Project Schemer: Higeki's chapter: Requiem

Arc 1 - Chapter 1: Slum and Ruins.

"So the job today is really simple, we just need to collect some plants for my next project then that should be everything. This is herb gathering but please be careful everyone."

"Don't worry doctor, no one is around this part of the outskirt and the police from the inner part doesn't have the nerve to come to this place."

The outskirt of the city is the only place where vegetation can live and flourish, for some reason, the world is covered in snow but this place is a little bit warmer. Just like a secret garden, this is the only place where i can grow herb without interuption from those so-called nobles. My garden of herb for the people, not to save those filthy rich people living in the safest place while gazing down on us. The population of the inner part is small, much smaller than the people in the slum but we can't stand together and overthrow them, people want to live in this world and after a war, they don't want another one. 

"Doctor, is this enough for your project ?"

"This should be alright, take a break everyone, i have something i need to do first and i will be right back."

The ruin of the outskirt, what left of an ancient civilization, a lot of broken instruments are found here along with what left of their owner. A sad ending but what they seek caused harm on the people who stay, and a desire like that isn't allowed no matter what. But why they seek for something like that, something can't simply exist but still, an ancient and glorious civilization brought to ruination by its people. Unfortunate is everything i can say, imagine the future of this world with all of that invention and technologies.

"Doctor."

"And here i thought your organization only active in the inner part of the city."

"All work and no rest make people dull and boring."

There is no sound and there is nothing else i can hear, then i can't even see everything clearly, the only sound i can hear is the sound of an orchestra. The orchestra play deep inside the ruin should i follow that sound or it is another trick from those who live in the city. The sound of violin and piano soon disappeared and replaced by something else, this sound, the sound i can't recognize but it is so familliar. A world filled with tree and the sky is blue not to mention the lake with water so clear that i can see the bottom, the sound of a lost instrument and someone always right by my side. What is this images, is this a hallucination in order to trick me.

"Please... wake... up... Higeki...."

"Doctor ! Are you still hearing ?"

"Loud and clear, actually that is too loud, can you not blasting my ears with all that noise ?"

"You face turned white and all i can do is start worry and then you ignore everything and go to this location."

"I am fine and something else in my mind, why your organization interested about me and my safety ?"

"You can say our leader is interested in you and he would like all of us to doing our job while keeping you alive. So, how about explore these ruins."

"Not interested, my team is waiting for me and they must be worried, explore the ruins however you like."

My prediction was right, we made back at the right time just before the inner decide to wipe the slum once again. This time they appear to have a much more freestyle attire, maybe one of the associate, the uniform of the police is different from their attire. But this time most of the gang in the slum also join in this battle and the battle also have the aid from a lot of small machine. Our force drive the aggressors back to the city, the prototype medicine work really well and it is almost rival the city's hospital.

"So what do you think Higeki ?"

"Korvos... These people are not police, we did manage to catch a few of them but look at this sigil, they won't speak a word no matter how much we torture them."

"Why do you think like that ?"

"This is Harr's sigil, according to Master, they are the most loyal associate to the city leader. Well, i will let the talking with the other gang to you, must say thank you to the person control those machine."

The machine are those who took all the damage during that battle, they formed shields, they block all the bullet for us. So as a decent human all i can say is thank you to their creator but knowing the fact that these machine sent to protect the slum is a strange thing, but for now, there is no response so there no need to push this further. Helping the people is what necessary right now, the new medicine need some improvement to avoid any unwanted reaction. There is a lot of harmed people from at least three gangs so helping them recover is my top priority right now, at least that will help us with this alliance.

"Doctor Higeki."

"You are... the little scout from the other gang."

"Yes, our leader asked to go and assist you with the medicine."

"Children should go out and play, i can do this all by myself, don't worry about this."

"I insist on helping, i didn't do much on that battle so i want to help you."

"Seeing children doing hardwork is hard for me to see... you can help me with one thing, take this stuff animal and brush his fur maybe a little washing with warm water. This will help me a lot and remember, treat him like a living normal human."

I never entrust Tomoe to anyone but with all these work, maybe let him play with other children could be nice enough and that kid is a good kid, he should treat Tomoe with care. The moment the kid left, Korvos enter the room with another leader, he acted really surprise to the fact that i let other people touch Tomoe. People can play with him if they want but because of a past incident that someone left a stain on his fur so i don't want them to touch Tomoe. Sometime when i am tired because of working, brushing his fur can relieve me a little bit. His fur almost like real animal fur and not something synthetic. His fur is really long and it is very comfortable to treat him like something to hug. Master used to call him a very expensive toy but did i treat him like a toy, i don't think i treat him like a toy, he is almost a close family to me.

"Leader, they have a plan to attack the slum again."

"Troublesome, Korvos do you want to fight ?"

"As much as i want, if they launch another attack we will be in disadvantage."

"Take every patients and everyone and lead them to the secret garden. The ruin at that place can provide seclusion, that artisan is exploring the ruin, he can help everyone."

"What about you doctor ?"

"I will ask for reinforcement. And give me back Tomoe please."

The ruin is our seclusion until reinforcement arrive, the attack is held by Harr it could mean the city leader don't want to get their hands dirty. If they truly want to destroy the slum then it could lead to a lot of trouble, most of the workforce in those factory come from the slum so this time they aim for the leader of gang to surpress the workers. Another classic trick from those filthy rich hollow shell living in the city, well since the attack only have Harr Associate then asking for that organization from the outskirt for help is the only reasonable solution.

>

So they decided to act on their own, the secret garden should be out of the range of the weather adjustment. And the fact that they have no information about the adjustment of weather before and they have no information about the garden, this should keep us safe. But they will return even with or without our struggle, there must be something to keep them in one place, a reason for them to never return to the slum. But for now, i need to reach the garden first. Everyone is there, most of them are deep inside the ruin while the three leaders waiting at the entrance, there is no one behind me and with the weather notice we can't return for at least one hour. 

"The revelation from the star, their fate end at this moment, tonight, one of the hand of the city is cut."

"You are..."

"Don't worry doctor, he is an ally. He is the one who guide everyone in the ruin."

"The star whisper, its voice in my head, those with red shall fall tonight, this can't be avoided."

The voice of the stars... what is this memories, a girl in white with a girl in black, both of them appear with white thread and then nothing else, everything disappeared in light. The voice of the star, the words of the star, the language that no human can understand but this stranger can speak and understand it. Maybe through training but the words from the star is strange. Maybe these memories from another world so that is the reason for the differences but if that is the truth then who am i ?

"The star heard your prayer, your words reach them but now there is something you must do first."

"Something i can do, other can't do that ?"

"Something only you can do... so they are coming, maybe only few of them left, i can take care of that."

Like what he said, only a few of member from Harr reach the garden but what chase them is a legion of machine. The secret garden is our seclusion, can't let them know about this place but before we can think, the mysterious oracle jump toward one of the Harr's member and attack him. The legion of machine doesn't attack him but they just focus on the other member of Harr, they are taking his side or this is just a simple act. All i know is the fact that these machine are not the same like those i saw, they are much more aggressive.

"Who are they Korvos ?"

"I don't really know, he just appears out of nowhere. But with multiple talents, maybe he is a part of that organization."

So the night come to an end, the moment we returned back to the slum we saw what happen, what left of the battle is absolute terrifying. The member of Harr lying on the street, some are frozen to death, some breathed the air without the mask but most of them are killed by the attack of the machine. After the berserk, the machine self destruct themselves so what left on the street are scrap and some machines is doing cleaning up work.

"This is..."

"Their true talent. For the first time, can we truly retaliate the city for what they done to us."

So can we truly against them for the first time and torn that wall but is that a good choice, people in this world suffer in misery. If the wall is destroyed then is that a good thing ? What will people do ? They filled with hatred or they will continue the legacy of those who live in the city ? I need to understand them a little bit more.