’Again I go... Did I have a dream?’ The blonde knitted her brows; the last thing she rembered was pressing the button and bidding Asobi goodbye.
Jotou sighed, getting ready for another day—another chance at ending all of this mayhem. ’Probably didn’t have a dream.’ She could recall nothing else after the mont of when she pressed that button.
’Stop overthinking it.’ Jotou brushed aside, rising from her bed and pushing the sheets aside. A small smile she turned with to a brunette with a purple headband.
Fuko sat at the side of the bed, removing the strands of hair stuck to her face. Jotou took a breath, a soft smile still worn, "Morning."
"Mm... Morning," Fuko grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
’I wonder.’
Jotou watched as Fuko winced, wrinkling her brows tight as she grunted holding her head, "Gah..."
"ko? What’s wrong?" Jotou threw the sheets aside and strode over to the brunette’s bed.
"It feels like soone’s poking a hundred needles into my head and rolling a boulder over it," Fuko shook her head, trying to ease her mind. Jotou let out a groan.
Fuko cald herself down and peered up at the blonde, "Why? You have a headache too?"
"No. But it’s getting much, much worse..."
"Getting worse?"
_
"You’re serious? That’s the reason for the headaches?" Fuko queried.
"All of our headaches... You’re telling us we died multiple tis?" Hotaru glanced to the blonde.
"And, my magic can put on a show to hurt people?" Asobi’s eyes softened; the news of them dying did not sit well with her.
Jotou nodded, "I need to talk to all of you separately." Jotou smiled a little, "Don’t worry. I have a plan and enough intel—I hope. We have a few little trips to make."
Four breakfasts around the table, Aviv interrupting, the morning filled with the sa faces again, the carriages parked in the sa positions. Every last detail, including the tank Jotou added.
The people all around them seed to be in sour moods. A veterinarian had co to visit the horses and horsaroaches that seed sickly. Even the food had beco edible as opposed to delicious.
They found themselves inside, hours going by as Jotou talked to each one of them privately once more, not skipping any detail. Once more, their interactions were just as similar as last ti.
They all gathered in Jotou and Fuko’s room again. "I know none of you have any mory of this, but I hope telling you at least could make a fake mory of it."
"I can see all of it now!" Asobi brought her wand out, forming the light into the various scenes Jotou described.
"We don’t need to go through all of it again," Fuko snarked.
"A tank is what ended Fuko and I?" Hotaru’s ears folded, "The vehicle Mayor Gestryle told us about?"
"Exactly that."
"Jotou, do you think I could learn all those cool, awe-inspiring spells again?" Asobi’s legs shook.
"I’m not sure how, but you could do it when you’re happy and entertaining people I believe."
"So, you want us to go to that grass border and get whatever notes the past, us, left behind?" Hotaru repeated to make sure.
"Not yet. I’ve thought of a list of things we need to do in order. We do that after eting the minister," Jotou plotted.
"And the more tis we reset, the worse the consequences?" Fuko held a hand to her chin.
"Yes. The device can’t be used twice. It records and reverts; and it reverts as many tis as it needs. The only way to turn it off is to destroy it.
If we lose, the battalion will invade Hartamat after destroying the device, so no chances to reset after that. The entire experint is the ti loops and trying to change Trailon’s outco. It’s what I ant by it’s getting worse."
"And getting worse for everyone in the rogue battalion. Assuming they’re resetting like us," Fuko added.
"I can’t say for certain, but last ti there were less soldiers than the ti before that. It could an many soldiers were down; but how it went from two hundred to four is still a mystery.
I thought about intercepting the ssenger who would arrive to Major Schroeder today, but that would lead to nowhere useful," Jotou shook her head.
"Okay, let’s go see this minister then."
"I hope you believe ," Jotou smirked.
Hotaru’s tail swayed, "Jotou, of course I do."
"I can tell you guys the rest of the plan on the way, but before that, can we have a little fun?" the blonde shifted her bangs.
"Fun!?" Asobi hopped up.
_
"Who bothers at this hour?"
"Sir, the, Thundering Blade and her companions," the guard in full chainmail and a polearm relayed.
"What!?"
_
The three walked out the area of the minister’s office, to be t by a shadow that appeared. Fuko kept low, despite no guard being nearby.
Her hair cut shorter and tied into twin-tails, wearing clothes bought for her in their little outing. She held a briefcase and so docunts. A smug grin upon the brunette’s face, "Got it."
_
"I see a tall border of grass," Aviv relayed through the little door.
Asobi poked her hand out, shaping her fingers like a sock puppet, "Thank you! Jotou says we should stop by a tree," Asobi moved her fingers like a mouth.
"The zebras, they’re gone..." Jotou tried to spot in the distance.
"Maybe they...?" Fuko tried to look as well, "You know..."
"Poor things," Hotaru’s ears folded over her head.
"How’s everyone doing now? The headaches and all," Jotou faced them.
"Doing great!" Asobi threw her wand up to make an invisible do.
"The headache’s died down and I don’t feel the heat too much now. I’d still like proper enchanted clothing, hmph," Fuko grumbled.
"You’ll get one soon detective, don’t worry," Jotou rolled her eyes. The grass inwards brushed the sa height from before against them, whilst the taller grass appeared maybe quarter of an inch taller.
Jotou pointed out where all four of their notes were. They reeled them in like fishing rods to find a note attached to each. "Don’t throw them away. Put the string back on and toss it back," Jotou pursed her lips, "Just in case."
_
"Cheesewisk, the na of your cat, right?" Both the first lieutenant and the major glanced up, Fuko stifling a giggle to the na.
Their travel docunts sat on his desk, placed by Hotaru—the first day having gone by.
"I didn’t need any more reasons to believe you, but that certainly seals it... Would you mind sharing the information you know, please?" the major cleared his throat.
_
"A tank?" even the major’s eyes widened, "Using that level of weaponry in a rogue battalion? Well, I suppose it is not exactly ’rogue’ with all the support it’s gaining."
"And there were apparently two hundred and fifty-seven soldiers instead of four hundred. Do you have any information regarding it this ti?" Jotou queried.
"Hm, we can take another look, but I’m certain I read three hundred."
Jotou sighed, "Still changes... Well, prepare for the worst. With all the information we have now, there can’t be any surprises left other than maybe more tanks; so prepare for that too I guess."
The First Lieutenant spoke up, "How are we planning to defend against tanks other than grenades?"
"You guys don’t have preparations for those?" Fuko raised her brows.
"Those sort of defences and counters are for bigger and more advanced battles. Normally kept in high profile areas like the warzone in the west; Galuvit Town has a few. Not a relatively small city or township like Hartamat..."
Jotou took a breath, "Then I’m the best weapon you have against them."
_
"That went well," Hotaru walked down the near empty road with the rest.
"Other than Jotou being the only thing they have against a tank outside of a well-placed grenade," Fuko looked at the blonde.
Jotou shrugged, "As long as I can get close to its barrel and chop it off, I should have no issue. Plus, we’re attacking earlier with no warning this ti.
This rogue battalion has gone on long enough and I’m sick and tired of it. Doing the sa thing over and over; I’m trying, but there’s only so long I can take it," Jotou vented.
"I think you did really well!" Asobi hopped to walk backwards.
Hotaru held Jotou by the shoulder, gently rubbing her back as she casted her rejuvenate spell. Jotou smiled a little, feeling the comforting pats.
Fuko leered to an oncoming figure, knowing what’s to co. Shadows already trailed along her footsteps. "ko," Jotou called her na.
"I know, I know..." the brunette replied.
The small hooded figure cut Hotaru’s purse strap and booked it the way they ca. Hotaru let her purse go without resistance.
The brunette’s brown eyes honed in on the small hooded figure. Shadows took her form, "Oh no you don’t!" Fuko blinked and grabbed the figure by the wrist.
The purse dropped imdiately; he threw his hands up, a tail behind him. The dagger in his other hand dropped. "Tink!"
The other three walked back as Fuko demasked the hood. Tanned skin, so black hair and under his ears were erald green scales that went under his clothing.
The reptilian tail stood sharp in shock. Fuko gripped his wrist and picked up Hotaru’s purse, "You’re coming with kid."
"Jotou?" Hotaru glanced to the blonde, tail swaying and ears up.
The boy glanced back and forth, wide-eyed. Fuko stared to the blonde in a shrug. Asobi stood, eyes open and holding her wand whilst Jotou folded her arms.
"I can’t believe you’re making do this..." Jotou whispered. The blonde walked up to the kid and crouched down, "Kid, listen. I get that you’re stealing because everything at ho isn’t right.
Can I help you with sothing? Because going around stealing things isn’t really going to solve your issues. I’m the Thundering Blade, maybe you’ve heard of . Maybe I can solve sothing?" Jotou gleefully smiled.
"Huh!? The Thundering Blade!? I’m so sorry!!!!" his eyes were as wide as an olette, "You look so different than in the newspaper! I-I just steal for fun, please don’t strike down!" he braced himself.
"Strike you down?" Jotou knitted her brows, "Who do you take for!?"
Hotaru’s tail wagged, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Hold on, you steal, for fun?" Fuko jostled the boy’s wrist.
"I- it just gives a rush of ad-er-an-aleen," the boy admitted.
"Ad-er-an-aleen?" Asobi tilted her head.
"Adrenaline," Jotou stated shaking her head.
"You should probably stay in school kid," Fuko’s eyes glazed over.
"But, school’s really boring..." the boy was at the brink of tears.
Jotou groaned closing her eyes... "That hit too close to ho... Gh... Let him go ko," Jotou held the bridge of her nose, "Just, stop doing this kid, please."
"Uh, alright Thundering Blade, I promise!" as soon as Fuko let his wrist go he scurried the other way.
Finally Hotaru was allowed to laugh completely, her fangs glistening as she held her stomach. Asobi joined in her giggle, not knowing why she was laughing.
"Ugh, is this our punishnt? Are you satisfied wolfy!?" Fuko glared.
"Why are you mad!? I’m the one who had to be nice!" Jotou retorted.
"Ah..." Hotaru wiped her eyes and took her purse back. "That wasn’t so hard, was it Thundering Blade? Unfortunate that you have a rumour of striking people down with lightning," she teased.
"Now we have another thing on the to-do list," Asobi held the strap of her cut purse, "Fix this!"
"I hope that was worth it, I can’t believe we’re letting a thief go without even taking him to his parents," Fuko sighed.
"Well, are you happy Aru?" Jotou gave a sideways glance.
"More than delighted," Hotaru petted Jotou’s head in a smile, "Don’t get all pouty."
Jotou couldn’t resist her as the corner of the blonde’s lips rose, "Fine..."
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