It's been a few days since I've written something oopsies. The World Trigger OC series continues I suppose
"Ready for your big debut?" Tachikawa looks over at you with amusement in his eyes.
"Nothing to worry about when it's this squad I'm with." You spin your Trigger, warming up your hands. "I'm more concerned about whether I'll hold you all back."
"You won't," Karasuma says firmly. "You're too skilled for that."
"Relax, L/N-chan." Izumi leans over and ruffles your hair. "We're too good to be held back by only one person."
"Everyone ready?" Kunichika pipes up. "The match will commence in three, two, one!"
"Trigger on!"
You spawn on top of a roof, a soft breeze whistling in your ears as you survey the area. You quickly activate Bagworm and begin to move while waiting for Kunichika's updates on everyone's positions. The first phase is to regroup and take on anyone along the way should you choose to. Tachikawa will probably take the long way on purpose, Karasuma will take the most direct way, and Izumi will have fun while making his way over.
Right on cue, Kunichika's voice comes over the comms. "L/N, head northeast to regroup with Izumi. Karasuma, meet up with Tachikawa first then proceed south."
"Roger that."
You make your way to the building that's marked out on your map, moving quickly with the help of Grasshopper. There's a lot of verticality on this map, but there are a few good sniping spots. The opposing squad has a sniper; they're bound to go for those spots and set up. All you have to do is avoid the lines of sight as you get to Izumi's location, and Grasshopper will help with making you difficult to target.
"I'll stick to sniping unless I get dived. Don't want them to know about my Kogetsus if they haven't seen my solo matches. And if they have, they'll be constantly second guessing when I'm going to switch." You crouch behind a wall, activating Egret. "Also I've located the enemy sniper. They're in the building opposite me. Izumi, I'll follow up on your opening."
"Making me do all the hard work, newbie?" The Shooter laughs. "Bold of you to order your senior around."
"If you don't want some partial credit, I'm going to take the point myself anyways. It shouldn't be that difficult, they have no idea that I've spotted them." You calmly set up, taking aim at the window. "They've equipped Lightning. Makes sense considering the narrow space."
"Don't regret it if I end up taking the point!" Izumi chirps. "Three, two, one, go!"
An explosion from Izumi's Meteor rocks the building the enemy sniper is hiding in as your Side Effect kicks in hard. You shift your crosshair to where the last golden afterimage's head is amidst the falling debris and pull the trigger just as a streak of green pierces through their Trion supply system.
The audience cheers as a zero turns into a one.
"And Tachikawa Squad takes the first point!"
"How unfortunate." Izumi smirks, looking up at you. "The point went to me."
"Savour it, that's the only point you're going to get this match," you retort, landing next to him. "Let's meet up with the others, if they haven't decimated the rest of the opponents yet."
"This is boring." Tachikawa whines over the comms. "Why won't they just come out and fight me?"
"Unlike you, most people come up with a plan to defeat their opponents." Karasuma replies. "They're probably setting up an ambush. Izumi, L/N, keep your guard up and be prepared. Tachikawa and I will be at the rendezvous point shortly."
"We'll be fine with L/N's Side Effect." Izumi grins. "Right, L/N?"
"You do realise I can't see into the future? My Side Effect has this limitation called 'only being able to see five frames into the future', which is about 0.2 seconds." You roll your eyes. "But I will do my best to catch the ambush before it happens."
"Someone is heading your way, L/N, Izumi. They're approaching rapidly, contact in —"
"I see them." You nod at Izumi who gives a thumbs up before disappearing around the nearest corner. You turn towards your pursuer and let your Side Effect nudge your next moves.
You kick off Grasshopper and dodge a Whirlwind, landing a distance away from your attacker. Deactivating Bagworm, you take in your opponent: a Kogetsu user who has a customised Kogetsu that takes on the shape of a spear.
"Smart." You gesture at the area. "A confined space. Limits a Sniper's ability to shoot."
"I hear you're the other dual Kogetsu user."
"Then you know this narrow space won't hinder my abilities at all, so why choose this area to fight?"
"I want to test your Kogetsu skills and see if they really do live up to the rumours."
"So you're doubting my decision making skills, Yoneya?" Tachikawa comes into view, a hand resting on his Kogetsu.
"I just want to see what made you ask her to join your squad!" He huffs, adjusting his stance.
"Stay out of this, Tachikawa." You step forward and unsheathe your Kogetsus. "He wants a challenge, I'll give him one."
"Don't take too long, I need to show you off to the rest of Miwa Squad." Tachikawa waves as he walks off.
"Then you better keep the squad alive long enough to see me." You snort, shooing him away. Izumi disappears along with his captain, leaving you alone with Yoneya.
"Feeling confident, are we?" The spear wielder grins. "Don't go around underestimating your opponents, newbie!"
"Confident? You wish." You point your Kogetsus at him. "I'm just curious as to what A-rank has to offer and what better way to find out than a duel?"
He lunges at you, the spear aimed right at your Trion supply system. You dodge, Kogetsus flashing as you strike back, targeting his open side. He recovers quickly, blocking your strike before launching his own counter that you just manage to dodge. The spear's blade changes form, looping around your Kogetsu and grazing your cheek — a surface wound that would have been deeper without your Side Effect.
"Tch." You knew about his spear's trick, the way the tip can change shape to get around obstacles, but knowing it and experiencing it are two very different things.
"Nice dodge. All thanks to your Side Effect, right?" Yoneya asks. He twirls his spear, changing his stance.
"If you know about my Side Effect, you should know that it takes more than that to defeat me." You shift your grip on your Kogetsus, reversing the grip on one of them. Close combat might not be favourable in this case with that tricky spear of his, you'll need to gain some distance from him so that you can snipe safely.
He laughs, and you can't help but smile back. He's enjoying this, just like how Tachikawa enjoyed your duel with him, and it's a relief to know that A-rankers don't see your Side Effect as an unfair advantage. They view it as just another obstacle to overcome, one more card you have up your sleeve, and it's freeing to be able to use it without fear of judgement.
Your blades clash against his spear over and over again, small scratches appearing on the both of you from all the hair breadth dodges but you don't feel the same amount of pressure you felt when dueling Tachikawa. There's more space to breathe, more room for error, and the punishment is less harsh. Then again, you are comparing him to the number one Attacker in all of Border. It's not quite the fair comparison.
Ducking underneath a swing, you move forwards, forcing him to retreat to avoid your blade. He then steps on a Grasshopper you placed at the same time you ducked. His eyes widen as he shoots upwards, your Kogetsu following him. He spins his spear, knocking the blade aside but it exposes him to your real attack — a shot from Egret.
You point the muzzle of the rifle upwards, focus on the golden afterimages, and pull the trigger. Yoneya forces his body to twist in an attempt to avoid the bullet but it still hits its mark. You predicted his movements after all, and foresaw his attempt.
"Nice shot." He grins before bailing out.
"Thanks." You murmur. You can feel the combat adrenaline kicking in, a sensation you haven't felt in a very long time. Your heart races, lips curling upwards into a wide grin. There's a different sort of thrill in A-rank matches, an excitement that isn't present in B-rank matches. You enjoy the challenge, the unpredictability, the quick adaptation of your opponents to your kit and Side Effect. It isn't that easy to win 1 on 1s anymore, and it gets your heart pumping. Maybe accepting Tachikawa's invitation to join his squad was the best choice you've ever made.
Exhaling, you contact the others, making your way over to where the final fight of the match will take place.
Meanwhile, the audience has erupted into chaos.
"Did you see what she did?"
"How did she do that?"
"Tachikawa Squad's new addition is insane!"
"Her timing is impeccable, it's almost as though she can tell what her opponent's next move is!"
Landing atop a roof that oversees the battleground, you openly let your location be known. You didn't activate Bagworm on your way here, a bold challenge to the rest of Miwa Squad.
I'm here. Come and get me.
"My latest addition never ceases to surprise me." Tachikawa grins, turning to face Miwa. "Ready to give up yet?"
"Never." Miwa growls.
"Free points for us, then." Izumi strikes first, his Meteor tearing up the battlefield. Tachikawa moves at the same time as Karasuma, creating a two-pronged attack on Miwa who darts away, covered by his remaining sniper.
"Karasuma, get the sniper. I'll teach Miwa a thing or two about using a Kogetsu." Tachikawa calls over the comms. "Kunichika, help Karasuma locate the sniper. Izumi, make the sniper's life difficult."
"Understood."
The two disappear to hunt for the remaining sniper of Miwa Squad, leaving Tachikawa to face Miwa with you.
"Ready to show Miwa Squad how a sniper really covers for their frontline?" Tachikawa chuckles, hands gripping the handles of his Kogetsus.
"Don't cry if I shoot you by accident, captain." You train your crosshair on Miwa.
"I know you won't."
Sparring with Tachikawa has familiarised you with his movements, allowing you to predict what he's going to do next. You simply lie on the roof and wait patiently for an opening, watching the two duel on the ground below you.
"Hey! What happened to covering fire?!" You can hear Tachikawa pout.
"You're not in any danger. Covering fire is for when I'm covering someone; so far there's no need to." You deadpan. "Keep it up, you've got this."
"That is the flattest encouragement I've ever heard." Izumi sniggers.
"Izumi! Focus!" Karasuma snaps back.
"Relax, Kyousuke. We're fine."
"Are you waiting for the opportunity to steal my point?" Tachikawa gasps in fake horror. "You're supposed to help me get my point!"
"Woe is you, having an all-rounder who can steal points. Better concentrate on your fight otherwise I'll have an easy time doing just that." You sigh. To be honest, you're not sure if you can steal the point from Tachikawa. He leaves no gaps, no opportunities and it's why dueling him feels so oppressive. You really are just here in case Miwa pulls some new trick that Tachikawa is unprepared for. So far, everything is normal. Even the weaving in of Asteroid with his Kogetsu slashes doesn't faze Tachikawa one bit. Instead, your captain continues pressing his attack, driving Miwa backwards.
You're enjoying the duel; it's always quite the spectacle to see Tachikawa show why he's the number one agent in Border. To be honest, you don't really want to do anything except watch the show, but you are technically a participant of the match that's going on. It's your duty to do something.
"Don't force him out of range or your poor all-rounder won't be able to cover you, captain." You can't help but tease. "Whatever will she do when her captain needs backup?"
"The poor all-rounder who's just been lying on the rooftop enjoying the view?"
"In her defense, it's a really nice view. It was nicer before Izumi blew everything up."
"Hey!"
"Speaking of which, have the two of you found the sniper yet? At this rate, I might have enough time to go over and steal the point from the both of you too."
"Looks like someone's completely relaxed now." Tachikawa hums, amused.
"Oh shut it! I'm just being a concerned member of Tachikawa Squad and asking if my fellow squadmates need help." You feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
"We're fine. Just located him, moving in now." Karasuma answers, and there's a small yelp from Izumi as he's presumably being hauled off by Karasuma.
"So do you plan on finishing Miwa off or do you need me to do the job?" You ask, somewhat bored. If you'd been in your real body, your limbs would be numb by now.
"I'm not about to let you steal my glory!" Tachikawa laughs. "You already had your moment to shine, give your poor captain a chance too."
"The chance window is closing~" You hum, shifting into a different position. He only laughs harder and kicks things up a notch.
"Sorry, Miwa, time to draw this to a close. My all-rounder is threatening to steal my point and I can't let that happen."
Tachikawa's Kogetsus move faster than before, easily wearing down Miwa's defenses, and before you know it, the opening you've been waiting for presents itself. You take aim, your finger curling around Egret's trigger, and take the shot. At the same time, Tachikawa's Kogetsus slice downwards to finish his opponent off. Miwa bails out, followed shortly by his squad's remaining sniper.
"And Tachikawa Squad shows us once again why they're the number one squad in all of Border!" The audience bursts into cheers.
"Did you see that? Tachikawa Squad's newbie scored two points against A-rank agents in her first match!"
"How did she do that?"
"Tachikawa Squad has added another monster to their roster!"
You return to the operations room with Tachikawa, and Karasuma appears with Izumi a few moments later.
"It's only your first match and you're already scoring two points!" Izumi wrangles you into an affectionate headlock, laughing. "You'll be one of the top all-rounders in no time!"
"It's only because you guys are easy to work with." You struggle to escape but your attempts are futile.
Karasuma turns to look at Tachikawa, who's simply watching the two of you with a smile. "You let her get that point."
"Did I? I wasn't aware of that." Tachikawa smirks. "Our all-rounder was simply faster than I was."
"There's no way your Kogetsu is slower than an Egret's Trion bullet, especially considering how far away she was."
"Our latest addition has a precognition Side Effect. Maybe she used it to make her bullet hit first."
Karasuma makes a noise of disbelief. "Other agents will question her abilities less now, thanks to that match. Congratulations on accomplishing your goal."
Tachikawa simply laughs. "She did most of the heavy lifting, I only set the stage and she performed brilliantly. The squad has just been brought to the next level."
You finally free yourself from Izumi's grip and make your way over to your captain. "I see now why this squad is Border's number one squad."
"Don't get too comfortable, newbie. This is only a taste of A-rank, and it's only a matter of time before you face far stronger opponents." Tachikawa claps you on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work."
"Thanks, captain. Wouldn't dream of it." You grin, heart soaring.
For the first time in a long while, the noise of the operations room feels like home. It's warm, cosy even, unlike the B-rank squad you were in where every match felt like a quiet competition instead of a shared fight. The competition between the members of Tachikawa Squad was friendly, meant to build each other up not tear them down. They trusted each other to watch their backs, and stepped in to help without being asked when squadmates couldn't handle things on their own.
Maybe A-rank isn't a summit after all. Maybe it's just the start. And maybe Tachikawa Squad is where it all begins.
