Across the nation, citizens of all walks of life, from the bustling metropolises to the quiet countryside, gathered before their radios, hearts brimming with anticipation. They awaited the resonant voice of their leader, President Einzschafen, whose tenure had stirred both admiration and dissent.
President Einzschafen, a figure of polarizing opinions, had navigated the tumultuous waters of governance with a measured hand. His efforts to alleviate the burden of national debt and champion humanitarian initiatives across the Western continent had earned him accolades from many quarters. Yet, beneath the surface of acclaim lay the murmurs of discontent, as detractors decried his lenient approach to urban crime.
In this moment of collective anticipation, the nation stood poised on a precipice, teetering between reverence and skepticism. The air crackled with expectation, each listener hanging on the brink of President Einzschafen's words, which would shape the course of their collective destiny.
____
[60 MINUTES UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]
[60 MINUTES UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]
Reed Rowley slouched behind the bank receptionist's desk, the weight of exhaustion evident in every line of his posture. Pens and papers lay strewn in disarray, their disorganized arrangement a testament to his weary state. Each movement seemed labored, as if even the simple act of reaching for a pen required an immense effort.
“I-I did it! I actually did it! I bought us some time.” Reed rubbed his eyes with a hint of irritation and said, “Human rights agencies and the court appointed attorney…those are the only allies we have left. Do you think we can do it, Cal?”
Callos rubbed the rheum out of his eyes and let out a long yawn. It was obvious that he wasn’t listening, but Reed didn’t care. He just needed someone to talk to - anyone to talk to.
“You know, when I was younger, I used to imagine scenarios just like this. You ever heard of the City Police Mobile set? The one with the little cops and robbers?”
“Police…mobile...?”
“Sometimes I almost forget how primitive you are…” He let out a weary sigh and continued his monologue. Reed's voice wavered with emotion as he recounted his childhood memories, his words tinged with bitterness and resentment. “Well, it was a set of small figurines that tons of kids used to play with. There were two figurines - a cop and a robber. My friends would always make me play as the robber. They always got to play as the hero who saved the day, while I was always the bad guy. The robber always lost. I hated the robber.”
Callos raised his hands and covered his ears in mild irritation.
“H-Hey! Don’t cover your ears! Listen to my story!” Reed pleaded, his frustration mounting as he struggled to convey the depth of his emotions to his indifferent companion. “Just who the hell do they think they are?! How dare they look down on me!”
In a fit of rage, he turned towards an unsuspecting hostage and put a military-grade knife to their throat. “Hey you, you aren’t looking down on me, are you?!” He plunged the knife deep into the man’s thigh. As the man watched blood gush from his body, he tried with all his might to scream for help, but his restraints were too strong. His life was at the complete mercy of Reed.
“Answer!”
“...” The man shook his head side to side, indicating a “no.”
“Okay…alright…it’s not like a little scratch will do anything, right Cal? We’ll be okay! Just wait here while I find the floor plans for the building. I’m gonna make sure we survive.”
Callos nodded his head, yet he had no actual intention of actually following Reed’s orders. His stomach rumbled as Callos thought, I needa poop…
____
The members of Venizuma gathered at the abandoned manor, lying in wait for the President’s speech. Derrick had groomed himself in particular for this meeting, as he wanted to look as presentable as possible as the founder and leader of Venizuma. His shoulder length hair was cut short and he replaced his old school uniform with a much more professional suit given to him by Ying. In reality, it was a cheap suit that Ying bought second hand off a friend, but Derrick didn’t need to know such things.
At the table sat the other four members of the organization, their expressions grave as they listened to the proceedings. Ying stood by Derrick's side, his presence commanding respect as Derrick's right hand.
"Hoffman, have you prepared the spirit ravens?" Derrick asked in a serious tone, directing his inquiry to Gregory Hoffman.
Gregory Hoffman's response was measured and solemn. "Yes, I have planted roughly 40 spirit ravens around the vicinity of the barrier, both underground and overhead," he confirmed, his tone reflecting the gravity of their mission.
With a satisfied nod, Derrick leaned back in his seat with a sense of accomplishment. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation," he said, acknowledging Hoffman's efforts.
Spirit ravens were no ordinary creatures; they possessed a mythical sensitivity to the spiritual realm. With the aid of Hoffman's [Nine Harmonic Realms], these normally docile birds could be transformed into makeshift alarms. If any of the spirit ravens detected Reed Rowley's spiritual presence, they would immediately relay a signal back to Hoffman, alerting him to Rowley's whereabouts.
Mythical Beast manipulation sure is a convenient ability…I’m glad I didn’t have to fight this guy, Derrick lampooned.
As the tension in the room mounted, a message blared out from the radio at the center of the long table, causing everyone to subconsciously lean in to listen. "[1 MINUTE UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]," the announcement echoed through the room, punctuating the air with a sense of urgency.
“It’s starting! It’s starting!” Elizabeth exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement.
But before she could say another word, Ying cut her off sharply. "Shut up, Elizabeth! We can't hear!" His tone was firm, his eyes fixed on the radio as if willing it to convey more information.
After a moment of silence that seemed to go on for eternity, the conference finally began.
“Good evening, Citizens of Sani.”
Across the nation, citizens of all walks of life, from the bustling metropolises to the quiet countryside, gathered before their radios, hearts brimming with anticipation. They awaited the resonant voice of their leader, President Einzschafen, whose tenure had stirred both admiration and dissent.
President Einzschafen, a figure of polarizing opinions, had navigated the tumultuous waters of governance with a measured hand. His efforts to alleviate the burden of national debt and champion humanitarian initiatives across the Western continent had earned him accolades from many quarters. Yet, beneath the surface of acclaim lay the murmurs of discontent, as detractors decried his lenient approach to urban crime.
In this moment of collective anticipation, the nation stood poised on a precipice, teetering between reverence and skepticism. The air crackled with expectation, each listener hanging on the brink of President Einzschafen's words, which would shape the course of their collective destiny.
____
[60 MINUTES UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]
[60 MINUTES UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]
Reed Rowley slouched behind the bank receptionist's desk, the weight of exhaustion evident in every line of his posture. Pens and papers lay strewn in disarray, their disorganized arrangement a testament to his weary state. Each movement seemed labored, as if even the simple act of reaching for a pen required an immense effort.
“I-I did it! I actually did it! I bought us some time.” Reed rubbed his eyes with a hint of irritation and said, “Human rights agencies and the court appointed attorney…those are the only allies we have left. Do you think we can do it, Cal?”
Callos rubbed the rheum out of his eyes and let out a long yawn. It was obvious that he wasn’t listening, but Reed didn’t care. He just needed someone to talk to - anyone to talk to.
“You know, when I was younger, I used to imagine scenarios just like this. You ever heard of the City Police Mobile set? The one with the little cops and robbers?”
“Police…mobile...?”
“Sometimes I almost forget how primitive you are…” He let out a weary sigh and continued his monologue. Reed's voice wavered with emotion as he recounted his childhood memories, his words tinged with bitterness and resentment. “Well, it was a set of small figurines that tons of kids used to play with. There were two figurines - a cop and a robber. My friends would always make me play as the robber. They always got to play as the hero who saved the day, while I was always the bad guy. The robber always lost. I hated the robber.”
Callos raised his hands and covered his ears in mild irritation.
“H-Hey! Don’t cover your ears! Listen to my story!” Reed pleaded, his frustration mounting as he struggled to convey the depth of his emotions to his indifferent companion. “Just who the hell do they think they are?! How dare they look down on me!”
In a fit of rage, he turned towards an unsuspecting hostage and put a military-grade knife to their throat. “Hey you, you aren’t looking down on me, are you?!” He plunged the knife deep into the man’s thigh. As the man watched blood gush from his body, he tried with all his might to scream for help, but his restraints were too strong. His life was at the complete mercy of Reed.
“Answer!”
“...” The man shook his head side to side, indicating a “no.”
“Okay…alright…it’s not like a little scratch will do anything, right Cal? We’ll be okay! Just wait here while I find the floor plans for the building. I’m gonna make sure we survive.”
Callos nodded his head, yet he had no actual intention of actually following Reed’s orders. His stomach rumbled as Callos thought, I needa poop…
____
The members of Venizuma gathered at the abandoned manor, lying in wait for the President’s speech. Derrick had groomed himself in particular for this meeting, as he wanted to look as presentable as possible as the founder and leader of Venizuma. His shoulder length hair was cut short and he replaced his old school uniform with a much more professional suit given to him by Ying. In reality, it was a cheap suit that Ying bought second hand off a friend, but Derrick didn’t need to know such things.
At the table sat the other four members of the organization, their expressions grave as they listened to the proceedings. Ying stood by Derrick's side, his presence commanding respect as Derrick's right hand.
"Hoffman, have you prepared the spirit ravens?" Derrick asked in a serious tone, directing his inquiry to Gregory Hoffman.
Gregory Hoffman's response was measured and solemn. "Yes, I have planted roughly 40 spirit ravens around the vicinity of the barrier, both underground and overhead," he confirmed, his tone reflecting the gravity of their mission.
With a satisfied nod, Derrick leaned back in his seat with a sense of accomplishment. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation," he said, acknowledging Hoffman's efforts.
Spirit ravens were no ordinary creatures; they possessed a mythical sensitivity to the spiritual realm. With the aid of Hoffman's [Nine Harmonic Realms], these normally docile birds could be transformed into makeshift alarms. If any of the spirit ravens detected Reed Rowley's spiritual presence, they would immediately relay a signal back to Hoffman, alerting him to Rowley's whereabouts.
Mythical Beast manipulation sure is a convenient ability…I’m glad I didn’t have to fight this guy, Derrick lampooned.
As the tension in the room mounted, a message blared out from the radio at the center of the long table, causing everyone to subconsciously lean in to listen. "[1 MINUTE UNTIL THE CONFERENCE COMMENCES]," the announcement echoed through the room, punctuating the air with a sense of urgency.
“It’s starting! It’s starting!” Elizabeth exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement.
But before she could say another word, Ying cut her off sharply. "Shut up, Elizabeth! We can't hear!" His tone was firm, his eyes fixed on the radio as if willing it to convey more information.
After a moment of silence that seemed to go on for eternity, the conference finally began.
“Good evening, Citizens of Sani.”
