"Tch. Civilian efficiency is inversely proportional to intelligence, apparently," Levi grumbled to Riku at one point, wiping sweat from his brow. "Takes them an hour to pack what takes me five minutes. But they're trying. That Blondie Two though..." He nodded towards Honami. "She's sharp. Processing information and giving orders faster than Erwin after waking up from bed. Don't know what her 'skill' is, but it's not useless." A rare compliment, delivered in typical Levi fashion.
Riku and Igris: The Impossible Transfer
While Levi drove the physical packing and Honami orchestrated the logistics, Riku became the silent, impossible core of the evacuation. He moved through the village, accompanied by the visible (to him, Levi, and Honami) form of Igris, identifying the absolute essentials designated by Honami and the elders that simply could not be left behind.
The large, cumbersome generator they had just built. Weeks of labor, representing their technological leap. Riku touched it, a mental command issued to the System. [Inventory: Store Generator]. A shimmer, and the entire structure, too large and heavy for any conventional transport, vanished. A small 'Generator (1)' icon appeared in his Inventory interface.
The village's ancient records, brittle scrolls detailing their history, their knowledge of herbs, their maps of the surrounding (now dangerous) lands. [Inventory: Store Records Box]. Gone.
Large quantities of essential dried foods, concentrated medical herbs gathered by Erina, critical components of the dismantled telescope. [Inventory: Store Food Supplies (5m³)], [Inventory: Store Medical Herbs (2m³)], [Inventory: Store Telescope Components (3m³)]. Shimmer, vanish, icons populate the Inventory.
This was the marvel. The impossible made possible. Riku's figure, moving through the frantic villagers, occasionally touching a large crate or a bundle of irreplaceable items, and seeing them disappear into thin air, was a silent, bewildering spectacle for Honami and Levi, who understood the mechanics, and an unseen, almost magical act for the villagers who would only see the items gone when they returned to their huts.
Riku knew that explaining about these will be a pain in the ass, but there's no way he can be ignorant in this situation.
Igris was Riku's executive arm in this. When Riku needed something massive moved, when a path needed clearing instantly, when a critical bundle needed to be at the head of the marching column kilometers away in moments – Igris was there. The crimson knight moved like a phantom, lifting immense weights, dissolving obstacles with spectral force, covering vast distances in the blink of an eye to drop off an inventoried item Riku retrieved, then returning instantly. He was the impossible speed needed to meet the impossible deadline.
The relentless clock in Riku's vision, the one indicating "1 Day, 18 Hours, 43 Minutes..." pressed down on him. Every item stored was a moment saved, a burden lifted from weary human shoulders.
Erina, despite the chaos, brought a singular focus to her task. Guided by Honami's urgent directives, she oversaw the collection and packing of all medical supplies. Her knowledge from her world allowed her to quickly identify the most critical items, ensuring bandages, antiseptic herbs, and any painkillers were prioritized. She packed them with a meticulousness that belied the frantic pace, organizing them for quick access, her elegant hands moving with surprising efficiency. While not directing the broader chaos, her contained focus ensured that a vital piece of the village's survival was handled with precision.
As the first hints of dawn touched the sky, painting the eastern horizon in pale grey, the village was a scene of desperate, incomplete readiness. Piles of abandoned possessions lay scattered – cherished heirlooms, unnecessary tools, furniture that couldn't be moved. But the vital bags were packed, slung over shoulders, clutched in weary hands. Children, bundled against the morning chill, whimpered or stared wide-eyed at the scene.
Levi, a figure of grim authority, stood at the head of the main column, scouts fanning out ahead. Honami, positioned near the center, spoke quietly with Couronne, confirming the marching order, her expression calm, resolute. Riku stood near the rear, Igris a silent, imposing presence beside him, ready for the rapid shuttle of inventoried items and obstacle clearing.
The System clock in Riku's vision glared: "1 Day, 15 Hours, 02 Minutes..."
"Move!" Levi's sharp command cut through the morning quiet.
The first group of villagers, guided by determined scouts and pushed by Levi's unwavering presence, began to shuffle forward, leaving behind the only home they had ever known. The impossible exodus had begun. The air filled with the soft thud of feet on earth, the quiet cries of children, and the heavy weight of two thousand lives racing against a clock set by a cruel, unseen entity. Riku watched them go, his gaze fixed on the path ahead, his hand resting on the spot where Igris's card now lay, the silent promise of impossible strength against an impossible deadline.
The crisp morning air, once a symbol of a fresh start, now felt thin and brittle, charged with the silent urgency of the impossible. Below the ridge, the village, their home, was bleeding its life force onto the forest floor – a shuffling, anxious column of two thousand souls. Children cried softly, their fear a tangible thing in the pre-dawn gloom. Elders stumbled, leaning heavily on younger arms. The familiar scent of woodsmoke was replaced by the sharp tang of fear and the earthy smell of disturbed soil. The clock in Riku's vision glared: 1 Day, 15 Hours, 02 Minutes...
Levi was a whirlwind of contained fury at the head of the column. His voice, sharp and relentless, cut through the quiet despair. "Move! Don't stop! Keep the line tight! Faster! You! Help the elder! No straggling!" He was everywhere at once, barking orders, physically pushing villagers who faltered, his compact form radiating an aura of pure, unadulterated drive that somehow, miraculously, kept the panicked exodus from dissolving into complete chaos. Scouts, their faces grim, flanked the column, eyes wide and wary, scanning the oppressive darkness of the woods.
Honami, positioned near the center of the main body, was a serene eye in the storm. While Levi handled the raw, physical push, she was the brain, the nervous system of the moving village. Using charcoal on scraps of hide, she constantly updated scouts with route adjustments based on terrain reports, redirected villagers carrying unbalanced loads, organized impromptu rest stops that lasted precisely sixty seconds, and spoke in low, calm tones to groups on the verge of collapse, her composure a strange, anchoring force.
"Maintain pace," she instructed a group of panting carriers, her voice gentle but firm. "Conserve energy on the inclines. Hydrate at the next stream point – marked on your map. Two minutes." Her sapphire eyes missed nothing – a limping child, a carrier struggling with their load, a scout signaling a potential obstacle ahead. Her logistical genius, honed in a world of rigorous academic planning, was now the invisible framework holding their desperate flight together.
Riku moved along the column's flank, accompanied by Igris's silent, crimson form, a mobile command center and impossible transport hub. His Inventory was constantly in use. A villager stumbled, dropping a crucial bag of seeds – [Inventory: Store Seeds], a shimmer, the bag vanished, Riku retrieved it instantly, handing it back with a quiet nod. A section of the path was blocked by a fallen tree too large to move conventionally – [Inventory: Store Fallen Tree Section], vanished, path cleared in seconds.
"Igris," Riku commanded, his voice low, accessing the System's capabilities through his loyal knight. "Take this to the head of the column. Supplies for the scouts." He retrieved a bundle of dried meat and water skins from his Inventory. Igris shimmered, vanished, and reappeared moments later at Levi's side kilometers ahead, dropping the supplies before returning to Riku's flank. He was the ultimate express delivery service, teleporting critical resources where they were needed most.
The sun finally clawed its way over the horizon, painting the eastern sky in hues of bruised purple and fiery orange. But the dawn brought no warmth, only stark visibility to their desperate vulnerability. As the column wound its way through a narrow, rocky pass, the scouts ahead signaled danger. A low, guttural growl echoed from the shadows of the rocks.
Levi immediately broke from the head of the column, sprinting towards the sound, his swords appearing in his hands with a whisper of steel. "Threat detected! Honami, halt the column! Riku, Igris, on me!"
Riku was already moving. "Igris, protect the column's front flank! Do not let anything break the line!" Igris shimmered, vanishing to intercept the unseen threat.
As Riku reached Levi, the scout who had signaled the alarm scrambled back, eyes wide with terror. "S-shadow creatures, Captain! Like the fairy described! Fast! And… and they drain the warmth!"
Three figures emerged from the rocks – gaunt, shadowy forms that seemed to absorb the morning light, their eyes glowing with a malevolent, sickly green luminescence. They moved with disturbing speed, their limbs elongated and unnatural, claws dripping with a dark, viscous fluid. The air around them felt colder, stealing the heat from Riku's skin.
"Levi!" Riku shouted, drawing Black March. The needle-thin blade felt strangely light, humming with a subtle, waiting power. "Their description matches the fairies' 'unwelcome visitors'! They're drawn by the Bloom's energy, or maybe just our movement!"
The creatures lunged, their movements a blur. Levi met the first with blinding speed, his blades a silver flash. He was a dervish of controlled violence, ducking, weaving, his ODM gear providing small bursts of mobility even on the uneven ground. Steel grated on something impossibly hard as he deflected a claw strike, fluid spraying from the wound he inflicted.
The second creature bypassed Levi, making straight for Riku. Before it could close the distance, levi shot the hook on a tree trunk behind, moved back in a lightning speed and slayed the creature.