Reborn: Apocalypse

Captain Bola sat with his trusted Lieutenant Anju, waiting patiently in a large meeting room. A long black plastic table lay at the center of the room, surrounded by a plethora of plush, swivel chairs. A few windows let in the noon light, while the comforting hum of the air conditioning lumbered onward in the background.

This room was located in a skyscraper within the southern range of the Stardust Cluster, deep within the territory of the Saru Group. Atop the roof of this Skyscraper, twenty men armed with rifles and other weapons could be seen, standing guard at the point where each bridge connected to the skyscraper. These men wore a mixture of clothes, from military fatigues to loose white shirts and khaki pants.

No Morenkai or man could approach this skyscraper easily and remain undetected.

Occasionally, a Morenkai would shamble across one of the four connecting bridges, all solid metal or wooden ones, its ominous movements intimidating.

When this occurred, some of the men guarding the skyscraper would walk onto the bridge and whip out a gun with a silencer attached, a pricey addition from the Shop. They would then use the weapon to knock the Morenkai off, preventing it from crossing and killing it, while drawing little to no attention. No deviations from this method seemed allowed.

The steady defense team looked experienced and almost bored as they stood watching, killing the dangerous Morenkai as if it was routine. If an Abnormal showed up, things might become a bit more frantic… but this was far from the central area of the Cluster. Abnormal sightings here were quite rare.

Back in the depths of the skyscraper, two warriors looked cheerful as they sat there, talking merrily with one another. Lieutenant Anju had his arm wrapped up in a bandage, but otherwise looked fine. Captain Bola was all smiles.

They didn't have to wait long. They'd only been resting there for a few minutes when a new figure entered the room.

"Captain, Lieutenant." A red haired man wearing a professional looking suit walked in and greeted the duo, his green eyes gleaming. His face was thin, but the strength and bearing he carried himself with was impossible to miss.

Behind the red haired man, a trio of muscular looking subordinates could be seen, all dressed in military fatigues.

"General Raymen!" Both Anju and Bola stood respectfully, giving a salute.

General Raymen was the leader of the Saru Group, and one of the only 5 A Rank Chosen in this Cluster. Their respect for him was heartfelt.

"At ease." Despite his civilian clothes, the General had the bearing of a military man. His voice was authoritative, his movements confident and precise.

"Let's cut to the chase. I've read and heard everything we know about this new Irregular, the one that broke your arm, Lieutenant." Raymen nodded at Anju,

"I want to know your opinions, the both of you. You two have directly seen or made contact with the Irregular. What is his personality, what is he like?" Raymen sat down at the table, motioning for Anju and Bola to both sit. He folded his hands together, his eyes calm.


His three subordinates all walked and stood steadily behind him, unmoving. They weren't exactly guards, given that Raymen was one of the three most powerful people in the Cluster, but they served to handle minor matters that might crop up before him.

"I personally have only seen him from afar." Captain Bola shook his head, his voice booming out fearlessly.

"Anju has had the most direct contact." He patted his friend carefully on the back.

"He… he has a unique personality. He didn't seem that powerful at first when I met him, but if he had wanted, he easily could've killed me. Yet he chose not to, and instead spared words of caution." Anju's voice was earnest as he explained,

"It almost felt like he didn't see me as an enemy at all, but merely a child messing about."

"…I see." Raymen spoke quietly.

They talked for a few more minutes as the General asked for more details. Anju and Bola explained all they had seen, leaving nothing out.

"How interesting. How very intriguing…" General Raymen smiled as he stood up, thanking the duo. As he stood, his entire body began to morph. A pair of gorgeous, golden wings sprouted from his back, quickly pulled in. His skin took on a golden luster, his eyes flashing with light.

The Winged Warrior Type Ability, 95,000 Points in the Shop.

"I think I'll need to go meet this fellow myself."

.. .. .. .. .. ..

On the opposite side of the Stardust Cluster, the A Rank Pirate Lord Brandon of the Black Flag Pirates frowned. He tugged at the overalls he wore, adjusting them so they didn't pull in the white undershirt beneath. He rubbed his large square beard, his blue eyes cold.

He was currently standing on the roof of a skyscraper, one empty of anyone except for him and one other. The Black Flag Pirates hid most of their bases, a different strategy than most of the other major forces that established heavily fortified positions. Lord Brandon was especially renowned for going off on his own, as opposed to Lord Byron who only moved in groups.

"She rejected us again, Howard?" His voice rumbled out.

"Yes, Lord Brandon. However, this time something unusual happened." If Micheal had been here, he would've recognized the speaker as the same one that had been trying to recruit Sophia earlier.

The speaker, Howard, was wearing a set of loose brown pants and a white shirt, his brown hair waving in the air as he talked in an animated fashion.

"I stayed behind to observe her with the man you set to follow her movements, briefly, when another man climbed up over the side of the skyscraper onto the roof." Howard continued,

"This man greeted the Irregular Sophia and they talked briefly before retiring inside. I later saw them exit the skyscraper and make their way towards the central area of the cluster together, apparently as allies." The man's report was expansive.

Brandon's frown deepened.

"That bitch." His eyes were cruel as he made a short, crude remark.

"If you aren't with us, you are inevitably against us. To think she would flaunt her refusal and join with another right after my generous offer." He shook his head, clearly annoyed.

'We can't leave a wildcard like her lying around, joining up with other forces. Not when we are preparing to act against the Godfather Organization… The fact that there is a second Irregular this Wave is already bad enough…' Lord Brandon sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Should I inform the headquarters you wish to send out a hit squad, Lord Brandon? She may be an Irregular, but she is still weak." Howard asked, his eyes showing a hint of bloodlust.

"No, I've dealt with these types before. Sending out squads that gradually increase in power over time will only serve to help train your enemy."

Brandon tapped on a Spatial Ring he had on his finger. Immediately, a large, gleaming black metal axe appeared in his hand, one he leaned on his shoulder.

"You must crush this type of threat at the root, instead of allowing it to sprout." Brandon's skin began to take on a black luster. Gradually, plates of black armor formed, covering up his skin. This armor glowed with a type of dark light, an ominous aura rising off it.

The Black Knight Type Ability, 99,000 Points in the Shop.

"I will handle her myself."

.. .. .. .. .. .. ..

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sophia's voice was full of doubt as she stared at Micheal.

They were currently standing in the stairwell of a random skyscraper at the center of the Stardust Cluster. Micheal had taken great pains to help get them there without running into any other teams, avoiding unnecessary encounters. Staying in Sophia's skyscraper would've just been asking for trouble.

"Absolutely!" Micheal smiled back, opened the metal door in front of him without hesitation.

A large, empty room was revealed, devoid of chairs or tables, or really anything at all. Several sets of windows lined the walls, letting in light.

The ground floor of a skyscraper.

Micheal scanned to the left and right, seeing nothing. No Morenkai happened to be in this area at the time. He waved Sophia in behind him.

She followed nervously, eyeing Micheal. Her hand rested on a handgun she had tucked into her jeans, not letting her guard down even the slightest.

Micheal's eyes narrowed as he saw the shambling figures of several Morenkai move by outside, through some of the clear windows.

"Alright, Sophia. It's time I fully tell you what the big secret of the First Layer is. It has to do with Golden Morenkai, a special type of Morenkai that drop an abnormally large number of Points." He nodded his head as he spoke.

Sophia simply stared back, her eyes steady as Micheal elaborated,

"It's a way to track and kill Golden Morenkai and gain vast amounts of Points in a short amount of time!" His eyes gleamed,

"A way that not only can be repeated, but can work multiple times a week!"

.