out, a frown appearing on Hyuse face as he sees Chika and Azuma ready their rifles, jumping backwards to create some distance to the group.

Osamu feels a flame of hope ignite in his chest as he sees the neighbor pull back. Maybe they can actually win this, he thinks to himself, and he is about to make the gargoyle keep up the pressure when suddenly a bright white light flashes from between the Rabits.

Osamu barely sees as Viza pulls out a sword from his cane, rings of spectral swords flying out of it at an incredible speed, cutting though both the gargoyle and Osamu’s arm with a single unbelievably quick slash.

Instantly the boy's trion soldier collapses to the ground, and the Rabit jumps forwards towards the engineer instead.

Osamu quickly pulls out his Raygust and creates a shield, but he knows it won't be enough, and he tenses his shoulders as he prepares for the impact.

“Boost, Triple.” He hears Yuma say, and suddenly the Rabit is blown away, a large hole ripped into the side of its body as Yuma lands where it stood a moment ago, clad in the armor of his black trigger.

Replika floats beside the boy for a moment before sinking into his armor, integrating himself not unlike his mini version did with Osamu’s tablet. 

“All functions of your Meeden trigger are fully analyzed.” Replika says. “Use them at full discretion.” 

Yuma’s expression is dark as he steps in front of Osamu, eyes sharp like blades and shadowed by his hair, looking cold and dangerous in a way that Osamu has never seen before.

“That's a black trigger.” The white haired neighbor informs his friends, pointing at Viza. “A really strong one. I will take care of him. You try to escape to the headquarters immediately, and do not let the Rabits catch you. Bailout likely won't work while they are around now that they are targeting Chika.”

“But Yuma, your trigger, you-” Osmau starts, but the words die in his throat as he sees his friend give him a sad smile.

“Sorry. It was really fun with you, but I can't just stand by like this. I would have really liked to spend more time with you.”

“Don't say that. I will find a way to solve this. I promise. You just come out of this alright.” He says, a determined expression on his face.

Yuma gives him a fond smile. “Okay. I will rely on you, so please trust in me too.” He says, playing his hand on the ground. “Bound, triple.” He says, and in a blink a gigantic panel appears under his feet, large enough that it reaches over all the way to Viza.

The man tries to dodge, but before he can so much as lift his feet both him and Yuma are catapulted high into the sky, away from the rest of the fighters. 

Chapter Text

Koarai has a shocked expression on his face as he sees Yuma and Visa fly through the sky, disappearing behind the line of half destroyed buildings.

“Azuma! That trigger Yuma used! Is he a-” 

“Koarai! Concentrate! Is this the time to doubt our allies?” The sniper says, shooting a spear made from magnet shards out of the air. “If your fellow Border members can't trust you on the battlefield, then retreat right now!” 

The blond looks at his captain in shock, before his expression fills with determination again. “I’m sorry, it won't happen again!” He calls out, creating a grasshopper on the ground where some debris from the destroyed trion soldiers is lying, launching it at Hyuse.

The attack is easily blocked by the neighbor’s shield, but it at least keeps him busy, and Koarai does not plan on stopping till his trion runs out.

But with the Rabit that was fighting the now destroyed gargoyle slowly digging its way out of the rubble, that won't hold out much longer. It was damaged from the fight, but the gargoyle wasn't able to finish it off before Viza cut Osamu’s trion soldier in half.

The best choice would be to distract it so Chika can take it out, but Hyuse seems aware of that, and sends a constant rain of attacks at the girl, forcing her to have her shield up at all times, and a single opening would be extremely bad for her.

Osamu isn't confident in his ability to fight with bullet triggers, but he has long since run out of trion soldiers, so it's the only choice.

But that strategy is instantly destroyed when Osamu sees something move in the corner of his vision, and he tackles Chika to the side just in time as a newly arrived Rabit tries to grab them.

Osamu quickly shoots a small barrage of Asteroids at the Rabit, but that barely slows it down, pulling back its fist for another punch when suddenly another Grasshopper panel appears under its feet, throwing it into the wall beside them.

“We have to join up with some other teams!“ Azuma calls out, getting a nod from Chika when he suddenly hears a voice from behind his back. 

“You are having surprisingly many problems, Hyuse.” It says, before suddenly a bolt of trion, or rather a bird made of trion shoots into Chika’s back.

Her body instantly starts to distort, trion wavering in an unnatural way before she suddenly shrinks down, a large cube of brightly glowing trion falling to the ground where she stood just a moment ago.

“Lord Hyrein, it just took a bit longer than expected. I would have captured them by myself soon. There is no need to enter the battlefield yourself.” 

The engineer stares at the girl in shock, but is shaken out of it when Azuma raises his voice.

“Osamu, the same thing happened to Suwa earlier. Bring her to the base as quickly as possible!” The sniper shouts, sending another bullet at Hyse who easily blocks it again. 

“Oh, we cannot let you do that. We won't let the golden chick escape.” Hyrein says, sending out a swarm of swallows at the engineer.

Osamu quickly taps down on his control tablet. The gargoyle might be unable to move, most of its cores literally fried by the unbridled trion emitted by the blades of Visa’s trigger, but some of them still have some energy left in them, and with just a single press of a button they release all of it in an explosion.

But instead of the large shockwave the engineer expected, he barely gets some pops of air, and he watches in shock as the explosion is simply into more cubes of trion as soon as they touch the birds, most of the swarm still flying at him with full speed.

Osamu tries to throw up a shield to block them, but as they collide with it instantly holes are ripped into the barriers, the trion it is made from being sealed away into cubes just like it did to Chika.

Seeing the opening in the shield the birds dive in again, but before they can reach the boy a grasshopper appears under his feet, launching the engineer far down the street, tumbling over the ground as he clutches Chika’s cube to his chest.

Osamu looks up to see Okudera bail out just in time before his body turns into a cube, Azuma tumbling down the street not unlike Osamu did, but the sniper instantly dives into a side street without losing any speed.

Osamu quickly follows his example, sprinting down the side alley as fast as he can, hearing a loud crash as the Rabits follow after him, breaking apart the walls as it chases after Osamu, ripping through the garden walls of the abandoned buildings as if they are made from cardboard.

He stumbles forward as the broken stones fly around him, diving to the side as soon as he is out of the narrow path, just avoiding the hand of the Rabit that grabs after Chika’s trion cube.

The engineer sends out a small scattershot of bullet towards the Rabits, forcing them to protect their cores to give himself just the smallest moment to escape while they are blinded, but before he can start running again he feels something pierce into his back, making him fall to the ground again.

Using the moment of weakness the Rabit gabs Osamu’s remaining arm, lifting him off the ground as the boy helplessly looks into its emotionless eye.

He feels the static shocks of the magnet shards rush over his back as he sees Hyuse and Hyrein look down on him from the roof.

“The amount of persistence you have shown is commendable, but this is where it ends for you. You two will be joining our way back to Aftokrator, but do not worry. We will be taking good care of you.”

The Rabit holding Osamu down opens up its chest to reveal many small, claw-like appendages that reach out to the boy, locking into the boy’s clothing and pulling him into the chest cavity.

Osamu struggles against the grab, sounds of desperation escaping his mouth, but the trion soldier holds tight with merciless efficiency.

Osamu can't help but close his eyes as he awaits the shock of trion that hit Chika, but instead he hears a loud crash, tumbling to the ground as he clutches Chika’s cube to his chest.

When the brown haired boy hesitantly opens his eyes he sees a muscled man standing in front of him, the Rabit that was attacking him crashed into a wall with deep cracks going through its chest.

“You are Osamu, right? I’m Reiji from Tamakoma First.” The tall man says. “Jin told me you would need some help. I’m sorry it's only me. The others are still held up.” 

He looks down towards Osamu, seeing him clutching Chika’s cube to his chest. “It seems I have to follow that pattern Jin was talking about. You run towards the base. I will hold this guy off for as long as I can.”

The engineer doesn't need to be told twice, quickly standing up from the ground and sprinting towards the base again. 

Reiji pulls an assault rifle as he runs beside Osamu, sending out a continuous fire of bullets towards the enemies behind them.

But with this many chasing them, it's not enough to force them into defense, and the neighbors are slowly but surely gaining on them, even if they seem to be mindful of any traps.

Reiji quickly holds out his Raygust to block a fish bullet that would have hit Osamu’s head, before activating its Thruster as he grabs the boy by the back of his clothes, catapulting the duo forward as a swarm of birds crashes into the space where they were before.

But even at that speed the swallows immediately change the path of their flight, continuing to rush at the two, so Osamu quickly hold out his hand to create an Asteroid, splitting it off in as many small bullets as he can and scattering them into the area like a cloud, not caring for the damage or range of the projectiles.

The moment the birds collide with the small particles their trion sealing capabilities activate, but with the cloud of small bullets it barely makes a difference, and they are fully swallowed by it until only a pile of small trion cubes covering the floor remains.

‘No, they should have been able to dodge that. I saw how maneuverable they are. That means they actually are not autonomous, and Hyrein is controlling each of them manually, or is giving more general orders to the group.’

“They make a good team. Too good.” Reji says, looking at their enemy. “One party for strong physical attacks and one who can destroy everything the others wouldn't be able to face. We have to split them up.” He decides with a frown. 

His body flares with a wave trion, multiple weapons manifesting around him. “This isn't how I planned this to go, but this is the only choice. Run! The boss will likely chase after you! I will stop the rest!” The man says as, aiming at the enemies in front of him.

“Full arms, fire!” He shouts, and all the weapons start blasting simultaneously, sending a wave of bullets down the street.

The Rabits try to block the attack with their arms, but it's nowhere near enough to cover their whole bodies, and their lower half is literally ripped apart by the barrage.

It's such an impressive display of both personal power and masterful trion engineering that Osamu almost forgets to run, but only almost.

He ducks into another alley as he releases a cloud of trion cubes behind him, just in time to catch the next school of fish sent flying after him, successfully blocking the attack. 

Or at least that is what Osamu thinks until suddenly he feels his leg give out under him, a pair of jellyfish camouflage on the ground having evaded his attention in this panic.

He sees how the distortion of his trion creeps up from his foot towards his leg, so Osamu quickly takes out his Raygust, using the bladed edge to chop off his foot, stopping the spread of that trion-corrupting effect the enemy’s black trigger has.

Using the Raygust as a crutch Osamu runs away as fast as he can, escaping back on the open street when another swarm of trion fish flies towards him.

He quickly creates another cloud of trion bullets, but instead of flying directly into it like last time, the fish stop in their motion circling around him, Osamu release another desperate shot, the mini replica joining in too, but it's not enough, the fishes homing in on him when suddenly a flash of light comes from his side, a wave of bullets perfectly arcing around Osamu to pick all the fishes out of the air at an incredible speed.

“Sorry it took me so long.” Izumi says with a grin, stepping up to him. “Good work holding out so long.”

“Izumi senpai!” Chika was-”

“I know. Kunichika gave me a report. The headquarters weren't in a good position, so the coms broke off, but now things are under control again, even if some of the functions still don’t work. You should be safe here for now. Leave this guy to me.” Izumi says, creating two large Asteroids in his hands and molding them together while Hyrein still tries to analyze the new arrival.

The Gimel quickly forms in his palm before shooting out towards the Rabits, who make the mistake of attempting to block it just like they would with any other trion bullet that has been fired at them during this fight.

Instantly the Gimel pierces their heavy armor, the two Rabits who took the full force of the attack immediately dropping to the ground while another staggers back from the unexpected damage.

Izumi sends out a shower of Vipers over the battlefield towards one of the remaining Rabits, singling out the ones that received most damage already, when the bullets are intercepted by a squall of swallows, trying to block their path.

But the shooter expected that, a wide grin appearing on his face as his bullets split off to fly around the swarm, curing around to hit the Rabit into the already broken parts of its armor, making it collapse to the ground with one last twitch as its Trion relay system is destroyed from the blast.

Quickly the school of fish changes direction, swimming towards the Meeden boys, but Izumi 

quickly shifts the shape of his bullets, sending out dozens of small cubes that precisely snipe the school of fish out of the air, not letting a single one slip through.

“A pretty cool trigger you have there, mr discovery channel, but it's not as impressive once you get to know it. I won't let you take my juniors as long as I stand here.” He declares.

Izumi attempts to finish the damaged Rabit off while has the chance, sending out another Gimel, but before the bullet can hit its target they are blocked by another flock of birds rushing towards him and Osamu.

But Izumi doesn't let up, splitting his bullets off into small shards and shooting them towards the enemies, and while the birds manage to catch a lot of them, some do penetrate the swarm, taking out the damaged Rabit.

Hyrein won’t let that more go unpunished, keeping up the pressure by sending out a swarm of wasps flying towards the shooter.

A frown appears on Izumi’s face, quickly creating a barrage of asteroids and sending them forwards in a scattershot, continuously letting the torrent of bullets fly out until nothing of the swarm is left, a grin slowly appearing on his face.

But that grin quickly disappears again as he feels his balance slip, and when he looks down he sees some trion lizards crawl up his legs.

He quickly shoots them off with some bullets but the damage is done already and he collapses down to his knees, glaring up at the neighbor in front of him.

“That really is a good trigger you have there, mr discovery channel, but I think you might have shown off a bit too much.” He says, shooting two meteors towards him.

Hyrein creates a wall of fish, but before the Meteors can hit them they suddenly curve to the side, colliding with the houses surrounding them and exploding in a violent flash of light, shaking the ground as they send debris flying out over the area.

The shards of rock, glass and metal are flying through the air at an incredible speed, and the only reason that Izumi and Hyrein aren't ripped apart by them is that trion bodies are so resistant to physical damage.

But they aren't immune and as Hyrein is damaged by the debris his control over the swarm slips, many of the fish-like trion bullets start to pop like bubbles, but with the size of the swarm it doesn't make much of a difference as the black trigger user is able to keep his trion steady.

The commander gives Izumi an acknowledging nod. “That is true, I might have revealed more than I originally intended, but it will take more debris than that to take me out of commission, even if you found out my black trigger’s limitations.”

“I thought that too.” He says, and just a bit of confusion shines through Hyrein’s powerface before two sniper bullets fly through the sky, perfectly weaving through his swarms of fish to hit his main body. “That's why I wanted to get some support.”

Hyrein quickly surrounds himself in a dense swarm of fish as trion leakes out of his injuries, but even then the two snipers’ next shots still weave their way through it, taking his leg and a chunk of his arm.

“Mira!” He shouts, and the next time when the snipers send their bullets at Hyrein, they are instead swallowed up by a pair of portals.

Izumi hears Kunichika link up to his com. “Sorry, the teleporting lady is keeping the snipers busy. I don't think this is going to work again.”

“It's okay.” Izumi says with a grin. “They already did all they needed to.”

“Hm, I wouldn't be so sure about that.” Hyrein says confidently as the trion cubes from the blocked attacks suddenly start to shift towards his body, streaming towards the injuries and Izumi can only watch as his holes are closed up.

Izumi tries his best to keep up his smile, but he feels it slip to an expression of frustration. 

“Shit.”

Chapter Text

Oji lets out an exhausted breath of air, feeling the mental pressure catch up to him even if his physical body cannot feel exhausted.

The waves of Trion soldiers coming their way have slowly been getting thinner, so instead of gradually getting pushed back as they guard the city they have now been pushing the enemy troops back into the forbidden zone.

Kurauchi’s trion soldiers might not be on the level as Osamu’s yet, but they are very useful at controlling the enemy  crowd.

Oji sends a look at Yuiga who is gloating about his power to Kashio as he stands on top of a pile of Bamsters, though Oji is pretty sure not a single one was killed by him. The rich boy flinches as he sees the look his captain gives him, awkwardly climbing down from the pile and trying to look busy with observing the area.

Admittedly, Yuiga has been improving, but that in no way means he is actually a good fighter yet. And at worst he is just one more person that plants Osamu’s auto turret hounds. One can't really go wrong with those, with how simply Osamu designed them to be used.

But their news team member is also the reason Oji’s team hasn't been assigned closer to the center of combat, keeping Yuiga in a safer position. Whether that is good or not, Oji is not sure yet.

Suddenly Oji hears a crackling over his com again, coming to life again after it had shut off not that long ago. If it was a jammer used by the enemy or if there were some problems with the headquarters, he doesn't know.

“Kittaka, are you there? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, someone managed to intrude into the headquarters, but they are taken down now. We are getting things under control again, but some systems are still down. I’m sorry, but I immediately have to give you another task.” She says, projecting a map into the vision of her teammates.

Oji immediately gestures for his squadmates as he sprints into the direction of the red point portrayed on it, surrounded by a number of blues ones from all sides. His team quickly responds, even Yuiga only needing a moment till he starts running after them, letting out a complaint that Oji’s mind doesn't even register the words of.

‘For that enemy to still be a problem with such a number disadvantage. We have to be careful.’

“No trion reservation.” Oji orders his team as they run through the streets. “We can't afford that with this enemy.” 

Kittaka gives them some visual feed of the red haired neighbor as he takes out their B rank members one after another, using his shooting trigger with frankly worrying accuracy. “That neighbor has been picking our isolated members one after another. We can't lose any more. Azuma has just joined the attack and coordinates the agents right now. Izumi was part of it too, but he couldn't keep up with the neighbor's speed once he started flying around to eliminate the B ranks. I will link you to Azuma now.”

Immediately when Oji is linked into that particular group he is confronted with panicked shouts of orders and information. “Azuma, we are here. What should we do?”

“Block his path to the south!” Azuma tells them, foregoing any kind of hello, and Oji squad immediately jumps into action, Kurauchi sending out some of the bird trion soldier he developed based on Osamu’s (with the boy’s permission, of course), as he changes up a composite bullets, his teammates setting up their modified Hound bullets.

With barely a second to spare the team jumps up on the roof of the nearest building, seeing the neighbor fly towards them at an incredible speed.

Oji sees barely a shred of surprise on the enemy’s face before he readies his rifle like weapon, but he doesn't get a moment to shoot.

From the streets below that was right of his viewing range a barrage of Hound bullets fly into the air, the modified Hounds starting to release their prepared bullets at him, looking almost like a cage of light, not unlike Nasu’s signature attack.

At first he tries to dodge them, but the movement he tries to change his flight path to avoid them, a bullet shoots exactly where he is attempting to go, Oji cutting off his path of escape, forcing him to decelerate and causing the planted Hounds to catch up.

The neighbor quickly throws up a barrier to protect himself from the rain of attacks that flies at him from all directions, but that forces him to spread out his shield.

Kurauchi does not waste that opportuínity to release his charged up Gimel, ripping through the air but hiding between the other normal bullets so their enemy doesn't notice, clearly piercing through Ranbanein’s already damaged barrier.

Or at least Kuracuhi expected the neighbor not to notice, but just before the bullet could piece his chest the horned fighter twists out of the way, the Gimel only piercing through his shoulder and making a dense plume of trion leak out.

‘He is good, but he already has received some damage to both his leg and his trigger’s flying system. We need to keep up the pressure so he can’t regain the initiative.’ 

But Ranbanein didn't cause the other Border members so much trouble without reason, his eyes scanning the pattern of the planted Hound before instantly splitting of his large shield into smaller parts, focused solely in the locations where the bullets are flying at, giving him enough energy to spare for retaliating with a concentrated beam of Trion aimed at Kurauchi. 

The shooter tries to dodge to the side, but at this speed it wouldn't be enough, so he creates a shield at an angle to divert the bullet. 

The Trion blast connects with the barrier in a flash of light, but even with a weakened blast like this the attack rips through Kurauchi's defense, diverting the bullet just enough so it only tears through his left arm, completely obliterating the limb up to his shoulder. 

And slowly the auto Hounds are running out of bullets, the pressure on the neighbor letting up, and with every single one of them that fades, Ranbanein has more energy to focus on attacking Oji squad back. 

He focuses on the already injured Kurauchi as he forces the others to hide with a constant rain of bullets, when he and the members of the team notice a red blur approach over the roofs of the houses. 

“Huh, that's the neighbors, right Mizukami?” Oji hears over the coms as Ikoma squad is linked into the large group. 

“Yes, that one. We are in firing range.” Mizukami says, and instantly Ikoma reaches for his blade, foot stomping on the ground to get a steady stance as he gathers his trion, setting the range of his Senku to its maximum.

With lightning quick speed he pulls out his blade, a Senku flying through the air, drawn into a sharp arc as it cuts through the sky towards Ranbarein, the neighbor spotting the projectile from the corner of his eyes.

But Ranbanein makes the mistake of judging it by the power this attack had from the average agent's senku that he has faced so far. 

He throws up a sturdy shield between him and the flying slash, continuing his attack to reduce his enemies’ numbers, but the moment the blade gets closer to him he realizes his mistake, feeling how it is packed with energy.

Ranbanein quickly ducks to the side as the Senku cleanly cuts through the shield, but it still cuts off two of the neighbor's jet engines, making him plummet towards the streets below.

He shoots a powerful blast down towards the ground to soften his fall, throwing up a cloud of dust that he tries to use to slip into the alleyways surrounding him to reposition, but the moment he does a bullet flies through the cloud of dust, shooting off his left leg.

Up in the distance Azuma looks through the scope of his sniper rifle, releasing another bullet flying over the ruined town, precisely aiming to where the neighbor appears on the radar, piercing right through the old building directly towards Ranbanein’s head.

But this time the neighbor is prepared, a shield blocking the bullets as he battle-hungry grins towards the direction the shot came from. 

From above a rain of bullets comes crashing down towards him from Oji squad and Mizukami, but the neighbor quickly activates his remaining jetpacks to propel himself out of the way, the ground where he was before riddled with holes.

But dodging won’t work when Iko releases another of his signature Senku, the blade flying closer to the ground in a wave of light, cutting through all the houses lining the street.

Ranbanein tries to fly out of the chaos when suddenly two of Kai’s large Grasshopper panel appears below two of the cut house, and with one large blast of Trion the debris is shot up into the sky, blocking his path of escape, and before the neighbor even has time for another route, another sniping bullet flies through the cloud of stone, directly piercing his trion core.

The debris rains down around him as his trion body shatters apart, and when the dust clears he is surrounded by the members of Border.

Oji holds out his blade towards the neighbor's neck. “If you do not resist you will not be hurt, so come peacefully.” He says, when suddenly he sees something move in the corner of his eyes.

He quickly jumps back as a black spike shoots out of a portal, one clipping his arm as another one is blocked by Mizukami’s shield.

Oji immediately retaliates with a volley of bullets, but a portal opens in front of the neighbor and sends them back at him, forcing him to roll to the side to dodge.

When he looks up again another neighbor stands beside Ranbanein’s side, and he steps into the portal she creates as he gives Border members a wide grin.

“You guys are really fun to fight! I hope we get another chance one day! Until then!” He says as the portal closes, leaving them behind in the wreckage.

Oji lets out a sigh. “Azuma, he got away.”

“I saw.” The sniper acknowledges over the coms. “Still, good work everyone. But you can't rest yet. We still have some humanoid neighbors to deal with.”

Beside him Mizukami lets out a tired sigh. It really never is over with work for Border.

________________

Looking down from the pile of debris towards Izumi and Osamu, Hyrein has an unreadable expression on his face, but it still sends a cold shower down Osamu’s back from its sheer pressure.

“It seems Rambanein was defeated, just like Enedora. Even Viza is held at bay.” The neighbor says, eyes seeming to discet Osamu and Izumi.

“We really had a wrong impression of Meeden. You really have a number of interesting people.” Hyrein says. “We should have sent out our subsidiaries to conquer you when we first heard of your existence. Now it will be much more resource intensive than it would have been then.”

He creates another swarm of hornets hovering in his hand “Well, we can always come back later for the rest with a proper conquering force. For now, you three will have to suffice.”

“Osamu.” Izumi says over their com. “I won't be able to beat him. I will buy you some time by using up all my remaining trion, so run away. I’m sorry. I should have made you run from the start but I thought I could take him.”

“It's not your fault.” Osamu says, preparing to run. “We have never even heard of a Trigger with such high self healing capabilities.”

Izumi lets out a small huff of air. “Just promise me you make it.” Izumi says, before pushing his trion out as a barrage of bullets. 

“You know, right now I would be really happy if I had a Ghost trigger like Kyosuke.” Izumi says, trying to lighten the mood as the bullets start closing in on him. “That's it for me. Bail out!” He shouts, charging one last Meteor and slamming it down onto the ground.

The explosion rips apart the street as Izumi shoots up into the sky towards the base, taking out a good chunk of the street with him and blasting Hyrein backwards as shards fly around him.

Osamu is bolting down the street as fast as he can, the base in the distance getting closer and closer, when suddenly he sees black spots appear in the air in front of him.

He barely has time to dodge, throwing himself to the side before long black spikes shoot out of them, piercing deep into the ground where he stood before.

On the roof to the side of the street another larger portal opens, another humanoid neighbor appearing, small black horns peeking out from under her burgundy hair.

But unlike Hyrein she doesn't waste a moment with speaking, opening another gate beside herself that releases another Rabit.

‘How many of these things did they prepare?!’ Osamu thinks in panic, ducking to the side as the enemy trion soldier dashes towards him, the boy barely having enough time to throw up a shield as the fist impacts on the ground.

The blow is strong enough to throw Osamu backwards, rolling over the ground as he tries his best to protect Chika’s cube, stumbling back up on his damaged legs as he sends a worried look backward. 

But the Rabit is already right behind him, reaching out with its hand.

Osamu clenches his eyes shut, but instead of the grab he expected he hears a pulse of energy, the attack blocked instead by one of Yuma’s seals, Replica floating in front of him.

“Osamu, don’t stop. I won't be able to hold them off for long.” Replica says, his trion flaring as a portal appears beside him, a black Rabit stepping out with a large Border symbol displayed on its shoulder.

But Osamu does not wait to see it in action, no matter how much he wants to, turning around as he continues running with Replica floating beside him.

From the side another flock of Hyrein's birds comes flying at him, but Replika quickly creates a series of small barriers to block them, continuing with his defense as more and more attacks come flying their way.

But Osamu knows he won't be able to do that for much longer. He has enough understanding about Replica’s construction to know his limits, and with such constant attacks the small trion core he has won't be able to keep up, no matter how refined it is.

“Replica, can you-” Osamu starts,  but he doesn't even get to finish as suddenly a small portal appears beside him, and in a blink Replika’s body is cut in half.

“Replica!” The brunette shouts in shock, but he doesn't have any time to respond as suddenly the enemy Rabit is beside him grabs his leg and pulls him up into the air, holding him in place for long enough that one of Hyrein’s bullets collides with his chest.

Osamu can feel how his Trion starts to destabilize, but he quickly drops Chika’s cube as he forms a Meteor in his hand with all his remaining Trion, slamming it against the Rabit holding him.

The explosion catches it by surprise, the blast ripping apart one arm and Osamu himself completely, shattering the trion of both bodies apart.

“Stop Bailout!” He quickly shouts as his body starts to dematerialize, grabbing both Chika’s cube and one half of Replika as he continues running, Hyrein’s bullets that were flying in the area harmlessly passing through him.

The Rabit quickly gathers itself, lunging forward, when suddenly a bolt of trion flies at it from the distance, forcing it to stall, but Osamu doesn't have any time to look where they were coming from.

“Osamu.” He hears a voice from the damaged Replica in his arm, static and distorted but still there, Replica stirring to life despite the damage. “Throw into the next gate the portal user creates.” 

“What? But you-”

“Please trust me.” Replika interrupts him, getting a nod from the human.

Like on command Osamu sees a distortion in front of him as Mira opens a portal to teleport the Rabit away from the barrage it was held up by, and putting all his energy into his arm Osamu throws Replika towards it.

The Rabit holds up its arms, expecting it to be an attack, but Replica harmlessly flies past it, using what little trion he has remaining to steer its flight towards one of the consoles on the wall, connecting to one of its outlets.

Immediately it lights up in a red light, screen flashing with letters Osamu can't read.

“Emergency return  protocol activated. Starting countdown.” It announces loud enough for Osamu to hear, a shocked expression appearing on Mira’s face.

“What did-” She starts to ask in annoyance, but Osamu doesn't answer, instead starting running again while she and the Rabit have their attention turned, not knowing how long the countdown will take.

But she instantly notices despite her distraction, and with only sending one last frustrated look towards the console Replica hacked she looks towards Osamu again, or rather the cube in his arms.

Osamu sees how the black spots appear around him, but out of his trion body he is forced helplessly to watch as the far too quick spikes shoot out towards him, his real body in no way fast enough to dodge something like this.

A burning pain shoots through his body as he feels them pierce through his limbs, radiating through his entire bones and skin and making his ears ring with a deafening high pitch, muscles cramping up so hard he can't even scream.

His vision starts to black out as he feels himself lose consciousness, the trion cube he was carrying falling out of his hands onto the broken ground below.

Osamu doesn't hear their voices as Hyrein pickles up the trion cube Osamu was carrying, and the last thing he sees before losing consciousness is the  frustration appearing on the neighbor’s face as he realizes the trick, Chika’s cube long being brought away by one of Osamu’s trion soldiers when nobody was looking.

And if Chika is safe, then he doesn't care what happened to him.

Chapter Text

Hyrein lets himself drop into the chair of the command room with an exhausted sigh. His body might not be tired, but using Alector at that level does strain his mind, especially if he was forced to use as many small bullets as he did against that blonde Meeden soldier.

But for better or for worse, he will have the time to recover, the ship making its way back home to Aftocrator thanks to the autonomous Trion soldiers that infiltrated their ship.

That particular enemy is floating in stasis in a containment pot on the table. Mira and Viza both didn't recognize the model, so it's likely worth keeping around for study. Even more so considering the amount of problems it caused them.

The commander looks up from it as he hears the door open, his brother stepping inside, still in his non Trion body, not yet having enough time to recover.

“I’m sorry I couldn't keep the agents busy like you ordered, brother.” Ranbanein says, though he can't quite keep the smile off his face. “But there were some really good fighters among them!”

“I did encounter some rather capable opposition as well. It seems Meeden managed to catch us off guard.”

The red haired man gives his brother a nod. “I wish I had some more time to fight them. And their strategist must have been good too. During the end I found myself completely cornered. I’m not even sure I would have won if I knew what they were planning.”

“Yes, especially during the end things went rather out of control. We should have brought more trion soldiers as backup, but even then I am not sure it would have made the decisive difference unless we spent a good amount of trion outside the norm.”

Ranbanein looks around the control room. “And we left behind Hyuse? Mira told me about Enedora already. It was only a question of time, really. Better here than have him lose it back home where he could cause a lot of damage.” 

“Yes, Hyuse was left behind in Meeden. Mira retrieved Enedora’s trigger, so there were no problems with that part.” The black trigger user says, pointing to a small black box on the table.

“Then the journey was at least not fully for nothing.” The fighter says, letting out a small sigh as he stretches his arms above his head.

“Do not worry, we will not be returning empty handed. It wasn't as much as we expected, but we did many to capture twelve of the baby birds, but there is one more thing even more important than that. We now know that Meeden is a very worthwhile target for another invasion.”

________________

Osamu snaps up from with a gasp for air, his heart thundering his chests, the quick motion immediately making his injuries erupt in a piercing pain. 

“Osamu! You are awake!” Chika says, hurrying over to him where she was sitting on a chair. “Take is slow. Your injuries weren't critical, but they were very deep.”

“Chika! You are okay!” He calls out to her, before his dry throat makes him let out a loud cough, the motion only agitating his injured body. 

“Yes. I'm safe. Thanks to you.” She says, handing him a glass of water. “How are you feeling?”

He quickly downs the water before inspecting his body. “I'm fine. It doesn't hurt too badly.” He claims, though Chika doesn't seem to believe him, even if she doesn't call him out on it. “How long was I out?“

“One and a half days.” Comes another voice from the other side of his bed, and when he turns towards it he finds his mother sitting there. “We are in the Border base infirmary. They would have transferred you to the hospital if you didn't wake up today.” 

Osamu gives her a nervous look. “The invasion…” 

“Was repelled successfully, with only small amounts of damage, all things considered.” She says, giving him a nod, the boy letting out a relieved sigh. “Your teammates are still busy with cleanup work. The only reason Chika is here is because they apparently need her Trion to refill the one they lost.”

“And for safekeeping reasons.” The girl adds herself. “They are using my energy to power the gate barrier right now while things are still chaotic.”

Osamu gives her a small nod, but he doesn't miss the tenseness in the shoulders of the girl. “There is something you aren't telling me. What's going on?” 

“That's because of Yuma.” His mother answers, not talking around the topic. “He is currently imprisoned in the lower levels of Border.”

His mother physically holds her hand on his chest to keep him from jumping out of the bed. “Take care of yourself first. A person called Jin made sure things are under control on that front, so you don't have to hurry. At least he told me to tell you that.”

After a moment of making sure her son doesn't try to jump up again she leans back in her chair. “They wouldn't tell me why they took Yuma in, but I know Chika knows but she won't tell me either.” His mother says with her usual emotionless face, but Osamu knows that for her this is the equivalent of a pout. 

“I'm sorry mom, but we really can't tell you without getting into even more trouble. But I expected this. I have stuff prepared for this case.” He says, throwing off his blanket and slowly climbing out of the bed. More slowly this time. 

His mother just lets out a sigh and helps steady him, knowing that no matter what she says she wouldn't be able to stop him. It's what she expected him to do, after all. 

Or at least it's what she expects the current version of her son to do. Not that long ago she has never seen him be so fiercely protective of anybody but Chika, and even then it lacked the drive it has now. So how could she not support her son when he finally has something to fight for? 

From under the bed she pulls out a walking cane and hands it to her son, getting a grateful look from the boy. 

“We will lead you down to where they are holding Yuma.” Chika says, offering her hand to support Osamu, even if it's a bit hard at her height. “I don't think your mother will find her way around yet. She already got lost here twice.”

Osamu sends his mother a confused look. “How did you even manage to let them get into the headquarters? Civilians are forbidden from entering.” 

“Oh I have my ways. I can be really threatening if I want to be.” She says without a single change in her expression. 

Chika presses the button to call the elevator, leading the trio deep inside the Border base, down into the deeper parts Osamu has never entered. 

He honestly didn't even know they had something like holding cells for neighbors, but it makes sense. 

It doesn't take long till they reach the first cell room, behind a number of heavy doors to prevent potential escapes, Chika opening it for Osamu to step inside. 

“Oh, it's Osamu!” Inukai says with a welcoming wave. “Good that you made it out okay.” 

The blonde is sitting on a chair around a table with the rest of his teammates, the room divided into two by a large glass like wall that is likely made from solidified Trion, Yuma sitting on the other side on a chair not that similar to theirs. 

The white haired boy jumps towards the barrier as soon as he sees his friend approach, a relieved expression on his face. “Osamu! You are okay! I knew you would make it!” He says, though the engineer can tell that most of the energy is faked. 

“Same for you. But Yuma, why did you let yourself get captured? You should have hidden until I got things under control with Border.”

The boy makes his usual duck face. “I wish I could, but I was completely out of Trion. I didn't really have another choice. I couldn't even enter my combat body.”

Osamu gives his friend a concerned look. “Then you should have escaped instead of fighting. You know how dangerous that is, especially for you.” 

“Don't worry, I can handle myself.” The white haired boy says, but it only amplifies Osamu's worry for him. But now is probably not the best time to have this talk. 

The engineer sends a look over to Ninomiya squad who has been listening curiously, even the captain himself seeming curious, even though Osamu would have been able to see that if he didn't have so much experience interacting with his mother who has an equally good poker face. 

Inukai tips his chair a bit closer to Osamu with a curious expression on his face. “You know, of all people I wouldn't have expected you to be the one to hide someone like this.” 

Osamu lets out a nervous laugh. “That's probably the main reason none has suspected us yet.”

“True. Looking back it was pretty obvious.”

Osamu is silent for a moment, looking at Ninomiya. “You know, I'm actually surprised the executives told you about Yuma’s…“  He sends a look over to where his mother is standing. “You know.” 

“Oh they didn't, but we used to be A Rank, so we know a bit. And from the higher ups' treatment of little Yuma, there wasn't really another explanation.” Inukai explains, his captain nodding in agreement. 

Osamu sends the gunner a hesitant look. “Towards neighbors, do you…” He starts, but doesn't exactly know which words are the right ones to use. Thankfully Inukai doesn't need him to. 

“No. We don't just throw everyone from there into the same pot. Everyone is their own person, and I can tell Yuma isn't a bad one.” He says, sending the white haired boy a small smile. “Also, don't worry about someone trying something stupid on Yuma. We will make sure he is okay.” 

A relieved smile appears on Osamu's face, and he goes into as deep a bow as his injury allows. “Thank you. Really. If you ever need anything, let me know and I will do my best to repay you.”

Ninomiya just lets out a huff of air. “Don't bother. Just take care of his business and with the higher ups.”

Osamu gives the captain a determined nod, before turning to Yuma with an encouraging smile. “Don't worry, I'll be back soon.” 

_________________

Kinuta suppresses another sigh by sheer force of will as he hears another complaint from Nezuki about the problem the eight kidnapped C ranks will cause.

It's not like the rest of them here aren't aware of them, and they can't change it now anyway. If they were able to protect the members of their organization, they would have done so.

But they simply were not powerful enough to do that with their current strength and resources, even with the help of Jin’s ability. The enemy this time was simply too dangerous for that.

Everyone here knows that, especially the combat agents in the room like the members of Tachikawa and Arashiyama squad.

The fortune teller said they got a good future, everyone doing good work, and despite the losses they have endured, Kinuta finds himself to agree with that statement.

But that does not make things much easier for them when it comes to interacting with the media and population. The official press conference will be in a handful of days, and they will have to stand for all the damage to the edges of the town and the C ranks lost.

But the R&D head’s attention is quickly pulled towards the door as it slams open with a loud bang.

“Osamu!” The head of R&D says happily, but the expression quickly falls as he sees the angry look in Osamu’s eyes.

That's something Kinuta didn't want to think about either, the fact that there apparently was a neighbor who managed to become part of their organization.

The young engineer levels Kido with a look so sharp Kinuta would have never expected from the boy. “Commander Kido, I demand the immediate release of Yuma.”

Netsuki raises his voice first before the commander can respond. “There is no way we can do that. He is a neighbor! Who knows what he was doing while he was hidden. Maybe he even was responsible for this invasion!”

“Yuma isn't a neighbor, he is a half neighbor. His father is japanese, so in the absence of any other citizenship to claim, he is a japanese citizen by law. Also he is not linked to this invasion in any way.” Osamu announces, instantly making Kido’s expression sharpen.

“You knew.” He says in an even voice, and Osamu doesn't even try to deny it, giving the commander a nod.

“Yes. I have been making sure he really was peaceful like he claimed after he arrived. Something I can confirm.”

But Netsuki doesn't seem satisfied with the answer, standing up from his chair with an angry expression. “That's ridiculous! Who would his father from this side even be? He is probably just claiming that to deceive us!”

“His father was Yugo Kuga.” Osamu says before the man can continue, eyes traveling over the other people in the room as he gages the expressions of surprise appearing on their faces. “And it seems just like Yuma said the people would recognize the name.”

Kinuta, Netsuki and Karasawa don't seem to recognize the name, but with the others there is no doubt.

Shinoda gives Osamu a worried look, picking up on the small detail in Osamu’s words. “You said he was?”

The boy nods. “He died around five years ago. Yuma’s black trigger is him. On that topic, his black trigger is stalling a dangerous injury. Destroying that low energy trion body he usually wears is therefore equal to killing him. And since I officially informed you of this now, it would count as murder.” Osamu says, pulling out a document once again detailing the situation.

He knew it was only a question of time till Yuma was found out, so Osamu prepared as much as he could for that time.

“Also,” He continues. “Yuma is already a full member of Border, so the protection and non combat rules between the members apply to him too.”

Kido's glare is colder than Osamu has ever seen before, sharp as a blade and poised to strike if it sees even the slightest opening in Osamu's defense, the entire room silent as they wait for his response. 

“Very well.” Kido says, but none of the pressure in the room dissipates. “Even as a half-neighbor, Yuga will be allowed to stay in Border, but his continued position in HQ is out of question. He will be transferred over to Tamakoma. The same goes for you and agent Amatori.”

Osamu feels himself flinch, eyes going wide as he hears the words. 

“Agent Mikumo. You will be relieved from your current position. Leave your trigger here. You will be given a standard B Rank one before you leave the headquarters in exchange.” The commander continues, not caring that Osamu has not even managed to process the previous words. 

“But-

Kido's eyes sharpen even more, making the boy flinch again, but Osamu refuses to let himself look away. 

“We cannot allow to have someone like you in the top team of Border. It would reflect poorly on us if it were to come at an inopportune moment. No protest will be accepted on that matter. If you do, we will have to reconsider Yuma’s treatment.”

Osamu feels how his throat closes up, but with his shaking hand he reaches into his pocket to pull out his Tachikawa squad trigger, eye locked on the floor to avoid even looking at his captain. 

It almost feels painful as he drops it on the table in front of him, his hand feeling cold at the loss of contact, and the click as it hits the surface of the table is deafening to him. 

“That is everything. You are dismissed for now.” 

Osamu ignores all the polite goodbyes he should have given and immediately storms out of the room, vision distorted by the tears that are starting to flow out of his eyes, ignoring how it makes his fresh injuries burn with pain. 

He barely makes it around a single corner till he collapses against the wall, a loud sob releases itself from his throat as he hides his face in his arms. 

Even as his body shakes with every sob, the emptiness in his pocket where his trigger is supposed to be seems to drown it all out, the feeling so wrong in a way he cannot describe. 

He suddenly feels a hand land on his shoulder, his head snapping up, and even if his eyes are filled with tears, he could never not recognize the person in front of him. 

The boy launches himself against the chest of Tachikawa, another wet cry releasing itself from his mouth. 

“I'm- I'm so sorry captain.” Osamu sobs out, barely able to to force out the words, but the man envelopes him in a warm hug anyway, rubbing calming circles on the boy's back. 

“Shhh. It's okay. It's not your fault. We all know that.” Tachikawa says in a gentle voice, so soft that Osamu almost thinks he must be imagining it. 

Osamu looks up to his captain's face, a thousand words rushing around in his head but all just feeling wrong once the boy is trying to say them, every sound dying in his throat. 

But he doesn't need to say them anyway, Tachikawa wearing an expression of pure understanding even without a single word being said, gently wiping away the tears from Osamu's eyes. 

In the small moment the tears are gone the boy sees Izumi and Kunichika stand on his side, but his vision is immediately clouded again as new tears follow. 

He feels his body sag as he leans against his teammates.

“I'm sorry.” Osamu repeats, but he only hears a fond huff from Izumi in return as the blond  boy tucks him under his chin. 

“It wouldn't be you if you hadn't protected Yuma. We wouldn't have it any other way. That's what we love you for most, after all.” 

Tachikawa continues to rub circles on Osamu's back. “Even if we aren't officially a team anymore, I want you to know that to us that doesn't change anything. You are still part of us, no matter what the higher ups say or what is written in the documents, okay?” 

Izumi nods in agreement. “You are never going to get rid of us, no matter what you do, understand?”

Osamu gives a small nod as he clutches the coat of his captain, the groups quieting down as they surround their youngest member, the only sound echoing in the cold hallway being his sobs.

Chapter Text

When Osamu steps back into the Border HQ, Chika and the newly freed Yuma by his side, his eyes are still red from tears.

After yesterday’s conversation with the higher ups Yuma was released without problem, but Osamu barely remembers most of it as his exhaustion caught up with him, the fresh injuries dragging him down and he basically collapsed into his bed the moment he could.

His friends have heard about what happened yesterday, and Yuma has been glaring at everything that so much as comes close to Osamu. 

It's surprisingly comforting. 

When Osamu sees the members of Tachikawa squad waiting for him by the entrance, he would have probably started crying right away again if his tears hadn't run out a long time ago. 

Izumi catches the brunette in another hug, and when the shooter moves away it almost feels painful. 

The blonde tries to give him a smile, but everyone can see how forced it is. “Let's get this over with before the higher ups get angry at us.” He says, getting a nod from the rest of the group. 

They take the elevator down to R&D first, walking down the hallway towards Osamu's office. 

Both the hall and room are silent, and the group quickly gathers everything up from the shelves, clearing out the cupboards and packing it into a box. 

Osamu honestly didn't have much here, most of his work saved digitally, but it still looks so much more empty without it. 

When he turns towards the door, ready to leave, he sees a sheet of paper stuck to the door. Not much is written on it, just some simple wishes to get well soon and for luck in the future, but the familiar handwriting of his colleagues is unmistakable to him.

There is no way they were informed officially of what happened, but knowing them, Osamu wouldn't be surprised if they found out anyway.

And yeah, maybe there were some more tears left, because they are definitely flowing out right now. 

At least he doesn't have to worry about being seen in the hallways in this state, barely a body here and everyone who is wouldn't be able to catch a glimpse of him with the protective wall his friends have created around him. 

Getting his stuff from the Tachikawa squad room is harder. 

Of half the stuff here he isn't even sure if it's actually his, bought together with the others, shared and gifted without ever talking about who it belongs to. 

But the rest of his team (ex-team, his mind reminds him) does not seem to share this thought, readily putting all kinds of things into the boxes without hesitation, and that includes some things he is absolutely sure we're already in the room before he even joined the squad, including that one very soft pillow he has taken to using, or the blanket he often used when sleeping here when he was too distracted by his work. 

“Guys, it's okay. I -” Osamu tries to stop them, but Izumi stops him by accusatory pointing towards the brunette. 

“Nope. It's yours. No talking back.” He simply says and continues working, the rest of the room sharing a small chuckle that makes at least some tension bleed out of Osamu's shoulders. 

But when the group is finished and is standing in front of the main exit of the base, all the tension returns. 

Tachikawa gives Osamu a warm smile. “Take care of your way to Tamakoma. And see you soon. Like we said, you aren't ever going to get rid of us now.” 

Izumi nods in agreement. “And if anybody is causing you problems, tell us. I promise I will blow them up, even if it's Jin. Even his predictions won't save him if there are too many meteors to dodge.” 

“Thank you guys. And I promise we will see each other soon. I still owe you a homemade batch of croquettes after all.” He says, even if his voice breaks at the end. 

With that the three younger ones step out of the door, and despite everything, Osamu has hopes that things might turn out alright. 

_____________

Tachikawa sits on the roof of the Border headquarters with cold gusts of wind rushing around him, letting legs dangle over the edge as he watches Osamu carry out a box filled with his belongings, him and Chika protectively standing on both sides of Yuma. 

From behind him he hears a pair of steps approach, but Izumi and Kunichika don't talk yet, taking quite a while of silently watching the children below disappear in the distance before the blonde opens his mouth. 

“You wanted them in the team too. All three of them.” Izumi says. It's not a question. It doesn't need to be. After all, Tachikawa's team knows him very well. 

“Despite already knowing Yuma was a neighbor.” Kunichika adds. 

“I didn't know. I was just suspecting.” Tachikawa weakly defends himself. 

Kunichika and Izumi sit down on both sides of their captain, leaning maybe a bit closer than usual, eyes gazing in the direction where Osamu and his friends went. Where they know Tamakoma to be. 

“I think we are cursed.” Izumi says eventually. “To have all the teammates we get eventually leave to Tamakoma.” 

He lets his head hang a bit. “Sometimes I thinks I should just move over too, the consequences Jin predicted be damned.” 

Tachikawa gives his teammates a smile, but it lacks the confidence it usually carries, reaching out to ruffle Izumi's and Kunichika's hair, even if the girl usually doesn't like the action. 

But right now Tachikawa can't stop himself, and for once she seems to welcome the contact. 

“If you really want to, I won't stop you. Honestly, I want to too. But Jin would never lie about his predictions to me, and he trusts me to keep things safe in the end. “

Izumi lets out a small huff of air, barely audible in the wind rushing around them. “Well, I won't leave you behind here alone. No one deserves to have to face down Kido all by themselves.”

The three look towards the horizon a bit longer before Kunichika stands up. “Let's get inside before we catch a cold.”

The others sit up alongside her, and together they walk in towards the headquarters, the door to the outside closing behind them with a quiet click. 

____________

It takes a while of walking till Osamu, Chika and Yuma reach Tamakoma's building, or at least what he assumes to be the right place according to the maps. 

It doesn't really look how Osamu imagined it, a lot more rundown and aged than it was in the boy’s mind, but Jin standing in front of it and waiting for them is proof enough. 

Someone could have probably driven Osamu and his friends here, but he needs to clear out his head a bit and get his emotions under control before arriving here. 

Jin waves them over as soon as he spots them, munching a rice cracker as Osamu has seen him do so many times before. 

“I have been waiting for you guys.” Jin says in an upbeat voice. “Welcome to Tamakoma!” He says, proudly pointing towards the building behind him. 

Osamu looks at the peeled of paint, the chipped sidewalk, and sends a doubtful look towards the A Rank, who lets out a laugh at the expressions all three of them are wearing. 

Immediately Osamu blushed in embarrassment, going down into an apologetic bow. “I'm sorry. We didn't mean any offense. It's just that with the reputation Tamakoma has, I expected… more. “

“Nah, don't feel bad for it. The building is old. It used to be old before it even became the base of the original Border organization. But it's still functioning well, so we never saw a reason to abandon it.”

Jin gives each of the children a look before smiling at them encouragingly. “Well, let's get inside so we can get those boxes out of your hand. I will show you one of the free rooms where you can put them.” 

The S Rank throws open the door with a practiced motion, though he comes to a halt when he sees a child riding a capybara standing in the hallway. 

Said child lets out a hum as it looks at Osamu and the rest. “Hm, are you guys the newcomers?” He asks, the words spoken in a high and mighty way, Jin giving him a gentle shop on his head.

“Behave, Yotaro. But you are right. These are the new members. Can you show them the way up to the free rooms so they can put the boxes away first? I still have something to take care of real quick.” 

The kid gives them a nod. “Well, if you ask me to. Follow me.” He says, gesturing for the three to follow, riding the stairs up on his capybara as Jin excuses himself with a small salute, doing whatever the fortune teller needs to do.

Yuma and Chika follow the boy up the stairs and carry the boxes up to Osamu’s new room, insisting that he rest to not overwork himself with his injuries. The doctor said movement will do him good, but this walk probably wasn't what he meant with that.

They only allowed it so theri friend could clear out his head.

Osamu sits down on the sofa with an exhausted sigh, making sure to not reach out to scratch his injuries no matter how much they prickle from the healing they are doing.

He was lucky with them, all things considered. They didn't hit any vital places, but a part of him thinks that it was intentional, since the people from Aftokrator were focused on capturing, not killing.

Still, he will have to get them checked up for a while, since one can never know what kind of effects black triggers have, just to be sure.

His eyes drift to the remaining boxes on the table, the ones that hold the materials related to trion engineering that will be brought down to Tamakoma’s workshop and not his personal room.

Normally he would be elated about the prospect to finally know more about Tamakoma’s famous triggers, but right now, it just feels hollow.

Among the boxes is a trion sustaining box, looking not that different from a large mason jar, with the left behind half of Replica suspended in it to prevent any decay or further damage.

Unlike the other half that Osamu threw into the neighbor ship, this one didn't show any signs of consciousness, and that matches up with what Osamu knows about his structure.

He hears a sound behind him as the door to the room opens to reveal Yuma. “We brought your stuff into the room. Chika is still unpacking some boxes but except for that, everything is finished.” The white haired boy says, stepping inside and quickly spotting his two friends.

“Don't feel guilty for it.” Yuma says, sitting down beside Osamu as he looks at the box containing Replika, leaning against his shoulder. “I ordered him to protect you, and he did exactly that.”

But even if he says that, Osamu can see the pain in his friend’s eyes, filled with pain and loss.

“I will bring him back.” Osamu promises. “I will get back his other half and repair him. I swear.” 

A soft smile appears on Yuma’s face. “I know you will." 

They sit in silence for a while, but it isn't tense, and Osamu leans a bit into Yuma’s shoulder, and when Chika arrives some moments later, she just gives the older boy a small smile before hurrying over and leaning into his other side.

When the Children hear the front door to the Tamakoma branch open (audible even from here because the door is squeaking so loudly) they turn towards it, hearing as steps are approaching them.

“Jin! Where are you?“ A black haired girl starts as she opens the door, but she stops as soon as she sees the two boys sitting in front of her. “Oh! You are already here? Why did nobody tell me?” She complains, quickly putting down the bag and hurrying over to them.

“I’m Usami Shiori, I’m one of the Tamakoma’s operators. I’m taking over the job for my senpai while she is out scouting.” She explains. “I assume you are our new members?”

“Yes we are, nice to meet you.“ Osmau says, going into a small bow, his friends following after him.

Shiori gives them a happy smile as she starts digging through the bags she was carrying until she excavates some dorayaki.

She looks at the dorayaki with a conflicted expression, before handing them over to the children. “Jin didn't tell me you would be arriving now, so I didn't prepare anything else, but I can guarantee they taste good!” She says with a thumbs up.

Osamu gives the sweet a small bite, and it indeed tastes very good, Yuma quickly finishing his own with a happy hum. After one more bite Osamu pushes his plate over to his friends.

“I’m not that hungry yet, and it looks like you enjoyed it. We can go have them again next time we are in town. I think I know a good shop that sells them.” Osamu says with a smile, and while Yuma doesn't exactly look happy about it, he knows his friend isn’t lying and takes the sweet.

“Well, if you say so. But make sure to at least eat a proper dinner.” The white haired boy insists, but he can't quite hide the happy expression as he devours his treat.

Usami gives them a happy look. “I’m glad you like them, and while it's not under the best circumstances, we are happy to have you. And Yuma, you don't need to be worried about being a neighbor with us. Tamakoma is aiming to build a friendly relationship with every neighbor who seeks to do the same.”

“I didn't know there was a faction friendly to neighbors in Border.” The white haired boy says, getting a nod from the operator.

“Yes, with the secrecy Border holds over the neighborhood we can't really say it, but Tamakoma used to be the original branch, before even what later became the headquarters that is now under Kido.”

She seems to consider it for a moment, but then shakes her head. “I don’t think it's my place to talk about that. I’m sure the older members will tell you about it when the time is right though.” She ensures them.

A knock turns the attention of the group towards the door, revealing Jin and Rindo giving them a friendly grin.

“Yo, the power elite is here. And I brought the branch director too.” Jin says with a small salute.

“You guys probably already know, but let's introduce myself properly. I’m Takumi Rindo. Nice meeting you guys. It seems like things will finally get a bit more lively around here.”

“I’m sure you guys just want to relax a bit after the stressful week.“ Rindo’s expression turns more serious. “But before that, we still have to do a bit of work.” He says, putting some documents on the desk.

“You are now members of Tamakoma, but after the invasion, I would understand if you changed your plans for the future. Over a dozen people left Border after the attack, and it's only understandable to do so.” He gives the trio a grin. “But something in your eyes tells me that wont be the case for you.”

Osamu gives the branch director a serious nod. “I still want to climb up the ranks. That hasn't changed, and with Chika trying to enter the Away Team to find her friend and brother, that is the only way.”

The engineer turns to Yuma. “I know I asked you to stay, but after this, I would understand if you think it's better to leave. I will still keep my promise to bring back Replica, no matter what you decide.”

But Yuma instantly gives him a wide grin. “I promised I would stay, right? And I’m not planning on going back on my words. Besides, who will be your attacker when we climb up the ranks together so we can get into the away mission?”

Osamu gives his friends a relieved and grateful smile, looking over to Chika who gives him a determined nod too, before the three of them turn towards Rindo. “There you have it.”

Rindo gives them a happy nod. “That's good to hear. Mikumo, I know you used to be considered A rank, but with the rules the way they are you are considered B rank again. At least for now, so some of the benefits you got as an A rank will be lost until you make it up there again.”

“No, it's okay like that. I’m not on the level of an A rank anyway.” He says, getting a playful shove from Yuma beside him.

“For not being an A rank you caused the enemy teams quite some trouble during the matches you know. I saw how much of a headache you were to deal with for your opponents.”

Chika nods in agreement. “And with my trion reserves, you don't need to hold back with your trion soldiers either.” She says encouragingly.

“Thank you, I will do my best to support you two, if you will have me on your team, of course.”

Yuma gives him a playful look. “What are you talking about? You are going to be the captain, not me. It's going to be your team.”

“Wha- But you have so much more combat experience than me. I have only been following the actions of my teammates for now.” Osamu insists, but both his friends just shake their heads at him with fond expressions on their faces. 

“Nope, It has to be. See it as the condition for me staying here.” Yuma says. “Don't worry, I know you will be able to do it.”

Osamu considers for a moment if he should try to convince his friends that this is not a good idea, but after a moment he just lets out a defeated sigh. He knows best how stubborn his friends can be when they want to be. “Okay, let's do this then. Together.”

Chapter Text

Osamu writes his signature on the documents declaring him to be the leader of the newly built Tamakoma 2 with a sad smile, the paper already prepared by Rindo under Jin’s direction.

The engineer knows things are a lot better than they could have been, and he still will be able to spend time with the members of Tachikawa squad whenever he wants to, but he is still going to miss fighting by their side.

Rindo takes the documents with a small nod. “That's it. The annoying paperwork is finished. Then I hereby officially welcome you in the Tamakoma branch. We are small, but that doesn't make us any less weak than others.” He turns as he hears a sound from the entrance of the building. “And it sounds like your seniors are arriving just in time.”

The door is thrown open with a loud small as a girl with long strawberry-blonde hair happily jumps inside, immediately going for the shopping bags Usami left abandoned on the floor of the common room, not yet having the chance to put them aside.

“Hey Usami, where are my-!” She demands as she looks up, eyes immediately zoning in on the empty packaging on the table in front of Osamu and his friends, right besides the plates still covered in crumbs.

“My dorayaki!” She cries in a mix of anger and betrayal, looking like she is about to grab Osamu in anger until he sees the bandages still covering his body, instead grabbing Usami by her shoulder and shaking her wildly. “Why did you give out my dorayaki?! I really needed them after all the world today!” 

“I’m sorry! I didn't think the new members would arrive today already, and it was the only good thing at hand! I promise I will get you new ones tomorrow!” Usami apologizes as Konami pulls at her cheeks.

“New members?” She asks curiously, the grudge already forgotten as she turns towards the three on the sofa, letting out a curious hum as her teammates enter the room.

Karasuma immediately spots Osamu, walking over to the brown haired boy. “Oh, hello Osamu. Chika and Yuma too. I heard from Izumi what happened.” 

“Karasuma senpai. It's good to see you.” Osamu answers.

The black haired teen gives the engineer a small, but encouraging look. “We can visit them tomorrow, if you want to. I’m sure they would be happy too.” The allrounder suggests, immediately getting a grateful nod from Osamu. 

Konami gives her teammate a curious look. “You know these kids?”

Jin gives her a surprised look. “Well of course Kyosuke knows them. They are his niece and nephews.” Jin says with an unshaking voice, not skipping a single beat.

Osamu sends him a confused look, the power elite just returning a small wink to him.

“What, they are?” Konami says in surprise, turning towards Karasuma. “Is that true?” 

“Yes, of course. We were talking about them joining Border last week.” The black haired teen says with unshaken confidence, his poker face perfectly in place.

“We were? Hm, I think I remember something like that?”

Beside her Reiji lets out a small sigh. “Please don't toy with Konami today. She already had enough work with her Border assigned tasks today.” 

“Toy? You were tricking me again!” She complains angrily, this time diving for Yuma, but the boy Quickly dodges out of the way and hides behind Osamu with a playful grin.

Konami lets out a small huff of air. “Well, at least you seem to have some talent. Who are you?”

Jin gives her a teasing smile. “You should really keep up with the other teams of Border a bit more.”

“W-Well, I don't care about some so-so low ranks.” She says, though from Yuma’s mischievous expression that isn't exactly truthful, if Osamu couldn't have guessed that from how nervous the attacker appears.

Karasuma gives her another look  though Osamu isn't sure he can decipher what emotion it holds. “But Osamu was part of Tachikawa’s team.”

“He was in the top rank team? This shrimp?!” She shouts, looking at Osmu in absolute disbelief.

“I was their combat engineer. I’m not really a fighter.”

Some confidence returns to Konami’s expression. “Y-yeah! I’m good at seeing how good of a fighter someone is!” She says as she turns towards Rindo. “Was this why you said we might be a bit more busy in the future?”

“Yeah, I want you guys to train them. Reiji, Chika is primarily a sniper, so I will leave the training of her to you.”

“Then I’m taking the white haired kid.” Konami declares. “You are strong, right? But even as a teacher, don't think I will be slowing down for you.” 

The neighbor is giving her a battle hungry grin. “You better don't, or you won't  have a chance of winning.” He says, jumping up from the sofa.

“Huh? Sounds like we have a confident one. Let's see if you have the ability to back it up. Usami, can you get a training room ready?” 

“Coming right up.” The operator says, walking out of the room with the other two walking behind her, the two fighters caught in a stare off.

Karasuma tilts his head a bit. “Does that mean I should teach Osamu? I don't think I can really help a lot with his specialty. I could probably give him tips on where there are openings in his trions soldiers’ fighting styles, but that's it.”

Rindo nods in agreement. “Normally Cronin would probably be better at teaching you since he is Tamakoma’s Chief Engineer, but he is out on a scouting trip with Yuri, the usual operator of Reiji’s team.”

“No, it's probably a good idea for me to also learn some basic fighting skills. In the invasion I was helpless as soon as my trion soldiers were used up. I don't want that to happen again. So please, Karasuma, can you teach me how to fight?” 

“Leave it to me. Until you recover from your injuries we will focus on theory, but I will make you survive even when up against an A rank fighter.”

_____________

Osamu looks up from where he and Karasuma are sitting on the pc down in the training area, Usami sending over curious glances to their screen now and then, as he sees Konami stumble out of the training room with a face of horror and disbelief.

“I- I lost? That can't be.”

Karasuma gives her a surprised look. “Yuma got more wins than you?”

“N-No! I still won! He only got three out of ten.” She defends herself, but Osamu can see how impressed Karasuma still is with that, and when Yuma walks out of the training room behind her with the satisfied smile he usually wears after a good fight.

He gives his teammate a proud thumbs up. Even if Osamu hasn't seen Konami fight, he has a good idea how strong she is from how he has heard the other A ranks talk about her.

Yuma seems happy with the praise, walking over to Osamu to see what he is working on.

He is about to explain it further as Konami goes over to him with an annoyed expression. “You are the one who modified his Grasshopper trigger, so you are also responsible for how the shrimp threw half the training room’s obstacles at my face!”

Yuma’s mischievous face makes Osamu let out a small laugh and also makes him absolutely certain that it will happen again as soon as the neighbor gets another chance.

The engineer is sure Konami hasn’t even seen all the ways Yuma can use the trigger in. He is extremely inventive with it, and every time his opponents think they have seen all his tricks, he pulls out another one. “Was it fun?”

“You bet. Next round I’m going to get even more wins.”

“You can forget that idea very quickly. I won’t be giving you even a chance to get in a hit.” She says, the two heading into the room again.

“Didn't they exit it for a break?” Osamu can't help but ask, but honestly after the hours long training rounds Yuma has done with Yoneya, Kage and Ko, it isn't much of a surprise. ‘But we should probably have some food ready for when they are done.’ But for now he will still study with his new teacher a bit.

‘Chika will probably stay quite a bit longer too.’ With her trion she could practically train for an entire day, and the only reason she would need a break is because she needs to eat or sleep. ‘Well, not really sleep.’

If she keeps her trion output on the lower end, she could spend time in her trion body for what feels like an eternity. ‘But her trion body needs a bit to recover too.’ That might be the only advantage Osamu has compared to her, since he only needs less than two hours even if his trion body was fully destroyed.

Karasuma has finished going over the battle plans Osamu has laid out in front of him, giving the engineer a satisfied nod.

“You have a good general understanding of combat, which is a good foundation, but I can also see that you still need a lot of actual experience. Your low trion will be  a hindrance, but usually you won't be hard pressed on that limit anyway.”

“Well, it was a pretty big problem during the last invasion.”

The allrounder gives him a flat look, or even flatter than they usually are. “Osamu, in that situation everyone would have lost. Even Jin or Amo couldn't have reliably gotten a victory there. The enemy simply was that dangerous. And an enemy like that will always stay dangerous, even if you somehow get your hands on a black trigger of your own. Though it will admittedly level the playing field.”

He pulls up a picture of one of Osamu’s trion soldiers. “You already have a good arsenal for all kinds of different situations, and even if I have no experience with actual design, I can tell you what kind of trion soldiers usually caused me and the other members of Tamakoma the most problems.”

“That would be a great help. Even the smallest thing could help.” Osamu says, pulling out his honestly enormous pile of designs that have slowly been adding up, but after a while Karasuma gives him a curious look.

“You are thinking of something else we can do too, right?” Karasuma says, but Osamu just shakes his head.

“Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it.” He says, but the all-rounder just stares him directly in the eye.

“Osamu, I have four little siblings. I know how it looks when someone wants something but is too hesitant to ask. Just tell me.”

A small blush appears on Osamu’s face, averting his eyes. “Well, in the HQ I have always heard about how good Tamakoma’s triggers are, so I always wanted to take a look at their designs. Being here only made me more curious.”

He knows he wouldn't be allowed to implement all of the changes into the average triggers, the modifications so extreme that they aren't even allowed in rank wars. But he just really wants to know.

The older teen gives him a nod. “I get it. I can probably give you some of the more general plans and systems our engineer uses, but the rest I would wait with until we have his permission. He probably won't have a problem with it, but it would be impolite to dig through his stuff.”

“Thank you. That's more than enough already. I’m happy I get to see anything of it at all. But I am curious, what kind of person is he anyway?”

“Well, he is a bit weird, but in a good way. Though it's probably a kind of weirdness you are used to from Yuma, since Cronin is also a neighbor.” Karasuma says almost casually, to the shock of Osamu.

“He is a neighbor too? So Yuma isn't the first neighbor in Border. No wonder his triggers are so different from the rest of Border’s.” 

“Yes, but he will probably give you a better rundown of everything when you are with him. For now, I think we should give you some training with the focus of evasion, escape and stealth, but also add in some small strategies on how to take out opponents on your own.”

He pulls out a small file on the desktop. “Combat experience is something that you can’t get quickly, so for now we will focus on some small tricks to get cheap wins for that. You knowing how to create composite bullets will be really helpful for that.”

He stands up from his chair. “But for now, let's get you some of our triggers to look at.”

_______________

“Good morning.” Osamu says with a small yawn as he steps into Tamakoma’s common room, sitting down where the other members are already eating, some hairs still out of place since his empty stomach demanded he eat something right this moment.

His mother is out on another work trip, so he decided it was a good idea to stay here, since Yuma and Chika will be doing the same.

At first his mother looked like she was going to deny it, wanting to stay home with her son, but Osamu made sure to ensure her everything is going to be fine with him, and after a long time of convincing she left him with Tamakoma for now, but only after making sure to remind (threaten) every member to immediately inform her if anything goes wrong.

Usami walks into the room with a conflicted expression, giving the members a forced smile. “So I have good news and some upsetting news. Not bad, but definitely upsetting.” She says as she sits down on her chair. 

Konami gives her a sharp look. “Don't tell me they cut the invasion rewards to finance the repairs.” 

“No, don’t worry. For the members of Tamakoma 1, everything is done as usual. You all got a pretty big bonus.” She says, handing each of the older members a piece of paper. “It's just, well…” She drifts off as she hands similar looking files to Osamu and Yuma.

In big red letters, right where a reward sum would be calculated, instead is written ‘Denied as punishment for withheld information.’ 

Osamu lets out a sigh. He honestly expected something like that, seeing how Ninomiya and his team were treated after they were simply involved in a scandal. Osamu would be surprised if this is going to be the only thing they do to get back at him.

Thankfully Osamu doesn't exactly need the money nor the ranking points, his unique position basically just bringing him up to B rank immediately, even if he isn't part of Tachikawa’s team anymore.

Some days ago he and Karasuma visited his old team in HQ, delivering some homemade food for the tired A ranks who didn't have a lot of rest after the invasion.

Replika might have successfully sent back that one invasion ship of Atokrator, but one can never be certain enough, even if Jin says it should be safe. And it's not like the regular attacks from other planetary nations stop just because there was a big invasion.

Meeting his old teammates like that still makes Osamu’s stomach churn, but it's not too bad as long as he can still visit them.

And a part of him was kind of happy to see that Tachikawa and Izumi immediately started causing more trouble again now that Osamu isn't there to take car of it, though he suspects a good half it it was intentionally caused by the A ranks just to get back at the higher ups for taking their teammate away.

Yuma seems to have gotten the same punishment as Osamu, but he doesn't seem to care either. He would much rather earn the points with actual fights anyway, and he has more than enough money anyway.

“Oh, Chika doesn't seem to have gotten the punishment.” Yuma says happily, pointing to his teammate's document. “Those are a lot of points, but I guess that makes sense for killing multiple Rabits.”

But the sniper looks a bit guilty to have received the reward when her teammates didn't. “I’m sorry you didn't get yours. Maybe we can share this?”

But Osamu shakes his head with a fond smile on his head, reaching out to pat her head. “Don't apologize. It's good that you got your reward. And the extra points can never be bad since it is harder for a sniper to rank up.” He says, Yuma nodding in agreement.

‘But I wonder how they will try to get back at us. Maybe I can look at what they did with Ninomiya? Maybe I should do some preparations. Or maybe I can prevent some of it?’ He wonders to himself, when he sees Jin give him a small smile.

Osamu lets out a small huff of air. “I guess that is something I should do?” He asks, getting a nod from the fortune teller. 

“Yes, it's the best course of action over all.”

“But what could I offer them that they would be interested in?” Osamu asks, but Jin stays silent, waiting for him to find the answer himself. “The only thing they would really be interested in would be information, but what do I-” Realization settles in features, and he turns towards Yuma.

“Is it okay if we give Border some of the information about the neighborhood Replika gave me? The higher ups should be especially curious about the other nations. If you don't want them to know it, I will find something else, so don't feel bad about saying no.”

But the white haired boy just shrugs. “Replika gave you that information to do with whatever you like. I don't have a problem with you spreading them if you think it will help us.” 

“Okay. Thank you. How about we three go today? The earlier the better, and it won't take long to organize.” ‘Though I probably shouldn't give them all I have right now, just as a safety blanket.’

Chika gives him a nod, but their white haired teammate looks conflicted. “I’m not sure if that is a good idea. I don't think they would be happy to see me there. I don't want to cause any trouble, especially now.”

“Don't worry about that. They will have to get over you being there sooner or later, whenever they want to or not.”

The white haired neighbor gives him a wide grin. “Okay. If you are sure. I just hope the others aren't too angry that I didn't tell them.”

Chapter Text

Compiling the information Replika has provided didn't turn out to be hard, especially since Osamu was leaving out a good half of it. 

Still, the information Yugo has collected over his travels will be incredibly valuable to Border, holding more than dozens of Away Missions could ever collect.

Reiji was so kind as to drive them to the HQ, and Jin came along too, promising that he will make sure everything works out fine by keeping Kido’s anger low. Or at least as low as is possible for the commander.

As soon as Osamu steps into the front door of HQ, he immediately feels how the eyes of the other agents snap towards their direction, even if the onlookers are trying to not make it obvious.

‘Did they tell them about Yuma’s heritage? That would make him a target for all kinds of aggression.’

But after a moment Osamu realizes that they aren't targeted at Yuma like he first feared, but himself, and they are mostly out of confusion, not a single one of aggression.

Chika gives him a small look, whispering in his direction while trying to not make it too visible. “I heard from Izuho that there have been a lot of rumors running around about you leaving Tachikawa squad, especially since the same thing happened with Karasuma before.”

Osamu looks at one particularly obvious onlooker who quickly turns her head away, before letting out a sigh.

There really is no way to avoid rumors when you are in Border, and it's not the first time he is the center of one, even if he wasn't even aware of it the first handful of times. Izumi had made a lot of fun about him for it too.

“I wonder what theories they will come up with this time.” Chika says. “From what I heard, things were already pretty out there when Karasuma left.”

The group makes their way up towards the department heads’ staff offices and then down the hallways to the discussion room where Jin arranged for them to meet.

Osamu doesn't exactly like the idea of going there since what happened there only a handful of days ago, but it's not like he has much of a choice in the matter. And Osamu has to get over this sooner or later anyway.

Don't get him wrong, he is still angry at Kido, even if on a logical level the engineer understands the commander’s reasoning, he doesn't agree with it in the slightest. The man might be right with his assumption that many neighbors are dangerous, but that shouldn't mean that one can just assume every single one is evil. ‘Like that they will only harm their own future by destroying possible alliances.’

Yesterday Jin told Osamu and his friends about the original alliance Old Border had with some allied nations. 

It's sad that they were destroyed, but that only shows how important the alliance was. Who knows how things would have ended for Mikado if that alliance never existed in the first place?

Osamu is sure there was more to that story Jin wasn't telling them yet, that playful glint the S rank has in his eyes when he is planning something so obviously Osamu could probably see it without his glasses, but when Jin will decided it's the right time to tell, only the fortune teller himself knows.

The engineer rounds the corner and sees someone with a familiar black and magenta coat standing in front of the door, making a wide smile appear on Osamu’s face.

“Captain! What are you doing here?”

“Osamu! It's good to see you. I’m part of the meeting too. I just wanted to offer some mental support and make sure to cover you back if Kido does anything too stupid.”

“You actually managed to convince him to let you in the meeting after what happened last time during one?” 

“Yeah, I annoyed the commander to be there until he actually broke his pencil. It was hilarious.” The swordsman says with a proud grin.

Osamu gives his former captain a nervous smile. “Please don't annoy him to the point where he will actually attack you. But thank you. I’m happy to have you around.”

Tachikawa reaches out and wildly ruffles the boy’s hair, leaving it as a wild mess. “Aw, look how cute you are. That's why we are missing you already.”

The engineer does his best to straighten it out as his friends giggle behind him. “We probably shouldn't make the commander wait any longer before he gets even more angry than he is anyway.”

Tachikawa opens the door into the room for him, the department heads inside turning towards Osamu immediately, the star map of the neighborhood Border has collected up till now projected into the air. 

Kinuta is the only one who actually looks happy to have him there, though both Shinoda and Karasawa don't seem far behind him, giving the engineer a welcoming smile.

The head of R&D gives Osamu a small nod. “Mikumo. Jin told us you have some information for us, but he didn't go into details. What do you have?”

“As you know Yuma’s father traveled the neighborhood for a long time, and his intel covers a lot of things that would be of great use to Border.”

Thankfully Kinuta seems to have prepared the equipment for Osmau already, and he quickly sends the information he is willing to give right now over to Border’s internal archive.

Instantly the star map in the center of the room begins to expand, more and more planets added to their register as they rotate around earth in the center, the eyes of the people in the room getting bigger and bigger with every addition.

“That is not all we will be able to get from Replika’s archives, but in his current state it will take a while to gather and decode the information. But for now we also have managed to gather some facts about the nation that led the last invasion.”

The star map zooms in on one of the plants that is currently moving away from Meeden, a bunch of pictures of large fortified cities appearing around it.

“This is Aftokrator, the ones that attacked us. Yuga was there a while ago, but because of their high security he only was able to gather a limited amount of information before he had to retreat.” Osamu says, a handful of pictures appearing on screen, some including the triggers used in the last invasion.

“Aftokrator is supposed to have twelve black triggers, which is a lot, but sending out as many as they did is highly unusual. Additionally, the black trigger user Yuma was facing is seen as one of their national treasures, so things are likely serious for them.”

Shinoda acknowledges the information with a nod. “Did Yugo leave us any clues about what might be going on?”

“Yes. Likely their current god is about to reach the end of their life.”

Osamu is still new to the concept of mother triggers, and the shock has not settled completely. On a basic level he knew that the neighborhood saw less value in human life, but the fate that some people are subjected to by essentially being sacrificed to a mother trigger still makes his stomach squirm every time he thinks about it.

Especially if he now knows that it is a fate likely planned for Chika by many of the invaders.

Kinuta lets out an angry huff of air. “That would explain why they were targeting Amatori this much, but that also means that there is a high likelihood that this much won't be a big enough setback for them to actually stop trying.”

The man turns towards Jin. “Did the next invasion you predicted have something to do with that?”

The power elite gives the others a small shrug. “I’m not really certain since it's still a good while away, but I do not think so. What I have seen for now doesn't match up with a kidnapping mission.”

“Still, we can never be too careful with that. Osamu, keep a good eye on her.”

“I promise.” The engineer says in a detained voice, the girl beside him blushing a bit in embarrassment while Yuma just lets out a fond huff of air.

Kido on the other end of the room has not changed his expression in the slightest, but Osamu thinks he is somewhat satisfied. At least for now. Osamu has learned to somewhat read him while he was in Tachikawa squad, after all.

“Very well. Try to extract more information as fast as you can. You can leave now.”

Osamu gives him a small nod before he leaves the room with his friends, Tachikawa letting out a sigh as soon as the door closes behind them.

“I think so much of their life would be easier if they just learned how to relax a bit.” He says, stretching his arms above his head. “Now, before you go, let's rest at our squad room a bit. It's probably better if you take a break and relax for a moment, and if you try to say no, I will send Kunichika after you.”

“I wouldn't have said no.” Osamu ensures him, but every single person here is aware of his tendency (or rather lack thereof) to take breaks, sending him a flat look.

The top attacker leads the group through the hallway, a small bounce in his step as he sends Jin a look. “You up for a spar? It has been far too long, you know?”

“Sorry, not today. But maybe later.” The S rank says, and he seems genuinely apologetic about it. 

“You always say that.” Tachikawa complains dramatically, but he doesn't really have much time to wallow in his grief as they reach the room, 

“I brought him!” Tachikawa calls in as he opens the door, Izumi instantly stumbling up from the table towards the guests, nearly throwing over some of the food that is piled up on the table, Kunichika right behind him.

“Osamu! It's so good to see you!” The shooter says happily, catching him in a hug together with his operator. “You know, we heard from Rindo that you are now a captain yourself, and we could never not celebrate that?”

“It has barely been a couple of days since we last saw each other, you know.” Osamu says, though that doesn't make him hug Izumi and Kunichika any less tightly.

Kunichika gives him a lazy smile. “Still, that's a couple of days too long in my eyes. Now, how are you recovering? Let me see the injuries.” She demands, pulling up his shirt, finding bandages still covering the wound.

“Should you really be moving around again?” She questions, getting an awkward laugh from Osamu.

“They told me I can move but to not overdo it. This much should be fine.” He says, though his old teammates seem to greatly disagree with that matter, instantly making him sit down on the table, the others following after him.

But they barely have time to sit down when they hear a knock on the door.

“Did we expect anybody else?” Izumi asks his teammates who give him a small shrug, and after a moment of consideration the blonde opens the door. 

“Director Shinoda! We didn't cause any trouble today yet. We swear!” He immediately says as he sees who is standing behind the door, raising his hands in defeat.

“And it better stay that way. But that's not what I’m here for.” He says, instead turning towards Yuma with a smile, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I knew you father, and he taught me a lot of things. I’m here to apologize for how Border has treated you over the last few days.” He says as he goes into a deep bow.

Yuma is silent for a moment in the way Osamu has started to realize is his friend's side effect activating, or rather focusing, since it seems to be permanently active, whenever he wants to or not. A common problem for people who have one.

Like many others Chika had problems sleeping because of her side effect, especially since the first invasion, always feeling the trion soldiers roaming around in the forbidden zone in the back of her head.

It gave her especially many problems sleeping at the start, but she has gotten used to it as best she can, even if it would be better if she didn't have to. But still, when Osamu looks at her standing beside him like this, he still can imagine the deep dark circle she had under the eyes after the first invasion like they had never left.

After a moment Yuma relaxes his shoulders, giving Shinoda a smile, making the man continue.

“I wish I could do more to secure your position, but right now Kido’s authority supersedes mine. But if you ever have any problems, contact me, and I will do the best I can to help. It's the least I can do.” Shinoda says.

“It's okay.” Yuma says. “I can tell you are a good guy. I will tell you if I need your help.”

The director gives the neighbor a smile. “You really are like your father in that way. It will be a pleasure working with you. Now, I don't want to bother you any longer.” He says, eyeing the food on the table. “And Osamu, please try to convince them to tune it back a bit. One more day in a row and Kido might actually go on a rampage. And what they did with the fryers in the cafeteria caused at least one of the new recruits nightmares.”

“No promises.” Osamu says, and a small part of him enjoys the way Shinoda’s face falls in despair. Specifically the part of him that is still angry at the higher ups in general for taking him away from his team. 

But seeing the director like that, the guilt outweighs it, and Osamu decides he will do his best to keep his former team from causing too much trouble.

As the door shuts behind the man they begin eating, though there is still a bit of tension in Yuma’s body, no matter how much the boy tries to hide it, and Osamu isn't surprised when his friend turns towards the members of Tachikawa squad.

“You guys don't have a problem with me being a neighbor?” Yuma asks the members of the top squad, who look at him and mostly just stare at him in confusion.

“Why would we?” Izumi asks. “You haven't done anything bad to us, and I don't think you are planning on. Or are you?”

“No, don't worry, Izumi senpai.”

“See? Then why would I have a problem with you? Except maybe for the fact that you can now hog Osamu all for yourself since he is on your team now.” The blonde says, getting a grin from the neighbor and a bit more of a polite smile from the sniper beside him.

“We will make sure he comes to visit and stop him from overworking himself.” Chika tells them from the side, taking a large bit from one of the rice balls on the table, likely prepared just for her.

“You better.” Tachikawa says with a small laugh. “Our Osamu doesn't know how to take care of himself, after all.” 

“You know I can hear you, right?” Osamu says, a small blush of embarrassment dusting his face, but he can't exactly claim that they are wrong. Something his friends are very aware of, to their visible amusement.

“Can we just eat?” The engineer begs, and that is something his friends need to be told twice, and neither seems to be Jin, as the S rank happily digs into his food.

Osamu just hopes it will keep them busy for long enough that they forget what they were talking about once they finish.

_______________

Jun walks down the hallway, doing his best to lift the atmosphere by sending everyone an encouraging smile, even if just by a little bit, no matter how tense it feels in the HQ today.

Don't get him wrong, he fully expected the atmosphere here to be tense after the invasion, but there is some edge to it that he did not plan for.

But it's pretty easy for him to figure out where the tension is coming from, that being a pretty essential skill for interacting with the press, but right now he wouldn't even need any experience with the subject to understand the reason for it this time.

He has never seen Ikoma, well, not exactly angry, but pretty close to it. 

As an A rank team Jun’s squad has been informed of the events surrounding Yuma’s reveal, his team probably the earliest so they could prepare to confront the media if it somehow was leaked or Yuma was to attack Meeden after all, with Netsuki’s insistence.

But in all honesty, the fact that Osamu was essentially banished from HQ is probably the bigger source of the tension.

Both the people in R&D and a good number of teams he is friends with have been visibly discontent with the decision, even if most of them aren't aware of the reason. At least they aren't supposed to.

Oji and Ikoma squad were not officially informed of the reason, but with Mizukami and Oji in them, there is no doubt they know exactly what's going on. Same for Ninomiya squad. And with those teams dissatisfied about the current situation, who knows how far the information has already spread.

And it's not likely they are the only ones. Squads like Azuma’s and Kako’s seem to be against it too, but for now they have not actively done something. 

At least to Jun’s knowledge. One can never be too sure with them.

Miwa squad is divided in the situation like one would expect, Yoneya not having the slightest bit of a problem with Yuma while their captain is reacting exactly how everyone would expect him to in the presence of a neighbor. Though Shuji seems to be a bit conflicted by his own opinion of half neighbors to be actively searching for trouble.

Jun lets out a small sigh. At this point, he would be surprised if the entirety of upper and middle B rank wasn't aware of Yuma’s heritage already. He just hopes the fall out won't be as bad once it leaks out into the public.

Though in all honesty, Netsuki’s worry about the situation is probably too high. As is his aggression towards Yuma.

Jun himself doesn't have anything against neighbors as a whole, even if he works in HQ. It's just that the public appearances department is stationed here, and he knows that it's similar for many others in HQ.

Eventually Border will have to reveal the fact that the neighborhood has a civilization just like earth, and that it's not just a swarm of monsters that they pretend the Trion soldiers to be. Jun always preferred peaceful solutions, so creating alliances or at least none attack agreements is something he personally hopes for.

And Yuma being on their side is a good step in that direction, and also one the general public is likely more willing to accept as a stepping stone.

He just hopes the angry squads have not destroyed Border till they reach that point.

Chapter Text

Osamu tries to keep up a confident expression as he sits in the conference room even as the media glares at them.

Kido was visibly annoyed by the fact that Osamu is taking part in it, but since the engineer was there the first time as a representative, he has to be there again to not suggest internal unrest, at least according to Netsuki. 

At least Osamu gets to see Raizo, which makes the situation a bit better.

Still, the atmosphere is tense. Eight trainees were captured during the invasion, and when that one neighbor named Enedora invaded the base, he managed to kill six of the people working in the communications office.

According to Jin, that's a very good future, all things considered, but they can't exactly tell the press that. And personally, Osamu doubts they would be satisfied with that anyway. They will still be angry even if a single building was damaged during the entire invasion.

And the reporters have smelled blood, and they will try to get as much out of the situation for themselves as they can.

Osamu has to suppress a sigh as another one of them stands up from his chair, wearing a confident expression. “Considering the victims, that brings up the question if Border is actually capable of protecting the city. What do you have to say to defend yourselves?” He demands.

Netsuki gives the man a nod, taking over for Jun in this case. “Let us be clear, Border does not think that the defenses we have built up for our hometown since Border’s creation are lacking.” He says, making confused sounds abrupt in the crowd.

“Let me elaborate on this. In the first attack over four years ago, there were over 1600 victims after the attack. This invasion was eight times the size of the first, and despite Border’s short existence we managed to reduce the number down to less than twenty.” He says, pointing towards a statistic that appears on screen.

“If we expected a similar damage to the town as it had been the first time around, without Border the number of victims would have been above twelve thousand.” 

Osamu sees how the reports stall, not having expected to be confronted like this, but Netsuki doesn't let them have the time to come up with an answer to counter it, still going in a deep bow.

“Of courses we apologize to the people who we were not able to protect, and we promise to continue improving so that not a single victim will be created anymore.” He ensures the people.

The reporter who asked the question sits down with an angry expression on his face, but it seems that it was enough time for another one to find another reason to complain.

“So, what is with those trion soldiers you announced during the other recent press conference? I thought they were supposed to help in these situations.”

For that Netsuki turns towards the R&D sector, geturing for them to continue.

Kinuta stands up from his chair, and Osamu knows him well enough to know that the man is holding back an annoyed groan.

“The trion soldier guards were set up primarily as defense so no enemies could reach the city, and as you can likely tell from the lack of large damage to infrastructure this time around, and the plentiful evacuation time, they did the job well enough.”

“But it seems despite all the promises they seem to hold, they only had limited impact on the invasion itself.” The reporter insists.

Osamu sees how Kinuta’s face shifts in annoyance, and he knows that whatever the man is going to say would likely not be well taken by the media, so the boy quickly jumps in to answer before the R&D head can raise his voice.

“Yes, there is room for improvement and they have only gotten stronger since we started getting more used to the concept.” Osamu says. “We are making great progress in their development, and it is a true loss that we can since the big limit is the energy required. Our members can only provide us with so much.”

“So you are saying since you don't have enough energy, you won't make much progress in the future either?” The reporter says, and even if Osamu knows that she is trying to lure him into a corner and make him mess up his words, it still irritates him.

“As we in Border we are increasing our number of members, the research and creation of trion soldiers will get easier, but yes, our advances will be limited unless the citizens of Mikado were to donate their trion that their body gives off naturally.”

The reporter gives Osamu a demanding look. “What would this trion donation entail? Is it safe?” She demands, but it seems to have been enough time that Kinuta can jump in again and take the question for him.

“Border can guarantee that it is safe. After heavy training sessions it's normal for people to fully out of trion, and there are no adverse effects. But of course, that would only be possible if the people agreed to it.” 

Osamu sends a small look over to Kido, who doesn't look especially angry that Osamu brought up that idea, so Osamu thinks he is happy with this development. Every bit of extra trion they can get would be a great help with how little Border has at their disposal. 

Osamu knows that it won't be a lot of trion seeing how most of the population are adults whose trion gland has long atrophied from disuse, but even then, with the people of the city offering their support, it might be enough.

_______________

“Osamu, I have some news you are not going to like.” Usami says as she approaches him and Karasuma during their training. 

Honestly, the boy kind of expected something along those lines today from how Jin was acting all morning, but it wasn't too severe of a reaction from the fortune teller, so Osamu is still kind of calm. 

“What is it, Usami?” 

“It's a new rule concerning combat engineers put into action by HQ in response to the events in the last invasion.” She explains, handing over a sheet of paper towards the other two. 

Osamu's eyes quickly fly over the words, and as soon as he finishes he lets out a deep sigh. 

Kyosuke gives it a miffed look too. “They are making combat engineers take part in the combat in body? Why so suddenly? Before they were just added to the operator part of the group.”

“Apparently it was a decision put in action in response to the events during the invasion. All the current and future combat engineers ended up in combat in some way, and even Raizo helped keep the invader that attacked HQ in queck, so they decided it to be necessary.”

Osamu isn't sure if it was purely made for those reasons, or if it was another way to get back at him. He knows how out of the way they went to punish Ninomiya squad, after all. 

“This is already concerning the upcoming rank war, right?” He asks, even if he can already expect the answer, and like he thought he gets a ‘yes’ from Usami in response. 

Osamu mills the new development over in his head. A thoughtful expression on his face. 

For teams like Oji quad it won't be a problem, rather an advantage with Kurauchi still being able to assist on the battlefield, but for someone like Osamu, it's not helpful in the slightest. 

‘And once I get taken out, the more complex plans using the Trion soldiers won't work anymore. Their internal programming isn't even close to complex enough for that, even if I were to invest more Trion into that direction. But maybe it's worth the small Trion investment so they can recognize simple commands from Chika and Yuma.’ Still, it won't be easy to implement. 

He gives Usami an apologetic look. “It looks like I won't be joining you in the command room after all. I'm sorry for making you take care of me in addition to Yuma and Chika, especially since I will likely not be good on the battlefield.”

Usami quickly waves her hands in front of herself to stop the boy. “Don't apologize for that! It's not like you wanted the change. And besides, it's my job as an operator to guide you guys properly, so don't feel bad if we have some problems, especially at the start.”

Osamu gives her a thankful smile. “I guess I will be in your hands then.” 

“Just leave it to me! We glasses-people have to stick together!” 

Osamu lets out a small huff of air as Jin enters the room with Yuma and Chika in tow, the three just having finished their group training. 

But curiously, Jin also seems to be carrying a large pile of sitting cushions. 

Osamu takes in a breath of air to ask what they are for when the doorbell rings, and Jin gives the engineer a knowing look. 

The glasses wearing boy quickly walks to the door with his equally curious teammates walking behind him, Usami following some steps behind. 

Osamu can already hear the very familiar sounds of commotion, making a smile appear on his face as he opens the door to reveal Ikoma squad, and also Oji squad who he wasn't able to hear. 

“Hello guys! It's good to see you! But what are you doing here?” 

Oji gives him a small but genuine smile. “We just thought we haven't seen each other in too long. It has been far too long since we spent time with each other, so we thought we could change that. I hope we are not intruding on anything.”

Ikoma beside him eagerly nods in agreement. “Yeah, we didn't have enough time to hang out since you were transferred here.”

“You are always welcome here, and I'm sure the others from Tamakoma won't mind. Kirie and Reiji are out of the house anyway, and Kyosuke has to go to work soon too.” Osamu says, opening the door wide for them to step in. It should be okay, since Jin seems to not have been opposed to it. 

He just has to make sure things don't get too messy. Or that nobody breaks anything.

The two teams enters as a cloud of comfortable sounds that somehow immediately make the room feel warmer, Kai walking over to Yuma to explain how he used his grasshopper in the last invasion as the members of Oji squad give Chika a polite greeting that the girl quickly returns, Yuiga giving her some very expensive looking sweets he seems to have brought along. 

Osamu spots how Maori and Kittaka walk over to greet Usami, the tree operators immediately exchanging some information Osamu can see from their faces are rumors. And the especially juicy kind. 

When the groups walk into the common room Jin has already placed the cushions all around the table and sofa, sending Osamu a grin. 

“We have enough food in the fridge for all you guys. I made sure Reiji bought extra.”

Osamu sends a look over to the clock, realizing that it's already later than he thought. ‘I guess I got caught up with work again.’ 

A small look into the fridge makes a smile appear on his face. Since Reiji was the one shopping, the amount of meat isn't a surprise, but it's still amusing to see. 

“How about I make some croquettes again? Everyone liked them last time.” Osamu offers, immediately getting smiles from his friends in return. Not like he expected them to say no. They demand them every time that he offers.

“Yes!” Kai happily says, almost jumping into their air. “Osamu's croquettes are the best.” 

A small blush appears on Osamu's face. “They aren't that good, but I would be happy to make them.” 

The group huddle together around the kitchen area, Osamu, Ikoma and Kurauchi going to the counter and start cooking while their teams crowd around them, and through Ikoma’s help and Kurauchi filling in whenever he can it doesn't take long till the delicious flavor of the food starts filling the air.

Yugita curiously looks over Osamu’s shoulder, half paying attention as Kai continues on about how good Osamu’s and Ikoma’s food is, the rich boy not exactly believing it but not saying no to it either.

From the other side of the room Yuma has turned on the gaming console, calling over to Kai who quickly hurries towards him, pulling Yuiga with him as he goes.

Eventually Mizukami leans a bit closer to Osamu. “I think I haven't said it, so thank you for leaving some trion soldiers with us doing the last invasion. Things would not have gone smoothly without them.”

Oki nods in agreement. “The Rabits would be even harder if we didn't have any distractions to keep the smaller units busy.”

“I’m just glad they were useful.”

Mizukami lets out a small sigh. “Oh, they were very useful. Useful enough that it forces me to consider if I shouldnt look into trion soldiers after all.”

Oji beside him is giving the ginger a small grin. “Oh? So it's not too much work after all, like I told you?”

“You know what, seeing your face I might not do it after all.” He says, Kai and Oki beside him letting out some giggles at his deadpan face.

Kurauchi gives him a sympathetic look. “I understand the hesitation, but I can ensure that it would be worth the work. And Osamu and I could help you too if you had any problems.” He says, Osamu nodding in agreement.

Mizukami gives them a small nod. “Thank you two, but like I said, I’m only considering it. Before a big part of not considering the position was that I wouldn't be able to be on the battlefield myself, but with the new rules, I had to reconsider.”

Kashio turns to Osamu with a concerned look in his eyes. “Will you be okay now that you have to enter the battlefield? If you want to, we could train together.”

“It's okay. Karasuma senpai has been training me so I won't drop out immediately, but I don't think I will be able to keep up with the others, even at lower B rank.”

Oji gives him an encouraging smile. “Don't worry. You will have your teammates and trion soldiers to protect your back. Also I am sure that you will somehow find a way to use the fact that he appears as a weak point to your advantage, Osamu.”

Immediately a thoughtful expression appears on Osamu’s face. “I could use myself to lead people into a trap. Taking out a combat engineer would on average have the highest degree between difficulty and effect on the battle, so people are likely to try and rush me.”

Beside him Yuma gives his captain a fond smile. “Whatever you decide, Chika and I will make it work. Though I admit, trapping the people who try to take you out does seem fun, and it would make people more hesitant to attack you once that battle strategy becomes known.”

Oji agrees with a satisfied hum. “Using your time in the lower ranks to give people a wrong impression of your fighting style does seem like a good idea. I am interested to see what you end up doing, but it's probably better if you don't talk about it while we are still here.”

Beside them Ikoma suddenly has an extremely guilty expression on his face. “But, if we end up fighting Osamu and his team, that means we would use the triggers he designed for us against him! That doesn't feel right. Should we just turn them off for the fight?”

But Osamu quickly waves his hands to stop his fellow captain's trail of thoughts. “No no. Don't worry about it. It's yours now, and you can do with it whatever you want. Also, if you suddenly were to not use them anymore, it might mess with your muscle memory.” He says, giving a look to Kai especially who awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. 

Beside him Yuma gives the other teams a battler easy grin. “And if you guys hold back, the fight wouldn't be fun either.” 

“Same to you.” Oji replies. “But that's for later. For now, the food is ready.” He says to the delight of everyone. 

Oki and Kashio carry the food over to the table, and the three operators quickly join them there, returning from whatever they were doing. 

Though Osamu suspects that it included a lot of ranting from Maori's side, since she seems a bit more relaxed than usual. She really likes her teammates, but sometimes she just needs a small break from them and their insanity.

The group doesn't wait a moment longer till they start eating, the room quickly filling up with the happy sounds of the group as they dig into the delicious food. Even Yuiga admits that it tastes good, trying and failing to hide a small blush.

It's almost like before Osamu was banished from HQ, and as the evening continues on he doesn't find himself thinking about it even once. 

The room is filled with all the familiar chaos. Kai nearly throwing over furniture, Oji teasing Mizukami and Iko, Oki sitting in the corner and looking innocent only to jump in to make things even more chaotic to amuse himself. 

Osamu finds himself blushing alongside Iko as they are complemented for the good food, though the especially red shade Osamu takes on is teased by his friends a bit, like always. 

The teams stay together till deep into the night, but even when they leave, dragged away by the more sensible members of the group, and Osamu collapses into his bed to instantly fall asleep, he still has a wide smile on his face. 

_____________

Osamu frowns down at the mostly healed wounds on his limbs, flinching a bit from the picks of pain as Yuma carefully unwraps them to replace the bandaging. 

The neighbor might not have had to use that skill very recently, but apparently he learned how to do so at a very young age, so it stuck despite the disuse. 

The injuries do not look good, but in all honesty, the wounds could have been much worse. 

Yuma has been making sure that the injuries don't show any effects that could point towards a secondary effect of the Black trigger that hit him, but thankfully it doesn't seem like it. 

The wounds do look a bit weird, the skin around the puncture injury looking like it was both burned and hit with electricity, but even Osamu knows that that is not so unusual. 

After all, burns from high amounts of Trion manifest themselves in all kinds of ways. Osamu has experienced that from his own mishaps when building triggers.

“It's healing well.” Yuma says as he carefully takes Osamu's arm in his hands to look at the wound. “I don't think she was letting her Trion run wild while she was attacking you.” 

“That makes sense. They seemed to be focused on capturing after all.”

“Still, it's a conscious decision to make. Others wouldn't have been given that mercy, especially not on such a chaotic battlefield.” Yuma says, giving his captain a small grin. “Gathered enough attention in that short time to be considered for capturing already, huh? You must have impressed them a bit.” 

Osamu isn't sure how to take that, but it seems like a compliment, so he takes it with a small nod. 

“Anyway, I think you can be allowed to use Trion again. You healed enough so there shouldn't be any complications.” Yuma says as he makes sure that the new bandages are in place, careful in a way that Osamu doesn't think he has ever seen his friend. 

The engineer gives him a great full nod. To tell the truth, he has been getting a bit restless, especially with the rank wars coming up. But now Karasuma can finally start to properly train him. 

And he is also kind of curious how well the battle strategies he thought up will work. 

He has designed them around Chika's and Yuma's biggest strengths, trying to lift them up even more.

While he couldn't exactly join their training yet, he at least made sure to be with them when they trained with Usami, getting used to each other so no one gets in the other's way. 

Osamu is so deep in through that he barely notices the amused smile Yuma gives him, eyes shining with fondness. 

“Ah, sorry. I kind of got distracted.” 

“I noticed. I'm sure you want to have a go right away. But before that. Usami! Do you have them ready?” The white haired boy calls over to the kitchen area of the common room, the operator turning g towards them with a confident smile. 

“Of course I do. I promised I would do it in time, after all.” She says, pulling out a trigger and handing it to Osamu, Chika right behind her with an encouraging smile.

“Come on, use it.” Yuma urges him, and Osamu doesn't hesitate any longer to activate the device. 

Once again he is overtaken by the familiar veil of Trion, even if it's not as strong as an A Rank trigger, but still more than a newly formed B Rank squad should have access too. 

When he looks down at himself, Osamu sees himself clad in a black and dark turquoise uniform. A specially designed one and not one of the presets for new B rank teams without the creativity to use. 

Usami excitedly gestures to the mirror on the side of the room. Honestly, when it was placed there this morning Osamu should have expected something to be up. 

And Osamu has to admit, Usami really did a great job with the design, and she has every reason to be proud.

But at the same time Osamu cannot deny the prick of pain in his chest at the lack of the familiar black and magenta coat he shared with his teammates from Tachikawa squad. 

That is, until he sees some lines of Magenta run around some of the seams of the uniform and centered between the white markings on the uniform, a certain shade he could never mistake for anything else. 

And now that he is looking for it, even the black used in the uniform is the exact same shade worn by Tachikawa squad. 

A small smile apparels on his face as he turns to Usami and his friends with a grateful shine in his eyes. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. Really.” 

“I'm just glad that you like it.” She says happily. “Now, you two go too.” 

Beside him Yuma and Chika take out their triggers too, and when they activate them, they are clad in uniforms not that different from Osamu's. 

To his surprise Usami lets out a small hum. “I masked their Trion bodies’ real appearance in the training room with the old look they had so we could make it a surprise. I guess it was worth the work.”

Chika gives the operator a kind nod. “They turned out really good. I like them a lot.”

“Just promise me you will climb up the ranks so people will actually see them.” She says before giving the trio, especially Yuma, a knowing smile. 

“Now, how about we do the first real team training session?”

Chapter Text

Osamu is standing in the Tamakoma training room, clad in his new team uniform, and he can't quite help but look down on himself again.

After all the times he felt himself be embarrassed by how extravagant the Tachikawa squad uniform was with its coat-like look, now he finds himself thinking that this more standard uniform is maybe a bit too plain. 

Maybe that side of Izumi rubbed off on him more than expected. 

He still can't take part in the endurance training Chika has started, with Yuma accompanying her since he can't build muscle mass anyway, but now Osamu can at least start with his Trion based combat training. 

Kyosuke is standing opposite of him, body ready and poised to attack, as he waits for his student to get ready.

“You already have a basic plan for the role you want to play in your new team, right?”

“Yes. I have been analysing the different fighting styles of other Border agents with low Trion and compiled a list of possibilities. Now I just need to try out which of them will be a good fit.”

“Okay. Then I will watch and try to spot any mistakes. But remember, copying other people can only bring you so far, but it is a good basis.” 

Osamu gives him a nod before he lets his trion flow, activating his raygust. Even if it could be used as a weapon, Osamu plans to mostly use it for defense. 

The handful of training spars he had with Yuma before the invasion were proof enough that he had no talent for close combat whatsoever, so he will mostly focus on survival and let his Trion soldiers do the fighting. 

But he does plan to offer some support using his composite bullets whenever he sees the opportunity. They can be quite impactful after all, even if Osamu's lack the power Izumi's do because of his small Trion. 

Looking back at it, Osamu should really have started training his shooting skill while equipped with a Raygust from the very start. After all, he knows best that his shield is not nearly strong enough to block a well placed hit, so he will constantly be wearing it. 

At times like this he is kind of jealous of Chika, Izumi and Ninomiya with their shields that can just shrug off direct meteor impacts. 

He would also really like to create more Trion soldiers too, but without the assistance of Replica it takes Osamu longer to do, no one there that could catch his mistakes in designs before he already invested hours into that direction until he realizes he did something wrong. 

‘I hope the designs I have for now will be enough. I would rather keep the surprise factor of the opponents not knowing what my Trion soldiers will do for as long as possible.’ 

“Osamu, are you ready?” Karasuma calls over, getting a nod from the boy. “Good, then like we talked about, here I come.” He says and rushes forward. 

Osamu raises his shield as he releases a volley of Hounds, though he keeps the tracking function turned off for now to conserve Trion. 

But he won't make it that easy for Karasuma, making sure to divert the Trion unevenly between them so they all have various sizes and speeds as they shoot towards him. 

“It's really obvious that you trained with Izumi.” Karasuma says, amusement in his voice as he slashes the bullets out of the air with his Kogetsu, before releasing some bullets from his assault rifle at Osamu. “But you will have to try harder than that. Don't forget I trained with Izumi too. “

Osamu blocks the bullets with his Raygust, quickly charging up another Hound, this time with high tracking, and shoots them out into the air in an arc. 

The tracking quickly kicks in and they fly towards Karasuma who already puts away his gun so he can use his shield, but Osamu won't leave it at that. 

He quickly sends out another Hound, pushing a large quantity of trion into its speed. 

But Karasuma quickly notices the trick, immediately rushing forward towards the bullet before the tracking Hounds can catch up to him, slicing it out of the air and then turning his full attention towards the remaining attack, switching his sword to an assault rifle, using his shield to block the remaining shots while taking out any stragglers that try to fly around with his gun. 

But he doesn't let up the pressure on Osamu either, sending some single bullets his student’s way now and then to keep him busy while the distance between the fighters gets smaller and smaller. 

Osamu tries to charge up another bullet, but with one last quick movement Karasuma is right in front of him, blade raised to attack.

Osamu lifts his Raygust to block the attack, but it has enough force to throw him backwards, sliding over the ground as Karasuma goes in for the finisher.

But Osamu won't let him win that easily, even if he knows he won't win against Karasuma. Especially not from this position.

The engineer charges up another Hound while the allrounder rushes him, but his shield is not enough to keep him protected in close combat like this.

“Thruster-” He starts, but before he can finish Karasuma’s sword pierces his trion relay system, and the boy loses control over his body, collapsing to the floor as his limbs lose power.

“Very good Osamu.” His teacher praises. “You are improving very quickly now that you got some of the nervousness out of your system. You really-” He tries to continue when he snaps his head to the side.

He barely has time to throw up a shield, ducking his head to the side as the incredibly slow Hound bullet drifts towards him from behind, but it still carries enough force to send some small cracks running down his left arm.

“Clever. Very good. Thinking about what happens even after you are knocked out is a very good skill to have.” Karasuma say as both his and Osamu’s bodies are restored. “And people often get careless when they think they have already won.”

Karasuma switches his weapon to a sword again. “Now I will go with another fighting style so you can get as broad of a field as a basis as you can. You up for it?”

"Yes, please!" Osamu answers in a determined voice. 

If his friends are working as hard as they do, he cannot allow himself to slack off either.

_____________

Osamu collapses into the sofa of the Tamakoma common room with a loud sigh, bone deep exhaustion settling in his bones as the sweat continues to drip down his face. 

He never was good with endurance training, and if this is what Reiji considers a starting course, Osamu is worried about his future. 

Chika beside him is doing a bit better, even if she too is visibly tired. “I recommend you go showering right now, or you won't have the energy for it later.” She says, standing up and going up the stairs first. 

Yuma sends Osamu a cheeky grin. “I can carry you up if you want to.” 

“No thank you. I still have enough energy for that. But I will keep the offer in mind for when Reiji starts whatever he considers actual training.”

Yuma lets out a small laugh. “Always. You just need to ask. But now up with you, the hot water will do your muscles well.” 

A statement that turns out to be very true, Osamu notes, as soon as the steaming water of the shower hits his skin. 

He sent down a look to the injuries on his body, now mostly healed and properly scarred up, even if some marks of the injury look like they will remain permanently. 

They still itch sometimes, and during bad weather they start hurting again, but it's more than manageable. 

Still, Osamu always finds his eyes drifting towards them whenever they come into view. 

He lets out a sigh. He will have to get used to them somehow, so he better start now. And he has no doubt he will completely forget about them once they actually start with the Rank war matches.

The first battle is coming up in two days, but to tell the truth, Osamu isn't especially worried about the first match, even if he feels a bit bad to say it out loud, both because it sounds arrogant and because he feels bad for the teams they are facing.

But there is no argument around the fact that Yuma is on the level of an A rank fighter, and Chika packs a serious punch, even if she isn't the best at close combat.

Osamu doesn't know how well he himself will survive, but his trion soldiers aren't easy to defeat, especially in the massive amount he has access to thanks to Chika.

The engineer dries off his hair with a towel, and when it's dry enough he quickly goes down into the kitchen to sate his loudly growling stomach, some drops still lingering in his hair.

Reiji gives Osamu a smile, handing the young engineer a plate with food piled up high. “It's important to eat well. If not, you can't build muscles no matter how much you train.”

He sits down beside Chika and Yuma, the girl once again eating a giant pile of rice, and the only reason there are some vegetables and meat beside it is probably because Reiji put them there without asking.

If she didn't have any, Osamu would have made sure she did. He won't just sit by and let get scurvy. Again.

“Yuma, Chika. I’m planning to go HQ this evening to properly prepare the squad room over there that we have been assigned to for the rank war. Just getting the trion soldier transporters and the other stuff in place. Do you guys want to come along?”

“I would like to come.” Chika says, Yuma nodding in agreement too. 

After lunch it doesn't take them long to get ready, and the trio starts making their way to the HQ. Reiji offered to drive them, but they decided to walk instead, using the day of good weather.

And Osamu can definitely say that the nice weather is a lot easier to appreciate when he isn't gasping for air from all the running.

They spend most of the way simply talking, Yuma telling some stories from the neighborhood that might help them to know in the future, and it actually gives Osamu some ideas for Trion soldiers.

Yuma just shrugs as Osamu says that. “I don't know how helpful the information about those kinds of stealth based Trion soldiers will be since I never figured out how they were constructed. Replica and I had to leave that nation before we could figure it out.”

“It can still be helpful.” Osamu insists. “If we know it's possible, we know what we can focus on. And your description actually narrowed down how it could have been constructed a lot.”

The white haired neighbor gives him a grin as they step through HQs front door, making their way up the rank war room. “If you say so.”

They just step out of the elevator when Osamu spots some movement from the side, and when the boy turns to its direction he sees Kageura and Ko, probably to prepare for the rank wars with a bit of training.

“Ah, hey guys.” Yuma says, but even if his friend tries to hide it, and is even really good at it, Osamu can see how nervous he really is.

Kageura lets out a deep sigh, walking up to the other two, before reaching to Yuma’s head and wildly ruffling his hair.

“It's not often you are nervous like this. Calm down. I could feel your anxiety from a mile away. It's annoying.” He complains, continuing to mess with the smaller boy’s hair, while Ko walks up beside them with a small smile.

Yuma gives them a small grin. “So, we good?” He asks, even if he already knows the answer to that question.

“Of course you idiot. But I’m absolutely going to beat the shit out of you for doubting that and not telling us.”

The neighbor lets out a laugh, the tension draining out of his shoulders as Kage turns to face the new Tamakoma team in its entirety. “I guess I will be seeing you in the battles soon. Don't make me wait too long.” He says with a grin.

Ko gives them a challenging nod. “If you can make it by my team, at least.” He says.

Osamu returns it with a determined nod of his own, feeling how his heart is beating in his chest with both excitement and nervousness, and he tries his best to replicate the confident grin Izumi shows when he gets a challenge. 

“You better prepare, because we don't plan on letting anybody stop us.”

_____________

It has been multiple days since the end of the invasion, but somehow a part of Koarai doesn't seem to have realized that just yet.

His body is still tense, and somehow he is expecting a Rabit to jump out to attack him at any moment.

But maybe that's just because the signs of the invasion are still lingering everywhere, both inside and outside the Border base. 

Azuma didn't have much time after the invasion, so Koarai did not find the right occasion to ask him. And maybe he just won't. After all, despite everything pointing to the contrary, he doesn't think he actually is scared.

Don't get him wrong, he knows about all that PTSD stuff and everything, and he is pretty sure it's not any of those. It's just that after that fight, it set things into perspective. Being that close to the heart of such a battle is something he can't really put into words.

It's why he now finds himself here in the solo rank war room with his teammate, watching the battle screen with a focus he has never had in his entire life, trying to find some skill sets he could add to his own style, as well as looking for a good training partner he could spar against.

He sends a look over to Okudera, tilting his head in confusion at the other’s focused expression. “Hey, what's up?”

“Over there. It's them." He says, not turning his head towards his teammate, and when Koarai follows his eyes he sees Osamu and Yuma walk down the other side of the training area.

Koarai still hasn't fully gotten over the fact that Yuma has been a neighbor all along, or that Osamu knew and kept it hidden, but looking back it all kind of makes sense. Yuma was always a bit weird, and Osamu would absolutely have helped to keep it secret. 

During the invasion Koarai’s first reaction wasn't exactly a good one, immediately turning on Yuma if it hadn't been for Azuma, and he hasn't had any chance to apologize for it yet.

And well, if there's one thing Azuma taught Koarai and Okudera first, then that is to always think for yourself and for your own opinion on things, be it strategies or ways of life, and even if Koarai hasn't seen Yuma much, he knows the neighbor is a good person.

Besides, Osamu also trusts him, and Koarai trusts the engineer too.

Azuma seems to think the same, and after the invasion was over he gave Okudera and him a quick rundown how things actually work in the neighborhood, which came quite as a shock.

It seems that their captain didn't plan on telling them that early, but he also wouldn't lie to Okudera and him if they directly asked.

‘Osamu and Yuma will probably be angry at me.’ Koarai thinks, and they would have every right to. He acted like Miwa! That should be enough to let one know they are doing something wrong.

So the blonde boy quickly stands up and hurries towards the members of Tamakoma 2 with Okudera following behind him, but when Osamu turns towards him he doesn't expect the first expression the engineer sends him to be a happy smile.

“Koarai! Okudera! It's good to see you again. I haven't gotten the chance yet to thank you for your help during the invasion.” Osamu tells them warmly, throwing Koarai out of the loop enough that he doesn't even know how to respond.

Beside him Okudera lets out a snort as he sees his teammate’s stunned expression, trying and failing to hold back a laugh as Koarai’s ears turn red with embarrassment.

“No- I- you shouldn't-” Koarai stammers, before he goes into a deep bow. “I want to apologize!” He says to a surprised looking Osamu. 

“Apologize? What would you want to apologize for?” 

“For my reaction, when, you know…” He says, looking over to Yuma before sending a glance over at the C rank recruits that definitely aren't supposed to know about humanoid neighbors.

Yuma and Osamu share a look before they give the other two a kind smile and a playful grin respectively, the neighbor stepping closer to give Koarai a playful tap to his chest with the back of his hand.

“Don't worry about it. The tension was high, and you were just reacting in a way that made sense with what you knew at that time. It's not something you should feel bad about. Besides, you and your teammate were a great help to us during the fight.” Yuma says, sending a grateful nod over to Okudera.

The younger swordsman gives the neighbor an uncertain look. “We really weren't that much help. We were both taken out far too quickly.” He says with downcast eyes.

But Yuma just shakes his head. “The only thing you are missing from experience. If you put your mind to it, you are going to be amazing fighters. I can ensure that.” He says with a grin. “You know what, how about we go for some rounds? I was in the mood for a match anyway.”

The neighbor turns to his captain. “Unless you had something different planned.”

“No, take your time. I always have something I can do on the fly.” Osamu says, gesturing to his laptop.

Koarai gives the neighbor a happy grin. “We would love to!”

He has the feeling he is going to learn a lot today.

Chapter Text

As Kikuchikara sits in the cafeteria, he can't help but think that the rumors have become pretty one sided compared to before.

“Why do you think the first combat engineer suddenly left Tachikawa squad?” A girl on the other side of the room asks her friends. “It felt so sudden, especially with how well they go along and how good of a team they made in the rank war.”

The boy beside her nods. “Yeah, its weird. And they didn't have a falling out. I can say that for sure. I still saw them hanging out even recently.”

Another girl besides her lets out a curious hum. “It felt just like what happened to Karasuma-sama. Maybe this will finally help the fanclub figure out why he left.”

‘Ah, she is part of that group.’ The theories that that group created were some of the most weird ones, and they still have not figured out that it was something simple as needing to organize the time spent with his family better.

‘And the recruits don’t have much of a chance figuring out that Mikumo was hiding a neighbor.’ Still, some of the things they come up with will make sense by pure coincidence, and in the current environment they will continue searching until they find something.

Because even if it grew from not understanding the information, two is starting to look like a pattern, and that has only been increasing the rumors.

“I heard the higher ups made him leave. My training buddy saw him go up to the directors’ discussion room on the day he left the squad. Maybe that theory that they have a secret requirement for the A rank squads is true after all.” Another suggests.

Kukuchikara just lets out an annoyed sigh, though when he hears a familiar pair of steps, he sends them a judgemental frown. “You know Oji, these rumors wouldn't have been this one-sided without your interference. What are you planning this time?”

Usually at least some of the rumors would have turned against Osamu, but this time around some well placed outside interference has it entirely on the engineer’s side.

The wannabe prince gives him a fake smile. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Why would I be planning anything? Though from how things are developing, I wouldn't have to do anything in the first place. Despite his kind nature, Osamu is really good at taking care of himself, after all.”

Kikuhihara lets out a sigh. “Then don’t cause any trouble. It's a bother.” He says before walking out of the loud room into the direction of his squad room.

Kurauchi leans closer to his caption as they watch him go. “He is right, though. We didn't even need to put pressure on the higher ups so they don't try anything stupid against Osamu.”

Yuiga lets out a huff of air. “And if it comes down to it and the executives are exceptionally stupid, I can pull some strings for Osamu and Yuma.”

Oji gives the rich boy a raised eyebrow and a teasing smile. “Oh? I didn't know you cared so much for them.”

“W-Well, they aren't bad, I guess. Besides, I have the resources for it anyway, and I’m just doing it because I have nothing better to do. Yeah, because of that.”

The group lets out an amused laugh, but don’t comment on their newest team member’s blush.

“But we can't deny that it's better to have a safety blanket, right? And if it turns out that we didn't need to prepare the other stuff either, it would be for the best.” Oji lets out a small laugh. “Though Mizukami is absolutely going to complain that he worked for nothing.”

Kurauchi hides his mouth with his hand as he lets out a small chuckle. “Not that that is different from the norm for him.”

The team walks deeper inside the room to get some food of their own, quickly finding an empty table to sit down on.

Kashio lets out a curious hum, turning to his captain. “I wonder what strategy Osamu will come up to use against us.” 

“Whatever it is, I’m sure he will manage to find some cracks in our strategy that we never even noticed up till now. Whatever it ends up being, it will only help us to learn from it to become stronger.”

______________

The air in the HQ is filled with an excited pressure, the hallways filled with even more teams than usual with the first match of the current B rank war only minutes away.

The members of Miwa squad don't share the tension, since the next A rank war is still a while away, but during this time where the B rank squads are more busy they will still spend more time in the base and on patrols to cover for them.

But that doesn't mean they won't watch the matches either. It's always good to see other teams strategies and have a better understanding of the people you might fight side by side during the next invasion.

“Oh!” Yoneya says, looking at the screen on the side. “Looks like Yuma has his first match.” 

Instantly Shuji’s head snaps towards it, a frown already forming on his face. “You shouldn’t be happy to see a neighbor. They are dangerous. Did you forget what they did?”

But Yoneya just gives him a shrug. “You know I don't care for stuff like that. Besides, I know that Yuma is a good guy, unlike the guys who always attack us.”

“But he lied about his identity! He is probably lying about other things too.” Shuji tries to justify, but it doesn't seem to affect Yoneya. He is used to this.

“He was just doing it to keep himself safe. If I was seeking asylum in the neighborhood I would disguise myself as a local myself. Besides, I have the feeling Yuma would have told me eventually, even if Osamu would have advised him not to.”

Miwa lets out another angry growl, and without another word he turns around and walks away at a quick pace.

Yoneya sends a caring and worried look after his captain, but doesn’t stop him as he hurries away from the screen and back to the squad room in a barely disguised escape.

Narasaka leans closer to the spar user with an uncertain expression. “Do you think that was the right choice?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Yoneya says with a sigh. “But he hasn't been getting better with the things we tried before, and this may be the best chance to, well, not ease him into it, but make him reconsider things as gently as possible.”

The attacker turns towards Kodera with an apologetic look. “Can you make sure he doesn't do anything stupid? I will get you a video of the match somehow. I promise to make sure to make notes on any of Osamu’s trion soldiers.”

“I will. It's not a problem. Just make sure you pay attention to their fighting style for the upcoming matches for when we will have to fight them.”

Yoneya gives him a grin. “Oh? Looks like you have a lot of trust in them. Thinking all the B rank squads will lose to them?” He teases, even if he agrees with it. He often trains with Yuma after all, and he has experienced Osamu’s style of combat first hand.

Kodera blushes a bit in embarrassment. “After having seen what all their members can do, I couldn't really help it, I guess. Though beating Kageura and Ninomiya will be quite a challenge for them.” He says, walking after Miwa.

Yoneya waves after him as he and Narasaka enter the room, taking a seat behind the row of commentators.

“Yo, Satori! Hello Sakurako and Kurauchi.” He says with a grin.

The sniper gives him a smile. “You are here to watch too? You are lucky you came a bit early, or you would only have the bad seats left.”

“I can see that. So, you are assigned to do the first match of the season again?”

“Yeah, my team is doing all four of the first matches again. You know how it goes. But it's interesting anyway, so it's not a problem. And I would probably have watched the recording of this match anyway, since I still need to get more training in how to counter a combat engineer best.”

Beside him Kurauchi gives them a nod of agreement. “If that is your goal, looking at Osamu would definitely be the best choice.”

Narasaka gives him a curious look. “I heard that you have official permission for the position too. As someone more in the field, how would you judge Osamu’s capabilities?”

The Shooter considers his answer for a moment, looking at the screen. “From the people who are currently in that position, there is no doubt Osamu is the most capable one, even if his low trion does not increase the amount of trion soldiers usable in the match.”

After a small monet he continues. “He has the most experience with the topic from all of us, and his trion soldiers are very optimized in comparison to what I can produce, but personally, I think his biggest strength is his mind.”

Satori tilts his head in question. “His mind?”

“Yes. He has a way of thinking outside the box and approaching things from different angles than one would expect. It shows both in his strategies and in the way that he designs his trion soldiers. And it's what makes them most dangerous of all.”

A small smile appears on the shooter’s face. “As someone who has been in close contact with his design process, and am something of a student of his at this point, I can guarantee that what he used in the matches till now is only scratching the surface.”

Satori lets out an uncertain laugh. “Now you are making me nervous. At least this time we have some trion soldiers to back us up against him.”

Though Kurauchi lets out an amused hum. “Well, do not forget who is the one who designed the exact trion soldiers you use. No one knows best how to deal with his own creations but him, after all.”

Yoneya lets out a loud laugh as Satori’s publicity smile slips a bit. “That's going to be exciting! Though Narasaka still has nightmares from being swarmed by the snakes.”

“I do not.” He says, perfectly keeping up his poker face, not showing any signs if Yoneya’s statement is actually true.

In front of them the large screen begins to shift, as the first battle, making Sakurako start with the introduction.

“And with that I officially welcome everyone to the first match of this B rank war season! So let's do some introductions, even if our agents here have already started giving us some rundown of one of the teams.”

Yoneya gives her a surprised look. “Wait, when did you turn on the mics?” But he only gets a mischievous smirk in return.

Kurauchi clears his throat, not having noticed either, but he does still start with his work as the commentator, pulling up Chika’s picture on the screen. “Since we have already started with Tamakoma 2, let's continue with their other members. Many might remember Chika by the way she managed to shoot a bullet all the way through Border’s wall with an Ibis. In terms of trion she is currently the top ranked member of Border, and added that with her sniping capabilities, you can never be safe no matter how far away you are from her.”

He pulls up Yuma’s picture. “As for Yuma, he is a close combat specialist who regularly trains with A rank members and top ranked attackers, like Yoneya over here.”

Yoneya grins widely. “Yeah! Fighting him is a blast!” 

Kurauchi agrees with a nod. “All in all, they might be a new team on paper, but their combat capabilities are far above the level of a newcomer squad.” He finishes.

Satori lets out a small laugh. “That's a lot of praise from you, but I can't exactly disagree. As for the others, Yoshizato squad is a mid to close range team who is focused on keeping up the pressure on their opponents with team combat strategies. And Mamiya squad, they are a team consisting fully of shooters, and they usually switch between chipping strategies and heavy fire.”

Sakurako gives them a thankful nod. “Yoshizato and Mamiya squad will not have an easy battle ahead of them. The stage chosen is Cityscape A, a standard area since it closely resembles the area where solo rank wars take place.”

The audience watches as the combatants are teleported in, alongside with a handful of trion soldiers.

“This is the first rank war where the squads will be utilizing the general use trion soldiers. Yoshizato squad seems to have chosen a balance between scouting hawks and a large number of small and cheap combat dogs. Mamiya squad seems to have instead chosen a small amount of magpies, but also chose some of the larger combat and mobility types styled after a tiger.”

She takes a look at the trion soldiers in the colors of Tamakoma 2’s blue trion soldiers, colored in the same shade as their squad uniform just like those of the other teams are.

“Tamakoma 2 has a lineup of entirely self designed trion soldiers, like expected, though from the visual design I would guess them to be more combat focused, with some scouting talents thrown in.” She says, looking at the large number of fox-like trion soldiers, only much bigger, including some even larger units the size of tigers, all with small spikes that resemble wild fur.

A small smile appears on Kurauchi’s face. “Oh, so that's what they are going with.” He says, turning a polite smile to Sakurako when she looks at him in question. “I’m sorry, but unless the other teams figure it out and announce it out loud, I don't think it would be fair for me to say.”

Yoneya lets out a grumble. “Please just tell us, especially since you made such a comment. It only made me more curious.”

The teams on screen instantly move into action, the birds of the other teams flying high into the air from where their starting positions were, following their standard battle protocol, while Osamu’s trion soldiers quickly mostly hurry towards his direction.

“Looks like the other team didn't turn on their Bagworms, thinking that Tamakoma would be using the tracking birds anyway, but that seems they instead chose speedy combat focused units.”

The members of Tamakoma spawned relatively far away, but they make no sign of meeting up, Yuma instead immediately rushing toward the location where the members of Yoshizato squad are gathering, together with their trion dogs.

As for the Trion soldiers of Tamakoma, those that are close to Osamu hurry towards him, circling around him as a living wall as he focuses on directing his trion soldiers instead of attacking.

Though it doesn't look like the other teams will reach Osamu anyway, Yuma is already running down the street towards Yoshizato with a stone cold expression.

Two of the foxes rush forward with him, taking out two of the dog trion soldiers in his way, while another fox dashes out of a side ally to break apart the enemy formation.

Yoshizato quickly releases a volley of bullets at it ripping holes into its body, but by the time they finish, Yuma is already right beside them.

Before they even have time to react their heads go flying up into the air, Yuma rushing past them with the speed of a Grasshopper while his Mantis slashes around him at an incredible speed.

The audience is stunned into silence as Yuma doesn't even slow down, using another Grasshopper to rush through the side alleys as the three members of Yoshizato bail out, their trion soldiers ceasing to function as soon as they do.

Sakurako gawks at the screen in shock. “So fast! All members of Sakurako squad bailed out instantly! And agent Kuga is not slowing down in the slightest, already rushing directly towards Mamiya squad!”

The audience watches as Mamiya squad huddles up beside one of the buildings together with their trion soldier target, watching the visual information sent to them of Yuma, preparing to strike as soon as he gets in range.

Satori looks at the screen as he watches them huddle up together with a small frown on his face. “Usually that's not such a bad idea, but…” 

He doesn't even get to finish his sentence as a giant ball of trion flies over the horizon, impacting directly into the building, before exploding into a giant blast.

The members of Mamiya squad are thrown up high into the air, the walls blocking a lot of the damage, but not all of them, some deep cracks running through their body.

But their biggest problem probably is that they were blasted directly towards Yuma.

Thrown up in the air like this neither they nor their trion soldiers can do anything when Yuma catapults himself high into the air with a powerful Grasshopper, and even scattered in the air like this, Yuma’s mantis has more than enough reach to slice through all their trion relay systems easily.

Sakurako gapes at the screen for a moment, Satori sending her a knowing look.

“T-That's the end of the match! Chika’s cannon easily destroyed all the defensive terrain for her teammate to strike. I have heard about her canon, but this is the first time seeing it like this.” 

On the screen the points are tallied up, or in this case all the eight points gained in the match given to Tamakoma 2.

Satori turns to Kurauchi. “Very strong indeed. The last time I saw such a one-sided match was when you and Oji split off from Yuba squad. But I think going up eight positions in the ranking is a new record.”

Sakurako nods in agreement. “With that their next match will be against Arafune and Suwa squad! It looks like there might be quite a shakeup in the ranking this time around, and then there of course also is the addition of trion soldiers.”

Kurauchi nods in agreement. “Using them is quite easy. Anyone can do that. Mastering them is another topic entirely. The question is if the teams will manage that.”

Chapter Text

When the members of Tamakoma 2 return home to the branch base after their rank war match they still have large smiles on their faces, buzzing with energy since the end of the match.

Honestly, it wasn't that hard, but the excitement still caught up to them, and even Yuma was dragged along with his teammate’s energy despite a battle like this being nothing new to him.

As soon as they open the door they spot Yotaro inside, sitting on Raijinmaru like always as he gives the team a satisfied nod.

“You made a good first showing, even if your opponents didn't let you show your true potential. You make Tamakoma proud.”

Yuma lets out a small laugh. “Where did you even learn to talk like that?” He asks, reaching out to tickle the boy, and even if Yotaro tries his best to wiggle out of Yuma’s hands and try to hold back the laughs, but it's a futile battle.

While the boy is getting messed with by Yuma, Reiji is walking into a hallway. “Congratulations on your victory. Things went as planned, right?”

“Yes, judging from the reaction of the audience, according to Kurauchi, no one there at least seems to have noticed. A big part probably is that people still aren't that used to trion soldiers.”

“Still, good work. We already have some food ready as celebration and Jin just came back from what he was doing too, so we can start right away 

“Jin was out too?” Chika asks as they step into the common room, the S rank in question sending them a grin.

“Yeah, I had some things to do in the HQ. I actually decided that since Fujin is so good at accepting other users, why not teach other people in Border that are applicable how to use it too?”

Osamu gives him a worried look, silent for a moment until he starts speaking. “That's a good idea, but Jin, if you are in any trouble, you can talk to us. We can help you too. You don't have to do everything alone.”

Jin looks at him in surprise for a moment, before letting out a loud laugh. “Don't worry. It's nothing like that. I’m not in danger. Actually, this is just some knowledge from a timeline that never took place, but it was still a good idea to do the same training here, so I decided to teach the other agents how to use Fujin just like I did there.”

Osamu sends a look over to Yuma for confirmation, and when he gets a confirming nod he lets out a relieved sigh. “If you say so, then it's okay. And it is a good idea. Even if the first person using Fujin runs out of trion, for a second one to just take over would surely be terrifying for the opponent. Still, my offer for support still stands.”

Jin gives him a grin. “Right now I have everything under control, but if I need your help, I will tell you. But now, congratulations on your victory! Let's celebrate!” He says as  he pulls the engineer towards the table.

Osamu lets himself be seated down, Yotaro having used the situation to run ahead and start eating already, picking out the best parts of each dish. But with the amount of food the members of Tamakoma prepared, he barely makes a dent.

After the exhausting day the group digs into the food, or at least half the team is exhausted, as both Usami and Yuma have gone through much more demanding situations than this.

Technically Osamu and Chika have too, if one were to look at the invasion, but that was a one time thing.

Konami gives the team a grin. “So, you did quite well, but don't think the next match will be as nearly as easy. There is a large power difference between lower B rank and middle B rank.”

Osamu nods in agreement. “Yes, we are aware. Such a simple strategy like we used today will get us nowhere. And unlike most teams who could have counted on being seen as the underdogs, each of us has gotten enough infamy to make that impossible. So we had to come up with a different strategy.”

Reiji gives the engineer a look. “Oh? It sounds like you already have a plan ready.”

“Yes. So here is our current strategy.”

_____________

Osamu is sitting in one of HQ’s labs together with Raizo and Kurauchi, deep in thought.

Since Osamu doesn't have his own area here anymore, they are using Raizo’s room, the three crowded together in front of the screen, inspecting the data in front of them.

Raizo lets out a small sigh. “It looks stable, but for some reason the trion flow keeps glitching out. Maybe the material is simply too thin to support it properly?”

“No, that shouldn’t be the problem. The sensor ears of trion soldiers like the Rabits are similarly thin and still work. Actually, we could take a look at how they are constructed. We made scans of the remains from the last invasion, right?”

Kurauchi gives him a nod. “Yes, we have. I have actually been planning to take a look at them in the future. Here it is.” He says, sending it to the large screen.

The three move closer to the picture so they can analyze the data, each of them taking some notes on their own first that they can then compare with each other.

Even if the next match in the rank war is coming up, Osamu found some time to focus on other things, even if a large part of that is because of the insistence of his friends.

Still, it's not like he isn't preparing for the rank war at all, since everything they create here will be another option for him and Kurauchi to use in the future.

‘And for Raizo too if he ever decides he wants to join a team again, though I doubt he will, considering the new rules would demand him to fight.’ On the other hand, Raizo isn't opposed to the concept of fighting in general.

A sound from the door makes the group look up from the door, and when it opens it reveals Kinuta, looking tired like he always does.

“Raizo, there is a problem with Ene-” He starts, when he sees the other two engineers in the room. “Oh! Osamu it's good to see you again.” He says, though he is obviously still a bit nervous.

Osamu has only met him once since Kido decided to banish Osamu from HQ.

Kinuta doesn't apologize for the decision. Osmu knows he couldn't without risking some consequences, but it is very obvious that the man wants to. 

Even now the man’s face is burdened with guilt, and he seems nervous how Osamu will react to his presence.

But even if Osamu is still hurt, he doesn't find it in himself to be angry at Kinuta. A bit disappointed that he didn't try to support him more, but at the same time his more logical side tells the boy that it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

They both know that.

So the young engineer gives the older man a smile. “It's good to see you again too. Are things going well on your end?”

A lot of the tension drains out of the older man’s shoulder, returning the smile. “It's all going as well as it can. No need for you to worry about it.”

Raizou clears his throat to gather the department head’s attention again. “So, about you-know-who, should I take care of it?”

Kinuta lets out a sigh. “Let's not bother talking around it. It's only a question of time before they ask for Kuga’s help with this anyway, as for Kurauchi, keep quiet about this for now, even from your teammates. Same counts for Osamu.” He says, waiting till the boys give him a nod.

“You heard that one of the invaders from Aftokrator got killed by one of his allies, right? Well, we stuck his horns to a Rad and somehow that transferred his personality into the trion soldier.”

At Osamu’s surprised expression Raizo just gives him a shrug. “Honestly, we were just as surprised that it worked. We just connected them to the Rad at first so they wouldn't decay so quickly, and then it suddenly started talking. Nearly scared Taru to death.”

Kinuta lets out a small scoff. “He has been relatively cooperative for now, but that only makes it more suspicious, so I have been trying to convince Kido to get Yuma’s help with his side effect to check how truthful it is, but convincing him is still taking a bit of time.”

Osamu gives him an encouraging nod. “I’m sure Yuma would be happy to help. Just give us a call when you manage to convince the commander.”

“Thank you. Now, let's go before our war prisoner gets even more grumpy. We kind of need him as a source of information.”

The four make their way down towards the lower parts of R&D where usually the more explosive experiments are conducted. Apparently it was first built when they were developing the Meteor.

Raizo is walking ahead and opens the door for the rest, revealing a door with a large glass panel on the other side, separating the room from the Rad that had the horns of the neighbor implanted into it.

‘I wonder if Yuma has heard something like this is possible.’ It's not something he has heard from Replika at the very least. But it makes sense they wouldn't know about it, since Aftokrator’s horns are a well kept secret that plays a big part for their enormous power in the neighborhood.

“Oi, Enedora. What problem are you causing this time?” Raizo calls into the room, his voice sounding slightly bored as he does, making the Rad behind the glass turn towards him.

“I’m not the one causing problems! That monkey was just to stupid to understand what I was talking about!“ The neighbor-turned-Rad shouts angrily, wiggling one of the Rad’s claws.

Osamu sends Taru a small wave, the man returning it with a wide grin as he walks towards the boy. “Good to see you around. You are looking better again.” He says, looking a bit relieved as he leans in to stage whisper into Osamu’s ear, but makes sure it's loud enough for Kinuta to hear. “But tell me if you want me to blow something up in revenge. I put some things aside in case you want to.”

“Please don't.” Osamu and Kinuta say in unison, even if they aren't actually sure Taru is telling the truth. One can never be too safe with him.

 Their reaction makes Taru let out a loud laugh as he hurries out of the room. “The offer is still open! They will never find out it was me. I will leave our guest to you!”

Enedora turns towards the boys standing behind Raizo. “Who are those? I haven't seen them around before.” He says with a hostile voice.

But Raizo doesn't seem bothered by it in the slightest. “They were visiting when you made me come here. They are Osamu and Kurauchi.” Raizo introduces calmly.

“Hm, Osamu? Oh, you are the one that caused Hyrein and Hyuse trouble.” The neighbor says with a vicious laugh. “Serves them right.”

The neighbor looks him up and down. “Can't imagine how he had so much trouble with someone like you, but oh well. I heard them complain through the coms until Mira killed me.” He says, trying to sound nonchalant but the anger beneath is shining through.

“Anyway,” He continues. “I’m bored! Do something about that! At least let me out of this boring room!” He complains loudly, waving the claw of the Rad in a way Osamu assumes it meant to be threatening.

Kinuta lets out a gruff huff of air. “You know very well we can't do that. I’m sure your country wouldn't do so either.” The department head says, making Enedora grumble in annoyance, but he can't really deny the statement.

Raizo nods in agreement. “We can't exactly let you walk around, even if you wouldn't need to be attached by cable to keep the Rad from running out of energy. And you don't want to be on standby either, right?” He says, Enedora letting out an angry hiss.

Osamu doesn't know how it would feel for Enedora to be turned off, but he can't imagine it to be a pleasant feeling, especially for someone who recently died. The boy could imagine the feeling being not that different.

Osamu lets out a curious hum. “I mean, if he is just bored, we could just turn on some movies. Maybe we can find some he likes?”

To be honest, Osamu isn't sure why he wants to help. Maybe it's because  he feels some pity for Enedora’s current situation, but realistically it's just because he just doesn't think anybody should suffer if possible.

Or maybe it's because of some of the information he heard about Afto horns from Replika’s archives combined with what he has seen from the security cameras from when Enedora invaded the HQ.

It wasn't clear from Replika’s information alone, but it seems that the horns can have a negative influence on a person’s mind if they grow too much. What if Enedora is like this because of forces outside his own control? Osamu would still stop such an enemy if necessary, but he couldn't be angry with them.

Besides, Enedora not only died, he was also betrayed by his own people. That is already some pretty heavy punishment for his actions, right?

“Movies?” Enedora asks. “No idea what that is, but at least give me something!” He complains.

Raizo gives Enedora a curious look. “You don't know what movies are? You don't have proper entertainment like that in Aftokrator?” He asks, almost sounding indignant. “Well, then you are in for something interesting.” He says as he eagerly starts searching through the files on his pc.

Osamu and Kurauchi exchange a look. From the looks of it they won't be getting to continue their work on the project today, but Osamu doesn't mind. It's never a bad idea to take breaks to resettle.

But it does look like he won't be coming back to Tamakoma before the sun sets today.

______________

Osamu steps into the executives’ discussion room with a tense expression, even if he realistically knows nothing bad should happen this time around.

He was extremely nervous when he got the message, but Jin’s calmness about the situation did a lot to help Osamu calm down about the whole thing, and considering what Kinuta said yesterday, it might be related to Enedora.

Or at least that's what he expected until Kido asks Osamu the first question.

“How well is the progress coming along with the extraction of information from Replika's archive?”

“It is coming aloud at an acceptable pace.” Osamu says in a calm voice. “The next report should be finished by the end of the week, like it was ordered.”

“Good. But for now and until further notice, I want you to focus all the attention you have on gathering the information you have concerning Aftokrator.” Kido says, not shifting his face in the slightest. “Also include Yuma’s personal opinion if you consider it even a bit relevant.”

Osamu gives the man a nod. “I will. Can you give me the reason so I know what to focus on?” Osamu asks, because he knows Kido will not tell him unless he is given a direct reason to.

Kido is silent for a moment before giving him a nod. “You would find out soon anyway. We are going to focus our next away missions on retrieving the kidnapped people from the last invasion. The press conference will be held soon. You will be required to be present again.”

“Y-yes.” Osamu says, still trying to catch up to that information, already trying to go through the logistics of the situation.

Border has been to the neighborhood multiple times, but they usually avoided any long journeys during their time there, but if they are attempting to chase after Aftokrator, that will be necessary since the nation is currently moving away from Meeden.

And most importantly, it's risky.

‘On the other hand, if it is successful, it would set a precedent that Meeden is not worth to be meddled with anymore. Still, the risks that come with it…’

Osamu notices the look Kido sends him, seeming to red the boy's worry. “The mission is being planned with Jin’s assistance. We will not do something unless it gets his approval.”

“Understood.” Osamu says, but there's still one thing the engineer can't help but ask. “What are the requirements for being chosen for the mission?”

After all, this might be the best choice for Chika to get clues for the whereabouts of both her brother and friend.

Because even if she is likely to be afraid of the idea of going, she will still attempt to do so if it so much as gives a chance of getting them back.

“We are still deciding on that.” Kido tells him. “Now go, I still have other appointments.” He instructs, so Osamu goes into a quick bow before hurrying out of the room, making his way towards Tamakoma as quickly as possible. 

Whatever Kido decides on, a high ranking in the current rank war will absolutely be a prerequisite for joining the rescue mission. So it looks like Osamu will have to go over the plans again so there is no chance of loss, no matter what.

Chapter Text

Kitora sits together with her team as the B rank war viewing room slowly fills up with people, and not only with trainees like usual, but also a number of B rank squads, and even A rank members.

Though she understands why. Everyone is still new to the concept of trion soldiers, and even so trying to gain as much experience on the topic as possible is important, and best for that are currently the matches including Kurauchi and Osamu.

Beside her Jun lets out a small hum. “I wonder what strategy they will use. Do you think we will be seeing a new trion soldier from them?”

“Likely.” Says a voice from behind them, and when they turn around they spot Kuroe walking up to them, with Yoneya and Kodera by her side. “From all I have seen he is likely to change up their designs as often as possible, not letting his opponents adapt and figure out his style.” She says, sending a glance towards her trigger where the Hound modified by Osamu sits.

Yoneya gives them a grin. “Good to see you guys. Are the seats beside you still open?”

“Sure, sit down.” Jun says invitingly. “Came to gather some intel too?”

“Yeah, that and just watching Yuma fight. He always pulls some interesting tricks that are worth to keep in mind or future use.” The attacker says as he sits down beside the captain, looking towards the screen.

Today Azuma, Shun and Sakurako are commenting on the match. With Azuma being here it is always a good choice to follow the match, especially as a C rank, since he is always good at explaining the situation of the fight in a way that helps people learn from them.

Jun lets out a friendly laugh. “All the members of this team are quite something, aren't they? But I wonder how well they will match up against Suwa and Arafune’s teams.”

Meanwhile Arafune’s team is sitting in their squad room, fully prepared and waiting for the map to be announced.

They have prepared their arrangement of trion soldiers, one of Osamu’s designs of a hawk-like trion soldier, very cheap units focused on scouting with only minimal ability of combat skills.

Hanzaki also made them include three larger combat units with stealth skills in the shape of panthers that are they plan to meet up with their team members, so that if they are forced into close combat, they will have a better chance to retreat and reposition themselves.

If that will actually turn out as expected, Arafune doesn't know. They have of course run training and simulations, but that doesn't compare to actual rank wars. ‘And neither Suwa’s and Mikumo’s teams are predictable in the slightest.’

Hanzaki looks at the screen impatiently, even if he tries to keep up his usual passive expression. “I wonder what map Tamakoma 2 will choose.” He says, and as if on command the screen changes, a deep frown appearing on the boy’s face. “The forest? Who chooses the forest?!” He complains loudly.

Arafune doesn't seem happy about it either, but he nods in understanding. “That's likely exactly it. The forest area is rarely used by all of Border’s members, so all the teams are equally inexperienced in the stage. Additionally, it will hinder our sniping greatly.”

Hanzaki agrees with a small nod before turning to Kagami. “Can you add me a meteor to my trigger layout real quick? I think I will need it at this stage.”

“No problem. Just give me a moment.” She says, quickly typing on her keyboard.

Hokari looks at the screen with a curious expression. “Will our hawks be useful in this situation? Can they even look through the canopy?”

Arafune shrugs. “I’m not sure, but I hope so. Unlike our trigger layout, we can't change them on the go. Lets just do our best, even in disadvantaged circumstances like these.” He says, as the countdown on the screen begins.

“Well then, let's remind them that we can absolutely win against them even when we are at a disadvantage.” He says as they are teleported onto the stage, Bagworm already active.

The first thing that he notices is the dark. The second one is the rain coming down from above like a flood.

‘Its both the night and heavy rain setting.’ “Kagami!”

“On it.” She says, and some moment later Arafune’s dark vision is turned on, revealing the rain soaked forest around him, ground covered in mud and deep puddles, no part of the ground dry.

“H-Huh?” He hears from Kagami. “The trion soldiers don't automatically adjust to the dark? Wait, do I have to change every single one of them individually? A-Also I see four people without Bagworms. Wait, now it's down to two, now one.” She says in a hurried voice.

“They are overworking the operators while locking us down. Everyone, be on your guard, they will be trying to take the initiative!” Arafune says, looking at the visual feed that is transferred to him from the hawks, currently just a bunch of black screens, only for the first one to suddenly cut off.

Sadly that doesn't narrow down the opponents location much, since the birds only deliver visual feed and don't have a radar, so whenever it was a trion soldier or someone from the other teams, he doesn't know.

Arafune quickly jumps up into one of the trees, trying to get away from the ground.

“Now, how will I go from here?”

Under these conditions even his previous idea of staying silent and picking off enemies from the distance is going to be hard, since the rain not only hinders vision, but also the sounds he could use to spot enemies. And it also makes it hard for the hawks to stay in the air.

‘And the number of hawks is falling by the second. Still, the enemies should have just as many problems locating us.’ He says, before suddenly halting his thoughts.

“Kagami! Stop the panthers from coming towards us!” They are probably trying to read our trails!” he says, 

“I can't! We have set the combat program to join up with our members, and only combat engineers can change that from a distance.”

Arafune lets out a curse. “In that case we have to move, or-” but it's already too late as he hears a loud crash from Hanzaki’s side.

“Some of Osamu’s found me! I couldn't get the visuals, but it looks fast and can move in the trees!” He says in a panicked voice, trying to locate the shadow he saw before as the damaged panther guards his back.

The damage isn't bad, but the sensor isn't picking up anything, so with a surprise attack possible to come from the sides at any moment it is still incredibly dangerous.

Though, as Arafune notices a moment later, that wasn't the thing he should have worried about most.

He barely has time to react before the sky above him lights up with a blast of trion, and from above Chika’s devastating cannon shoots down towards Hanzaki’s position.

The boy throws up his shield, but against Chika’s Ibis it doesn't have a wisp of a chance of holding out, the boy instantly bailing out as he is swallowed by the pillar of light.

“She is up in the air. She must have used a trion soldier during the time when we were still adjusting our darkvision to fly out of range.” Arafune says, looking up into the sky through his scope.

Through the heavy rain he doesn't see anything, and the blue color of Tamakoma 2 blending into the sky no doubt doesn't make it any better.

“Still, she has to be carried by a large unit for it to be able to carry her in this weather and still not crash from that shot. The next time she attacks I should be able to deliver a shot to her general position if I set the range of my bullet to maximum, and even if I don't hit her directly, I should be able to destroy what's carrying her.”

From the direction that Horaki is in, a light shines through the dark and rain, just a little bit further north, and even though the rain makes it hard to see Arafune recognizes it as a Bailout.

“That was Hisato.” Kagami informs him. “Looks like they are taking out the less experienced members of the teammates first before they have time to adapt.”

Arafune takes another look at his map. The one person who is still on the radar has not moved for a while, only at the very beginning.

“That's probably Osamu then, but for him to not use a Bagworm is suspicious. Is it a trap, or is he just trying to conserve trion? No, it wouldn't make sense, even with how low his trion is. And it's definitely not overconfidence.” Arafune says, trying to take a look through the hawks flying over to that direction. If it's a trap, he at least wants to scout it out, and maybe put some pressure on the engineer.

“Hokari, do you have visual contact with him?”

“No, sorry. Even from up this tree it is fully out of view. But I think I found someone from Suwa’s team. Or rather, Tamakoma found them.” He says, and Kagami quickly sends the visual feed to Arafune of Tsutsumi and a handful of his team's trion soldiers trying to fend off something moving in the shadows.

Suwa squad seems to have gone for more combat oriented trion soldiers, but the heavy stature of the bear-like constructs struggles greatly on the muddy ground, each step making their feet sink deep into the ground.

The trion soldiers Tamakoma has chosen though don’t have that problem, easily swinging around the trees and branches as Hokai tries to get a good picture.

They look similar to lemurs, if it wasn't for the claws on every limb and even a stinger on the tail that looks suspiciously like the beaks of those terrifying exploding magpies.

Hokari is silent for a moment as he and Arafune wait for Chika to shoot Tsutsumi, but the attack doesn't come.

“She isn't attacking?” The captain asks. “They must know we are waiting for her to shoot. But judging from how Tsutsumi is slowly chipped down by the lemurs, even if he has taken some of Osamu’s out already, she doesn't need to either. With a large map like this, these injuries would probably be enough to bleed him out sooner or later.”

“Hey captain? Should I take out Tsutsumi? If Chika doesn't want to attack right now, it would be the best chance to get some kills, and I don't know if I will manage to get another point for us. And even if I make myself bait, you could take Chika out.”

Arafune considers it for a moment. He isn't happy about it, but… “Go for it if you are sure you can get the kill. Then we will at least get some points.”

Hokari doesn't hesitate a moment longer, sending a bullet flying over the treeline, and Tsutsumi is far too busy to react to the attack, the bullet taking him out with a single shot.

Arafune raises his gun into the air as he waits for Chika to shoot, but once again no attack comes. ‘But there is no chance they will just let her sit by for the rest of the fight. Still, they won't just let Hokari off the hook for stealing their target. But if they aren't using their canon, that means-’

“Hokari, watch out!” He says, but it's already too late, and through the visual feat sent by his teammate he just sees as a blur of white rushes by, when suddenly the vision starts to shift, falling down the tree where it just catches a glimpse of Hokari’s decapitated body.

The Bailout draws a streak of light through the air, but even if Arafune hoped for it, it doesn't light the sky up enough to catch a glimpse of Chika’s position.

“Sorry captain, I didn't catch him at all. Be careful.” Hokari says as soon as he gets teleported back to base.

“Don't feel bad, I should have figured it out sooner and told you to reposition immediately, even if you left a trail.” Arafune says, judging his own situation. 

‘Waiting things out will only make things worse. I could retreat with a voluntary bailout, but it doesn't feel right in this situation. I at least have to figure out what Osamu is doing. And maybe Suwa comes to a similar decision, so Tamakoma’s attention is divided and I can get a kill in.’

Arafune is sure that under these situations Suwa will absolutely hurry towards Osamu, if he hasn't done so already.

The sniper jumps between the branches of the trees, glad he has been training some parkour skills with Oji recently, because walking through this mud would not be any faster.

Suddenly he hears something moving behind him, just the slightest rustling of leaves that everyone would have written off, but in this situation Arafune quickly draws his sword, slashing out with the blade as quickly as he can, managing to catch Yuma’s blade just before it hits his neck.

The white haired boy looks at the captain with the emotionless face he wears during fights, his scorpion colored in a blue so dark it's almost black that just melds into the darkness of the night, and the sniper barely catches the blade with his sword as it shoots out towards him again like a snake.

But Yuma doesn't give him a moment to gather himself, jumping from branch to branch with his blade shifting in the darkness, its thickness waving, making it hard to judge the actual distance under these conditions, and it's only by pure experience that Arafune blocks the quick jabs.

Arafune bats Yuma’s weapon to the side, trying to damage the fragile Scorpion lashing out at his one again, so he prepares his sword to defend himself, but at the last moment the blade suddenly shoots to the side, instead cutting off the branch Arafune was standing on.

He barely has time to react as he starts falling towards the muddy ground below, stabbing his sword into the trunk of the tree to slow his fall and kicking off it to jump to another, hand and feet nearly slipping on the wet surface.

‘He is trying to ground me. Once I’m down there I don't stand a chance anymore.’ Arafune thinks as he blocks another of Yuma’s attacks as the boy just swings around the branches of the trees at an incredible speed.

‘How does Yuma move so well with this terrain?’ Arafune questions until he spots the spikes striking out from the attack’s hands and feet, likely created with his Scorpions.

‘Being on the defensive will bring me nowhere under these conditions. He will just wear me down.’ He says, so even if it will cost him some injuries, he jumps towards the other boy.

What he doesn't expect is when suddenly a lemur comes jumping out of the foliage above him, but Arafune manages to quickly slice it out of the air with his Kogetsu, making sure to slice the tail in place in case it can really shoot out like the magpie.

But when he sees the core in its mouth light up, he knows he made a mistake.

It held nowhere near enough force to cause damage in an explosion, but it doesn't seem that's its intended, as the energy instead transformed into a bright blast of light, almost like a stun grenade.

Arafune throws up a shield where he knows Yuma was coming from a moment ago, trying to protect the most important parts of his body, but it doesn't seem that was the target in the first place, his legs getting cut off with a single strike.

He crashes down to the muddy ground, but Trion bodies recover from bright flashes far faster than human ones, so Arafune prepares himself for whatever attack Yuma is going to do next, only to find the white haired boy completely gone.

The sniper quickly looks around for the boy, but doesn’t see him anywhere. So knowing that he would be helpless anyway and just to confirm his suspicion, he tries to use his voluntary Bailout, only for it to fail because of the proximity of an enemy.

‘He is being careful. He doesn't want to risk being taken out by a lucky strike from me.’ Arafune says, when he hears something hit the water behind him.

Without hesitation he puts all his remaining trion into the next Senku, but when he turns around he merely sees the disappearing traces of a grasshopper, its light modified to be so dim that it almost melds into the darkness, and in the next moment Arafune feels a blade step into his chest, shredding his trion relay system with a single well placed strike.

He barely has enough energy left to follow the Scorpion's path to where it has appeared out of the puddles beside him, having dug through the ground to reach him, before Arafune’s body shatters, flying up into the a he bails out.

Immediately when he does he sees another Bailout fly up into the sky after him, but when Arafune lands in his Bailout bed moments later he sees that it was a voluntary Bailout from Suwa.

‘Honestly, I would have done the same.’ He says, as he stands up from the bed with a sigh, walking up his team.

Hanzaki looks a bit depressed, but Arafune reaches out to ruffle the boy’s hair, who immediately bats the hand away and gives him a pout, but that is not enough to hide the blush from his teammates.

“They really had us cornered from the start of the fight.” Arafune says, looking at the screen as it declares Tamakoma 2 the winners. Even if he knew this strategy of his opponents, right now he doesn't know if that would have helped in any way.

“Gathering up makes you an easy target to be nuked by Chika, and when you are singled out, Osamu corners you and Yuma takes you down. In that map it's truly a terrifying situation.”

Hanzaki lets out a sigh. “We should have used to trion soldiers with actual trackers in them, not just visual scouting, even if they are pretty expensive. The birds were completely useless.”

“You are right, that would have been a much better choice.” Hoaki agrees. “But even then, Yuma is terrifying. I don't think I could have won even if I knew exactly where he was.”

Arafune lets out a small laugh. “I guess we have to up our training a bit then. Let's start with what we could have done better and what Suwa squad did. Come on team, we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

Chapter Text

Azuma can't help but let out a small laugh as the rank war match comes to an end, the results being displayed on the large screen in front of them. It's been a while since he saw a match so far out of the norm like this.

Sakurako clears her throat to gather herself before she starts speaking. “That's the end of the match! Tamakoma 2 wins with 6 points, if you add the survival points! Now, I ask our two commentators for their opinion on the match.”

Shun gives her a grin. “Really, I don't think we need to say much about it. Tamakoma 2 managed to lead their opponents around for the entire match. Suwa made a good choice to bail out when he was the only one left, to at least deny Tamakoma 2 that last point.”

Azuma nods in agreement. “At that point, Suwa’s retreat was definitely the right choice. Tamakoma has gained too much momentum at this point for him to catch up. And with Arafune gone, Chika would have been freed up again.”

The sniper takes another look at the screen, calling up a picture of the stage.

“Tamakoma 2 is still relatively fresh, so if they were to choose one of the commonly used maps, they would not only be behind in terms of rank war experience, but also map experience. The forest not only nullified the other teams’ greater experience, but also both hindered Arafune squad and helped out Yuma.”

Shun nods in agreement. “And the unusual weather only made it worse. I can't remember the last time I have seen a Rank war match take place with so little visibility. Usually, we at least have the lights of the houses when we fight in night settings.”

Azuma gives him a nod. “Yes, that also put a lot of pressure on the operator at the start of the fight since they aren't used to operating trion soldiers, and Tamakoma used that to get their members in position.” He lets out a fond laugh. “Though I guess we should ask Mikumo how you actually set trion soldiers up so you can turn on their night vision all at once.”

Sakurako nods with a small laugh. “That would probably be a good idea. Anyway, with the new points, here is the new ranking. With the six points Tamakoma earned, they managed to rise up by three ranks. That means that their next match will be against Suzunari 1and Nasu squad, with Nasu squad choosing the stage.”

With that and a short goodbye from the commentators, the audience begins to leave the room. Osamu and his team, who were watching Azuma’s judgement from their room, started doing the same.

Usami gives the younger members of her team a proud smile. “You did amazing out there. I don't think that could have gone any better.”

Osamu nods happily. “The map really gave us all the advantages we needed. But with Nasu squad choosing the next map, things will be a lot more difficult, since we can't make precise plans or perfectly adjust our trion soldiers to the environment.”

Usami lets out a chuckle. “Oh, don't think about that now. You deserve some rest after that. And I’m sure you can already imagine that there will be another celebration today. Konami even made her signature curry today.”

Yuma lets out a happy cheer. “Her curry is amazing! After today, I really am hungry. Let's go!” 

The group quickly leaves the main base, and when they step outside, they see Reiji waiting for them, waving the group over to his car with a proud smile, and the group quickly climbs inside the man’s jeep.

The ride home doesn't take long, and they are still buzzing with happy energy when they arrive back at the Tamakoma branch, especially with the younger members still talking about the match.

Yuma still has a grin on his face. “We really should do that more often. You should have seen their faces when I jumped out of the shadows.”

Chika lets out a small laugh, but she also looks like she is a bit guilty about it. “I have a feeling they will not get this out of their heads for a while. I don't think anyone will challenge us on the forest map for a while.”

Yuma snickers a bit. “I didn't go that hard. I didn't even do anything to give them nightmares yet, right?” He says happily.

When they enter the building, the air is already filled with the delicious smell of Konami’s signature dish, so the group quickly hurries towards its source, but as soon as they enter the room, they spot something, or rather someone, new.

Well, not exactly new. Osamu knew that one of the neighbors from Aftocrator that invaded was captured by Tamakoma, and even if Osamu wouldn't have recognized Hyuse’s face from when the neighbor attacked Chika and him, the horns would be a dead giveaway.

Hyuse averts his eyes as Osamu approaches, though there is no change on his poker face.

Honestly, Osamu isn't sure how he feels about the situation.

On one hand, Hyuse was their enemy, but he was probably just following orders. On the other hand, he doesn't seem to feel the slightest bit guilty about it.

The engineer sends a look towards Jin, and even if the S rank doesn't show much of a reaction, Osamu knows him well enough to know he is planning something. ‘But when isn't he?’ Even if Osamu would really like to know what Jin intends to do with Hyuse.

Despite Hyuse’s presence, the atmosphere in the room wasn’t tense, and Rindo gave the group a grin. “Hyuse here actually watched your match too. I think he really liked what you were doing with the trion soldiers.”

The blonde lets out a huff of air. “I didn't say it was impressive. I just said that considering Meeden’s standard, it's an acceptable use of resources.” Hyuse says, before wrongly picking up his chopsticks and piercing them into a piece of meat.

Osamu sends him an uncertain look, but if Jin has decided to give him a chance, Osamu will too.

The engineer sits down beside the horned boy and gives him a smile. “Well, for someone coming from an advanced civilization like Aftokrator, it probably isn't a lot. Any tips you are willing to give?”

Hyuse lets out a huff of air. “Even if I were willing to give them to you, it's not that needed considering how much you have already advanced under Meeden’s pitiful progress in trion engineering. There is a reason Hyrein attempted to capture you.”

Beside him, Konami gives the blonde a wide-eyed look. “Wait, was that a compliment? Did our grumpy squatter actually say something nice?” 

“That was not a compliment. And I would not be staying here if I had a choice!” Hyuse complains angrily, taking a bite of the meat, and just for a moment, a happy expression appears on his face at the taste of the food, but he quickly schools it over with another scowl.

But it seems Konami doesn't feel like letting up yet. “Not a freeloader, huh? Do you want us to throw you out on the street or something? Remember, we are giving you somewhere to stay after your nation threw you away.”

Hyuse barely reacts to the jab, but sitting this close to him, Osamu sees how the blond’s eyes fill with pain, clenching his teeth.

And even if Osamu doesn't exactly like the neighbor, that doesn't mean he wants to see him like this, so the engineer sends Konami a chiding look.

“Konami.” He simply says, voice filled with disappointment, and it seems she understands the meaning, averting her eyes with an uncertain expression.

Beside Hyuse, Yotaro climbs onto the chair, piling some more food on the neighbor’s plate. “You will like these. Better try them out before Yuma eats them all again.” He says.

Hyuse gives the boy a nod, but he doesn't end up saying anything for the rest of the meal, ignoring anybody who tries to talk to him, with the exception of Yotaro.

The neighbor is the first to leave the table, and while the atmosphere is a bit tense, Osamu and his team won't let it ruin their evening, and the rest of Tamakoma seems to think the same, the room quickly filling up with happy sounds again.

Still, even as the evening goes on, Osamu can't quite forget the hurt in Hyuse’s eyes.

________

With the next match in the rank wars being only two days away, Osamu has his hands full with planning, even if his mind can't help but jump back to Hyuse now and then.

Still, he has work to do and a team that relies on him, so he will do his best not to get distracted.

He already continued his work with adjusting Chika’s trigger, reinforcing the circuits, and making sure they are able to properly transfer larger amounts of trion.

Border’s triggers aren't really optimized for high trion amounts like Chika’s, so her trion isn't able to reach its full potential, increasing both the attacking power of her bullets as well as the hardness of her shields.

Osmu would love to make some more custom trigger designs for her, but not only does she not have any ideas for what she would want to add to her arsenal, but her high Trion also makes the designing process more difficult.

Even without it, her firepower is enormous, but it also helps her accuracy even at a larger distance, making her Ibis even better than it was before. Without the changes, shooting out of the sky during a storm like she did during the last match would be a lot harder.

He already has a general idea for the skills and specialties of the opposing teams, as well as their usual battle strategies, but Osamu has decided to deepen his understanding of them a bit more before he can start strategizing.

The biggest dangers are, of course, Nasu and Ko, top fighters in their respective skills.

The Trion soldier loadout from their last matches was more on the simple side, just like it is for most teams at the moment.

Nasu squad has been using some mobility-focused combat units, with Suzunari 1 taking a relatively similar response, but focusing on scouting instead of mobility.

The first of those models was fully designed by Osamu, while the second was designed together with Raizo, since Osamu isn't the best when it comes to radars, yet.

The boy hears a click from the door and when he turns around, he sees Yuma enter the lab, still in his trion body.

Osamu gives him a happy smile. “How is training going? Any idea how you want to face Ko yet?”

“I have some ideas, but none of them are reliable enough yet that I’m satisfied. I’m thinking about going to HQ a bit to clear out my mind with a bit of solo Rank war matches. Wanna come along?”

Osamu gives him a wry smile. “You are not going to leave me a choice with this, even if I say no, right?”

“Nope, I’m not.” Yuma says with a grin. “You are starting to overwork yourself again, and it will be better if you get a bit of change. So, are you coming or do I have to carry you?”

“Don't worry, you won't have to.” Osamu ensures him, because his friend is absolutely both strong enough and willing to. He quickly sends a text to Chika, who is currently training with Reiji, so she knows where her teammates are, before he and Yuma leave the building.

The two quickly leave the bridge to Tamakoma’s base and change into their trion bodies, Yuma creating a large Grasshopper under their feet and launching them in the direction of the HQ.

It's still a fainter color and glow than normal, the adjustments Osamu made for the last match sticking since they barely made any difference in its trion consumption, and like this, it's more convenient for setting up traps using them.

But they changed back the Scorpion, since in that case there was a very notable difference in the trion consumption for creating the blade.

The two fly through the air, and even if Yuma manages to soften their fall by using his Mantis to swing off the building, Osamu is really glad for the fact that Trion bodies are basically undamaged by terminal velocity.

Like this, it doesn't take them long to arrive at the base, even if that way of traveling always makes Osamu consider that there has to be a better way to do this. But for now, he hasn't come around to designing anything.

The base is fuller than it usually is with all the B rank squads preparing for their matches and the C ranks trying to learn from them, but Osamu doesn't mind the busy atmosphere. Quite the opposite, actually, even if he is sure that wouldn't be the case for him if it were more than a year ago.

Though as the boys cross into the Solo rank wars room, they come across a couple of familiar faces, Yuma giving them a wide grin.

“Ko, Yoneya!” He calls over happily. “And Arafune and Shun are here too! Is something going on?”

The sniper gives them a small grin. “No, we just happened to think training was a good idea. Though I can't help but think that after yesterday’s performance, it really isn't that necessary for you.” He says jokingly.

Yuma gives him a smile. “Thanks! But in a fair fight, it would have been harder for me to win.”

“But you would have still won, huh? Cheeky brat. But I can't exactly deny it. You are good. I should have kept up with my sword training better, even while focusing on sniping.” Arafune admits. “So I guess you are here to prepare for your next match?” 

Yuma gives him a nod, making the sniper let out a huff of air. “Well, then you are doing the same as Ko here.” He says, pointing to his student.

The swordsman in question gives Yuma a nod. “This will be the first time we are fighting under more serious conditions. Even if it is only a rank war fight, the idea sits quite differently than our usual matches.”

“I think the same.” Yuma says. “So no spying on each other till the match like we agreed on, right?”

“Yes. Like we said we would. Let us see who comes out on top.” He says, and with a small grin the two hurry to take adjacent booths, even if they don't plan on fighting each other, with Shun following after them a moment later.

Yoneya lets out a whistle. “It's rare to see them this enthusiastic. Don't get me wrong, they are always eager to fight, but usually they are pretty relaxed about it. Once Kage comes back from his patrol, he will no doubt want to fight them. Yuma is a completely different beast once he gets serious.”

Osamu sends a fond look towards his teammate’s booth. “He really is. Which means I can't let him down with my strategies.” 

The engineer sends a hopeful look towards Arafune. “How high are the chances you would tell me some tricks on how to counter Ko?”

But just like expected, the sniper just gives him a laugh in response. “Sorry, not gonna spill on my student like that, even if you ask so kindly.”

“What if I throw in a promise for a trigger improvement? Or maybe some custom trion soldiers?” Osamu offers, and while Arafune visibly considers it for a moment, he doesn't let himself be swayed by the offer, shaking his head.

“No matter how tempting, I can't do that. Besides, a big part of climbing up the ranks is learning how to strategize by yourself, and you will not always have reliable sources of information.”

Osamu agrees to that with a small nod. “But I still don't like the idea of going in blind against people as skilled as Ko and Nasu.” He says, Yoneya nodding in agreement.

“Those two really are strong. On individual power alone, they absolutely wouldn't be out of place in A rank.”

Osamu lets his eyes travel over the various screens displaying all kinds of different fights, everything from trainees to higher-ranked fighters.

‘I am pretty sure that Ko will be able to counter all the styles displayed here. With all the time he spends in the solo rank war area, he has probably already faced every standard fighting style found in Border.’

With no immediate answer coming to mind, Mikumo shifted his focus to Nasu for now.

The biggest weakness for Nasu that Osamu has found for now is her general mobility. Since the condition of her physical body isn't very healthy, some of the bad habits from that still stick even if she is in her Trion body.

Osamu would feel bad about targeting something like that, so he will search for another weak point, but if he doesn't find anything else, he will use it.

‘Still, I should focus on Ko first.’

The easiest way to win against Ko is either heavy fire or fighting dirty.

The former could be done with Chika’s help, but with Nasu around, even firing a single shot is risky. The Shooter has a history of trapping snipers in her bird cage after all.

‘And even if Chika were to shoot Ko, he has already fought high firepower opponents like Izumi and Ninomiya, so it's not reliable.’

Osamu looks up from his notepad to see Arafune and Yoneya looking at him with amused expressions, and immediately, Osamu feels his face heat up with embarrassment. 

“I-I’m sorry. I got lost in thought.” He says, but Yoneya just lets out a good-natured laugh.

“Don't worry, Kodera gets like that sometimes, too. Especially against Ko, it's more than reasonable. I only have an acceptable win rate against him since my weapon doesn't show what I’m actually doing until it's already happening, so Ko isn't as good at reading me.”

“It is one of the most reliable ways of slipping through his guard, after all.” Osamu agrees when an idea starts to form in his mind.

He sends a look up to one of the matches on the screen, or more specifically, where Ninomiya is sending a wave of his trion shard-like meteor projectiles at an opponent, ripping them into pieces.

A wide smile appears on Osamu’s face as his mind begins to race, and he quickly starts writing things down in his notebook.

‘This might actually work.’

Chapter Text

Osamu and his team are waiting in their assigned rank war room, tension high as they hear a small chime sound from the screen on the side of the room, the stage chosen by Nasu squad appearing on it.

“They chose the bridge area, huh?” Yuma says. “That's what you thought to be likely, right?”

Osamu nods to his friend. “After our last match, it's unlikely that they would take any dense maps, after all. That narrowed it down by a lot. Still, if they choose this map, they will likely try to separate us, so we should try to gather up as quickly as possible.”

Osamu looks at his lineup of trion soldiers. “We have to be careful, though, since the other teams will likely do the same. Though we could also use our different methods.” He says, making Yuma give him a grin.

“I will make our scouts try to locate the opponents so we can figure out their movements, so be ready for quick changes in strategy.”

The engineer takes a look at the countdown on the screen. “Well then, let's do our best.” He says, their bodies cloaked in light as they are transported into the map.

But the moment they enter the stage, Osamu realizes he missed one possibility. 

He ducks into the nearest building as quickly as he can to get out of the open street. ‘They set the stage’s weather to a storm. Normally, that would be done to hinder snipers, but Akane is better than Taichi, and Chika won't be bothered much by this weather. Maybe they are planning to stop her from flying like in our last match? No, they should know that the weather isn't enough to keep down my flying trion soldiers. The only real difference is the danger the river now brings. That can only mean…’ 

“They will be destroying the bridge!” Osamu tells his teammates, quickly checking their starting position and analyzing the information he is getting from his trion soldiers, getting them into better positions.

Yuma is separated on the other side of the river, the one with much better visibility since it lacks high buildings, and none of their team members is especially close to the bridge. 

With how open the stage is, Osamu can see Kumagai already approaching the bridge through his trion soldiers, and on the same side, Ko is running in the same direction, even if he is farther behind.

“Yuma, you could get there around the same time Kumagai does if you jump over the roofs with your Grasshopper, but with two enemy snipers, it's too dangerous.” Osamu says, and with a sigh, he makes a decision. “Yuma, do you think you can clean up that side on your own?”

He can practically feel the grin that appears on his friend’s face. “Leave it to me.” 

“Good. Then Chika, shoot down the bridge.” He says, and his small teammate does not hesitate to release her Ibis at Kumagai as she attempts to cross the large structure.

Osamu observes the shocked look on the attacker’s face as the giant trion bullet flies towards her, lighting up the rainy sky in its flightpath, and she barely has enough time to escape backwards to avoid the blast.

It would be good to take her out too, but from this distance it is unlikely, and while it's possible Chika could trap her on the bridge, Osamu has already seen some of Nasu squad’s trion units fly her direction, some of the large Magpies with shield-piercing beaks.

‘The large version can break even Chika’s shield if it gets in a lucky hit or she is distracted. And with Nasu on the team, she can essentially support everything she is close to.’ Only Izumi is superior in quickly programming Viper paths, after all.

“Chika, I’m sending the Foxes and the Roc for support, but be careful. Nasu squad has already sent Magpies to take you out, and Kuruma is not that far from you.” The Roc is walking right now to avoid attracting attention, but it's not that slow on the ground either way.

Though Osamu himself isn't that safe either. Suzunari 1 is using the Wolves, which are a sensor unit. They won't pick up on Osamu’s location through his bagworms while they are further away, but if one happens to get close, they could locate him.

But one advantage of Osamu’s low Trion is that the sensors need to get very close to notice him.

And in direct combat, they are weaker than the Fox units Osamu uses.

Osamu watches on his screen as some Magpies fly towards Chika’s position, as well as some of Suznari’s Wolves. At least Osamu doesn't have to worry about them using any complicated strategies, since they don't have a combat engineer.

He focuses on his tablet again, making one of his Trion soldiers get into position. Osamu would have preferred to keep this one hidden for a while longer, but with Chika surrounded, he can’t wait any longer.

The Magpies don't have any time to react as suddenly a blast of Trion shoots out from the streets below, taking out two of the larger units in a single shot. 

They immediately turn course down into the street as their automatic combat protocol kicks in, flying down to spot the giant Lobster in the street below.

It readies another attack, one of the dorsal fins lighting up as it transfers its energy into the main body, before releasing another powerful blast of Trion from its mouth, cutting a streak of destruction through the enemy swarm.

With a loud clang, one of the three remaining dorsal fins falls to the ground as its energy is now drained, because even if the weight doesn't make much of a difference, every bit could be the one that ends up a hindrance, and Osamu won't leave that up to chance.

The remaining Magpies continue onwards in their dive, readying their self-destruction attack, but before they reach it, the Lobster raises his large claws, using them as shields as the Magpies explode in a violent blast of energy.

The attack is strong enough to make some cracks run through the claws, but not enough to destroy them, so Osamu diverts his attention to Yuma’s side again as he lets the auto battle function take over.

Yuma rushes between the buildings with his grasshopper at top speed, and without any moment to give the already fighting Ko and Kumagai to prepare, he jumps into the fray with his Scorpion drawn, taking out two of Suzunari’s Wolves as he swipes at Ko.

The shield user bats the blade away with his Raygust before ducking to the side to dodge Kumagai’s sword.

But she doesn't let up on the pressure, two Magpies diving in from the side as she sends out a scattershot of Asteroids.

Ko quickly activates his Thruster, catapulting himself to the side as he blocks the explosion of the Magpies before ducking out of the way of the Asteroids, one of them just managing to graze his shoulder.

Kumagai tries to follow it up with another attack when Yuma’s Scorpion suddenly comes piercing out of the ground, leaving a thin slice down her arm.

Immediately, Ko uses the moment to gather himself, sending out a Senku towards both his opponents as one of the Wolves dashes out onto the battlefield, trying to surround Yuma.

But it doesn't manage to reach the white haired boy as one of Osamu’s Foxes jumps in its path, and with a single lunge, it bites down at Suzunari’s Wolf, throwing it back towards Ko, forcing the swordsman to dodge and giving Kumagai another chance to attack.

It's such a quick exchange that Osamu can barely keep up, but it's clear that one moment of distraction could cause defeat, so the engineer will support Yuma as best as he can, calling in his Foxes patrolling the area.

Osamu tries to steer two Foxes to surround Ko when he suddenly hears a sound from the street, and he barely has time to react when one of Suzunari’s Wolves jumps through the window of the house Osamu is hiding in.

The engineer activates his Raygust just as the Wolf jumps at him with its maw ripped wide open, the sharp teeth grinding against the shield.

Osamu drops his laptop and deactivates his Bagworm to create an Asteroid in his hand, before he activates the Thruster. With a flash of energy, he and the Wolf rush over the room, crashing into the opposite wall, stunning the Wolf for just long enough that Osamu can slam the Asteroid on the underside of the Wolf's head where he knows its weak point to be.

The bullet easily breaks that thin patch of armor, directly shattering the trion core. But Osamu doesn't slow down for a moment as he quickly grabs his tablet, hurtling out of the other side of the building. Because if one Wolf found him, all the others did too, so escaping is the best choice.

Or at least he thought that it would have been the better choice right until he spots Nasu run down the street towards him, immediately aiming to take him out now that he was forced to deactivate his Bagworm.

Without leaving him a moment to think, she releases a volley of Vipers towards him, curving and twisting as they fly through the air, and Osamu quickly raises his Raygust and creates a shield as he ducks into a side alley.

But that doesn't stop the bullets from coming, chasing after him worse than even hounds would. Osamu barely manages to duck to the side as the bullets weave by his defenses, but moments later, Nasu herself comes running around the corner with no intention of stopping her barrage.

But Osamu has bought enough time, and from one of the roofs, his Fox jumps at her from the side.

She stops the open maw with a shield, preparing another Viper to take it out, but the moment she does, the fur of the Fox shifts, shooting out like a blast of spikes in a trick she could have never expected.

Nasu quickly pulls her limbs behind her shield, but one of the spikes manages to catch her left arm, leaving behind a puncture wound that immediately starts bleeding trion.

Osamu makes the Fox continue with its attack, charging up his Asteroid to keep up the pressure even as he sees the Fox get destroyed, until suddenly a sniper bullet comes flying through the air, shooting off his left leg.

Immediately, Osamu turns in the direction of the shot, and just in time, he raises his Raygust to block the follow-up shot, when from Nasu's side another bullet comes flying to blast a chunk out of the side of his waist.

Not wasting any time thinking, Osamu activates his thruster, pointing his Raygust to the side, and catapults himself into the wall next to him.

With a loud crash and a cloud of concrete, he crashes through the wall, rolling over the wooden floor of the building on the other side.

"Usami, direct Chika over to the west side and help her locate Taichi!” “Roger that!”

He quickly tries to stand up, using his Raygust as a crutch to replace his destroyed leg. As he stumbles out of the room, he pulls out his tablet again to direct the Foxes that have slowly been closing in on their location.

Osamu takes direct control of the two closest ones, making them jump through the window in the room he is in, and he just climbs on the back of the first as Nasu chases him into the room, so the engineer makes the second Fox jump at her as he rides the other out of the room.

They aren't designed as mounts, so it only halfway works, but it's many times better than stumbling around on a single leg.

Osamu flees around the corner as he sees a streak of light fly over the sky as Chika takes her shot. The building Osamu was in goes up in a giant explosion, carrying enough force to make the puddles of water on the ground shiver, but no Bailout flies over the sky.

“Chika, how many Magpies are left?”

“Two dozen at least.” She says. “They will have me locked down a while longer. You can take the Roc your way since they keep me confined to tight places.” 

The Lobster has been taking out a lot of the Magpies, but it seems that sometime while Osamu was fleeing from Nasu, they managed to send more of them towards Chika without going into the view of the Lobster.

But that means Osamu’s Lobster is freed up.

As he calls it over, Osamu realizes that its claws were destroyed, but it will have to be enough, especially since Osamu’s movement is pretty restricted with Taichi aiming at him. 

Nasu rushes out of the building after him, knowing that leaving the engineer alone will only allow him to gather his troops, but he has already bought enough time.

From all the way down the road, a concentrated blast of trion shoots down the road, blasting away the rain as it flies towards Nasu. 

She quickly throws up a full guard, the shield materializing just in time to collide with the bullet, but even if the attack is nowhere near Chika’s strength, it was charged thanks to her trion, and such a hastily thrown up shield is not enough to block it fully.

As the shield starts to break, Nasu shifts to the side, and as the blast of trion rips through her defense, it takes out her already damaged arm, throwing her into the closest wall from the force of the attack.

‘One shot left.’ Osamu thinks as he prepares the Lobster again, but from the corner of his eye, he sees a glint of light, just reaching his field of vision.

“Osamu, guard!” Usami shouts, and he quickly raises his Raygust, but he isn't fast enough, and Taichi’s bullet cleanly blasts off his arm, throwing Osamu off the Fox mount.

Down the street, Osamu sees the two members of Suzunari on this side of the river duck behind the buildings, along with a number of their Wolves.

‘They must have manually gathered them up.’

Usami quickly sends him a picture of the map. “They are trying to surround you two. Get out of there before it gets worse than it already is.” She instructs, even if she sounds very much aware of how much easier that is said than done.

Osamu quickly changes the direction of the Foxes to split some off to attack Suzunari from behind, since right now, Nasu is likely to focus on the ones who are an active danger to her.

Or at least that's what Osamu thinks until another Viper gets sent his way, zipping through the air, and the only reason he manages to block its unpredictable path is because of all the time he spent with Izumi.

‘Wh-Why is she still focused on me?’ He thinks in a panic as he sends his gathering Foxes at her, trying to keep her busy so he can escape to reposition himself, only to see her continue chasing after him, sending a barrage of bullets to take out another group of Foxes Osamu planned to use as mounts to get out of the chaos.

‘She seems desperate to take me out. But in this situation, wouldn't it be more logical to take out Suzunari first to remove a danger and gain some points?’ But right now he doesn't have time to care about that.

Still, there is one more thing he has up his sleeve, even if he would really much rather have left for crossing the river, but right now he doesn't have another chance.

With a loud, artificial sounding shriek, a large shadow appears over the boy, the trion soldier looking like a giant eagle with almost raptor-like feet, its claws and beak as sharp as blades.

The Roc’s body lights up with trion as it shifts into its combat mode, and even if it won’t last long in that state, in this situation, it doesn't matter.

It lets out another shriek as it swings its enormous wings, the feather-like plates on the underside lighting up with trion and shooting out a barrage of thin bullets, raining down towards Nasu like a torrent of rain and forcing her to throw up a full guard.

From the other side of the street, Suzunari jumps into action, bullets flying over the street towards the Roc as their Wolves rush into battle.

But some damage to the Roc doesn't matter now, the trion soldier spreading its wings and going into a dive as it rushes over the entire street, its wings breaking down into segments as it does, scattering down towards the ground.

Osamu sees the worry on Nasu’s face as she realizes what’s going on, creating a stationary guard around herself as she kneels down, reducing the shield’s surface area as much as she can.

The Suzunari members behind her realize too, and jump together to stack two full guards around each other, cowering inside the dome, as the feathers hit the street.

A blinding light erupts as they release all their saved-up trion at once, the ground shaking under the concentrated blast of energy, the asphalt ripped into pieces and thrown around the battlefield. Suzunari’s Wolves aren't faring much better as they are caught up in the rain of destruction.

With its wings spent, the Roc crashes into the ground, but this doesn't make it helpless, and it immediately rushes towards Taichi and Kuruma again, despite the heavy damage it took already.

Suzunari’s members quickly drop their guard as they continue firing, Kuruma’s Hounds aimed at the bird’s head while Tacihi releases an Ibis at its chest, the attack ripping away the sturdy armor plating with a single shot.

The Roc quickly pulls it’s head back to avoid Kuruma’s Hound before piercing it’s head forward at Taichi like a spear, the sniper creating a shield to protect himself, but with all of the force of the attack it's not enough, the beak breaking through the guard and ripping off the boy’s leg and a good chunk of his waist, ramming into the concrete.

But that doesn't stop Tacihi, the boy having an unusually serious expression on his face as he jabs his sniper rifle directly into the Roc’s eye, and pulls the trigger.

The Ibis rips apart the head from the inside, throwing the sniper back from the blast, body heavily damaged but holding out just a moment longer.

Not willing to waste that precious moment, using the last of his Trion, Taichi sends another Ibis shot over towards the still immobile Osamu.

The engineer raises his damaged Raygust and creates a shield, none of his remaining Foxes are close enough to carry him to safety, but as the bullet rushes towards him, he knows it won't hold.

The Ibis crashes into his shield with full force, ripping through the weak barrier and shattering Osamu’s body with a shot to the stomach.

But the young sniper’s attack does not go unpunished, Nasu quickly sending over a barrage of Vipers towards the members of Suzunari, forcing Kuruma on the defensive and piercing Taichia’s body.

But as Osamu’s broken body flies through the air from the blast, he still has enough trion for one last asteroid, seeing a single bullet flying towards Nasu.

It is, of course, easily blocked like all his other attacks at her, but it is enough of a distraction for Kuruma to send out a continuous fire of Hound bullets towards her, forcing her on the defensive as Osamua and Taichi bail out in unison.

Nasu strengthens her shield to hold sturdy against the attack, quickly running for cover, but she doesn't have time for that as from behind her a cannon of Trion rushes through the air, Chika’s bullet flying through the streets and colliding with the ground right behind her back.

Nasu doesn't even have time to react before she is ripped to pieces, her trion body scattered from the powerful blast that throws up a giant cloud of dust and debris into the air.

Kuruma tries to retreat from Chika’s view by ducking behind one of the houses when one of Osamu’s Foxes jumps out of the shadows, one of those that he sent to surround Suzunari before.

He might have been taken out, but the orders he set up before then are still in effect.

Kuruma quickly focuses on it with gunfire, the simple combat AI not making it too much of a danger now that Osamu can't control them manually anymore, but it bought enough time as another streak of light cuts through the sky, Chika taking her second shot.

Kuruma’s hastily thrown-up shield is nowhere near enough to block the powerful blast. Even if it's not a direct hit, since Chika still has some problems with aiming directly at people,  his body is enveloped by the raging trion, and he shoots into the sky as his bailout activates.

Osamu lands in his bailout bed in his squad’s room with a loud thud, but he doesn't linger for even a second to let the sudden shift of moment of being thrown back in his flesh body subside before he runs to join Usami by the screen.

She gives him a short nod before focusing on the fight again, or more specifically, Yuma exchanging blows with Murakami.

Both members of Nasu squad on that side of the river seem to be out already, even if Osamu doesn't know how, only that Yuma and Ko got one point each.

Osamu has seen them fight many times before, but right now they dash around each other with a fierceness the engineer has never seen before. Each step calculated like a dance of blades, Yuma’s scorpion flying around the battlefield like a striking snake, and Ko’s shield blocking each hit like an unshakable wall, only to strike back at lightning quick speed.

‘Yuma must not have found an opening to use that yet. We have to somehow create a chance for him.’ But all the trion soldiers on that side have already been destroyed, and the Foxes stuck on the other side will never make it in time, especially without precise orders from him.

“Chika, how sure are you that you can hit?”

“I’m sorry, with this wind and from this distance, it wouldn't go well.” She says. “Should I try to go to the other side?”

“No, you won't make it with the bride and our Roc destroyed,” Osamu says, before his eyes focus on the flooded riverbed, the raging water crashing against it, having only gotten stronger since the start of the fight, as the riverbed has been filling up.

“Chika! Target the dam! It's close enough, right? Flood the town!” Osamu instructs, and his teammate doesn't hesitate for even a single moment before her bullets cut through the rain. 

It flies over the river before burying itself into the dam, and with a blinding flash of light, it explodes into the sky. 

Immediately, a torrent of water starts flowing into the town, crashing into the walls of the houses as it picks up the cars lining the street. 

But she doesn’t stop there, bullet after bullet flying through the air to release the raging river as a flash flood, getting stronger shot after shot till its force starts ripping apart the houses closest to the river. 

“Yuma, the wave hits in five!” Osamu shouts, having to hold himself back from jumping in to help Usami calculate the flow of destruction. 

But then again, why can't he? He has read the rules many times, making sure that everything he does is permitted, and it never said anything against him jumping in as an operator after he is out. 

He quickly takes out his laptop, the device immediately linking up with Usami's, and Osamu quickly sends Yuma the path where the torrent will be the strongest, as well as how the water is progressing through the canalisation. 

Yuma has a grin on his face as he jumps back, making it look like he is trying to create some distance. 

Of course, Ko won't allow that, rushing after Yuma, when suddenly the manhole under him explodes in a squall of water, blasting him into the air. 

Yuma quickly follows after him with a grasshopper, though Ko keeps up his guard even with the lost footing, raising his Raygust to protect himself from the Scorpion's pierce. 

But he doesn't expect when suddenly a squall of water shoots out sideways from the fountain that catapulted him into the air, a Grasshopper shining from its inside as it crashes into his face. 

Ko quickly tries to wipe the dirty water out of his eyes as they fall down towards the ground, when he sees Yuma throw some kind of projectiles at him.

The swordsman manages to divert its flight path, but in this state, he doesn't manage to take a good look at them, mistaking them to be like one of Kazama's throwing daggers made from Scorpion right until it explodes behind his back, blasting off his shield arm. 

“Wha-” Ko says in confusion as Yuma prepares multiple daggers in his hands, among them the Meteor Osamu has modified to appear in the costume shape of a throwing knife even without Yuma having to divert any concentration towards it.

After all, Osamu has seen Ninomiya and Kako use unusual shapes for their trion projectiles, so why shouldn't shapes like this be possible too?

The two fighters fall down to the street below again, but now it is filled with knee-high water, and Yuma immediately catapults himself toward Ko with another Grasshopper, leaping above the swordsman as he throws out the daggers again. 

Ko tries to hit them out of the air, but at this amount it's impossible, and he cannot identify which one is the explosive either, right until it bursts into energy at his left, throwing him into the water and making him drop his sword. 

He quickly tries to stand up, reaching for his weapon, when suddenly his body stops, and when he looks down at his chest, still submerged in the muddy water, he only sees the shine of Yuma's Scorpion. 

He closes his eyes as he gives Yuma a dignified nod, one that the white haired boy returns, before Suzunari’s last member Bailouts into the sky. 

In Tamakoma's squad room, the members are frozen for a moment before they erupt into cheers.

“We won! We made it!” Osamu says happily. “You did it, Yuma!“

“We did it together.” The neighbor answers, sending his friends a grin through the camera.

Chapter Text

It's late in the night, but Osamu still can't find it in himself to fall asleep. His veins are still flooded with energy from the last fight, so he came to the roof of the base to get some fresh air, the stars shining down on him.

Normally, he would spend this time with Yuma, but his friend is out on a patrol together with Shun, the two boys making sure the western part of the forbidden zone is free of invaders.

Osamu’s mind flashes back to the fight only a handful of hours ago, each moment burned into his mind as if he had witnessed it hundreds of times. 

It was different from his last fights, even during the last invasion.

Unlike that time, Osamu wasn't fully on the defensive, nor consumed by panic so much that his mind was fully occupied, the knowledge that his friends’ lives weren't actually at stake calming his emotions enough to stop them from boiling over, and it somehow put things into a different light.

He didn't understand what Yuma said when he said a fight is a conversation until today. Never knew what it meant when it was like a dance, both studied and bursting into existence a blink ago.

A part of him now understands why Yuma loves a good fight so much, but at the same time, Osamu is now more aware than ever that it's really not something for him. At least not without his team by his side.

Still, it put into perspective how much he both still has to learn, but also how much he has come, and both were encouraging in their own way.

A long list of possibilities starts forming in his mind, filling him with an almost giddy feeling as he looks up at the stars shining above, so much brighter here at the Tamakoma base where the light of the town peters out.

‘I wonder how the skies look in the neighborhood.’

His phone vibrating in his pocket catches his attention, and when he quickly pulls it out, he sees a new message on screen, declaring his opponents for the next match, making the boy let out a nervous breath.

With Tamakoma 2 moving up into the higher bracket of B rank, Osamu expected some harder fights, but seeing Ninomiya squad, Kageura squad, and even someone as naturally difficult to fight like Azuma, as their next opponents all at once, still makes him worry.

And it's Azuma who has the choice of map, which only makes him so much more dangerous.

A shiver runs through his body as a cold wave of wind rushes around him, so the boy decides to head inside before he can catch a cold.

He heads through the building when he hears a small sound coming from the kitchen area, followed by a growl of frustration.

Osamu quickly heads towards its source, immediately spotting a familiar blonde, horned boy standing in front of the kitchen table.

“Hyuse, what are you doing?” 

Hyuse’s head snaps towards the brunette, nearly dropping the electric kettle he was holding.

“I-I was just- Youtaro said I should try this,” Hyuse says, gesturing down towards a small package in his hand, something that turns out to be some of Yotaro’s marshmallow cocoa.

The small boy somehow managed to bother Konami until she gave in and bought him a large pack of them, the box almost as tall as Yotaro himself. Osamu is sure that the boy couldn't have carried it home if it weren't for Rayjinmaru’s help.

Osamu looks down at the kettle in Hyuse's hands, already filled with water and turned on, the only problem was that it isn't plugged in.

Osamu gives the neighbor a small smile as he takes the kettle from his hands, taking it back to the outlet.

Reiji usually insists on plugin out most electric devices not in use, so Osamu can guess where the confusion came from since he probably only tried to imitate what he saw the members of Tamakoma do.

The engineer is sure he would be acting the same if he were stuck somewhere in Aftokrator.

After a moment, Osamu decides to make some tea for himself too, filling up the kettle a bit more before he turns it on, the familiar sound of the water heating up starting to fill the otherwise quiet room.

Hyuse is watching with his arms crossed, that usual frown on his face, but Osamu doesn't think he means it this time. ‘Maybe it's actually stuck that way for him.’ Osamu thinks to himself in amusement, remembering some of his mother’s words.

Osamu still sends Hyuse a smile. “The others said you watched the match. I know you don't want to share any information about your home, but still, would you be willing to give me some personal tips?”

The blonde lets out a huff of air. “You yourself are weak and still need a lot of training. You need to have enough experience in battling so that you can dodge and attack on reflex. Thinking just wastes too much time.” He says. “Though I don't understand why an engineer should be on the front line anyway. It's not smart to risk them like that.”

Osamu can't help but let out a small laugh at the last statement. “I guess you are right with that, but I’m a bit too stubborn to just sit back and let others fight. And after the invasion, I now have to take part in the rank war matches too.”

Hyuse lets out a scoff. “For Meeden to actually allow something like this... How did you even manage to survive this long?”

Osamu turns off the water cattle and pours some into each cup, the warm steam instantly rising into the air as the engineer hands Hyuse his cup. “So it's pretty rare for an engineer to enter the battlefield?”

“Of course it is. Especially not the competent ones. And if they, for some reason, did anyway, they would be focused on and captured immediately. They are the absolute last to be sent out, together with doctors and royalty. If the engineers die, you can't rebuild your country. A simple fighter’s value isn't comparable to a skillful engineer. How did you even build trion soldiers that could stand up to Rabit? That four-armed reptile thing specifically.”

Osamu just gives him a smile, but shakes his head. “I thought we weren't going to talk about secrets from our home, so I’m not going to comment on that,” Osamu says, Hyuse letting out a huff of air, but nodding in agreement.

“I’m not going to judge you for attacking Meeden. You were just following orders after all, and Meeden’s away missions also plunder others who aren't necessarily attacking us first.” 

“But-” Osamu starts, sending Hyuse a sharp look. “If you hurt any of my friends, I would never forgive you. Understood?”

Hyuse gives him a small nod, some nervousness shining through as he takes a sip from his cocoa, face immediately lighting up with a pleased surprise as soon as he does, quickly taking another sip, though he stops when he spots the amused look Osamu sends him.

“It's not that bad.” The neighbor acknowledges, putting the cup back on the table as he keeps up an emotionless expression.

“You can just like something, you know,” Osamu says in amusement. “And I’m not going to tell anybody if it bothers you. Besides, you should enjoy the things Meeden has while you can.” After all, the plan seems to be to eventually bring Hyuse back to Aftokrator, probably as an exchange for hostages.

Hyuse seems to consider the words for a short moment, and after his eyes send a small look towards the door to make sure no one else is watching, before taking another sip.

Osamu follows after him, enjoying the flavor as the two just sit in silence. But not tense like it was during the last meal, and eventually, Osamu lets out a loud yawn, the sleep finally starting to catch up to him.

“I think I should be going to bed now. Don’t stay up too long or you might regret it later.” Osamu tells Hyuse as he puts his cup away.

The neighbor just gives him a nod, his passive expression never leaving his face, but as Osamu walks out of the room, he somehow can't help but feel that it was much softer than any expression he has seen on the other boy’s face before.

_____________

Osamu sits in Tamakoma’s common room together with his friends, looking at the screen in front of them tensely, watching the reaction of the press as Kido announces the planned rescue mission of the people kidnapped by Aftokrator, but also their goal to bring back the people of the first invasion that are still missing.

This time, Osamu isn't part of the conference. Kinuta alone represents the R&D, the members of Border present being an overall reduced number than usual.

Kinuta said that the higher-ups, including him, would have preferred to keep the mission a secret, but to upgrade the away mission ship in the way they need it to be, they need to increase their funding.

And there likely isn't a better way to accomplish that than telling the people what exactly they need the money for.

‘Border’s usual finances are nowhere near what they need for the upgrade.’ Osamu thinks to himself as he remembers back to the plans he has seen. He actually helped with some of the general upgrades that he could, but there's only so much one can do without the right materials.

Now it lies with the finance and PR departments if they can bring in the needed cash.

The conference room is shocked into silence as Kido finishes his explanation, before, like a bomb, they explode into clamor in just the way Osamu expected.

But honestly, he would much rather see how the general population reacts. 

After all, this is one step closer to people finding out how the neighborhood actually works. And at the very latest, after Border rescues a single person, the information will be revealed by them. 

Because Border's usual information-limiting strategy of just deleting the memories of everyone who is affected won't work either, since multiple years of 24/7 is not something that can be easily erased from someone's mind. 

At least not with Meeden technology and without risking a lot of damage. 

That probably was one of the reasons why the higher-ups ended up deciding against erasing Kanda's memory. 

Oji is still angry at him, understandably, if you ask Osamu, but it's been getting less tense between the two. Now, the prince seems to just be disappointed whenever the topic is brought up. 

Jin isn't sitting in front of the screen with the rest of them, instead stalking around town, probably to get a precise vision of how this is going to affect the future. 

Osamu hopes things will work out. He saw firsthand how people were affected by the attacks, and he doesn't want them to be given hope for nothing. 

‘Maybe I should be going over the entry-level instructions for combat engineers again. There might be new applications.’

Maybe even more than usual, since if they are planning on revealing the information about the neighborhood anyway, that means the screening process will be lighter. 

Though all things considered, even if they are planning to keep it hidden a while longer, what they have said today will make people theorise. After all, if the neighbors were really all monsters like the HQ tries to make the people believe, there is no chance the kidnapping victims would still be alive. 

And people will notice that discrepancy. 

Osamu sees how the conference room slowly dissolves into chaos, so there probably won't be much more important stuff coming out of it, since now it is only a question of time till Kido gets fed up and ends the chaos together with the entire announcement. 

The engineer stands up from the sofa with a sigh, turning down towards the engineering lab with a new spark burning in his chest. 

He will not let the people’s hope down. 

_______________

Jun gives the camera his signature smile as the flash illuminates the room, the lenses clicking as they take one shot after another. 

Kitora stands behind him, keeping up her usual stoic and dignified expression, the public is expecting of her, changing poses every time her captain does. 

At the beginning, she found all the constant flashing of light annoying, but she got used to it pretty quickly. 

The head photographer gives the crew a wave. “Okay! Let's take a small break while the others change the set!” He says, so Kitora lets her body relax a bit, letting out a huff of air as she hears the flap of large wings behind her.

She turns to the large, gryphon trion soldier standing behind them, its eagle-like head white like the usual animal, but the rest of the body red and black like their team uniform. 

‘Despite throwing him out of the HQ, they still made Osamu finish this thing.’ It still leaves a bad taste in her mouth, bringing back the image of the engineer's face, having been in the room when Kido delivered the boy’s punishment.

But the other part of her is happy that it was made by him. After all, she knows just how useful his constructs are, having faced them firsthand.

‘I wonder if they will add some more trion soldiers to our layout in the future, or if it will stay at one signature trion soldier.’ For now, there likely won't be a new addition, since they still have to get used to it, but in the future, things might be different.

In the end, they didn’t add a combat engineer to their team, since the new rule changes put them into the combat position on the battlefield like every other team position except the operator, so now they also count in the max of four team members on the field.

Netzuki was very happy about this, nearly having a shock when Kitora originally mentioned that they might have to update their team logo.

They still had to calm him down by offering to help him with that weird card game featuring Border members he has been wanting to make for over a year now. She doesn't really have any experience with those kinds of things, but Satori seemed to think Netzuki actually came up with a fun game.

‘And maybe it will actually help with Border’s finances.’ She says with an amused huff of air. Her team has been going on without end recently to help finance the upgrades to the expedition ships, going from one presentation to another to gather new sponsors.

It has actually been quite successful, so the stress will hopefully end soon, and her team can focus on combat training again.

She looks over to the side where Tokieda pulls out his phone to turn on the video recording of the last B rank war match.

Usually, she wouldn't give it much attention, but right now, their team is still gathering different fighting styles with trion soldiers in mind to use in the future, and every bit of reference they have could end up useful, even if it just gives them a bit of inspiration.

Satori lets out an interested nod. “Arafune squad used them well. They improved a lot from their match against Tamakoma 2.” 

Jun nods in agreement. “Yeah. That loss must have really motivated them. I saw that Suwa squad did pretty well too.”

Kitora leans in to take a look too, nodding in agreement. “Experiencing combat against someone who uses them well is very useful to gather experience, after all. Same counts for us.” She says, reaching out towards the gryphon with her hand.

The surface is hard, even where some fur would be if this were a real animal (as real as something out of a story could be), but the trion soldier gives at least a slight reaction as if it were real, tilting its head into her palm.

Netsuki made sure that at the very least, this trion soldier imitates real animal behaviors to some extent, because it might come over as unnerving otherwise. Usually, that's okay, but for them, as the PR team, it's pretty important, even if it made the whole thing a bit less Trion efficient.

Thankfully, Jun has a good amount of trion, so it's not that difficult for their team to manage to keep it running, even if Kitora herself is quite lacking in the trion department.

Raizo took over that latter part of the programming, and the result turned out pretty good. It's just some shifts in how the gryphon holds itself and things like looking around the area or leaning into touch, but it does a lot, making it look a lot more alive.

‘We will probably have to implement that into other trion soldiers too if they're supposed to guard the town.’ It's just another thing in which their trion soldiers would be different from the neighborhood ones.

Satori lets out a loud sound of curiosity. “Maybe we could ask Mikumo directly what he thinks we could improve? He even managed to help Tachikawa squad understand the strategy. That's an achievement.” He says, before a frown appears on his face. “On the other hand, maybe we shouldn't, us being from HQ and all.” 

Jun’s smile drops a bit as he hears that, to no one's surprise. He doesn't like it when children are treated harshly in general, and especially if they remind him of his little siblings, like Mikumo absolutely does. 

‘They are even around the same age and go to the same school.’ And during that meeting, his dislike of the outcome showed. Jun was not happy in the slightest as he saw the boy run out of the room.

“Let's not bother him with this,” The captain decides, trying his best to sound cheerful. “Mikumo has enough to do as it is, I’m sure.” 

From the other side of the room, the director of the photo shoot calls over the squad again, saying that they should continue, so Satori puts his phone away again.

Jun lets out a small huff of air. “Well then, team, let's get back to work!”

Chapter Text

“Yuma, Hyuse.” Director Rindo calls out to the two neighbors as they sit at the table together to eat breakfast, the blonde being dragged there by Yotaro. “The HQ has called for you two. Osamu, it's probably a good idea if you come along too.”

The engineer gives the man a nod before sending a nervous look towards Hyuse. It was really only a question of time until the higher-ups decided what they wanted to do with him, and Tamakoma could only stall them for so long.

‘But if they called for Yuma too, they probably want to try and interrogate him first. But I don't think they will be doing anything bad to Yuma. Not anymore.’ Not that that stops Osamu from stacking up on Trion soldiers before they go, just in case. It's never bad to be prepared.

Hyuse doesn't seem nervous, though if that is because he's truly confident or if he is just good at playing it off, Osamu doesn't know. It will probably take a while longer before he can read the other reliably.

But the fact that Jin doesn't come along is a bit calming, so this isn't risky or important enough for the fortune teller to be present.

Rindo drives the boys towards the base. Chika has been assigned for patrols today, so she is going to be a bit too busy to come along, even if she wants to.

When they arrive after the tense ride through the forbidden zone, they immediately head up the elevators, trying not to attract too much attention. 

Hyuse might have his hood to hide his face and, most importantly, his horns, but right now he doesn't need the attention, even if the chance of people recognizing him is very low.

‘Except for the members of Azuma squad. I wonder if they were already made aware of this.’ At the very least, Azuma probably was, but Osamu isn't so sure about Okudera, Koarai and Hitomi.’

The discussion room of the higher-ups is just as tense as Osamu remembers it, but it seems he is the only one who actually looks nervous.

The engineer scans the room, making sure to make note of Kikuchihara being there. ‘So they want to make sure Yuma is giving them accurate information.’ Because even if Kikuchihara isn't as accurate as being able to tell lies, he can still hear the heartbeat, and usually impossible to hear reactions that all humans usually make when lying.

Izumi has told Osamu about it before, and how the higher-ups have actually used Kikuchihara to test if Tachikawa was hiding some mess he made.

And Osamu is pretty sure Kikuchihara is in a Trion body to enhance his senses even more, even if they have disguised the fact by making it appear in normal street clothes.

But the small tells give it away. Usually, the best sign someone is in a Trion body is that they just stop blinking.

‘Actually, now that I think about it, would he be able to tell if Yuma is hiding information? Yuma is in a Trion body after all. It doesn't have a heart that could get an unsteady heartbeat when lying.’

Hyuse confidently sits down on the chair at the end of the table, crossing his arms as he stares at the higher-ups.

“I will not be telling you anything about my homeland,” Hyuse says as the first words, not even waiting for them to say something.

Kinuta gives him a glare. “It seems that staying with Tamakoma gave you the wrong impression of how things will go for you. We will get the information out of you whether you want to give it or not.”

The department head unflinchingly stares at Hyuse. “We will use any means necessary to get the information out of you. After all, neighbors don't have any rights on this side.”

Osamu can't help but swallow as his throat begins to feel dry. ‘He doesn't actually mean that, right?’ Osamu thinks, sending a subtle look over to Yuma, but his friend's face is far too even to betray any emotions at this moment.

Thankfully, Shinoda interrupts him before it could be tested if it could come to anything like that. “Kinuta, let's not get too rash. We should be more careful when we consider how we treat our prisoners. So first, I have a question for you, Yuma. How does the neighborhood usually handle prisoners like Hyuse?”

Yuma seems to consider it for a moment. “Well, interrogation is a thing that's done pretty frequently, but it's not really reliable at such a low number of people.” He starts explaining.

“No matter how much you torture one person, the information isn’t reliable, so you would want to cross-reference it by interrogating many people at once and make conclusions from there.”

As Yuma continues to talk about torture so casually, Osamu can’t help but be reminded of the very obvious fact that Yuma really is a neighbor. It's something that the engineer often forgets, but this is a pretty big reminder that Yuma really has some different views on things.

It was especially obvious during the first week that Yuma and Osamu spent together, but since then, the neighbor has adapted quite a lot to how things are usually done in Meeden.

But it's clear that Yuma still hasn't lost the hard core he developed growing up in the neighborhood, something that is only made more clear when he casually mentions torturing to get off some steam.

Thankfully, it does seem like that is enough to make the higher-ups uncomfortable with any ideas they had with actually torturing Hyuse, but they don't intend to let up on pressuring him in other ways.

Osamu watches Hyuse when he is informed of Enedora’s death, not even a muscle twitching in reaction. ‘He must have been trained for situations like this.’

But that carefully curated mask instantly drops as soon as Shinoda so much as voices a doubt at Hyuse's loyalty to his country, now that he has been abandoned.

“Don't look down on me!” He growls out. “I was fully aware of what could happen when I went on this mission. Don't think you understand what is happening from what little you know. I will not betray my homeland over something like this.”

The room is silent after the declaration, but from the way the people in the room exchange glances, it seems they are holding a silent conversation over their coms.

Osamu sends a nervous look over to Hysue. Unlike Yuma, the blonde neighbor really doesn't have any amount of protection. If the executives decide on something bad, Osamu doesn't know if he will be able to help.

Eventually, Kido sends Hyuse a sharp look. “Is that so. Then we will end it here for today. Rindo, please take him away for now.” He says without elaborating.

Osamu isn't sure what to think about this outcome, but it could definitely have gone worse.

He accompanies Hyuse out of the room, and if the blonde is feeling nervous, he isn't showing any signs of it openly as he walks beside Rindo.

Osamu turns to follow after him, when Kinuta waves him and Yuma over, looking a bit apologetic.

“We need the help of you two for one more thing. Well, mostly Yuma.”

Rindo gives them a small grin. “Good luck to you then. Should I tell Reiji to get you after you are done?”

Osamu sends Yuma a questioning look, but the white haired boy just gives him a shrug, letting his captain decide. “There’s no need. We will come back to the base on our own.”

“Okay. We will save you some lunch if it takes longer.” He says as Yuma and Osamu walk down towards R&D, and from where they are heading, Osamu is already pretty sure that they are heading down to Enedora.

Yuma already knows of the captive neighbor (if you can really call it captive, considering his unique situation), since Osamu won't be hiding such things from his friend, even if he doesn't exactly have permission to.

‘Well, they were going to ask Yuma for help with it sooner or later anyway.’

Down in R&D, people are already preparing for their arrival, and Osamu sees a familiar face in front of Enedora’s room.

“Raizo! It's good to see you again. How are you doing?” 

“Well, pretty well. I have been upgrading the Away Mission ship recently, and it's going well for now, but I might have to ask you for help condensing the control circuits in the living areas of the ship.”

Osamu gives him a happy nod, even if he asked how Raizo was doing, not how his project was. But it's nothing new for his fellow engineer to answer like that.

Together they head down into the room Enedora is kept in, coming to a stop in front of the large glass wall the Rad is behind.

“You have turned his energy off?” Osamu asks Raizo with concern in his voice. That can't really be comfortable for someone, essentially getting turned off by someone else’s control.

“Well, close to it. Think of it more as sleeping. The Rad can't exactly endure his Trion on full output all the time, so we had to find a compromise. He is still somewhat conscious.” The older engineer explains, waving over to the Rad in question as he turns on the energy.

It takes a moment for the Trion soldier to turn fully functional again, Enedora immediately turning towards Osamu.

“Oh, it's the little engineer again.” He says, sounding a bit curious. “And you brought a friend this time?”

Osamu gives him a nod. “This is Yuma. He is a member of my squad. He is a neighbor, too.”

Kinuta gives the white haired neighbor a look, turning off the mic for a moment. “I don't know how deep your lie detection goes, but give us as much information about his statements as you can for now.” He asks, Yuma giving him a nod.

Enedora looks over to Yuma, and even if the Rad doesn't have an expression, Osamu can imagine what he is thinking. Because even if Enedora can be a bit erratic to say the least (something that Osamu quickly learned from the handful of times he has seen the neighbor), he isn't stupid.

And when suddenly the Border members are coming here with another interrogation, bringing along someone whom he knows to be strong, it's pretty obvious to consider the possibility that they are making use of a side effect.

Enedora lets out an annoyed huff. “Just start. I don't want to waste my active time with another interrogation when I could do more interesting things.” 

Osamu tries to look out for any signs Yuma gives him as they start the interrogation. The young engineer was there during the last interrogation, too, and just like Kinuta, he is a bit suspicious about Enedora’s general willingness to help. 

Kinuta starts with information that Border is already pretty certain of, and Enedora answers them without problem, not telling a single lie, according to Yuma.

It honestly doesn't surprise Osamu. Enedroa is definitely someone who lets himself be driven by revenge, but not blind revenge. He wouldn't count it as a true victory if his revenge just ended in mutual destruction.

‘He made that much clear with his comments during the movies we watched.’ Osamu thinks in slight amusement. Enedora seems to be really taken in by the entertainment industry of Meeden, it catching his curiosity just like it did for Yuma.

But as the talk goes on, Osamu is surprised at how little Enedora talks around the topic, probably recognizing this as a more important conversation than usual. He even readily admits to attacking the HQ to let off some steam, which, while it does not sit well with Osamu in the slightest, and it makes his stomach bubble with anger, is still the truth.

‘I wonder if he had done the same if his horns had not infected his brain beforehand. Maybe I can ask Hyuse if he knows anything? But no, Hyuse isn't supposed to know about the other prisoner yet. He is only supposed to know Enedora was killed.’ Something that Jin made sure to tell Osamu, so it is important.

But what immediately catches Osamu’s attention is Enedora’s reaction when he hears that they have another prisoner.

“Another one? Ah, it has to be Hyuse, right? Then don't lie to me like that. He is never going to spill any information. He is too much of a well-trained dog for that.” Enedora says with a snicker. “You could tear him limb from limb and you wouldn’t get a shred out of him.”

Osamu tilts his head. “How did you know Hyuse would also be captured?”

Enedora lets out an angry scoff. “Because he probably fell for the same trick that I did.” He says, waiting for a moment, most likely only to make Osamu and the others more curious, and he is pretty sure Enedora is doing it just to annoy the listeners.

“Before the mission, Hyrein told me we would be leaving Hyuse behind. In the current political situation where all the houses are battling for dominance, it was a logical decision, so I didn't think much deeper about it. But it probably was also something he did to keep me distracted.”

Osamu can almost hear the conflicted grin in the other’s voice. “And it worked perfectly. I fell completely for that asshole’s plan. I didn't suspect a thing since I thought I was the one in on the plan. Oh, I can imagine his smug face. Makes me want to beat it even more than I usually want to.” He says with a loud laugh before continuing.

“But that's enough talking for today, right? Raizo, you promised me some new movies!” He complains loudly, and it seems that Kinuta agrees (with how it was enough questioning for today, at least).

“Goodbye, Enedora,” Osamu says, the Rad giving him a small wave as he walks out of the room, even if the neighbor doesn't say anything.

______________

“Osamu!” Izumi loudly calls through the hallways as he spots the engineer on the other side, immediately running towards him with Tachikawa and Kunichika right behind him.

Osamu turns towards the shooter with a smile, Taichi peeking out from behind him with a curious expression.

“Izumi senpai! It has been far too long. We really haven't had the time to meet up recently, huh?”

“Yeah, with all the matches, it has been far too difficult. Kido has been keeping us busy, but things aren’t too bad.” He slightly complains before turning his attention to the curious-looking Taichi. “Were you two busy?”

The sniper quickly waves him off. “No, no. Osamu and I were just talking about things from the last rank war match we had against each other. … And he helped me out when I accidentally knocked over one of the water fountains and Kinuta was about to rip my head off.”

Izumi gives the engineer a playful grin. “Aw, do you miss us so much? I didn’t think you would miss cleaning up the captain’s mess that you started helping out others, too.”

Kunichika, behind him, rolls her eyes. “As if you don’t cause just as much trouble. Do I need to remind you how often you destroyed the walls during the last training session?”

“Yeah, but that was intentional to annoy the higher-ups.” He says before turning towards Taichi. “Don't tell them I said that. They absolutely know already, but I shouldn't give them proof.”

The sniper mimed zipping shut his mouth. “Your secret is safe with me. Not even Kurama senpai will know.” He promises.

Tachikawa lets out a small chuckle. “We will see about that. Are you sure you won't spill immediately when you next see your captain’s innocent fawn eyes?”

The sniper awkwardly averts his eyes as he hears that, scratching the back of his neck as he lets out a nervous laugh. “I will do my best to convince him not to tell anybody.” 

Tachikawa just gives him a grin before turning to Osamu. “Since we finally have some free time, do you wanna hang out? Taichi, you wanna tag along too?”

“Thanks, but the rest of my team is probably already worrying about me. I was probably keeping Osamu busy for too long anyway.”

The engineer just shakes his head. “Don't worry. I had fun too, and it's always good to see things from a different perspective. When you want to continue, you can just call me later.” He says, earning himself a grin from the boy.

“If you are sure. Well then, see you guys later!” 

Osamu waves after Taichi as he runs down the hallways, nearly stumbling into a C rank before he rushes around the corner.

Izumi gives his former teammate a smile. “We wanted to congratulate you on your wins. You have been earning some pretty impressive victories.”

Osamu gives them a smile, though there is a hint of sadness in it that his former team doesn't miss. “Things have been going well, but I still miss fighting together with you. I wish I could fight together with you again.”

His former captain reaches out to ruffle the boy’s hair. “I would like that too, and you know, maybe we will have the chance to do so soon.“ He says, making Osamu look at him in hopeful surprise. “Your new team is aiming for the away mission, right? Well, in those situations we usually fight as larger teams, and if I annoy Kazama enough, he will probably let both of our teams work together!”

Osamu gives them a happy nod, a soft smile on his face. “I would really like that. And I’m sure Chika and Yuma would too.”

“That's what I thought. Now, let's go pick up those, too. Kunichika has found a new cake shop in town that she really wanted to try out, and we won't go without you and the other two.” 

The operator gives them a grin. “And if Usami has time, she should tag along too. Where are any of them right now?”

“Yuma should be in solo rank war rooms again, and Chika is doing some sniping training with Usami, so they are getting better at spotter instructions.”

Without warning, Tachikawa picks up Osamu like a sack of potatoes, the man’s Trion body making it very easy to lift the boy. “Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go get them!” He says as he carries the engineer through the hallway.

Osamu should probably be embarrassed as he is carried to the hallway like this, but as he is rushed through the hallway with his friends chasing after him and his old captain, he can't help but let out a laugh.

______________

Teruja looks at the two team members of Tamakoma 2 as they walk down the hallway, either ignoring or not aware of the attention they are getting from the other Border members, but she suspects the former.

They have become quite famous after their displays during the last matches. Osamu, the first combat engineer, and Yuma, who has started to be called his white shadow. And then, of course, Chika aka Tamakoma’s canon and Shiori, an operator who worked with Kazama squad, Tamakoma 1, and now this team. 

Tomoe also sends a look after them, giving the smaller member a curious look. “Do you think Yuma-senpai would give me some advice if I asked him? He really has a good sense for battling.”

“I’m not sure,” Teruya answers. “They skipped over us in the rank wars since they earned so many points at once, so they might not see us in combat again. That probably increases your chances, but I’m not sure.”

And sometimes she is very glad they were skipped over. She would not have liked to be the target of that strategy in the forest. ‘I don't think anybody is ever going to use that map against them ever again.’

“But Osamu-senpai is basically known for helping other people get stronger no matter what, right? I mean, most of the Trion soldiers we can use were designed by him!”

Teruya agrees to that statement with a nod, her mind going to that particular changeup in the recent rank wars.

The first few rounds of the Rank wars were more on the tame side, with the choices of Trion soldiers, mostly sticking to the easy-to-use options like Wolves and other straightforward combat options. 

Her squad, too, went with that option for now, but it has become increasingly obvious that alone will not be enough in the proceeding matches.

Arafune squad, for example, erased a great advantage in the factory area last time by using the giraffe-like Trion soldier that basically functions as a mobile tracking beacon, managing to edge out a win despite what would have usually been a disadvantageous battlefield for them.

‘And they also used the vulture-based Trion soldiers to get carried from one roof to another, so the opponents had a harder time following them.’ Even someone dangerous like Yuba was taken out by that strategy.

And that doesn't even start with how the teams with actual combat engineers, namely Tamakoma 2 and Oji squad, have performed with them. And it is only a question of time till more combat engineers will appear.

She still has to form a better plan for what her team should try to do, but at the moment, she is interested in some of the more mobility-focused units, especially the Bulls, which are also designed to help out in combat.

She sends out another look towards Osamu and Yuma, letting out a hopeful huff of air as she stands up to hurry after them together with Tomoe.

Maybe they will be willing to offer some advice.

Chapter Text

Osamu and Chika are looking over some of the rank war battle maps together, theorizing how the different sniping spots would fit into the battle strategies Osamu and their opponents use, when they hear a knock from the door.

The two exchange a curious look before Osamu walks to the door, unsure of who to expect.

Every member of Tamakoma has a key, and none of Osamu’s friends said they would be coming by. Maybe it's Kurauchi for another small project? That kind of knock could belong to him.

But to Osamu’s great surprise, when he opens the door, he actually sees Ninomiya standing outside the building.

“Ninomiya? What are you doing here? Did something happen? Do you need help with something?” Osamu says, not quite able to keep his worry out of his voice. After all, Ninomiya isn't someone who just visits without a good reason.

But the man just shakes his head. “I’m not in any trouble, but there is something I would like to talk with Chika about.” He says.

Osamu sends a look towards Chika, who gives him a nod of agreement, so the engineer turns back to Ninomiya and gives him a smile. “Of course. Let's go inside.” Osamu says as a particularly cold gust of wind flows around them.

The trio walks back to the room Chika and Osamu were using for research, Ninomiya averting his eyes from the content of the documents while Osamu puts them away so he does not get a look at the other team’s plans.

When they are done, they sit down on opposite sides of the table. Ninomiya gives them a serious look. “I don't want to waste any of your time, so I will get right to the point. Do you have any relations to Amatori Rinji?” 

Osamu’s eyes widen in surprise as he hears that name, but maybe he shouldn't be shocked by this.

He suspected it was only a matter of time until Ninomiya approached Chika with this, as it is pretty clear that the former A rank cares for his missing teammate, even with his cold exterior. 

Osamu can't help but send a nervous look over to Chika. He doesn't want to sell Rinji out like this, even if Osamu doesn't fully agree with his tutor’s actions, but it seems she has no such hesitations.

“Yes, Rinji is my older brother.” She tells Ninomiya, whose poker face was broken by a small flinch.

“Rinji was also my tutor,” Osamu adds. “This … This is about Hatohara, right?”

Immediately, Ninomiya gives him a sharp look. “How do you know about her? I know you didn't join while she was still here.”

Osamu awkwardly scratches the back of his neck. “When I asked Tachikawa how someone as strong as you is in B rank, he kind of spilled the entire story,” Osamu says, which isn't wrong, but he decides to leave out the fact that he also has some personal information on the topic.

Ninomiya lets out a loud, annoyed sigh, looking one step away from slamming his head on the table. “We were ordered to keep that secret.” He groans, pulling out a picture of Hatohara and showing it to Chika. “In that case, have you heard of her outside of what Tachikawa said?”

Chika shakes her head, but Osamu doesn't. He probably shouldn't tell anybody about this, but Ninomiya is not a person who would spill any of this to the higher-ups, so the boy will trust him with this.

“Before Rinji disappeared into the neighborhood, he told me he had contact with someone in Border. I have been suspecting for a while that it has to have been Hatohara.“

Chika sends a look down to the ground for a moment, eyes filled with guilt. “He probably did it as part of some plan to protect me. I was hunted by neighbors even before the first invasion that made the world at large aware of them, and he has always done the best to keep me safe for as long as I can remember.”

Ninomiya is silent for a moment, deep in thought, before he looks the two into the eyes again. 

“Hatohara wasn't the only one. Border suspects that four people left Meeden on that day, including Hatohara.” He looks over to Chika again. “Are you sure he would have been the one who instigated the situation?”

Without hesitation, Chika gives him a nod. “If it's my brother, he would definitely be capable of it, and he is not the kind of person who would go along with someone’s plan unless he is the one in control.”

Osamu gives the man a questioning look. “Why are you investigating this? I thought Border had already come to their conclusion about this.”

Ninomiya’s expression shifts for a moment before he gives the two a small glare. “That's not for you to know. Keep your nose out of this. You should be worrying about other things anyway. Your next match is with my team.”

Osamu gives him a serious nod. “We know, we will not let anybody stop us from reaching A rank. Not even you.”

For a small moment, something resembling a smile appears on the man’s face, but it's gone so fast Osamu almost thinks he imagined it.

“We will see. You better don't go back  on your words.”

___________

“The higher-ups have finally let up their heavy supervision on Hyuse, so how about you show him around the city?” Jin asks, basically out of nowhere, while the members of Tamakoma are sitting around the breakfast table together.

Osamu knew about that first part, the higher-ups reducing their supervision on Hyuse, not because they trust him, but just because they would rather focus their attention elsewhere.

“No,” Hyuse says decisively, looking the most annoyed with the decision out of everyone here, even compared to Konami, who sends a glare towards Jin.

“Why does he get a free day when I don’t! I have been working my ass off over the last week to cover all the patrols the B ranks are skipping.”

Jin just gives her a shrug. “You know, Hyuse has been pretty tense over the last days, being a prisoner and all. He deserves a good day, and Yotaro wanted to show him some things in town too.” 

The small boy in question nods in agreement. “If we don’t start doing them now, too many things will pile up. And there are a lot of things Hyuse has to do while he has the chance.”

“Also, I got this!” Jin says, pulling out a ticket to what seems to be a hot spring. “I was planning to bribe someone with this, but it turns out that it wasn't necessary after all, so why not use it for ourselves? Besides, I know how badly Osamu’s scars have reacted to the cold weather, no matter how much he hides it.” He says, sending a pointed look towards the engineer, who averts his eyes in shame.

Chika gives her captain a disappointed look that hits harder than any insult, even if she doesn't say a single word, and Yuma’s frown beside her only makes it worse.

“It's not that bad.” Osamu tries to explain. “And it will probably just go away once the weather stabilizes.” But his friends do not seem convinced by the argument in the slightest.

“I’m still not going. Do it by yourself.” Hyuse says, gathering the attention to himself again, but when Yotaro gives him a sad pout, the neighbor’s angry expression slowly drops, even more so when Yotaro starts talking in a voice that is practically dripping with sorrow.

“If you really don't want to go, we won't force you. But if you want to stay here, I will too. I don't want to leave you alone.” The boy says.

A twitch goes through Hyuse's poker face as he looks at the pouting Yotaro. “Fine. I will come along. But only this once. And if you try to force me to do anything annoying, I will head back here immediately.”

The small child lets out a loud cheer as he storms out of the room, saying he is going to get everything ready, while Osamu and his team decide to do the same.

The two smaller members don't leave their captain out of their eyes as they do, making sure he is actually okay and packing him in way more warm clothing than he really needs to, even for this weather.

When they head down to the exit, they already find Yotaro, Usami, and Hyuse waiting for them there, the neighbor wearing a hood to cover his horns and a fluffy scarf to keep him warm.

“Let's not waste any more time,” Hyuse complains, already opening the door to let Yotaro step outside, the rest of the group quickly following.

Osamu gives Yotaro a curious look. “Do you already have a plan where you want to go with Hyuse?” 

The kid gives him an enthusiastic nod. “First, we will go have crepes, and all the other good food that he wants to try, then we will go down to the arcade, and then we can go to the bath Jin got tickets for.”

Osamu gives him a nod, already planning out a route in his head. He is glad Jin got the ticket to a private area, since otherwise Hyuse wouldn't be able to join without putting on a Trion body that would hide his horns. And that would just defeat the entire purpose of it.

Since Yotaro didn't seem to have planned an exact route, Osamu steers the group into the deeper parts of town, Usami throwing in some recommendations as they go.

The wind is a bit cold today, but it doesn't bring down the mood, even with Hyuse constantly grumbling. Everyone in the group is used to that by now.

But those dissatisfied sounds very quickly stop when they reach the main street, the neighbor's nose twitching a bit as he is suddenly surrounded by the pleasant smells of various foods.

Yuma gives the blonde a smug and knowing look, so the taller neighbor immediately turns his head away, but before he could come up with a comeback, Yotaro grabs his hand and pulls him to one of the stalls on the side of the street, thankfully still open despite the colder weather.

“Hyuse! Hyuse! You have to try these ones!”  Yotaro says, bouncing up and down in place as he points at the pictures of the food, and no matter how much the blonde tries to hide it, his eyes are almost twice as big as usual.

Hyuse's eyes immediately lock on the pictures of creeps in front of him to the visible enjoyment of the shop owner, but the older woman doesn't say anything yet.

Osamu can't help the small chuckle that escapes him, handing over the money as the shop owner quickly prepares the food, and when Osamu hands the crepes out to the members of the group, Hyuse and Yotaro basically snatch them out of his hands, both taking a large bite in unison.

The neighbor's eyes light up like stars as the flavor of the strawberry cheesecake crepe fills his mouth, quickly taking another bite even if he hasn't finished chewing, some of the whipped cream sticking to his cheek.

Osamu takes a bite of his own while Yuma devours his with the usual speed. Chika, beside them, has barely started eating, but Osamu knows very well how quickly she can eat if she wants to.

From the side, Osamu sees an amused-looking Usami raise her phone towards Hyuse's face to probably take a photo, but with her flash turned off, he can't be sure. But Hyuse probably won't even suspect it with his missing experience with Meeden technology.

Hyuse notices the attention he is getting from the rest of the group, so he clears his throat as he straightens his back.

“It doesn't taste bad. I have had worse.” He says, trying to keep his expression in check, but he is convincing no one, and if he is thinking up a response right now, Yotaro is already dragging him away to the next shop.

(Besides, all his arguments would have failed anyway, seeing that the crepe was gone before the two even reached the next stand, a takoyaki one this time.)

It seems Hyuse has an endless stomach just like Yuma and Chika, because no matter how many times Yotaro continues to drag the blonde around, he devours everything in no time, still seeming to have an appetite, no matter how much he eats.

He seems to like the sweets most, but visibly enjoys the rest of the food too, even if he looks dubious every single time they make him try something seafood related, he never seems disappointed with the results.

The group has probably eaten an entire salary of Osamu's at this point, but he doesn't find that he minds. Not when this is probably the first time he has ever seen such a genuinely happy expression on Hyuse’s face.

And every time his usual hostility is about to come back, Yotaro drags him to the next stall. Osamu doesn't know if the kid is doing it knowingly, but he is doing a very good job.

As the day runs on, the blonde seems to almost forget that he is trying to keep his defenses up, too filled and curious to concentrate on that. Don't get Osamu wrong, Hyuse's default expression is still a frown, but he at least stopped glaring at everything that moves.

As the sun begins to set, the wind starts to cool down a lot, but that isn't much of a problem since the group doesn't take much longer to arrive at the onsen.

In the end, they didn't go to an arcade as Yotaro planned, but the boy in question seems to have forgotten that idea of his already anyway.

Hyuse gives the building a dubious look, turning towards Yotaro with a questioning look. “Do people really just come here to bathe? There are so many more efficient ways to clean yourself.”

Yotaro shakes his head with a sagely look on his face. “It's not really about the cleaning. You will like it.” The boy assures him, and after a moment, Hyuse seems to accept the boy’s words. At least for now.

Osamu hands the reservation ticket over to the lady on the counter, unable to stop his curiosity.

‘I wonder how much this cost Jin. And who this was for.’ Usually, Jin always has some plans in the running, but since it's a ticket for a private onsen, Osamu suspects it was either for Kako or Jin just wanted to keep someone busy for an evening.

Usami and Chika give the boys a wave as they head off into the women’s area of the bath, and Osamu waves back as he makes sure Yotaro doesn't knock over any of the decorations on the side of the hallway.

Yuma and Hyuse follow behind them, and even if Osamu has already brought Yuma to an onsen before, this one is more on the expensive side, so it seems he is looking forward to it.

Once they reach the changing room, Yotaro immediately throws off his jacket, Osamu helping him to get off the thick clothing while Hyuse still looks a bit uncertain about undressing.

Yuma seems to notice his fellow neighbor’s hesitation and makes sure to follow the example of the Meeden boys. “Meeden food is really good, right?” Yuma asks Hyuse as he pulls off his hoodie, a knowing look on his face as the blonde gives him an emotionless look.

“To bring this amount of different dishes to such an amount of mastery is a foolish waste of resources, but the result cannot be denied.” He admits with a huff of air, still looking a bit hesitant about taking off his clothes, but after another look towards Yotaro, he does too.

Hyuse's horns get stuck in his shirt a bit, struggling to get them out for a moment before he finally frees himself, glaring at the clothes as if they personally attacked him.

‘We should probably get some clothes with a looser collar for him.’ That doesn't look very comfortable. 

Yotaro impatiently grabs Hyuse's hand. “Let's go! “ And the neighbor doesn't resist as he gets pulled along towards the showers.

Osamu sends Yuma a happy look. “Yotaro is doing a great job, but I don't know if he knows he is.”

“I didn't know Hyuse could smile.” Yuma jokes as the two follow after them, sitting down in front of the small showers to get off all the dirt before they go into the actual baths.

Yotaro helps Hyuse wash his head, the blonde lowering his head so the kid can reach it, making sure to shampoo it deeply while making sure he is gentle around the horns.

The engineer sends the extra body parts a curious look. The information Border has on them is very limited, so he can't help but be interested in how they actually work.

“Hyuse, do you feel your horns? Are they sensitive? Does over-exhausting your Trion have any effect on them, since they are so intimately connected to Trion?“ He can't help but ask.

The blonde is about to say something when Yotaro interrupts him. “Osamu! You can't ask someone about their horns! It's insensitive!” 

Osamu sends Hyuse a worried look. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn't know that.” He says, not noticing the confused expression on the blonde’s face.

Yotaro, beside him, sends Yuma a grin. “I bet I will be able to stay in the hot bath longer than you!” The kid claims, running off in its direction, and Yuma, who will never turn down a challenge, sprints after him.

“Don't run on the wet tiles!” Osamu instructs as the two run off, but he trusts Yuma would catch Yotaro if he were to slip, so the engineer turns to Hyuse instead.

“Let's get to one of the not-so-hot baths first. I’m sure the two will come back anyway.” He says, because he doubts Yotaro will stay there for a very long time.

With nothing else to do, Hyuse gives him a small nod, and the two submerge themselves into the water. While the water isn't too hot, Osamu can't help but flinch as they hit his scars, the heat feeling a bit intense on the sensitive skin.

As he does, it immediately catches Hyuse’s attention, eyes locking on the injuries scattered over Osamu’s skin, a deep frown appearing on the neighbor’s face. 

"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt much.” Osamu ensures him, making Hyuse's eyes snap up towards the engineer's face again.

After a moment, Hyuse lets out a huff of air. “No. It is not acceptable. Valuable people like engineers should not be injured, especially to this degree. You getting injured like this instead of getting captured reflects badly on my country.” 

Osamu gives him a thankful smile, the two just sitting in silence for a moment, when suddenly the other side of the bath erupts into chaos, quickly followed by Yotaro running towards the bath that Hyuse and Osamu are using.

One never gets to rest around here, but somehow, Osamu doesn't think he minds.

Chapter Text

“Happy birthday Chika!” The group surprises Chika as she steps out of the training room with Reiji, the tall man also pulling out a present to hold out to her, a small package wrapped in a deep blue bow.

Osamu feels a warm feeling in his stomach as he sees her surprised but happy face, knowing how often she tends to forget her own birthday, and it seems this time wasn't any different.

It might have been a bit of work to arrange this surprise party without her knowing, but seeing her like this makes it all worth it.

Beside Osamu, Izuho is giving Ema a small shove towards Chika, and the blushing boy holds out a package for her, stuttering out another small ‘Happy birthday’ to her.

She takes it with a happy smile, quickly opening the package to reveal the bracelet, covered in complex designs and beautiful-looking stones that Osamu is pretty sure any normal teenager without a Border salary could never afford.

Chika blushes as she puts it on immediately, which also makes Ema blush even harder as they just stand together in silence for a moment, not sure how to continue.

Osamu almost can't hold in his laugh as he sees Ema’s expression, his face and ears so red it almost looks like he could catch fire at any moment.

Usami is the one to eventually break the pair of blushing snipers up by offering her own present, and the group heads into the kitchen area together while filling the rooms with the usual welcoming chaos that Tamakoma brings everywhere.

Of course, the food for the party is Chika-styled, which might make things look a bit plain since even her birthday cake is made to look like white rice, but as long as Chika likes it, everything is as it should be.

The group quickly digs into the food as they talk, Chika happily tasting her way through all the dishes prepared by the Tamakoma members, as Usami moves closer to Chika and Ema.

“So, you two will be seeing each other on the battlefield in the next rank war match. It's the first time you will be fighting each other outside a training match, right?”

Yuma gives Ema a grin. “Fighting your team will be hard, but you’d better be prepared to be taken down. I already have some plans for Kage that I have been wanting to try out for a while.” 

But the sniper just shakes his head. "Don't worry. We won't be a problem for you.” 

Chika gives him a confused look. “Why would you not be? You are really strong. A rank even, if we're talking about your fighting power.”

“I- My team doesn't really care about our rank, so I thought we could just drop the fight since you seem to really care about your victory, so you can go on the away mission.” He admits, averting his gaze.

Chika gives him a conflicted look, her teammates behind her exchanging an uncertain expression.

On one hand, Osamu knows that not having to fight against Kageura squad would make things a lot easier. Their captain is one of the best attackers in Border, and with an amazing sniper like Ema and a powerful area controller like Kitazoe he is strong enough to have made it into A rank once, and they would absolutely be strong enough to do it again if it wasn't for the higher up’s lingering anger.

But it looks like Osamu is not going to have to think about it any longer, as Chika takes Ema’s hand to make him look at her, shaking her head.

“Don't throw the match just because of us. Even if you wouldn't get punished for that, what would a victory mean if you just gave it to us? We can't learn anything like that, and we will need it in the neighborhood.”

From the side, Usami leans in with a playful expression, whispering into Ema’s ear. “And don't forget Ema, if you and Chika both make it high in the ranking, you can go on the away mission together.” She says, making the boy blush again as realization settles in.

Behind the group, Jin lets out an amused snicker as the boy tries to stutter out an answer.

But Jin doesn’t let the blonde sniper suffer under the attention for long, distracting the groups with pointing out Hyuse, who is already eating his fifth piece of cake in the corner, something Ema seems very grateful for, melding into the background again as an angry Konami making her displeasure known to the neighbor.

________________

Osamu is walking through the long hallways of the HQ with a small smile, still looking down at his laptop as he heads towards the solo rank war area where Yuma is currently honing his skills against Ko.

Today the members of Tamakoma 2 are all in the HQ, doing the last bit of preparation for the rank war here.

Chika is going through a training session with Oki right now, while Osamu finished his project with Raizo and Kurauchi. 

The engineer won’t manage to actually integrate it into a Trion soldier till the next match, but it shouldn't take much more work to do. Besides, his plans are already laid out anyway, so making abrupt changes would likely be a bad idea.

He also used the chance to catch up with his friends in Tachikawa squad, since things are going to get busy for both squads in the next weeks, it will be kind of hard to do then.

‘Izumi is already complaining about all the patrols they have to take over for the B ranks.’ But they have also promised to make sure to cheer Osamu on during his rank war matches, and the thought of that alone makes a happy and warm feeling settle in his stomach.

He has also given them a rundown of his plans for the next matches, and even if they aren't really experts when it comes to strategy, just talking with them about it helped calm the engineer down a lot.

'It's not yet the time when we planned to meet up with the others, so maybe I can watch Yuma fight for a bit.’ He is always fun to watch fight.

Osamu had planned to stay with the members of Tachikawa squad for longer, but they were assigned for patrols, and even if Osamu had considered just staying in the control room with Kunichika last time he did that, they got in trouble with the higher-ups.

The solo rank war room is filled, like it always is during the rank war seasons. Even during the A rank one, it’s always full, the trainees and B ranks trying to implement the more complex maneuvers they have seen in the A rank matches into their own fighting style.

Right now, there isn't really a good way to train fighting against and with Trion soldiers, but according to Kinuta, they are working on something in that direction.

‘They will probably build something based on the program they have designed with the recruitment day, where the trainees can get their first Trion soldier kill.’

Osamu quickly spots an empty seat in front of the large screen, and it doesn't take him long to find the one displaying Yuma, but it seems that right now he is fighting with Yoneya instead of Ko.

Or rather, they have just finished, ending in a victory for Yuma.

Yoneya is a very good fighter, but Yuma still gets more wins than losses against him. The same goes for his matches with Shun. 

The two attackers are walking out of the rooms, immediately meeting up and enthusiastically talking about the last match, exchanging some playful smiles. That is, until Miwa comes storming in from the side, a deep glare on his face.

Osamu sees how the smile leaves the attackers’ faces, so he quickly hurries over to the two, arriving just in time to stop the captain before he raises his voice, placing his hand on the allrounder's chest to stop him from jumping at Yuma.

Miwa turns to Osamu with an angry growl, but the engineer tries his best not to be intimidated by it.

“Miwa, people are already looking.” Osamu tries to say politely, flashing his eyes over to the crowd, his fellow captain following his eyes and letting out another growl.

Osamu is still trying to think what to do in this situation when Yoneya takes his and Miwa’s hands, pulling the two and Yuma into the nearest free solo rank war room for some privacy.

The moment the door closes behind them, Miwa turns to his teammate with a furious look in his eyes. “I knew you still trained with him, but what are you doing joking around with someone like him?! Did you forget he is a neighbor!? What they did to us?!” He shouts, his voice breaking at the end.

But Yoneya isn't shaken by the outburst, challenging his captain's glare without even a flinch.

“No, I did not. And you know I will not. But we both also know that Yuma isn't the one who killed your sister.”

Miwa recoils at the bluntness of the words, his face frozen in shock for just a moment until the rage returns. “He is still a neighbor! It's only a question of time till he-” Miwa starts, but he doesn't finish the sentence, punching his fist against the wall, turning around for the door when Yoneya grabs his arm to stop him from running.

“No, he won't. And you have already realized that, too. That Yuma isn't the same as the neighbors that attacked us on that day.” Yoneya says in an even voice, looking unshaken at his friend, even though the other is averting his eyes. “If you actually thought Yuma was trying to do anything, you would have said what exactly just now.”

“I wasn't-” Miwa starts, trying to free himself, but Yoneya is holding on tight.

“Please stop lying to yourself. You only hurt yourself if you keep doing that, and no one wants that. Not me, not the rest of the team, and neither would have your sister.” He says, before releasing his hold on his captain.

Without another word, the allrounder rushes out of the room, slamming the door behind him to leave the three behind in the dim light.

Yuma gives Yoneya an uncertain look. “Are you sure this was the right choice?”

“Sure? Not really.” The spear user admits. “But with how things have developed recently, I think it was the best chance. It will make him think. He has been avoiding that. And whenever he comes to a good or bad decision, hanging in limbo like this only makes it worse.”

Yuma considers the words for a moment before giving him a nod. “Should I try to figure out who killed his sister? It might help focus his anger.”

Osamu can't help but be curious about that, too. Border has never figured out which nation specifically attacked them at that first invasion, even today. It seems to be a great source of frustration for them, too, especially with them planning to get back the kidnapped people eventually.

From Replika’s archive of planetary movement, Osamu tried to figure out possible attackers before, but he didn't come up with any results.

‘That means that it's either one Yugo hadn't figured out the flight path of yet, or it is one with a chaotic movement.’ The last one would be the biggest problem, since they have no way of actually knowing where they could be until it is already too late.

‘But at the very least, we could narrow down the attacker with what little information we have. Even something as minor as the smallest adjustments made to Trion soldiers can be very telling.’ 

While Osamu is still buried in his own thoughts, Yoneya just shakes his head. “Not for now. Let Miwa think. This would just be another thing he could distract himself with. But depending on what he decides, I might come back to you with this.”

_____________

“Oh, Osamu! It's unusual to see you here.” The engineer hears Toma’s voice from behind in the hallways, turning around to see the relaxed-looking sniper walk up to him.

“Hello Toma. We haven't seen each other in a while.” Osamu greets the sniper. 

“Yeah. We only really see each other when you are visiting Chika or Oki during training hours. Here for that again, I guess?”

“Yes, she is preparing for the upcoming match. You really can't be prepared enough when facing Ninomiya and Kage.” He says, not quite able to keep the nervousness out of his voice. Not that trying to mask it would actually hide it from someone as perceptive as Toma.

He takes small breaths to steady himself, not letting his mind drift to all the things that could go badly during that match. “Before I forget, I never got the chance to thank you for helping Chika with her fear when it comes to shooting people. I … I really didn't know how to help her with that.”

Toma just shakes his head. “I didn't do much. I just gave her some things to think about.  Besides, it's not like I could just magically help her. That's something that she has to leave behind over time.”

“Still.” Osamu insists. “If there's a way I can repay you, just say so. I promise I will do my best.”

Toma lets out a thoughtful hum. “I don't have anything for now, but my captain has been thinking about asking an engineer for some adjustments with his Swichbox, so I might ask you when it comes to that. But I have no idea how long it will take him to actually decide what he wants, so it will probably be some time before I ask you.”

“I will wait then. Just call me when he actually comes to a decision.” 

Toma gives the engineer a small nod as the two continue walking, making their way into the large sniping room that is filled with a number of people.

Chika, Ema, and Izuho are in three sniping booths right beside each other, though Izuho seems to mostly just be watching the other two with a satisfied expression.

Toma also has a smile on his face as he sees Ema talk with a happy expression on his face, not guarded like the blonde boy usually is, especially when he is out in the open like this.

“He has been doing a lot better lately. He has actually started talking to people outside of his team again, and I think he has been sleeping better, too, since he is finally missing the dark bags under his eyes.”

The two stand in silence for a moment, neither of them quite willing to break the relaxed moment the young snipers have right now. At least not until they are noticed anyway.

‘I don't know how long I would still be able to leave them in peace, considering how Chika has been training her side effect.’

On the other hand, Yuma has joked that with how often Osamu is around her, she might completely block him out on instinct, but who knows with side effects. Even the neighborhood is still puzzled by them.

Toma turns to Osamu with a grin again. “I have heard you are pretty busy. Taking part in the rank war, doing your work as an engineer, and also getting jobs for the higher-ups on both the away ship as well as the public Trion soldiers. Do you even get to sleep?”

“I might have been skipping nights with a Trion body a bit more recently.” He admits, making the older teen let out an amused chuckle.

Things have just been so interesting lately. The R&D still hasn't fully gone through all the materials from the last away mission, too busy with the invasion, then the repair, and after that, the integration of the new combat engineer recruits.

And Osamu himself only finds more interesting things as time goes on. He has a feeling he could continue researching Trion engineering for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn't scratch the surface.

That is somehow both a daunting and calming thought.

Toma just gives him an amused look. “Oh, don't act like it's entirely out of your control. I have heard Chika complain enough times about how you actually requested some extra thing to try out. Wasn't there another one less than a week ago?”

“That one actually got denied!” Osamu tries to defend himself, but it only makes the older teen visibly more amused, causing Osamu to blush. “It wasn't a bad idea either.” He insists.

Toma gives him a curious look, slightly tilting his head, so the engineer takes this as a prompt to continue.

“I was looking at the possibility of modifying the shape of Trion bodies, as in adding some beneficial features like extra arms or maybe a tail for balance. Anything along those lines.”

He lets out a small huff. “Apparently, there are a number of complications with adding body parts that aren't part of your normal, non-Trion body. To the point that it isn't even common in the neighborhood.”

Osamu didn't talk about this with Replika, never getting the chance to do so before the Aftokrator. A good part of Replika’s information is still scattered over the internal archives preserved in the half left behind here in Meeden, but extracting it is hard, and even more so is organizing the information.

“Apparently, you build bad habits incredibly quickly, as well as some complications with your Trion that was in the additional limbs reacting badly when forced back into your normal body, but I don’t have the details yet.” Kinuta was a bit cagey about them, to the point that Osamu suspects the result isn't seen as especially appropriate for children his age.

But the bad habits are apparently not to be underestimated either.

Even someone as sensible and calm as Nasu apparently had that problem at first, overworking herself while in her real body once she got used to a more active behavior in her Trion body, and collapsing from exhaustion. Her team ended up having to make sure she didn't go too far for a quiet while until she relearned her limits.

A lower version of that is something many people experience in Border, something like Osamu’s shortsightedness is the most common thing, but many people only realize that they have some physical impairments until they put on a Trion body for the first time.

There has been one particularly amusing story running around about one new recruit who realized he was colorblind that way.

Still, Osamu’s glasses aren't really necessary for him in his Trion body, but for him, they are almost a comfort item. He feels weird if he doesn't wear them, no matter how many times Kunichika has told him it's a waste since it hides his, and he quotes, ‘pretty green eyes.’

The way his team was visibly amused by how he blushed every time she said that only made him more sure to never stop wearing them.

‘I wish we had the resources so we could try out more things.’ And it would benefit Border too, since the people who have a sudden benefit of a Trion body like Nasu tend to throw themselves into training with understandable motivation, considering their circumstances.

As far as Osamu is aware, there haven't been any cases of blind people putting on a Trion body, but as things stand, he isn't likely to get any information on that on his own.

That's why it's one of the things Osamu plans to ask Cronin once the chief engineer of the Tamakoma branch returns, but it's not the priority there either. ‘I probably shouldn't throw too much at him when he returns. It probably wouldn't make the best first impression.’

Toma lets out a curious hum. “It could be strong, but do you really think the Border members could just handle an extra limb?”

“Yuma could,” Osamu says without hesitation. “And Kai and Ko would likely too. They have the instincts and adaptive learning ability for it. 

Toma looks a bit uncertain. “Ko with another limb would be even more terrifying than he already is. But maybe if we give Taichi some extra legs, he would stop stumbling over them.” He says with a loud laugh.

Osamu gives the older teen one of his own, feeling some tension of the week drain out of him, but their voices seem to have attracted the attention of the younger snipers, so he and Toma walk over to the trio.

The exhaustion will be back soon, he knows that much, but things are finally on the finish line.

Chapter Text

Usami watches with a fond expression as Osamu repeats the strategy for today’s match for the last time, nervousness evident in his voice, but this time she honestly feels the same.

Ninomiya and Kageura squad haven't been A rank for nothing, and Azuma squad is no joke either. 

But worst of all, Jin has been acting weird. Osamu and the others might not have noticed, but Usami has known Jin for a while now. She couldn’t imagine their chances of victory being low enough for him to act like that, but he didn't even give any advice.

Sadly, she knows better than to attempt to force an answer out of Jin, no matter how much she wants to be able to support her team, with even the scraps of information she might gain from the fortune teller.

And she absolutely doesn't want to let her juniors down. Especially not if they have invested this much energy into their strategy and training.

Usami has been studying up on Trion soldiers as much as she could, accompanying Osamu during his design process as much as she could to get a good idea of all the small quirks she should look out for, the same for all the general-use Trion soldiers the other teams are likely to use.

Osamu has trained with her so she can keep check of all the enemy Trion soldiers better, the two coming up with an organization strategy that allows everyone in their team to immediately get an overview about what kind of enemy they are about to face, by organizing them into general combat strategies.

But she doesn't know if that will be enough in this match. Azuma’s strategies are often hard to keep up with for operators, and Ninomiya and Kage both force her to make extra sure that everybody is in good positions, so as not to be cornered by them.

After asking Osamu, he has given her some of the scouting Trion soldiers as watchers, only she is using them, even if she can't give the instructions as the boy would, to at least take some pressure off his shoulders. 

The group's eyes snap towards the screen on the other side of the room, as it reveals the battle map for this match with the sound of a small chime.

“Urban Area B?” Osamu questions. “That feels far too basic for any member of Azuma squad to have chosen, so they probably have made some adjustments to the weather.” He theorizes, looking over the map.

He is silent for a moment before he gets an idea. “I would guess they might have chosen some flooding as the battle conditions. Any too harsh weather would make it harder for him to aim, but we can expect some light weather, since that is not enough to really hinder him.”

Yuma nods in agreement. “Should we make any quick adjustments to our triggers?”

“No, I think our current layout is still the best. A grasshopper would be useful for Chika and me, but we do not have enough practice with them to reliably use them in combat.” The engineer turns towards Usami. “I‘m sorry, but it might be especially stressful for you at the start to make adjustments to our Trion body settings.”

But she tries to give him her most confident look she can manage right now, trying not to make him even more nervous. “Leave it to me! And honestly, after our strategy in the forest, I kind of deserve that.” She says with a small laugh.

Osamu’s shoulders relax a bit as the group shares a small chuckle, until the timer announces the impending teleport, Yuma giving his teammates a wide grin. “Let's show them what we got!”

After one last shared smile, they disappear in a flash of energy, and Usami concentrates on the screen in front of her, the snow-filled city laid out in front of her.

Immediately, she turns to the visual settings for her team's Trion body, turning on the solar glare protection, so the snow doesn't blind them. Otherwise, it will be hard to prepare for Azuma’s snipes.

While she does, she takes a look at the positions of enemies, this time most people not yet wearing their Bagworms, the only ones who most likely do, are the snipers and Osamu, but Osamu quickly drops that as soon as he spots the necks of the Giraffe Trion soldiers through the eyes of his own Trion soldiers.

“Chika, don't move from your location. They have the long-range Sensors surrounding both of us, and I'm already in their range, so my Bagworm is useless, and you will be spotted as soon as you move away from the building you are in.” 

Luckily, the Giraffe Trion soldiers aren't really that mobile, so if they decide to move, Tamakoma will have enough time to react. And Chika didn't get the worst possible starting point, the building she is in gives her a reasonably good sniping point.

Osamu checks the colors of the Giraffe soldiers. “It seems all other teams have decided to take countermeasures against Azuma, just like us.” 

‘And against you.’ Usami thinks to herself. Not that Osamu would realize that with how much he still undervalues his own contribution. But Usami has heard how much the other teams are breaking their heads over facing him from her fellow operators.

But he is right about it being a counter-measure, because in the small moment between spawning in and their own sensor in the shape of the Foxes activating, Usami already managed to point out who she thinks is Ema by comparing the maps with and without Bagworms and the usual movement styles of the respective fighters.

But problematically, she has not located Azuma himself, the man seeming to have avoided all of Tamakoma’s sensors, and from the movements of Ninomiya squid and Kageura squad, the same counts for them.

Azuma usually stays relatively close to Okudera and Koarai, while Ema almost is a solo fighter in his own weird way, so once the man pops up on her radar, she will be able to identify him.

Inukai and Ninomiya are also easy to point out, because Tsuji wouldn't mess around at the start of the match like Inukai did, and Ninomiya is the only one who would walk this casually in a rank war match.

Both of them seem to also be gathering up their Trion soldiers, piling up their combat power.

But she isn't sure which one of the other two points is Okudera and Koarai, but she at least managed to identify them by their Grasshoppers.

‘And they are using them frequently. More than usual.’ “Azuma squad is moving fast. They want to use the initiative.”

But they don't seem to be gathering up Trion soldiers, probably using them more for support.

“Okay. I will get the Trion soldiers into position. Yuma, since Ninomiya is the closest to you, we will go with that plan. Chika, stay hidden for now, but fire at your own discretion.” Osamu says, when multiple streaks of light fly through the air.

Osamu quickly surrounds himself with his shield and Raygust as Kitazoe’s Meteors fall down all over the town, trying to get some early kills.

The explosion throws Osamu backward, but his shields manage to fully block it for now, and the boy quickly starts running as more Meteors fall down towards his previous location.

Unlike last time, the sky is free of Trion soldiers, no one wanting to create easy targets for Azuma, Ninomiya, Ema, and Chika. That only makes the streets even fuller of Trion soldiers, as proven by the many red dots littering the streets.

Osamu quickly starts running through the streets towards the direction where most of his Trion soldiers are located, while not having to cross paths with any opponents, but they seem to have other ideas.

“Osamu, Inukai, and one of Okudera or Koarai are getting closer to you,” Usami says as she inspects the map. “And some Trion soldiers, too. It’s pretty fast and uses the roofs.”

The radar makes it easy to distinguish human fighters from Trion soldiers, but Usami has to admit it's a lot more difficult to keep the increased number of pieces in mind without missing anything.

Osamu runs down the street, as he hears the crunch of snow behind him, and he doesn't even need to listen out for Usami’s warning, turning around and lifting his Raygust to stop the bullets sent at him from Inukai.

The blonde has his usual smile on his face as he chases after Osamu, never once stopping his barrage of bullets, so Osamu has to carefully move backward, allowing the gunner to gradually close the distance between the two.

“Sorry, Osamu. But I won't be letting you escape.” He says, sending out a Meteor bullet towards the engineer.

The engineer sends a scattershot of Asteroids its way to make the bullet explode prematurely, throwing up a large cloud of snow and dust, but Osamu immediately hides behind his Raygust again, and not a moment too late, as another volley of bullets comes flying through the cloud.

“Osamu!” Usami warns. “Trion soldiers from 2 and 9!” She says, and with barely a second to react, a pair of Tiger Trion soldiers come jumping out at Osamu, but before they can reach the boy, they are tackled out of the way by three of Osamu’s Foxes.

Osamu sends a concentrated Asteroid at the lower neck of one of the Tigers, aiming for its weakest spot, as one of his Foxes charges Inukai.

‘So they went with mobility and combat Trion soldiers in addition to the Giraffes. Tracking and chasing down is fitting for Ninomiya squad.’ But if that is all they have, he doesn't know.

Inukai keeps calm as the Trion soldier charges him, releasing a steady stream of bullets as the Fox tries its best to dodge, but in a narrow alley like this, with so much snow, it isn't easy, and it is whittled down by the attacks before it can reach the gunner.

But as it stumbles to the ground, its body flares up with one last wave of energy, opening its mouth and sending out a large blast of Trion.

Inukai quickly creates a shield as he sidesteps the blast, the bullet chipping the defense and leaving behind some very minor damage. More isn't possible with how low-investment Osamu made this last-ditch shot.

Inukai lets out a small laugh. “I never know what your Trion soldiers are going to do, Osamu. It's a surprise every time.” He says, but Osamu won't allow himself to be distracted by starting a conversation with Inukai.

Beside Osamu, his Fox has taken out one of the Tigers, but the other enemy Trion soldiers managed to free itself, jumping up to one of the roofs with its increased mobility, and as much as Osamu would like to take it out, it doesn't look like he has the chance to do so, as Koarai jumps in from the side with a Grasshopper.

Osamu lifts his Raygust over his head as he kneels down to the ground, his Fox flaring up with Trion, its spike-like fur shooting out like a shrapnel grenade, sending out shards of hardened Trion into the area, that force the enemies to block, giving Osamu just enough time to grab onto the Fox to mount it.

After the last match, he has made some adjustments to their ability to carry him, and while sending out the fur as an attack makes them less sturdy, it also lowers the weight enough for them to carry Osamu through the snow.

But it seems his enemies don't plan on letting him escape. Inukai sends out long-range bullets after him, while Koarai chases him over the roofs at an angle where Inukai wouldn't be able to shoot him without warning.

Osamu sends his other Fox he left behind at Inukai, so he has a second to form a composite bullet to shake them off, but the moment he does, Koarai throws something at him.

Osamu lifts his Raygust as he sends out another scattershot of Asteroids to destroy whatever that is before it can reach him, but the projectile is fast, and he only just catches a glimpse of the dragonfly-like Trion soldier before it blows up in a large blast of Trion.

The blast is enough to throw Osamu off his Fox, damaging the boy’s leg that wasn't behind the cover of the Raygust. He stumbles through the snow as Koarai jumps at him, but the Fox's automatic defense AI kicks in to keep the attacker at range by lashing out with its claws.

“Azuma squad is using custom Trion soldiers!” Osamu tells his team. “At minimum, ones that work like tracking explosive throwing weapons.” He tells his team as he stands up from the ground, but Koarai is already beside him.

Osamu raises his hand to create a Trion bullet, making Koarai throw up a shield to protect himself as he jumps towards Osamu, but not letting up on his aggression, though, unlike what he expected, the engineer keeps the Trion cube in his hand instead of shooting it.

Just before Koarai could reach Osamu, the swordsman suddenly changes direction and dodges back up the roofs with a Grasshopper, and not a moment too late as the Trion cube expands, shooting out into a large bubble like bullets, that create a barrier between the boys, before they slowly start to drift towards Koarai, buying Osamu a moment to scramble up from the ground and regain some distance.

Usami can't quite keep a proud smile on her face as she watches him run down the road as best as he can with only one leg, remembering how recently it seemed that he would have had no chance to escape from opponents like this.

‘But look at him now. He has really put his all into this. It is costing him a lot of Trion, but he is actually managing to stay alive against two opponents of this level.’ She thinks to herself, turning her attention to Yuma on the map.

He has quickly made his way through the streets, using his Grasshopper to gain mobility without leaving the line of buildings where he would be an easy target for Azuma, but it is costing him time.

And it certainly is not made any better by another opponent dropping their Bagworm right in front of him.

“I’m sorry, Osamu,” The white haired boy says, looking at Tsuji blocking his path. “Please hold out a while longer without me.”

The swordsman already has his blade ready, two Tiger Trion soldiers standing by his side, and without hesitation, he sends out a Senku arc at Yuma. 

The neighbor ducks under the blade as it flies over his head, creating a Grasshopper and sliding over the frozen ground as the Tigers jump at him.

But from the snow below, Yuma’s Scorpion suddenly comes shooting out, decapitating the first one and grappling onto it tightly like a claw.

Using the large Trion soldier as leverage to fling himself over the other, as it crashes into the ground where the neighbor just stood, it thrashes in the deep snow in an attempt to stand up again.

But the white haired boy doesn't have enough time to take it out before Tsuji jumps in, delivering a quick slash at the boy’s neck.

Before it can hit skin, a Scorpion blade sprouts from Yuma’s neck, and Tsuji can’t readjust fast enough for another attack when a Grasshopper appears where their blades meet, flinging the two apart from each other.

Tsuji crashes into the snow as Yuma whips out his Scorpion like he has seen Kage do, not losing momentum as he swings over to the Tiger, taking it out before it can react, and then immediately jumping back over to attack Tsuji.

Usami makes sure to look out for any Trion soldiers hiding in the area that could support Tsuji, because in a one-on-one like this, Yuma wouldn't lose, but if it were that easy to take out members of Ninomiya squad, they would not be the top of B rank.

From multiple blocks down, a dense bolt of Trion flies out from between the buildings, arcing through the sky and flying directly at Yuma, before suddenly splitting off into a swarm of Jaguar bullets, a composite bullet made from Asteroid and Hound.

Yuma uses a Grasshopper to dive between the houses for cover, the bullets chase after him, and only ducking behind a building at a very narrow angle finally makes them lose tracking, instead flying into the wall.

“Yuma, Ninomiya is getting closer to your location. He is going to close the path between you and Osamu.” Usami tells him, making the boy’s expression darken, and she knows why. Running away from Ninomiya, who charges up composite bullets, with Tsuji high on his tail, won't be possible. At least one of the two has to go, so the neighbor immediately rushes towards Tsuji again.

Or at least he plans to until Usami shouts out a warning. “Kageura squad is dropping in!” She shouts, a rain of Kitazoe’s Meteors dropping from the sky, ripping the buildings apart.

Yuma protects himself with a full guard, but keeps his eyes on the map, seeing how Kage catapults himself into the fight, using both his Scorpion and a Vulture Trion soldier, a unit built for scouting and mobility, strong enough to carry around people at high speeds.

Usami had seen Arafune squad use them after their loss against Tamakoma 2, outmaneuvering Yuba and shipping him down to win the match.

On top of that, Kage is accelerating its already high speed by pulling himself over the building, using his Mantis like a grappling hook.

And he isn't alone. On the radar, Yuma can already see a larger group of Trion soldiers following the captain.

Kageura might not have large Trion reserves like Ninomiya and Chika, but the total of his team is nothing to scoff at, especially since Nire has good Trion reserves for an operator, so the group they can gather is nothing to scoff at.

And just like Osamu had expected, it seems that their team intends to use them for rushdown tactics.

The Trion soldiers of Tamakoma 2 had some very bad starting positions in this match, most of them quite far out from the chaos, and in an aggressive match like this, it is especially bad. But by now, their Trion soldiers are slowly coming in.

They have also been picking off any Trion soldiers that they have come across, their battle AI designed so they can take out enemy Trion soldiers even when not individually controlled, which means the longer the fight drags on, the more it will be in Tamakoma’s favor.

If they survive that long, that is.

Kaguera lets out a laugh as he jumps into the chaos. “Sorry, Yuma, but on a map like this, you will only get more dangerous as time goes on. Besides, I really wanted to fight you like this!” He says as his Mantis flies around the area in unpredictable motions.

Yuma dodges the slashes as the enemy Trion soldiers rush him, but as soon as they get closer, they are shot backwards by Grasshopper panels hidden in the snow, throwing them at Kage.

The moment Kage moves to dodge them, Yuma rushes in for an attack. The captain moves to quickly retaliate when the Trion soldier behind him explodes, the teen not having noticed the Meteor knife sticking in its body.

Usami sends a quick look over to Osamu, seeing the boy run down the street, his Trion soldiers arriving just in time to keep away his chasers.

“Watch out! Okudera is coming in!” She warns as the swordsman jumps out of a building on the side of the street, sending out shards of glass flying at Osamu.

The boy suppresses the natural reflex to shut his eyes, knowing he doesn't have the time to do it in this situation, preparing for an attack.

Okudera swings his sword at the engineer, who meets it with his Raygust, the blade grinding against the shield and slowly cutting into the material, until Osamu lifts his weapon up higher, and before Okudera can think about what he is doing, he activates the thruster.

Instantly, the two are pulled and pushed towards the ground respectively, creating a small crater in the ground, as Okudera’s weapon pressed from the side, making the blade bend slightly under the force, but the programming of the trigger instantly shoots it full of Trion to alleviate the pressure.

Okudera and Osamu are flung apart by the shock as the Trion is released in a burst, but that doesn't stop Inukai and Koarai in their attack, sending out two finishing strikes at the downed Osamu.

But as they fly through the air, a roaring boom rushes over the town, a bright bolt of Trion flying over the houses and impacting between Osamu and his opponents, Chika’s cannon ripping apart the buildings.

It's nowhere near her full power, since it would have destroyed Osamu too. Even if it might have been a good trade if she were to take out three opponents alongside him, the engineer knows she wouldn't do that.

Osamu doesn't waste the moment she has bought, as he starts charging up a composite bullet as he runs away, but at the same time, he sends some orders to the Trion soldiers close to Chika, to help protect her now that her location has been confirmed.

‘I’m glad I made some additions so I can give out some simple orders mentally, even if it only allows nothing more than barebone strategies.’ 

Behind him, he hears the familiar sound of a Grasshopper, so without wasting a second looking back, he uses the composite bullet he was charging up, holding his hand above his head and making the Jaguar bullets burst out.

Koarai, who was trying to jump at him, lets out a startled yelp as the bullets fly at him from all sides at once, so he throws up full guard to block, Okudera adding in a shield too to protect his teammate.

The bullets collide with the shield from all sides, chipping at the barrier but not managing to break through it, before Koarai dives for cover to escape the barrage, using the narrow streets to his advantage.

As soon as the barrage stops, the two teammates dive in to take out Osamu, now that the composite bullet has run out, and he doesn't have time to create another one. But he didn't need to. After all, Osamu has already bought enough time.

From behind him, the sound of countless scuttling legs echoes through the streets, before in a burst of speed, Osamu’s Centipede Trion soldier rushes around the corner.

Koarai lets out a shocked sound as he and Okudera dodge away from the Centipede, its stinger-like tail piercing forward and leaving behind a crater where they stood, the Trion soldier protectively coiling around Osamu as he climbs on its back, inspecting his broken leg.

‘The Trion release has stopped already, but I’m basically out of Trion. I can't waste any more energy, or I will bail myself out from Trion loss before the match is over.’

He looks around the area, a concerned expression on his face. “Where is Inukai?” Osamu asks Usami, not daring to look away towards the map with Okudera and Koarai right in front of him.

“He split off the moment Chika shot, alongside all the Trion soldiers in the area, and he is rushing to her location right now.”

Osamu feels worry rise up his chest until the sniper raises her voice. “Leave it to me. I will take care of this. Besides, I have your Trion soldiers with me, remember?” She asks, and he sends out a small peek towards the screen, his large Anaconda beside her, staying close to her as it was supposed to. 

Osamu focuses back onto the opponents in front of him, the centipede lunging towards them and forcing them to dodge, but the moment they do, it lashes out with its tail, trying to hit them out of the air.

But the two are nimble, using their Grasshoppers to fly out of the way of the attack, dashing around the engineer and his mount.

As Osamu continues his attack, Usami turns her attention towards Inukai, tracking him on the map as he rushes towards Chika, using the Trion soldiers of his team as bait to slip past Tamakoma’s Trion soldiers.

Osamu is too preoccupied to give exact orders, but even so, the battle AI is still fierce. But against a human opponent, especially one as capable of playing tricks on his opponents as Inukai, it is not too hard to outmaneuver them.

‘And Ninomiya picking off any additional troops that could help slow Inukai down, doesn't help either.’

In that case, the automatic combat engagement protocols do more harm than good, but implementing a system that would recognize Ninomiya and avoid him would have been incredibly Trion-intensive to implement.

Right now, the top shooter is a bit busy, trying to both support Tsuji as well as reduce the number of enemy Trion soldiers, but it looks like he plans on supporting Tsuji directly as he is still moving towards his swordsman. After all, it's actually quite impressive that the boy survived this long while in a fight with Yuma and Kage.

That skirmish has been burning through the Trion soldiers of Ninomiya squad quite a bit, but their team has quite a lot of that to spend.

Osamu knows that too and has been trying to direct his Trion soldiers away from Ninomiya as much as he could from the moment his Centipede arrived to help fight off his opponents, but that fight is also taking up a lot of his concentration.

As Koarai dodges another attack, retreating back down the street, a frown appears on Osamu’s face. “They aren't trying to win. They are just trying to stall me. That means I shouldn't indulge them. These two are too good at dodging to make it worth the attempt.”

Osamu steers his Centipede to turn around towards the direction Inukai went, but the moment he does, suddenly Okudera and Koarai’s movements change.

The two jump forward with a Grasshopper, both pulling one of the small dragonfly Trion soldiers from under their clothing, launching them forward using their Grasshoppers.

They fly through the air at an incredible speed, diving low to the ground and trying to fly towards the Centipede's weak point.

Osamu quickly makes the Trion soldier dive low to the ground, as the dragonflies collide with its hard armor, but if Osamu hadn't taken control of the Centipede, the dragonflies would have hit the soft underside.

‘These things are dangerous, but they are still Trion soldiers, so they should still have been teleported in randomly. Did they collect as many of them as they could at the start of the match? But that means they will run out eventually. I just have to force them to use them up without leaving myself too open.’ “Chika, please hold out a bit longer.” He says, but Usami already sees that the girl doesn't plan on relying on her captain to take out Inukai.

The girl lifts her hand into the air as Inukai comes into her range, a large Trion cube appearing above her, as she looks down to the streets below, where the gunner is standing.

Usami sees a small twitch go through Inukai’s composed expression, as the giant Trion cube appears on top of the building, splitting off into dozens that each are still larger than anything a person with normal amounts of Trion could produce.

That is, until suddenly a sniper bullet comes flying over the buildings of the town.

Osamu’s Anaconda quickly tackles Chika, trying to fling her out of the way, but it's barely fast enough, Azuma’s bullet taking a chunk out of the girl's arm and severing the snake’s head.

A shocked expression appears on her face as the Trion cube above her misfires, streaking across the map and colliding with random buildings, and she barely has enough time to create a shield before Azuma’s next bullet hits her, the Ibis shaking against her guard, but it holds solid even against the force.

But it's not undamaged, cracks spreading through the shield, but she doesn't let herself hesitate and retaliates with an Ibis shot towards the direction Azuma attacked her from, still not revealed on the map.

The large bullet flies through the air, but before it can reach the ground, a Lighting bullet flies to the sky, hitting it in the air and causing it to explode prematurely, a shockwave running over the buildings, strong enough to shatter windows and melt the snow in the area.

Osamu sends a quick command to his Trion soldier to scout the location, but he barely has anything left in the area, Ninomiya’s cleaning out of the city block, and the aggression of the other teams greatly reducing his troops.

‘I don’t- I don’t have enough Trion soldiers for this.’ Normally, he would try to retreat and catch up with his teammates, but every single one is cornered by the other teams and fully separated from them. Even Yuma can't escape when it comes to Ninomiya’s Hornet bullets combined with Tsuji’s help.

And now that Chika has to focus on Azuma, Inukai is free to attack her again. Or it seems only mostly free, as a bullet flies over the buildings, the gunner only barely able to dodge as a chunk is blown out of his arm.

“That was Ema,” Usami confirms his thoughts. “He is west of you right now and would have had the chance to attack you, but it seems you aren't his focus right now.” He is actually quite far away, so firing at Inukai wasn't a logical decision, but she can imagine why the little sniper in love did it anyway.

Inukai immediately dives into a side alley to get out of the sniper’s path, but he doesn't head to take the boy out first, still focused on Chika.

Osamu takes a deep breath. If this is the situation, then he has to take things on the offensive. He won't let Okudera and Koarai stall him any longer.

“Yuma, Ninomiya joining in,” Usami warns the neighbor, giving him just enough time to prepare for the onslaught of bullets raining down on him and Kage.

The black haired captain sends a scowl towards Ninomiya. “Hey! Keep out of this! We were just coming to the best part!” But of course, he is ignored by the shooter, and instead of an answer, he gets another volley shot at his face, forcing him to quickly dodge out of the way.

Yuma uses that moment where Ninomiya focuses on another target to leap towards him with a Grasshopper, but Tsuji, the reliable support that he is, blocks the white-haired boy from reaching him.

But it seems that Yuma isn't the only one who saw a chance to attack, Kitazoe’s Meteors flying through the sky toward the top shooter, forcing him to block with a full guard.

The large explosion throws up debris into the air, creating large clouds of dust, but even through the dense cover, Yuma can see a sniper bullet fly over the building, aimed towards Kitazoe’s direction, and only moments later, the surprised gunner’s bailout is shining in the sky.

In the control room, Usami has both an impressed and concerned expression on her face. ‘Taking out Kitazoe in between sniping Chika’s bullets out of the air. Azuma really is something else.’

And he has to constantly be changing positions too, with the help of Trion soldiers, if Usami is guessing right from the speed. Likely the Ostrich that Osamu designed, since it has stealth properties, but it could also be a custom one like the dragonflies.

If only Chika were in range to use her Hound bullets, but from this distance, and she didn't train using them a lot, mostly focusing on using her sniper rifle for that.

Usami frowns as Inukai slips off the radar of Osamu’s Foxes, the Trion soldiers trying to chase after him stalled by the tigers of Ninomiya squad, but she is sure that he is still out for Chika.

She sees how Osamu turns towards Koarai, not hesitating to make the Centipede leap at him, showing more aggression than she has ever seen him with as he tries to pin down the attacker, another composite bullet already forming in his hand even as his Trion drops down towards dangerously low levels.

The members immediately form Grasshoppers below their feet to create distance, just like they did before, but what they don't expect is for the Centipede to jab its tail into the ground, using it as leverage to lash its head around to throw Osamu directly at the two attackers.

The two look shocked for a moment, but quickly compose themselves to take the shooter out, before he has a chance to attack, but it's already too late, and he releases the Jaguar bullet at them.

The cube splits into an incredible number of small shards that track down towards the boys, flying at them from all sides to force them into activating their full guards.

Osamu crashes into the street behind them, the snow only barely softening his fall, but the bullets in the air stay, releasing one after another in volleys so they keep Okudera and Koarai unable to change to their Grasshoppers.

Despite the situation, they react fast, Okudera trying to run for cover as Koarai tries to jump at Osamu himself as the engineer charges up another Trion bullet, when the Centipede leaps at him from the other side, pincers ripped open to catch the member of Azuma squad out of the air.

But Okudera quickly jumps out of the cover again with his blade raised, blocking the Centipede from reaching Osamu so Koarai can take him out before he can release another shower of bullets.

But instead of trying to dodge away from Koarai, Osamu swiftly steps toward him, lifting his Raygust above his head to clash with the swordsman's Kogetsu, as the bullet in Osamu’s hand starts to shift into a cone-like form, before he jabs it towards the attacker.

Koarai creates a shield to block it, but the bullet instantly breaks right through it, piercing into the blonde boy’s chest as he looks down at Osamu in shock.

Usami hears herself let out a cheer as Koarai’s Trion relay system is instantly shattered, flying up into the sky as he bails out.

‘He must have created another bullet with zero speed and range, with all the Trion put into power.’ It's not so different from why Yuba’s bullets are so dangerous.

Osamu quickly tries to stand up from the ground, stepping forward and charging up another Trion bullet in his hand, as he looks toward Okudera, when his legs lose balance under him, deep cracks running through them from overusing his Trion, and before he can think of a way to react a sniper bullet flies over the map, flying through the small opening between the buildings and ripping a large hole in his chest.

Instantly, his body shoots up into the sky too, his already low Trion not letting him remain even a second longer to maybe stop Okudera, so he has to watch as the swordsman quickly creates a Grasshopper to escape from the centipede.

Osamu drops into the bailout bed with a small huff, instantly jumping out and running over to the screen beside Usami, the girl staying focused on the screen in front of her.

But even then, he doesn't have any time to warn Chika when Inukai’s Trion is suddenly picked up by the radar right below her, having used her distraction of facing Azuma to get closer, and with a quick movement, the blonde swings himself up from the window below Chika.

The girl immediately drops her sniper to call up a Hound bullet, but unlike Osamu expects Inukai to do, he doesn't even throw up a shield, instead lowering his weapon away from her, spreading out his arms as if he is giving up.

The girl flinches away from the gesture, hesitating to release her bullets, and unlike her, Inukai doesn't hesitate, and with a practiced motion he pulls his assault rifle back up and shoots, the quick bullets flying through the air before she can gather herself again, ripping apart her body from the chest up.

Inukai gives her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but a fight is a fight. And the captain ordered me to take you out. I’m sure you will get over it someday, but right now, you won't be able to pull the trigger under these conditions.” He says, quickly ducking away as soon as he finishes avoiding Azuma’s bullet flying by his head, running back towards the exit of the building in a low stance.

Behind Osamu, he can hear Chika approach from her bailout bed, a guilty expression on her face. “I-I’m sorry. I couldn't-” She starts, so Osamu quickly catches her in a small hug.

“It's okay. You did great. Don't worry about it. But now we have to support Yuma as best we can.” Osamu says, returning to his seat, but even as he said that, his options are really limited.

What little Trion soldiers remain have switched to their automatic behavior, now that Osamu was knocked out, but they are still dangerous.

The Centipede is still close to Okudera, and it seems the boy is aware of how its automatic combat protocols work, sending some small attacks to it now and then to keep up its aggro, so it can't meet up with Yuma to join him in his fight.

Or at least that seems to have been the plan, until suddenly a bullet flies through the air, Ema seeing a chance for a point.

Okudera quickly turns around in an attempt to avoid the bullet, but it still blasts off his arm, the impact throwing him down from the roof into the street below with the Centipede, and the Trion soldier immediately tries to take the boy out.

Okudera dodges to the side, using a Grasshopper to avoid the Centipede’s stinger, but he doesn't have enough time to react when Ema releases another bullet, sniping the blonde out of the air.

‘Despite all the anti-stealth measures taken by the teams, the snipers are putting in good work.’ Osamu thinks, but a large part of that was their favorable starting positions.

Osamu turns towards the building Chika was in again, seeing Inukai slip out of the back, trying to rejoin the fight, but that won't be as easy as he is probably hoping for.

The Trion soldiers of Ninomiya squad might have successfully stalled those of Tamakoma to let the gunner through, but in a direct flight, the general-use versions don't stand a chance against Osamu’s invention.

And now all the enemies have gathered around the tower.

For a moment, Osamu thinks that maybe Inukai should have stayed in the building, but the Trion soldiers would have followed him there anyway. At least trying to rejoin the combat, he has a chance to survive the wave of Foxes.

Not a high chance though, as all the Foxes rush towards him.

Inukai sends out a barrage of bullets at the pack as he skids backwards, trying to hold them at bay as they lunge at him, some splitting off the group to encircle Inukai.

Ikukai slams his shield against the head of one Fox, shooting into its exposed stomach, but the moment he does, it explodes into a blast of spikes, the sharp Trion projectiles taking out one of his legs.

Inukai stumbles backwards and tries to reposition, when Ema takes another shot, having used the confusion to his advantage again.

Osamu frowns as Inkuai shoots up into the sky. Their team really needed that point, but since Ikukai was separated from all the other fighters anyway, there is a high chance he would have just lured the Foxes around for as long as possible before bailing out voluntarily.

This at least frees up Osamu’s Foxes.

Immediately the Foxes’ automatic tracing activates as they turn towards the direction the bullet came from, but seeing the distance to the sniper, the Foxes AI drops that possibility in favor of following their previous command set by Osamu, before he bailed out, making them turn towards the fight between Yuma, Kage and the two remaining members of Ninomiya squad.

Osamu really wishes he could give more exact commands right now, but this will have to be enough to help Yuma survive.

For now, Yuma is managing, but while Osamu was busy, his friend’s body has gained a number of chips, the Trion leakage adding up over time.

Kage has been using the Panther Trion soldiers well, using their stealth ability to attack his opponents in unfavorable positions, and then using the openings that were created in their defense. The automatic action isn't as strong as when they are directly controlled, but Raizo and Osamu worked together to make them as good as possible.

Ninomiya sends out a scattershot of bullets, Kage quickly dodging out of the way as his side effects warn him of the attack, but the Panthers aren't so lucky and are instantly shredded apart since they aren't as sturdy.

As Ninomiya releases another shot at Kage, trying to hit him out of the air, Yuma uses a Grasshopper to jump towards Tsuji, quickly leaping through the air and making Ninomiya turn towards him to protect his teammate.

But the shooter has just gathered the ire of Kage, the attacker lashing out at the man with his Mantis, forcing him to stop his attack in favor of creating a shield.

The neighbor doesn't think he can take out Ninomiya even with that delay in his barrage, at least not with Tsuji to guard him, so the black-haired boy is his target first. 

Yuma creates another Grasshopper to maneuver around the Trion soldiers covering the battlefield, using the cover of dust to hide among the chaos, but he isn't able to escape the eyes of his opponents.

Ninomiya sends out a Meteor towards Yuma as quickly as he man can, the bullet erupting in a blast of energy, but Yuma quickly creates a shield to defend himself, pulling in his limbs so he only has to create a small barrier with his already low Trion, but that means he gets thrown backwards from the shock, flung directly into a group of Kageura squad’s Panthers.

But the neighbor doesn't let that slow him down, shooting out a large Grasshopper panel toward the Trion soldiers. It instantly expands, large enough to fling most of them into the air directly at Tsuji, a shocked expression appearing on the black-haired boy’s face.

As the Panthers are thrown over the battlefield, their battle AI kicks in immediately as they get close to Tsuji, trying to bite and claw at him and forcing him into defense, and even then, one of the large felines manages to tear a large wound into his dominant arm.

Ninomiya quickly turns towards his surrounded teammate to support him, but the moment he does, one of the Foxes jumps out between the buildings and lunges at the shooter.

The man quickly turns around to take it out, blasting a hole into its stomach, but even as it shatters, its spiky fur shoots out and forces him to create a shield, to keep him distracted just a moment longer.

Yuma uses his Mantis blade like a grappling hook that grips onto Tsuji’s shield and pulls himself to the black-haired boy, whipping out with the blade at the boy.

Tsuji creates another shield to block it, but the moment it hits the barrier, the Mantis explodes, or more specifically, the small Meteor projectile that Yuma coiled his Mantis around, shattering the barrier.

The black haired boy dodges away from the neighbor as he tries to call up another shield, Yuma chasing after him and slashing out with his blade, but before the blade can hit, a large hole is suddenly blown into Tsuji’s chest.

Yuma’s eyes flash over to the direction Azuma’s shot came from, but he cannot spot the man himself. Even then, the boy quickly dodges to the side to avoid another bullet aimed at his head, extending his Mantis to the side of the building to pull himself out of the sniping path, when suddenly his arm is shattered by one of Ninomiya’s bullets.

Yuma tries to create another grasshopper, but before the Trion can even gather, another volley of bullets flies at him, ripping apart his body in less than a second.

Instantly, the boy’s Bailout activates, shooting up into the sky, and with the last member of Tamakoma 2 leaving the battlefield, the Trion soldiers cease to function too, the Centipede, which was only a street away from the fight, laying down on the ground.

Osamu still thinks that the Trion soldiers should continue working under these conditions, but this is what the higher-ups decided on, so as much as he would like to complain, nothing is going to change with that.

Kinuta says that it was decided to be handled that way, because the Trapper’s triggers also stop working under those conditions, but that just made Osamu think that they should have stayed too.

A room over, Yuma lands in the Bailout bed with a small huff, walking out to meet his team as he makes his usual duck face, but there is some frustration hidden under the expression that Osamu doesn't miss.

“I’m sorry. I couldn't earn a single point.” He says, getting a comforting smile from his teammates as they hear another explosion from the screen, turning their attention to it again as Ninomiya blows up the street with a Meteor, throwing up a dense cloud of dust.

Azuma immediately responds by sending out a couple of bullets over the battlefield, but not aimed at any of the fighters, but at the few remaining tracking Giraffe Trion soldiers littered over the city, before quickly slipping into the side alleys.

The members of Tamakoma watch silently as the match goes into a stalemate, the human fighter staying mostly stagnant as they use the Trion soldiers to search for their opponents, both Ninimiya and Kage not risking to continue their fight, with Azuma able to shoot them down at any moment.

Usami sends a look over to her teammates as the fight comes to an end, seeing their expressions fall even more as the final points are displayed on the screen, their loss now settling in fully.

For Usami herself, it's not the first large loss, having had many in her time when she was still a more inexperienced operator. 

To tell the truth, this isn't even a bad loss compared to some of her own. Just two points behind the winner isn't bad, and even outside of that, the round was a very low point one, not giving any team much of an advantage compared to the others.

Still, it seems to hit them just as hard as it hit her the first time. 

But she also knows they will get over it, just like she did all that time ago. After all, she knows very well how amazing her juniors are.

Chapter Text

Jin is waiting for the members of Tamakoma 2 back at base, feeling guilty like he always does when he watches bad events unfold.

But it's necessary. This one especially. He, of all people, knows that best. This loss will help his juniors grow for the future in a way that another victory could never have.

But to Jin that does not change the fact they lost. No, he even made them lose, carefully moving events around so the opposing teams have the highest possible chance of victory, and in the end, choosing the future where Azuma had the best possible positioning and combat environment to snipe nearly unimpeded, turned out to be the winning future. 

And of course, he made that decision without the agreement of his juniors. It wouldn't have worked out if he did.

A part of Jin knows that if Osamu and the others knew, they all would have agreed to it, but that part is currently drowned out by the guilt, already knowing the defeated looks the children will have on their faces when they arrive.

In the corner of the room, Hyuse has a deep frown on his face, with Yotaro by his side. The two are even ignoring the food laid out on the table for now.

The smaller boy looks up at Hyuse with big, wet eyes. “They fought so hard. They didn't deserve to lose.” He says with a quiver in his voice, making the blonde’s expression only darken more.

“Those opposing teams should not have had such a decisive victory.” He eventually says. “The reason things worked out in their favor was pure luck. It does not properly reflect the actual power of the teams. This was closer to a three-on-one match than what these rank war matches are intended to be.”

Hyuse lets out another scoff. “I know how Osamu’s plans were laid out. It could really not have gone worse. Considering the circumstances, they did reasonably well.”

Yotaro nods in agreement, even if Jin is pretty sure the boy didn't actually know what's going on. Don't get Jin wrong, Yotaro has a very good understanding of battle strategy for his age, but he is still a small child.

‘I guess his genes are really shining through in that area.’ 

The click of the front door catches Jin's attention again, and the four members of Tamakoma 2 step inside the room.

Yotaro separates from Hyuse and runs up to the new arrivals, throwing himself at Osamu’s leg, the young captain looking the worst out of all of them.

“You fought amazingly.” The kid says with a small sob. “Don't feel bad.” He adds, and while Jin knows that it helps, it won't be enough to stop Osamu from basically drowning himself in guilt until he collapses to sleep today.

No matter which timeline Jin has seen, Osamu is always empathetic, always has a kind soul, no matter how cruel and harsh the world has been to him, and always takes on all responsibility for every single mistake that is happening around him.

But at the same time, he is relentless, and every fall only makes him grow stronger.

It's something that Jin admires no matter how many times he sees it. 

“Thank you, Yotaro,” Osamu says, eventually, gently patting the boy’s head to stop the tears from flowing. 

The boy tries to give Osamu a confident-looking nod. “You deserve some good food after a hard fight like that. Let's eat.” He decides, dragging the taller boy towards the table.

Osamu doesn't exactly look happy about the idea of eating right now, even with the rest of his team sitting down around him, but he at the very least takes a handful of bites, which means that it is one of the better futures Jin saw.

The engineer’s eyes are downcast, but eventually he raises his voice, every word dripping with guilt. 

“I'm sorry. If I had made better plans, we could have won.” He says into the otherwise silent room. “If I had just accounted for more possibilities, things wouldn't have turned out this way.”

From the side, Chika pulls a bit on his jacket, making the boy look towards her as she shakes her head.

“No, I'm sorry. I thought I managed to overcome my fear of shooting people, but when Inukai stood in front of me, I couldn't pull the trigger. I'm sorry that you couldn't rely on me, even if I said you could.”

Beside them, Yuma lets out a small huff of air. “I let myself get pinned down far too long. I should have worked on getting away from Ninnomiya more. It's not your fault that I couldn't follow the plans you set up for me.” 

He stands up from his chair so he can reach Osamu’s hair, wildly ruffling it to the captain's visible surprise. “So don't get caught up in only your mistakes. We all made them, and we can't change that now.”

Besides them, Usami also nods in agreement. “I should have kept a better eye on the opponents, too. I should have noticed that they were aiming to meet up with their mobile Trion soldiers to reposition.”

Yuma nods in agreement. “Besides, if you say everything is your fault, that makes it sound like our actions didn't actually make any difference. We made choices, too, so it's also our fault.”

Osamu doesn't exactly look convinced, but at least some of the tension has left his shoulders. “Sorry.”

Yuma playfully pokes his captain’s arm. “What did we say about always apologising?” He asks, making the other boy stutter while the rest let out some small laughs. “Besides, we just have to win the next matches. This rank war season is far from over. We can still make it to the top.”

That brings some determination back into Osamu’s eyes, giving his team a small nod. “You are right. I just have to try harder next time.” He decides, his hands clenched under the table.

For a moment, it looks like his teammates want to remind him that it's not his fault, but in the end, they just give him a determined nod, or a determined grin in Yuma’s case.

“We will show them what we can do. Next time we fight, they won't stand a chance.”

_______________

Hyuse is standing in the training room with the members of Tamakoma 2, waiting for their practice to begin.

He isn't doing so because he wants to see them train, no, it's simply because he has nothing else to do, and being a prisoner of war is surprisingly boring once you get used to it.

(A part of him knows he only has the pleasure of being bored because his captors are treating him as well as they do, but he would never admit that out loud. Especially not to Jin.)

He looks down at the Trion body they have given him, a standard B rank one built by Osamu.

For the cheap materials it's made from, it is good work, but it comes nowhere close to the ones from Aftokrator. That would be impossible to achieve with Border's limited resources.

Still, it will work well enough, and it only strengthens Hyuse’s opinion that an engineer like Osamu should be kept safe, instead of being sent to the battlefield. 

On the other hand, Hyuse cannot deny the fact that there were situations in his past where having an engineer on the front line would have been very helpful. Still, those tasks could be done by more expandable engineers. 

Yuma turns towards Hyuse with an excited look. “Have you gotten a feel for the sword?” He asks, getting a nod in return.

“As much as I can in such a short time. It is not on the same quality as even training swords in Aftokrator, but it will do.”

To be honest, he has been missing the fact that he couldn't train recently. It made him feel restless, and that is the only reason he agreed to help Yuma spar and Osamu test his Trion soldiers. 

Yuma gives him one last grin before flying towards Hyuse with a Grasshopper, the triggers Border agents use by now a bit more familiar to the blonde. 

He quickly raises his sword to block Yuma’s Scorpion, the blade whipping around in hard-to-predict motions, taking all of Hyuse's concentration to stop.

If there is one thing Border has done well, then that is using their limited resources well. Hyuse is sure that if they had more time, they would have long surpassed most nations in the neighborhood. 

Hyuse grinds his sword against Yuma’s Scorpion, trying to reduce its durability while he has the chance. 

The Kogetsu doesn't lie in his hand as comfortably, and it's not his Lambiris, but Hyuse was trained personally by Viza.

He thrusts the blade forward, forcing Yuma to jump back, but he doesn't give Hyuse a moment to recover, immediately leaping back into combat

Yuma isn't using his more complex triggers for now, trying to keep things level with Hyuse, who isn’t used to the multilayered Border triggers.

That is, in Hyuse's opinion, the most dangerous aspect of Border’s triggers, the varied combinations they can use.

He might not like to admit it, but if a person knows which model of an Aftokrator trigger you are using, they will have a good overview of your abilities. But with Border, you can never be sure if your opponent just recently changed their layout. At least usually not until it is too late.

Hyuse sends out a small shower of Asteroid bullets at Yuma, trying to pin him down and deliver a fatal strike with his sword, but the boy retaliates with a couple of throwing daggers.

The move is relatively Trion-intensive to use, but it’s well worth the cost, and Hyuse quickly has to throw up a sturdy shield to protect himself. 

Because the Scorpion knives will not be blocked by a simple Asteroid, and a single shield won't block the Meteor hidden among them, if Yuma decides to do so.

Osamu said he got the inspiration for this from that shooter named Ninomiya, both the alteration of the Trion bullets and the battle strategy of forcing the opponent into basically a no win situation, so you can gain the initiative.

And use the initiative Yuma does, his Scorpion digging through the ground while Hyuse is distracted and cleanly slashing off his lower half, making him crash to the ground, the training room declaring the match as his loss.

Hyuse lets out a huff of air as his lower half reforms, again having to admit to himself that the Meeden technology does have some useful aspects to it. Back in Aftokrator, training would be over for him now.

“This time it is your victory. Another round.” 

“In a moment,” Osamu says from the side, sending the two a smile. “Hyuse, I would like you to test out some of the battle AI I have set for the Trion soldiers while Yuma can test out if the Spider strings are best for him in the way I laid them out here.”

The blonde neighbor gives him a nod while Yuma leaps over the simulated city block littered with Spider strings, the new trigger Osamu has started trying out.

For the last hours, they have been testing out what density, as well as string strength and elasticity, would be best so Yuma can use them better, while costing Osamu less Trion.

After their recent loss, Osamu has been desperately trying to improve his own fighting ability. 

Hyuse might not be the best at reading people, but despite how much Osamu tries, he is an open book as soon as he is away from strangers and enemies and with his friend. When Hyuse was added to that category, he didn't know, but he is unsure how to feel about it.

But Hyuse is sure that once Aftokrator captures Meeden (because, of course, they will, sooner or later), he will make sure that Osamu is added to his house of Ellin. The same counts for the other members of Tamakoma, with the exception of Jin. Mira’s house can have him for all Hyuse cares.

Sadly, Osamu’s progress is not especially impressive, but that is to be expected. After all, the engineer does not have much time nor an innate advantage like Chika’s monstrous Trion supply that would make even Aftocrator royalty with their horns already implanted jealous.

For the short timeframe, Osamu has been doing well enough in Hyuse's opinion. 

He watches as Osamu’s Trion soldiers go into motion, this time it seems to be based on an animal called a sloth, according to Osamu, but Hyuse does find the name highly ironic with how quickly the creature strikes out with its long, clawed arms.

Apparently, the real animal’s arms are not as long, but Hyuse understands the decision to add more length. It gave the construct an enormous range, as well as an increase in the force of each strike if given the time to properly swing its limbs, almost like whips.

Hyuse blocks the limbs as they alternate between slashing and piercing strikes without a rhythm he could destingusísh, forcing him to constantly change the way he is blocking and evading the attacks.

But even if it is stronger than something like a Marmod, there still are openings in the attacks for him to see, so after a wide swipe he dodges under the long arm, creating a concentrated shield to block the followup stab, the claw sliding off of it as it leaves behind a deep gash on its surface.

Hyuse pierces his sword forward towards its core when he hears an unusual movement behind his back, and he knows better than to ignore it when facing one of Osamu’s creations, and he turns his head around just in time to see the arm of the sloth retract, pulling it in at incredible speed.

Hyuse quickly throws up his sword and shield, knowing he won’t be fast enough to dodge, but as the arm crashes into him, he manages to divert the force of the attack, making it slide off his defense, buying him just enough time to deliver the final strike.

Hyuse lets out a huff of air as the Trion soldier falls to the ground, unable to move, but he still takes one last step back to create some distance between himself and the Trion soldier, just in case. Hyuse’s last confrontations with Osamu’s Trion soldiers have taught him that even if they’re down, it might not be over.

Osamu’s way to implement feints and traps into every bit of design always forces Hyuse to give even normal Trion soldiers his full attention, lest he risk taking damage. It somehow reminds him of his training with Viza back home.

“They work fine,” Hyuse tells Osamu after a moment of consideration. “I do not know how much Trion it would demand to implement, but in their current form, it would be possible to hinder the Trion soldier if it were to appear in less open environments. It might be possible to implement an algorithm that makes them attempt to lure their target into open spaces.”

Osamu gives Hyuse a grateful nod. “That's a good idea. I will look into it. Thank you, Hyuse.” He says before turning to Yuma’s direction. “How does this version of the Spider strings feel?”

“Hm, I think I liked version seven more. These ones have better bounciness and grip, but they twist too much when I land on them at an angle.”

“Ok. I think I should manage to get the twisty attributes out without losing the elasticity. Give me a moment.” Osamu says as he sits down on one of the debris from the previous spars, immediately focusing on his laptop again.

Hyuse knows that the captain will not come out of that state until he has finished whatever he is working on. One time, Yotaro actually managed to put an orange on the engineer’s head without him noticing.

The blonde turns to Yuma again. “Do you want another spar?” He asks, even if he is pretty sure he already knows the answer, a battle-ready grin appearing on the white haired boy's face, and he doesn't even say a single word before his blades come flying at Hyuse again.

Yuma’s open love for battling might not be acceptable in Aftokrator’s high court, but Hyuse doesn't mind.

After all, he is always up for a good fight. 

_______________

It is deep in the night as Yuma sits in his bed, just resting his mind for a moment as he organizes his thoughts, just like he did with Replika when his chaperone was still there.

Yuma misses him, and he constantly still finds himself searching for the Trion soldier, only to then remember he isn't here anymore.

And especially right now, the neighbor would like to have Replika’s support after today’s loss.

Yuma knows that his friends would never see it this way, but the terrible loss this time around was his fault. He promised to be the team's frontline, but he didn't manage to support even a single one of his teammates. 

Quite the opposite, even, forcing Osamu to send his limited Trion soldiers to support Yuma.

‘I underestimated my opponents.’ He decides eventually. Simple as that. He should have prepared more ways to avoid being cornered by them.

It was a rookie mistake, and Yuma will not allow himself to let his teammates down like this again, so he will have to train harder to make up for the difference.

He steps out of his room into the hallways when he hears a click of the door coming from the direction of the stairs that lead up to the roof, instantly catching the neighbor’s attention. And he already has a feeling he knows who it is.

The white haired boy sneaks up towards the roof, footsteps barely making any sounds on the wooden floor until he reaches the door, quietly opening it to reveal Osamu standing on the roof, looking up towards the stars shining above, a dejected expression on his face.

Yuma opens the door wide, making sure that it creaks so he doesn't startle his captain, making the engineer turn around as Yuma gives him a small smile. “Couldn't sleep?”

“I just couldn't get the match out of my head,” Osamu admits after a moment, eyes locked onto the ground, unable to look up to his friend.

“Yuma, do you think I made the wrong choice when I shared all those Trion soldier designs with the other teams?” Osamu asks after a while, not meeting his friend's eyes. “I promised Chika to get her to the top. I promised you. And now all of those have become obstacles in our way.”

He balls his hands into fists in frustration. “If it wasn't for that, we could have won. I should have-” Osamu rambles one when he suddenly feels something hit the top of his head, nothing more than a small tap, but it's enough to shock him out of his spiraling thoughts, and he looks up at Yuma, who gives him a fond smile.

“Relax. I know it's your first real loss. Those ones always hurt and make it feel like the ground is crumbling out under your feet. That's completely normal.”

The neighbor sits down beside his captain, giving him a wide grin. “I can't even remember how many times I lost in my life. How many times my dad had to save me from fights that I messed up so badly, there was no way I could have pulled them back in my favor. But there is always one important thing I took back from those situations. Experience.”

He gives Osamu a serious look. “This is the first match we lost, and it will not be the last. We will lose time and time again, but every time we do, it will make us stronger in the long run. That's what the rank wars were made for after all.”

Osamu is silent for a moment, eyes falling down towards the ground, until Yuma gives him a playful shove with his shoulder.

“And I think you didn’t make a mistake with giving the other teams the Trion soldiers. I know many of them will now be used by the opponents too, but I have seen how many you still have saved up.”

“But those are the weird ones that don't conform to the design restrictions the HQ has set upon us. They would never be permitted for use in combat.” Something that even affects units like the twin-headed gargoyle from the invasion.

Yuma gives him a grin. “You are right. Those are the ones that HQ didn't give you permission for. But then again, we aren't in HQ anymore, are we?” He says, making Osamu’s face morph into shock, before he lets out a loud, bone-deep sigh.

“Jin absolutely knew that too, didn't he?” Osamu asks, even though he is sure he already knows the answer to that.

“Oh, I bet he does. He was probably just waiting for us to figure it out for ourselves. I bet all the permission documents for you to use your other Trion soldiers are already fully filled out in Rindo’s office.” Yuma says with a small laugh. “And even if they weren’t, I know you would find another way anyway. After all, you are my one and only captain.”

Osamu sends him a grateful smile, and Yuma ignores the small glimmer of happy tears in the engineer’s eyes, taking in a deep breath as Yuma can practically see how the tension bleeds out of him.

“See? There is the Osamu I know.” Yuma says happily, making the other let out a small laugh. 

“I’m sorry it took so long, and thank you, Yuma.” He says, getting a nod from his teammate, before the neighbor suddenly grabs him, lifting him off the ground from under his arms like an oversized cat.

“Good, then now that that is resolved, you are going to sleep. And if you say no, I’m going to sic both Chika and Kinuchika at you.” Yuma threatens him, making his captain let out a small laugh as he is carried down into his room.

______________

Even if Osamu’s role as a combat engineer gives him less of the work he used to do while he was still a full-time engineer, he still has to do them in the time when fighters are assigned patrols and training.

But even if he is forced to do some jobs, he usually has a wide range of choices of what he wants to do, especially when it comes to taking personal requests. Because of that, he can usually take those that benefit him at the same time.

Usually, that is just small things like Trion circuit design since he is still trying to optimize Chika’s triggers for her enormous amounts of Trion, but on days like today, things can be a bit more unique.

“Can you switch off the trigger again?” He asks, and Kazama quickly uncloaks in front of him again, giving Osamu a passive look.

Besides them, Kikuchihara let out another grumble, the boy still leaning his head against the simulated rubble of the training room.

“Do we really have to do it that often? What change does it even make?” He complains loudly, making a dissatisfied sound.

It is true that Osamu has made them change in and out of the trigger again and again, but he has a good reason for it. “It's because every single one of you actually uses them a bit differently.” Turning around his laptop to show them to the team members, revealing three vaguely humanoid shapes on the screen that are surrounded by a lot of arrows depicting the Trion flow.

Triggers take control of most of the Trion usage, but a bit still remains up to the user. ‘Though the exact amount depends on the trigger. A gunner trigger leaves far less work to the user than a shooter trigger or even a Senku.’

Chameleon might not be one of the oldest triggers, but it does have some age on it, and the last change done to them was a while ago, when special Trion body add-ons were developed to make the Trion consumption of it less high.

It is visible in the green, lens-like spots that Kazama squad has on their uniforms, helping the light refraction do their work.

When Osamu first worked with the Chameleon, he wondered why the process wasn't entirely automated, but it became pretty clear very soon. 

“The calculations for where the light should be refracted are up to the user’s subconscious. Otherwise, the trigger would have to calculate every change in posture, which would skyrocket the Trion cost.” Osamu explains, Kukuchihara looking not particularly interested in the explanation, but Utagava actually seemed quite intrigued by it.

“Kazama is using it the best, more or less evenly distributing the Trion from each part of his body. Kikuchihara and Utagava release it from more focused spots and then let it flow out like malestromes and blankets respectively. Each of those methods has its advantages, and I’m trying a way to combine the best attributes.”

The engineer gives the team a smile. “If it works out, you will stay at least partially cloaked for a very small moment even after you drop the Chameleon.” He says, greatly enjoying the excitement that appears in the other’s expressions.

It will really not be for long, not even close to a second, but every single one of them knows how much of a difference even a blink of a moment can make in combat.

“Well?” Kikuchara pushes, sounding at least a little bit interested. “How would you do that?”

“I would basically try to implement Kazama’s consistent release with your efficient Trion retention and add Utagava’s more solid hold onto it. Since the process of the calculation will use up a bit of the Trion gained by the changes, the cost will sadly not be reduced by too much.”

Osamu considers it for a moment. “Actually, I could make a more plain version of the trigger with only minimal adjustments that would reduce the cost by a more notable amount, something between five and twenty percent, but it wouldn’t have the lingering cloak. It is your choice which version you would prefer.”

Kazama takes on a considering expression, his teammates doing the same, each one weighing their options, quietly discussing among themselves, visibly having problems coming to a conclusion.

Osamu considers the situation for a moment before he gathers their attention by clearing his throat.

“If you want, I can build both versions. It shouldn't be too much extra work on my end.”

Utagawa gives Osamu a happy smile. “Thank you. Now you are essentially giving us two trigger upgrades for the price of one. I know R&D has been busy lately.”

“Don't worry about it. It's not like you can use both at the same time. But maybe this is enough preparation, so we could combine the two versions once we find some fitting technology in the neighborhood during the next away mission.”

The last one, before the Aftorator invasion, where Tachikawa squad had to leave Osamu back at home, wasn't the most successful in terms of combat triggers, but Kinuta was very happy how it helped him solidify the walls of the base for a lower cost.

Osamu actually used the same method of efficiently solidifying Trion in the armoring of some of his Trion soldiers.

Kikuchihara gives Osamu a sharp look, tensing in the way that the engineer recognizes as focusing on a side effect. “Are you really sure you should be giving us this much? What if we make Tachikawa squad lose?”

Osamu lets out a small chuckle. “Captain doesn't mind. If you were to win against him, it would be because you are better, so he wouldn't have a reason to complain. Besides, he needs some more motivation.” He gives them another smile, this one sharper in the way Izumi’s usually is. “And that's only IF you can win, of course.”

Kazama gives the boy a barely noticeable smirk as Kikuchikara bristles at the challenge, before narrowing his eyes at Osamu. “You will see.” He says and jumps off, and disappears behind one of the ruins of the training room.

Utagawa just sends an amused look after him, before turning to Osamu again after a moment of waiting. “So, any guesses on how long it will take to create? Do you think you will finish it in the next handful of days?”

“It should not take too long. I might be able to complete it by then, but I can't make promises.” 

Kazama acknowledges it with a nod. “Do not force yourself. You have a match coming up after all. … Or did you take on this job to get some closer experience with Chameleon triggers? Katori squad uses them, after all.”

“Among other things,” Osamu admits. “I have already seen some of Katori squad's logs, and I don't think I should make plans for facing an opponent similar to you. Katori squad’s strategy seems a bit more … straightforward.”

Utagawa lets out a small huff. “That's one way to say it. Katori doesn't exactly let her team follow any other strategy. I’m pretty sure she doesn't mean it in a bad way, but that doesn't make the situation in her team any better.”

Osamu acknowledges that with a small nod, but he isn't exactly sure if he believes the all-rounder. What little contact the engineer had with Katori didn't really make him think of her as a pleasant person, after all.

Kazama brings his attention back to the Chameleon by sending another look at the diagrams on screen. “Do you need us to do any more tests? If necessary, I can call back Kikuchihara. He isn't actually as offended as he might appear to be. He was actually in quite a good mood.”

“No, that should be enough for today. If I need any more scans, I will contact you, but otherwise I will probably only call you when the first draft is out.”

“If you are sure. Then, unless you want to ask something else, we will no longer bother you.”

Osamu gives the A rank a small smile. “I should be the one saying that. Today you are meeting with Reiji, Raizo, and Suwa again, right? I won't hold you up any longer.”

Kazama keeps his expression professionally blank, completely in opposition to the pictures Osamu has seen of one of the nights out that is only an hour away. “Then let us not linger any longer. I wish you a good evening.” He says as he leaves the room. Utagawa and Osamu share a small smile before they follow after the man.

Osamu just wonders how drunk Reiji will be this time around.

Chapter Text

“Raizo! Enedora! It's good to see you again,” Osamu says as he steps into his fellow engineer’s lab, Enedroa sitting beside him on the table as they let a movie play on the screen, or more specifically, the credits rolling as it comes to an end.

“Ah, Osamu and the white haired shorty. I thought you would be busy with the approaching attack.”

Osamu tilts his head in confusion while Yuma just nods. “I had a feeling something like that was happening. Jin was acting weird again, and Utagawa was urgent with the request for the Chameleon upgrade. But the executives didn't tell us anything.”

Enedora lets out a small hiss, and while his face obviously cannot change, Osamu can almost imagine the frown on it.

“Ah, I guess higher-ups are the same wherever you go. Restricting information to control the crowd better. Well, I don't care what they want to do, so I will tell you that another nation will attack Meeden soon. Probably Galopoula. But I don't know what your leaders are planning.”

Osamu gives him a grateful nod. “Thanks for the info. I will look into it.” Now that he knows what he is searching for, he can probably figure out what Kido is planning this time. 

But he can understand why this wasn't announced like before. Right now, Border is trying to gather as much goodwill as possible to finance the upgrades to the expedition ship, and making people feel safe is a good basis for that.

Raizo looks unbothered that the information was revealed, but he never really cared for what the higher-ups think. And since he wasn't the one who spilled, he didn't actually break any rules.

The chief engineer gives Osamu a small nod. “Maybe ask some of the other agents. They might know something. Anyway, thanks for the help with the stabilizers on the ship. You really managed to compress their size and weight down a lot.”

“Is not a problem. I’m just glad I could help. You told me Enedora was willing to give us a rundown of Aftokrator’s current situation?” Osamu asks. 

After spending more time with Hyuse, Osamu got curious about his home in Aftokrator, but the blonde isn't willing to share anything out of worry that it could be used against his home country, so he decided to try his luck with Enedora. Not only was he willing to talk to them so far, but he was also very high up the ladder, so he would probably get more information from him.

The neighbor in question gives him a small nod. “Well, I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well. Listen well. I’m only going to explain this once.”

And explain he does, and he even answers the additional questions Osamu asks on the topic, even if he loudly complains every time he does.

His explanation about the houses in Aftokrator gave Osamu a good insight into some of the things he was interested in, as well as how Hyuse was acting.

As Enedora starts giving them a rundown of the intent of the invasion, Osamu raises a question. “With all the forces sent out to search for replacements for the Mother trigger, wouldn't that leave Aftocrator pretty defenseless?”

“Yes, multiple black trigger users were sent out, but they mostly came from his own house and their allies. The other family stayed back to guard Aftokrator. Hyrein really took some risks with this, which is unusual for him. I wonder if he is really just planning to take over Aftokrator, or if that is just the beginning of a bigger plan. You can never know with that asshole.”

He lets out a sigh. “Who knows, maybe he also didn't just choose the head of house Ellin for their high Trion. But I never cared for that, so I don't know.” 

That isn't really surprising to Osamu, the same situation having happened before. Still, the closer look at the political situation gave him more than enough to think about anyway.

“Thank you for your help with this. I hope the updates for the Rad that I handed over to Raizo worked out well? They are already implemented, right?” Osamu asks.

He has been making some small attachments to add to the Rad Enedora’s horns were added to, making sure it stays stable but also having the side effect, that the neighbor now doesn't have to be turned into standby as often.

“Yeah. It gave me a good half hour between resting periods. Should be good enough for now,” Enedora says, raising his tail to show the attachment where the small device is located. “But if you have any more improvements, just hand them over.”

The pair only stayed a bit longer after that, making their way back up from the R&D department’s room to the usual area, Yuma sending his captain a curious look.

“You are researching a lot about Aftokrator. Are you actually trying to recruit Hyuse into our team?”

“Well, it's what Jin seems to think is the right thing to do,” Because from how Hyuse is treated, and how Jin made sure Tamakoma 2 spends time with the blonde, there really isn't much of a different explanation. “And Hyuse himself isn't a bad guy, even if I would like it if he weren't so loyal to the enemies.”

At the very least, Hyuse is honest. To a fault, even. So Osamu doesn't have to worry about the neighbor stabbing him in the back. At least not while they are in Meeden.

Yuma lets out a curious hum. “You think that will actually work? I mean, it's Jin we are talking about, but still, the higher-ups are going to have a big problem with that.”

“It's not going to be easy,” Osamu admits. “And Hyuse doesn't seem to be very enthusiastic about it either, so for now it's out of the question even if we manage to convince the higher-ups. … How would the situation be handled in the average neighborhood country? If someone was captured, I mean.”

Yuma seems to think it over for a moment. “Normally, Hyuse would be added to the troops eventually, but he is so vocal about trying to escape and return to our current enemies that it wouldn't be acceptable in the neighborhood either. Most likely, he would have been seen as a lost cause and cut apart so the captors could study his horns.”

Osamu tries to push that image out of his head, but he cannot exactly say that he doesn't see the reason why someone would do that. After all, Border did the same with Enedora’s corpse, even if he was already dead at that point.

To distract himself from the topic, Osamu takes a look at his phone. Chika hasn't sent a message yet, so it seems she is going to spend a bit more time with Ema.

Ema was a bit nervous at first, feeling guilty that Tamakoma 2 lost the match, but Chika made sure to assure him he didn't need to feel guilty for it.

“Since Chika doesn't want to go back to the base, do you want to fight a bit in the solo rank war rooms?”

“No. Not today. I have some personal training I want to do first. Can you set up some Spider strings for me in the training room?”

“Of course. I wanted to train in that area too. And with you there, I can try out some of the Trion soldiers from last time.”

A grin appears on Yuma’s face. “I really hope you manage to finish them before the next match. That one will be fun to use.” 

The two boys quickly leave the HQ to return to Tamakoma 2, or at least that's the plan until they hear a familiar voice from the side.

“Hey! Osamu! Yuma!” Kai calls out as he runs towards the pair, waving enthusiastically.

“Kai! It's good to see you. How have you been?” Osamu says with a smile on his face, looking around for the other members of Ikoma squad, but coming up empty.

“The others are in another patrol group right now. I think there is a big meeting happening right now, so we were split up a bit. But Teruya and Kashio are very fun to be around too!” He says, gesturing behind himself to the two said temporary teammates.

Kashio gives Osamu and Yuma a polite bow, with Teruya doing the same. “It's good to see you again, Osamu-sensei.” She says, making the boy let out an awkward sound at the way he is addressed.

Kai curiously tilts his head at her. “Osamu has been teaching you? I didn't know that.”

She gives Kai a small nod. “He has given me and Tomoe some lessons on Trion soldiers. The lesson plans he made for us made it really easy to understand.  It's better than most professionally made school books I have been given over my life. Our lessons were brief but very helpful.”

Kashio nods in agreement. “Kurauchi thinks so too, and for some of the basic information that I need, they were very helpful too.”

Osamu blushes a bit at the praise, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don't need to exaggerate. It's not that amazing. It still needs to be refined a lot more.”

Teruya doesn't seem to agree, but instead of pushing, she just lets out a fond chuckle, her hand hiding her mouth. “You are just like Captain Kakizaki in that way. But I have to insist that your advice was very helpful.”

Kai nods enthusiastically, turning to Teruya. “Your team has done really well in the last match! The middle and upper B rank matches are much more interesting than ever before!” He says happily.

A proud smile blooms on her face as she hears the praise. “We have been doing our best to adapt to the recent changes, and while it is still a lot, it is also a very interesting aspect to keep in mind. But now we will have to excuse ourselves for our patrol in sector C.”

“We are going in the same direction,” Osamu says. “If you want to, we can tag along and talk a bit longer.” 

The three younger members give Yuma and Osamu a happy nod as they leave base together, Kai talking enthusiastically as they walk, though there is some uncertainty on his face.

“Osamu, are you really sure we can use the triggers you built against you?” He asks, worried about that again now that it is likely that they will meet in combat.

Osamu just gives him a smile. “Like I said before, do not worry about it. It's not that different from the teams using the Trion soldiers. In the end, it's just another reason for us to improve.” He says, sending a small look over to Yuma.

His teammate sends him a grin, playfully bumping his fist into Osamu’s shoulder.

Teruya watches the exchange with a smile on her face, before her expression turns more serious again. “Osamu-sensei, I am grateful for what you taught me, but that does not mean I will hold anything back during our match either. I will be coming at you with full force.”

Osamu gives her a determined look. “I would not have it any other way.”

___________

Orkan climbs down the ladder of the ship, the sturdy soles of his boots clinking against the metal bars as he enters the small command room.

It really is a bit too cramped to properly live up to the title, but it is enough. It's not like they have the Trion to spare.

He sends Gatlin, Yomi, and Wen So a small nod as he sits down on one of the storage chests they are using as chairs, as only a minimum of actual furniture was brought along on the journey.

The teen takes another look at the screen in front of them, the estimated time of arrival at Meeden’s border slowly ticking down, less than a day away now.

From the entrance of the room, up the ladder, Orkan hears Reghi’s voice, complaining like he often does, but somehow the sound has by now become so common it's almost a comfortable noise that just melds into the background. When he stops complaining, then you know things are bad.

“For Rhodokhroun to just skip out on this attack. Who do they think they are?” He grumbles loudly with a deep glare on his face, but Orkan doesn't let himself be bothered by the sharpness in his voice, just sending a blonde a small look, because he knows Koskero would just ignore the boy, which would make him even more annoyed.

“I’m sure they have their reasons. They always had a pretty huge lack of manpower after all. And they sent us quite a lot of Trion soldiers in compensation.” He says, showing the blonde the large list of eggs in their storage.

“300?!” Reghi shouts in surprise as he sees the screen, Wen So also looking surprised, a curious expression on her face.

“Those dogs might be relatively cheap, but that is still quite many units. It must have cost a lot of Trion. I wonder what things are going on on their side that they think this is the right decision.” She questions out loud, as Reghi sits down beside her.

Gatlin gives the last two to arrive a small nod as his face turns more serious again, starting with the meeting proper.

“I assume all of you have read the orders from Aftokrator to hinder Meeden as much as possible, with a focus on dealing enough damage to their facilities to keep them from attacking the Holy Land, as well as make them easier to capture in any invasions in the future.” He explains.

Orkan sees an angry frown appear on Reghi’s face that he feels for himself, after all, that is the exact same strategy Aftocrator used when capturing their homeland.

‘And now we are being used to do the same to others.’ 

But what can they do against it? Aftokrator has nearly full control of their nation, keeping a tight hand on any Trion engineers and production facilities, and even suppressing their Mother Trigger. Even if Galopoula tried to rebel, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Yomi types something on his tablet to make a replica of the Meeden base appear on the table, silent as he usually is, but Gatlin is used to that and just continues his explanation.

“I have decided that we will launch a direct and focused attack on the Meeden headquarters, using the resources we have to quickly deal a lot of damage while they have as little preparation as possible.”

They don't think Meeden has the technology to spot ships in their orbit, that being quite some advanced tech that is not widely available and also costs a lot of Trion, but one can never be too sure.

But Reghi has a questioning look on his face. “Why are we only attacking the base? Wouldn't it be better if we attacked the city to split up their troops? We could also try to bolster our numbers, you know. I heard Meeden is some really easy picking.”

Wen So lets out a small huff. “If they really were, do you think that base would still be standing after Afto sent four black trigger users at them?” She asks Reghi, the boy instantly shuts his mouth and looks to the side.

But Koskero seems to agree with Reghi, too, sending Gatlin a questioning look. “You know, we don't have a lot of trigger users. And we will need them in the future.” ‘For our freedom,’ he doesn't say, but everybody hears it anyway.

That has been the underlying idea in their heads for years now. Right now, their orbit is close to Aftokrator, but they are slowly drifting apart. They just have to wait for the right moment to strike, and for that, they need to gather as much power as they can.

“Rata, what do you think of this?” Gatlin asks, and by now, Orkan responds to the name without thinking about it. In the beginning, he nearly threw his cover multiple times because he didn't.

Orkan thinks it over for a moment before shaking his head. “No. I don't think we should be doing anything that would switch Meeden’s ire from Aftokrator to us. After all, they are a serious enough threat that Aftokrator felt it was worth using resources to stall them.”