It took little time for the gate they captured to get redecorated in the Earthbounds' style. Less corporate and more homely to an extent. A few extra beds meant they could expand with even more members, specially trained to utilize the guards' room weapons and resources. Of note was the acquisition of an actual formal medical office. Small as it was, it was still chock full of supplies even after the guards they had electrocuted had been healed and sent away.
But their biggest new advantage now was business. With a gate they began to conduct business by offering a simple route between Mulapin to Muldingirmus. While some merchants were still wary to utilize something not controlled by Sirius right under Sirius' own nose and the people of Mulapin didn't really have a reason to visit Muldingirmus nor were they particularly welcome there, there were "tourists" from Muldingirmus who wanted to visit Mulapin. People who wanted to see family again and people who wanted to gawk at the poor. It wasn't a consistent source of income but they were making money enough to offer everyone in the rebellion a bonus. And, of course, this meant that they no longer had to go through the sewer to sneak into Muldingirmus.
But their previous bases were not abandoned. The gate did not have THAT much new room. Roko continued to maintain his base at M83. Finally able to take a break after consecutively unflooding the sewers and defeating the gargoyles.
"Yes, yes, I'm back." Roko sighed as he sat down on his chair as Aranea hugged his leg, "Sorry for leaving you alone for so long."
"Aranea almost lost her mother AND her father and that's all you have to say?" Helena grinned.
"Stop it." Roko sighed again, "I'm tired."
"Of the joke or just in general?"
"Both."
"Well everyone's pretty satisfied after their victory at the third gate." Melia said, "They're even thinking about renaming it."
"Oh yeah?" Helena asked, "What to?"
"Well the current one everyone's thinking of is the 'Corissa Gate'."
"Corissa wasn't even part of the battle though."
"Yeah but you know. Tribute and all that."
"Damn, that's a whole new level of simping."
"Corissa's trying to get them to not name it that."
"What is she trying to name it then?"
"The Roko Gate."
"PLEASE NO." Roko moaned.
"Don't worry, Azimuth's taking the topic more seriously." Kaguya smiled, "She'll probably find some new thing to name it."
"That's assuming Sirius doesn't try to take it back anytime soon."
"Azimuth says they've seen the Minchir guards defend the wall many times before." Momo explained, "They feel confident that they can use that experience to defend the same wall against anyone, even Kajou."
"And if they send someone other than Kajou?"
"Like who?"
"Like whoever's throwing those giant fireballs at us." Roko scowled, "They've done it twice now and we still don't know who's doing that."
"We have Corissa." Helena suggested.
"We can't have Corissa stationed there all the time."
"We sure can't." Momo nodded.
"Nothing we can do about it now though." Helena shrugged, "Anyway, we got some time now. I'm going to go check out the new gate house. The feng shui was awful last I checked."
"I'm going to go train Malus again." Momo nodded, "He got a real swelled head after that battle."
"I've got my plant babies to tend to." Kaguya giggled, "We used a fair bit to heal the guards."
"I've been asked to structure the Earthbounds' new business plan with the gate." Melia explained, "So I'm probably going to have to visit Azimuth."
"I..." Roko sighed, "I have to think."
"Well just remember to drop off Aranea with Corissa if you need some alone time."
"Yeah, I got it." Roko scowled.
Roko took Helena's suggestion and went off to drop Aranea at M83's kitchen only for Corissa to not be there. Turned out she was out getting groceries but Pluteum and Medeia were attending a cooking class that Corissa had started so Roko left Aranea with them. He was leaving to plan out the rebellion's next moves when he passed by two chatting rebels.
"We're killing it recently!"
"I know right?! We're finally making progress for once!"
"Taking down Sirius is only a matter of time!"
"Yeah we finally have easy access to Muldingirmus! We could go beat Sirius right now!"
"Even Kajou's not a big deal anymore! There's nothing that can stop us now!"
Roko frowned. This kind of sentiment had been spreading around the rebellion, something that Roko tried to pass off as a post success thrill but it was a behavior that Roko wasn't quite thrilled about. Overconfidence was an assassin that few saw coming and it could lead to dangerous mistakes.
"Hey." Roko spoke up, catching the two rebels' attention as they turned around, "I know we've recently scored a major victory but let's keep a level head about it and be realistic, okay?"
The two rebels turned to look at each other then back to Roko, "What's your problem?"
"Huh?" Roko said, his tone turning unpleasant.
"We're just celebrating a win we got not less than a day ago. Why'd you gotta kill the mood like that?"
"Excuse me?" Roko scowled, "It's one thing to be happy about our achievements but we shouldn't be going around saying things like assured or easy victory. It's still a long road ahead of us and we can't afford to start making mistakes."
"We're just happy that we finally won a major battle!"
"Yeah, we did real well! What did you do?!"
"I planned the entire operation." Roko growled.
"Yeah but I saw you standing there in the middle of the battle doing nothing as everybody did all the work. You wouldn't even have gotten your hands dirty if the gargoyles didn't suddenly decide to attack you!"
"Yeah, we did all the real work! Let us be happy for once!"
"I'm not saying you can't be happy, I'm just saying-"
"We've been at this a lot longer than you, you know! We're actually quite talented!"
"Yeah if you think you know better so much why don't you try going at it alone and see how far you get!"
This ridiculous suggestion was met with a silent, chilling consideration by Roko, "You want me to try and kill Sirius alone?"
"Yeah!"
Roko thought about a bit more...then turned around and left.
"And there goes that guy."
"Yeah what an asshole."
The two rebels turned to continue on their way when Corissa next crossed their paths, humming happily as she approached them with bags of groceries in her hands.
"O-Oh! Lady Corissa! Good morning!"
"Good morning, Johannes, Lacaille." Corissa smiled, "How's your day going?"
"P-Pretty good." Johannes said, trying not to break down while talking to his idol, "We did score a major victory recently."
"I know!" Corissa smiled, "Congratulations!"
"T-Thanks! It's thanks to your support that we can do our best everyday!" Lacaille said.
"Oh, I don't do much." Corissa replied, "I'm just here to help people stay healthy."
"But you do so much more!" Johannes cried, "You're also so nice to everyone!"
"Yeah. Much nicer than that Roko guy."
"Oh, did you speak to Roko recently?" Corissa asked curiously.
"Yeah. Just now actually. He was kind of a jerk."
"Roko may be a bit harsh at times but he always means well." Corissa said.
"Yeah but he's still kind of rude."
"Well what did you say to him?"
"Actually, he stopped us and told us to not be so happy or something."
"Yeah, he was being kind of a buzzkill. So we told him to go fight Sirius by himself if he thinks he can do it without us."
"You told him to what?" Corissa said blankly.
"Told him to fight Sirius by himself?" Johannes said, confused.
"And what did he do?"
"He went off that way." Lacaille said, pointing off to the other direction where the exit to the base was.
Corissa stood there for a moment in numb shock and slow dread, "Excuse me for a moment, boys."
"S-Sure?" The two rebels looked confused as Corissa turned and pulled out her phone, dialing a number very quickly,
"Hey, Momo? It's happening again."
Roko found a sword and attached it to his belt. Then he casually strolled up to the gate that they just captured and have yet to name. The rebels there greeted him there but were confused when he started opening the gate himself. They didn't try to stop him, they just kinda figured he needed to go through to Muldingirmus. And once he was on the other side, Roko simply strolled through the street. Sword brazenly on his hip and hands in his pocket, he marched through the busy market streets with only a few people whispering over the man who clearly wasn't a guard walking around with a sword in clear sight. As one would expect, it wasn't long until some actual guards showed up.
"Hey! You! Stop right there!"
A guard shouted at him but unfortunately he was too far away so Roko just ignored him and kept walking to the very easy to see Min Al Az'al. The guard tried shouting him a few more times but when Roko kept ignoring him, the guard finally had to run up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. The instant he did, Roko spun around and smashed his fist into his stomach. While it didn't really do much damage through the guard's armor, it wasn't meant to do much more than cave his body inward. That way, Roko could grab him by the helm and smash his knee into the guard's unarmored face, dropping the man in short time. People cried out in terror at the public display of violence but Roko continued his long walk to Min Al Az'al.
More guards appeared. They surrounded him. Told him to stop and put his hands up or something. Roko kept walking. The guards in his way drew their swords but Roko barely paid them any attention. His sheer indifference was putting off the guards. They pointed this swords at him but didn't dare attack. When Roko was within striking range, he continued to not pay them any attention. And the guards in front of him continued to be unnerved until he simply just walked past them as if they were invisible. The other guards yelled at the duo to actually do their job and with their nervousness broken, they turned to try and attack Roko again. Roko ducked, letting their sword sail past where his head would have been and smoothly slid back behind these two now examples and grabbed them by the heads. And Roko smashed their armored heads against each other, dropping these guards as well too. He turned to glare at the remaining guards, those who tried to cut off his way back. These ones balked at Roko's cold glare. A look that spoke of murder should they try and pursue him any further. Roko grabbed his sword and pulled it up, unsheathing only a tiny sliver of its steel. The remaining guards turned and ran off.
More courageous guards appeared. Roko drew his sword and met their approach. One tried to slash down at him from the side. Roko backed away and let the slash fall in front of him. Then he whipped his sword around and smashed the guard's helmet in the side so hard it left a dent. The guard fell. The next guard lunged at him with a jab. Roko lunged farther and lower, piercing an opening in the man's armor as his sword sailed over him. The guard cried out in pain, as if it was the first time he felt pain. Then Roko kicked his face in. The guard fell. The next guard was a bit shaken but tried to slash at Roko from behind. Roko spun out of the range of his sword as he drew his sword close to the guard's throat. The poor man froze, unsure of how to act with his life on the line. Roko kept his sword at his throat as he slowly stood him and the guard back up. The guard was watching Roko for any hint of an attack but Roko kept his eyes cold forward. Until he glanced at the guard one meaningful time. Then he slowly started walking again, leaving the terrified man behind. When he was far enough away, the guard pulled his courage back together and attacked Roko. Roko attacked faster, leaving a gash across the man's body. The guard fell.
Roko's next encounter wouldn't go as easily. For the next to approach him, carrying a small brown paper bag of groceries and a look of concern...was Kajou.
"Hey, you're a rebel right?" Kajou said, her voice trying to convey the genuine concern she had for him, "Are you all alone? Why don't you head back for now before you get hurt?"
Roko stared at the swordswoman, his unyielding facade showing no change in the face of this greater opponent. Until he sighed and replied, "You really don't know who I am do you?"
"Should I?" Kajou said, her concern now turning a bit towards herself.
"Well...it's fine if you don't. Doesn't really matter to me."
"O...kay?"
"Regardless, I'm not going to stop here now." Roko said, "So stop me if you think you can."
"If I think I can?" Kajou frowned as she touched the sword by her side, "I think you're well aware of how this fight will go."
"...Well the only way we'll know for sure is if we find out don't we?" Roko said gripped the handle of his own sword.
Kajou paused for a moment, not quite intimidated by Roko's nonchalance like the guards but certainly wary. She may not know who this is but she did know this wariness seemed genuine and came from experience. An experience she couldn't quite recall but it insisted on its familiarity. The need to resolve this dissonance was starting to grow larger than her wariness. And it urged her to draw her sword.
Kajou drew her sword and in one smooth motion jabbed at Roko from afar. Roko's sword came out not long after and slashed into the air in front of him, knocking an extending blade up into the air. Kajou stumbled back, surprised that someone saw through her attack and it was in that surprise that Roko charged forward, his sword drawn back to stab Kajou right in the stomach. In the time it took to return her sword to a normal length, Roko's sword was already seconds away from her body. And that's when Roko just stopped.
"...So this is as far as I go huh?" Roko sighed.
Withdrawing his sword, Roko sheathed it and turned around, leaving Kajou in a bewildered state.
"Hey, wai-"
"Awww, did you really have to stop there, Roko?"
Kajou looked up to find someone's head poking out from the roof around them.
"This exercise was to see how far I go without any help. And it was obvious that I wouldn't have been able to cross that distance in time without your enhancement magic."
"Aw, you know me so well." Momo smiled.
"Not enough to know why you'd use your magic to help me kill your best rival here."
"I mean, if it'll give you a much needed confidence boost, I'll take it."
"I don't need a confidence boost."
"I think you do." Helena said as she walked up to Roko.
"You would think that." Roko scoffed.
"Well let's ask someone new then."
"I think Roko can use a lot of things." Melia said.
"Thanks." Roko scowled.
"How about a medical analysis then?" Kaguya offered.
"No."
"Well let's ask the wife then." Helena offered as Corissa joined them.
"STOP." Roko said flatly.
"Roko..." Corissa sighed, "Please...stop doing this."
"Doing what?" Roko frowned.
"THIS." Corissa waved her hand around at everything and then at Roko, "Please stop going off alone to do things on your own."
"I was just just...doing some recon."
"No you weren't! I know what Johannes and Lacaille said to you!"
"I don't even know who those people are."
"Roko, if someone's being mean to you, just tell us and we'll take care of it."
"I'm not a child."
"I don't care, I will do anything to get you to stop trying to kill yourself."
"I wasn't trying to kill myself."
"This mission was suicidal and you know it!"
"Give Roko some slack, Corissa." Momo grinned, "Sometimes you just have to test out how strong you are!"
"Momo, don't encourage him."
"No no, it's true! I'm sure Kajou gets it. Right, Kajou?"
"Who are you?" Kajou frowned.
"You don't remember me?!" Momo cried, shocked to her core, "I can't believe this! I thought we were rivals!"
"Don't blame her." Roko sighed, "She has prosopagnosia."
"Proso-what?" Momo blinked.
"Face blindness." Roko explained.
"So...she can't recognize people by face?!" Momo gasped.
"H-How'd you know?!" Kajou cried, now her being the one shaken to her core.
"Spells. Tell me. Yada yada yada." Roko waved his hand, "Don't worry about it."
"You can't just tell me not to worry about it!" Kajou pointed her sword at Roko.
"Damn Kajou, they found out your secret."
Three people came walking down the street. Three people that Roko didn't recognize but could tell were strong. At least, they were stronger than the normal guards Roko had been fighting. One was a large muscular man that seemed to tower over everyone else in his well fitting armor, broadsword strapped to his back. Another was armored in a slightly spiker armor. He wielded a single sword by his hip and seemed like quite the unsmiling individual. The last person was wearing an all too familiar armband. He seems a tad old but he certainly looked more dignified than the other Starry Knights that Roko had seen.
"Hahaha!" the large man laughed heartily, "When was the last time someone found out about your secret? You always tried so hard to hide that little part of yourself. That's why I always tell the kids that they should just be themselves!"
"Not only your condition but also your swordstyle was exposed." the spiky knight crossed his arms.
"How deplorable. For someone of the Planetary Stars to do so badly against one simple looking young man." the older gentlemen stroked his beard with a disapproving shake of his head.
"You know them?" Roko asked Kajou.
"...No." Kajou replied after a moment of consideration.
"Lying is bad, Kajou!" the large man laughed again, "You're being a bad example for the kids!"
"Certainly uncouth to hide behind your own face blindness just to ignore us." the old man said.
"Let me guess then." Roko said, "Are you all also Planetary Stars?"
"Ding ding ding!" the large man clapped, "Give the man a point! He's a clever one!"
"He looks weak." the spiky armored man said monotonously, "I can take him down right now."
"Don't underestimate him." the old man said, "He's been a thorn at the sides of my Starry Knights for a while now.
"Fucking finally." Roko sighed, "How about you introduce yourself then?"
"Why should w-" The spiky man began.
"I am Goemul!" The large man bellowed, "Hero to many! Friend to the children!"
"In the sus or not sus way?" Helena smirked.
"I am Zhong." The old man introduced himself, "Head commander of the Starry Knights. You've given my boys some trouble so I'm looking forward to besting you on the battlefield, army to army."
Everyone then turned to look at the spiky armored man expectantly.
"...Kadal." The spiky armored man sighed, "I guess we already know who all of you are anyway."
"Then I guess we won't need to introduce ourselves." Roko crossed his arms, "However, I can't help but notice a deficiency. I was told there were FIVE Planetary Stars. But here I count four."
"Ah, the fifth is-" Goemul started but Kadal stopped him.
"If you want to hear about our last member, then you'll have to find out for yourself. By coming to Min Al Az'al."
"...Duly noted." Roko said as he turned back around to walk away.
"We're not fighting today?" Goemul frowned.
"The time for battle will come later." Zhong nodded, "Our war is coming to a climax."
"Is this okay?" Kajou said as she sheathed her sword.
"It's fine." Kadal said as he watched Roko's group following him back, "They have no chance of entering Min Al Az'al anyway."