It was the next as Ritsuka, Anis, Marian and Rapi were in the training room, being tested by Ingrid again; this time, even Ritsuka was using the Ai Chip, which this time he didn't use to make Plans.
This time trying it himself, he remembers the battle in the Singularity, the different battles he was in, he remembers the Servant he led with Mash.
In a way, this was still a bit, just change a few things.
Ritsuka looked to his left, his Ai Chip Scanning. "Rapi, 4 O Clocks".
Rapi nodded, frying a short from her sniper. "Yes, Commander".
The bullet hit the fake Rapture in the core, and the Simulation sparked. As Ritsuka looked at Mariam she nodded and fired as well
Marian's shots were clean and controlled—her aim and reaction speed were sharp as always. Ritsuka watched the rhythm of their team play out. Anis covered their right flank, wildly energetic but never missing a beat, her shotgun keeping the simulated enemies at bay.
"Marian, your 2 o'clock. Small-type closing in," Ritsuka called out, instinctively adjusting to the flow.
"Got it," she responded, almost amused by how natural he sounded giving orders.
Ingrid, watching from the observation deck, had her arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed not in criticism, but curiosity. "He's adapting faster than expected.."
The simulation ended with a flash of red and a loud buzzer.
[SIMULATION COMPLETE – 92% EFFECTIVENESS]
Anis stretched, grinning. "Not bad, Commander. Might just make a real soldier out of you."
Ritsuka laughed softly, wiping some sweat. "You make it sound like I wasn't already one."
Rapi tilted her head slightly. "Maybe you were."
Ingrid walked in from the upper doors, clapping once. "You're improving. Good. Because that was the last test. You're heading out—your first real mission starts now."
Ritsuka blinked. "Already?"
Ingrid nodded, tossing him a small data card. "Coordinates. Details are classified until you reach the surface. Andersen's orders."
Marian frowned slightly. "Above ground? That fast?"
Anis let out a whistle. "Damn, they are throwing you into the fire."
Ingrid looked at Ritsuka with a sharp edge. "Don't die, rookie. The Ark doesn't refund Commanders."
Ritsuka caught the card, standing straight. "Wouldn't be the first hellhole I've walked into."
He looked to his team. "Gear up. Let's show them what we can do."
After a while, Ritsuka got the Mission Details as he told the girls
Anis looked at him as she spoke. "Investigate the Power station? The one in the coastal city".
Ritsuka looked at her as he spoke. "Seems so".
Rapi looked around as she spoke. "Is this the whole team?".
Anis just stepped her foot down in frustration, as she spoke. "I can't believe this. We go to hell for them, and not even a thank you".
Marian looked as she spoke. "Well, I got used to it".
Thomas looked at them as he spoke in his head. "I guess that is just how the Military works; I guess Nobu, Okita and Ushi weren't lying".
Rapi looked at Ritsuka as he spoke. "Who's the assigned Commander ?".
Ritsuka looked at them as he spoke. "That would be me".
Rapi spoke, confused "What?!"
Anis looked as she spoke. "This is different. What are they up to?".
Ritsuka looked at them as he spoke. "Is this not normal?".
Marian looked at Ritsuka as she shook her head. "No, this rarely happens".
Rapi then decided to give more insight to Ritsuka. "They never assign the same commander to a Nikke Squad Multiple times in a row".
Marian then continues. "It usually leads to infighting, and then the team falling apart. That's why they have enforced this rule".
Anis then continues. "Sometimes you have Commander executing Nikke on the Spot and the other way Around".
Ritsuka looked at the girls as he spoke. "That feels, inhumane".
Anis looked at him as she spoke. "Us Nikke aren't Human".
There was a silence after Anis' words. A cold one, that settled between them like fog.
Ritsuka stared at her, then at the others—Marian, calm but distant, and Rapi, her usual neutrality now laced with something unspoken.
He stepped forward, voice steady but firm. "You may not be called human, but you fight, bleed, cry, and laugh like one. To me, that's enough."
Anis blinked, taken aback. Rapi's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Marian quietly looked away.
Ritsuka continued. "I don't care what the Ark says. I'm your Commander, but I'm not your superior. We're a team. We fight together, or not at all."
Anis gave a faint scoff, but there was a twitch at the edge of her lips. "You say that now, but wait till HQ hangs you out to dry."
Ritsuka smirked. "Been there. Done that. Still standing."
Marian finally spoke. "Then let's hope you stay standing. We've seen too many falls."
Rapi nodded. "If you're serious… then we'll follow you."
The mood lifted—just slightly.
As the girls began to gather their gear, Ritsuka turned slightly, looking out the glass window at the massive hangar bay ahead. This wasn't Chaldea. But the stakes, the hearts at play—they were just as real.
And this time, he thought, I'm not letting anyone fall without a fight.
Shifty Holographic image then came up. "So, are you all done".
Anis takes a step back on Stardiliment. Gah! You scared me! Where did you come from?".
Shifty looked at them as she spoke. "Don't ask how I keep doing this; you will never get that answer. Ju. Justw I heard a new mission, an,d I came to help".
Ritsuka just shrugged as he spoke. "So, is this everyone".
Shifty then spoke. "Nope, one more".
They then heard the door open, and coming in was a girl, she had green eyes, fair skin, a machine gun on her back, and white hair, with a hair clip and ribbon on the back, she wore sailor heels and Leggings that looked it fused with the Heel's and Gloves
[Insert image of Neon]
Neon looked at them as she spoke. "Hi, I am Neon"
Rapi looked at her, and she spoke in a confused voice. "A Nikke from Elysion?".
Neon nodded as she smiled and spoke. "Yup, I told you to take part in this investigation; nice to meet all of you".
Ritsuka looked as he spoke. "Nice to meet you too".
Rapi looked at the Shifty screen as she spoke. "You knew about this".
Shifty then spoke. "Yup, I got transferred Notice about this".
Rapi looked at Ritsuka as she spoke. "Commander did you know about this?".
Ritsuka looked at her as he spoke. "Nun. At all; she is new to me as well".
Marian then went a bit closer to Ritsuka as she spoke. "That's a bit odd".
Anis looked at her sceptically. "Why would you suddenly add another member? Something is not right. What type of Nikke are you?".
Neon looked at them as she fumbled and spoke. "I.. um.. yes, I am a spy".
"Huh"
Neon then continues. "My Boss Ingrid indurated me to do my utmost in assisting you and then report back to her. This is what a spy does you know?".
Anis just tilted her head. "I guess so".
Neon then spoke in excitement. "I always wanted to be a spy, I will do my best working with everyone"
Ritsuka chuckled as he spoke in his mind. "She reminds me of something, or will a lot of people".
Anis looked at Shifty as she spoke. "This better not bite us back in the ass".
After a while, they arrived on that surface.
Neon looked around as she spoke. "Wow, this is the surface".
Anis smirked at her like a big sister as she spoke. "First time being on the surface".
Neon nodded as she spoke. "Yup, the air compression is the same, but the sky is beautiful; things seem so much more lively".
Ritsuka looked at her as he spoke. "It was more before the Rapture as well".
Rapi looked at him as she spoke. "The database does say that Green Forest, beautiful Sea, Clean air, and whatever Mountain are"
Ritsuka blinked at that last part. "Not even gonna question that last part".
Anis chuckled. "Trust me, Commander, you do not want to look into some of the stuff the database skips over. It's like trying to understand how Neon's heels work."
Neon looked down at her feet. "Hey! My heels are very efficient! And stylish!"
Marian smiled slightly, her gaze scanning the horizon. "Still… being on the surface again, it's different. More real than in simulations."
The coastal city lay ahead, its buildings partially swallowed by nature and rust, the ocean breeze carrying the scent of salt and decay. Broken signs flapped in the wind, and distant gull cries echoed—a ghost of the world that once was.
Ritsuka took a step forward, hand resting near his weapon out of habit. "Stay alert. The mission is still an investigation—but that doesn't mean we're safe."
Neon raised her hand. "So, what exactly are we looking for again?"
Rapi answered, her tone sharp. "A malfunction in the power station's core. Unusual energy spikes. The kind that makes command nervous."
Anis sighed. "Which means either Raptures are squatting in there… or something worse."
Ritsuka's gaze narrowed at the ruined skyline. "Then let's move. Keep formation. If we're lucky, we'll be out before sundown."
The team nodded, falling into their assigned positions as they began moving through the broken streets of the surface city, unaware that eyes were already watching from the shadows.
Ritsuka spoke in his mind. "Ai Chip".
Buzz!
[Checking]
Buzz!
[Something Located, in one the abandoned Building, no leaving, non Robotic]
Ritsuka spoke in his head. "Not a Rapture".
Ritsuka started to move, and as he did, Marian was the first to follow him, Ritsuka then saw a broken destroyed building, with grass growing over it, with gun marks and old burn marks, As Ritsuka slid down a bit, he looked around
His AI chip Scanned again; as he found it, he walked up to it and grabbed it, as it was covered by grass and a few more things. He pulled and stepped back as Marian caught him from falling.
He then started to remove the grass and dust from it, now it resemblance a Sword, a Futuristic but still a sword, maybe a Katana, but was there, Ritsuka looked at the sword, he looked at the hilt, as he saw Trigger he bullied and bullet cane out, that went straight to a wall, and broke to a bit
Buzz!
[Analysing Sword]
Buzz!
[Analysis Complete]
[Weapon Name: "Tachi-Class Mk-Zero"
Type: Hybrid Weapon – Katana + Ballistic
Origin: Unknown
Age: 94 Years
Last User: Unregistered
Condition: 67% Functional
Repair Suggested
Core Battery: Empty
Mystic Trace: Faint Presence Detected]
Ritsuka stared at the blade, his expression slowly shifting to surprise. Mystic trace? It was faint, but familiar in a way. Something that tickled the back of his mind, like the kind of presence a Servant might have once left behind.
Marian tilted her head. "That's not a Nuclear weapon. Nor military. Where did this even come from?"
Ritsuka held the katana up, the sun glinting off the dulled metal. "It's old. Before the Ark, I think. And the bullet it fired—wasn't a regular round. It had… force."
Marian narrowed her eyes, stepping closer. "You're saying someone made a sword that can shoot kinetic rounds and left behind a magical residue?"
Ritsuka nodded. "It's possible this belonged to someone like me… or someone I used to know." His voice dropped at the end, thoughtful. "Maybe someone from Chaldea."
Marian blinked. "Chaldea? Is that your old base?"
Ritsuka smiled faintly. "Something like that."
Before Marian could press further, a faint static passed through everyone's comms.
BZZZ—Rapture activity detected—Sector 3B—Approaching fast.
Rapi's voice cut in. "Commander! We've got movement coming in fast from the west!"
Ritsuka sheathed the damaged katana, slinging it over his shoulder with a practised motion. "Let's move. We'll have to analyze it later."
Marian gave a quick nod. "Understood."
As they regrouped with the others, Anis whistled. "Nice toy, Commander. Find anything else down there? Like an old tank or a lost spaceship?"
Neon raised her hand cheerfully. "Oh! If he finds a spaceship, can I fly it?"
Ritsuka smiled. "Let's deal with what's coming first. Then we'll talk spaceships."
The squad took formation again, the sun beginning to dip just slightly over the ruined horizon—shadows growing long as the Raptures began to close in.
Ritsuka looked at the 4 Girls as he spoke. "You, all know what to do, Rapi take close to Me, your better at long rage, Marian and Neon take your left and right respectively, Anis cover Rapi".
The girls snapped to attention with a mix of professionalism and familiarity.
"Understood, Commander!" they replied in near unison.
Rapi immediately moved into position beside Ritsuka, her rifle clicking into place as she calibrated the scope. "Targets: 250 meters and closing. Looks like mid-class Raptures—armored, but nothing too heavy yet."
Marian adjusted her energy rifle, moving to Ritsuka's left flank. "I'll cover this angle. Try not to get surrounded."
Neon bounced slightly on her heels, surprisingly energetic. "Got the right! Don't worry, I may be new, but I'm a pretty good shot!"
Anis let out a smirk as she loaded her grenade launcher. "I'll make sure none of those bastards get too close. Let's give them hell, Commander."
Ritsuka took one deep breath, then opened the mental connection through his AI chip.
[Tactical Mode Engaged]
[Enemy Count: 12+]
[Terrain Advantage: Minimal]
[High-Ground Opportunity: 30 meters northeast—accessible]
He glanced briefly toward the higher rubble, then focused. "We hold them here. Watch for flankers. If they breach the line, fallback to the overpass ruins at my signal."
The wind grew still for a moment.
Then—
SKREEEEE!!
The screech of the Raptures echoed over the cracked terrain.
Dozens of red eyes gleamed through the dust clouds, mechanical limbs skittering like insects as they charged across the ruined street.
Ritsuka raised his hand. "Engage!"
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy