I was reborn during the breach.
Back then people were running, as quickly as possible, hoping they'd escape the carnage. Giant monsters tore past concrete bunkers and people alike. Each one varied by size, all better suited for niches ranging from eating human sized creatures to dragons. People say chaos comes from the Titans.. but I know better.
House Deir Mar fell because of their conflict with another noble family. I only assume because House Kilo's Titan Slayers' arrived conveniently on time. Naturally us refugees had no choice but to follow them for shelter. Turns out even refugees could be used as political tools. Last I heard, House Kilo claimed House Deir Mar's territory using us refugees as the cause.
Since then it's been five years.
….
"Come on, you coming?!" Shouted Avery, his rough blonde hair waving in the wind. Most people have long, uncut hair because the price of cutting tools outweighs food by a fortune. I suppose Avery and I are similar, despite our varying ages. My feet leap off one stone building. The alley below hints at cramped street traffic. Nearly ten market stalls can be seen from a glance, each one side by side.
Why nobles banned commoners from standing on the rooftops was beyond me. Titans could care less about whether people stood above ground level or not. "You're not planning on stealing, are you Avery?" I said after abruptly remembering my friend's nature. Not everyone had options like I did. Of course Avery, being a young kid with a skinny body, lacked the requirements to apply for almost every job. Theft was just second nature for him.
Knowingly, Avery turns back with a mischievous sheer. "You're not scared, are you? Can't you just use your mana technique to get away?" He wonders with curious eyes. At first I considered teaching the kid. Back then we met by chance. The boy was bright for a street orphan. His frail body could be fixed using time and training. However, over time I realized the truth about the rarity of mana users. Now, he's the only person who knows my secret. I shake my head.
"Not today. You know I'm getting deployed in a week." My words caused Avery to stiffen. Even a child must've heard the rumors.
He glared with angry eyes, saying, "You know only one in ten people return.. Aren't you better off staying with me?" Avery crosses both arms, a guilt tripping glare hurting my conscience. Refugees have no choice. After five years of basic service, we're required to take a week-long trip called "deployment." It's a kind way to describe population control using genocide. The poor environment of the commoners leads to overpopulation, and often requires a mass deployment every 1 to 2 years.
"They'd catch me, sadly." I explained while Avery stood in disbelief. "Everyone has been cursed using tracking magic to help us return in two weeks. You can probably guess how that's a double edged sword.." My explanation brought grief to the young man's eyes. The cold nature behind deployment is known by everyone, but we all try avoiding the truth.
Avery clenches his fist. "Are you gonna die?" He asks me, tears rolling past the boy's cheeks.
"Do you remember me saying that I'm weak?"
"...yeah."
"Strength doesn't make you survive. It's knowing how much strength you've got, and pushing it to the limit." I clenched my fists. My wallet lacked money to supply my hands with a sword. Instead, my left palm boasts the mass-produced bow and ten stone carved arrows in a quiver. Magic spells carved their surface flat. "You don't remember what I said when we first met, do you?" Avery nods quietly.
"..that I've got talent for mana…?"
"Exactly. Don't waste your potential on some thieving while I'm gone. Once they catch you-" Avery breaks out with anger.
"Shut the FUCK up, Jack. I can take care of myself." Avery shouts. The boy runs fast, hiding his face. He's gonna start trouble again.. I think to myself, a deep sigh leaving my chest. A brief image of the young man branded by slave runes reminded me how dangerous crime really was. Perhaps that's why I decided on following him across the freezing rooftops. Not openly, of course, but hidden. Who knows if I'd be able to focus without seeing his fate through.
'Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.' That motto kept me alive both here and on Earth. Planning kept me safe. Training kept me safer. Fate however, rewards hard work in cruel irony. My breath stops when I see Avery's torso leave the rest of his body, guts flying across multiple buildings by the force of a sword. Titan Killers,but why?! Every fiber of my courage stopped me short from attacking in anger. Both people dawn fancy insignias on their coats, as well as complex weapons known as relics.
"You didn't have to kill him." Speaks one younger woman from the side. She holds her mouth, disgusted by the strong odor of human guts. The larger young man laughs her comment away. He carries a giant sword twice the size of his body. As for the woman, I can't see her weapon yet.
"What's the fun in that?" Exclaims the young man. "It's just a commoner. If he broke laws climbing on roofs I'm just speeding up the process." His rude comment sparked something deep down. Anger turned to rage. My intent to keep calm about my situation instead became clarity. Someone needs to die for what they did to my friend- my disciple. Both young adults grip their weapons when I round the corner of a building, to appear before them across a massive gap.
Fear turned to adrenaline as both parties waited for an attack. "I considered him a student of mine." I warned verbally to show my intent. My fingers wrap around the feather arrow shaft, cold temperature biting with near-frostbite. The Titan Killers remind me about noble students, based on their standardized uniform, only decorated by a family symbol called an insignia. Sadly my knowledge about noble society was very limited, albeit much better than your average commoner.
The young man shouts his battle cry and charges forwards. I fight the only way I've learned, by infusing my arrow with mana, and altering its shape to become overly sharp. The standard stone-carved arrowtip becomes reflective, a mana glow present around its edges. My opponent flinches for a moment when the arrow flies towards his face, only for me to drop my jaw in shock. His blade parried the arrow last second. Shock fills the man's expression as he realizes his mistake.
My palm gripped two more arrows, a second deadly strike in front of his face. The burly man attempts a desperate parry only to leave his guard open. My second arrow slams past the man's eye socket. His body goes limp as my adrenaline rises. The corpse lands below with a startling thud. I knew he would die the moment we drew our weapons, but still acted anyway. Only a few moments passed as I realized the weight of my decision. I murdered a noble- six days before deployment, wearing our standard grunt equipment.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!"
A second warcry snapped me back to reality. My body twists down by instinct. The noble woman swung a mana-based whip, her one slash splitting concrete towers, and cutting the rim of my hood. As much as I'd love to steal such a brilliant weapon, I dive backwards, infusing mana through my boots and scaling the concrete walls. Avery might've known the rooftops well, but I knew the alleyways. Forty steps of distance was all I needed to completely lose my tail.
Life never goes to plan.
….