Chapter 247: The First Raid

Alistair couldn't help but moan in pleasure with each bite of the new cuisine. Using his Telekinesis, he casually grasped more from the surrounding tables, not even needing to look. The Beshin Tako yaki was still his favorite, but the vegetable and meat mixture covered in a spicy sauce came in at a close second. It was delicious, though he thought it would be even better with rice. He made the suggestion, recommending they get some now that the gate was open.

They spent roughly two hours bantering, eating, and enjoying each other's company when Alistair felt a shift in the air. His Conceptual Awareness had picked up on the presence of someone nearby, and when he looked over, he saw the woman staring at him. Their eyes met, and he was certain she had realized he saw her, despite her spectral form and impressive stealth skills that blended in with the surrounding concepts, her aura control so immaculate he had no idea how powerful she was. He wondered if she had been there for longer, waiting until they picked up on her presence.

Alistair exchanged a glance with Riseth, who had noticed her too. Riseth just shrugged.

"Why don't you join us?" Alistair called out, his voice casual but inviting.

She stepped from the shadows, her incredibly pale skin and straight white hair giving her the eerie appearance unusual for an Oni and more closely resembling that of a ghostly yokai—a beautiful, dead woman caught between worlds. She wore a white kimono-like garment, covered in runes that Alistair was certain Nomura had written herself. Her gaze was cold and calculating, the grey of her eyes matching the starkness of her hair.

The only break in the white monotony of her attire was the deep purple fabric and intricate iconography woven into her kimono, as well as the perfectly rectangular black steel scabbard that held her sword, the hilt wrapped in the same purple fabric. The entire weapon exuded a quiet, controlled power.

Nomura turned and waved the woman over. The white-haired Oni gave a small nod, taking a single step before appearing next to Nomura with such speed that Alistair had difficulty following her movement. He knew, without a doubt, that in a fight between either him or Riseth and her, she would pose a serious challenge. In fact, he wasn’t even sure who among the three Oni was the strongest.

"I am Skiyama Beshin. I greet the Patriarch and Matriarch of the Ryser Clan," Sakiyama said, her voice quiet yet authoritative, not easily overheard.

Alistair felt as though the words had been whispered directly into his ear, so close he could almost feel the cold breath against his skin, a sharp contrast to the heat he had expected. He recognized the concepts and abilities in use—those of a ghost or specter—and knew her fighting style would likely be quite similar to Riseth's.

"No need to be this formal," Alistair said with a relaxed smile. "Just call me Alistair."

Sakiyama shook her head, her expression unmoving. "Apologies, but you may exchange such bonds with my cousins. I prefer proper decorum."

Nomura coughed, drawing attention. "Apologies, Sakiyama has a rather strict personality. Do not let it bother you, as she has only the best intentions for both your clan and ours. She is the Tōryō of our clan."

Alistair’s confusion was evident, and Nomura quickly noted it. "She’s in charge of intelligence. Considering the tight bond we wish to form, you and your executive may call upon her and her people. Most of the information we’re able to share we will. We hope you, too, will honor us with this exchange."

"Of course," Riseth replied smoothly, though Alistair noticed the tip of her tail wagging somewhat excitedly around her waist.

Nomura smiled, signaling to Sakiyama again. "What do you have to report?"

"We’re still gathering reports from Citar, and some of our agents plan to remain there with the Coalition’s blessing. They’ve uncovered our efforts but have tolerated them in exchange for respecting their authority and sharing information that might interest them," Sakiyama explained. "There isn’t much to report, aside from the fact that the movements of the Blackmarket Syndicate factions remain unchanged. Targets slated for attack have stayed consistent."

"Has truly nothing of interest occurred during our absence? How have our other allies in the New Light alliance fared?" Kujo asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Sakiyama gave a small nod. "There is one small matter. The Veodine Pact is now the second faction to have their world discovered by Syndicate scouts. However, given that their appearance, while cute, isn’t particularly alluring, and their world holds little strategic or material value, we do not expect them to be targeted."

Alistair hummed thoughtfully. The Veodine Pact was mostly composed of Veruline—creatures resembling red panda beastkin, though their fur came in a wide variety of colors and patterns. They were also one of the factions coordinated by a Natural God, which gave them some additional measure of protection.

"Ah, those Skruknav-looking beastkin," Kujo murmured aloud, glancing around for affirmation. "I could see them being raided for their cuteness."

Alistair chuckled. "I wouldn't know what kind of market there would be for such a thing, though let's be ready to intervene if necessary."

Kujo nodded in agreement, "Let's hope we can just wipe this stain from our universe before while we can,"

Alistair heartily agreed, taking a sip from the cup of tea that had been placed by a servant earlier. He savored the sweet floral aroma before digging into what he guessed was some kind of roasted and well-seasoned eel.

Soon enough, their discussion slowed, and they found themselves talking instead about their home worlds, cultures, and plans—passing the time with good food while they waited for their forces to prepare and coordinate. Riseth, never one to shy away from pushing boundaries, tried to get Sakiyama to open up, but the woman remained mostly silent, quietly eating alongside them while they talked.

A ping alerted Alistair that their ships in orbit had their warp drives ready to jump to their first target, and he watched as Kujo wiped his mouth before getting up.

"Alright, it's time for some... exercise," Kujo said, his wide grin almost predatory.

Alistair and Riseth stood in response, matching his energy. "Good," Riseth commented. "As nice as it is to talk with you guys, I've done enough talking the past week. I can't wait to move again."

Kujo let out a deep chuckle as they made their way to the docks, and Alistair couldn't help but smile as the excitement got the better of him.

He knew these raids would be good practice in coordinating with the Beshin and helping them build a reputation. Both of them had an interest in taking on more mercenary work, but unless they could find a larger faction willing to hire them—like Sol or the Ethos Crusade—they’d need to prove themselves first. Otherwise, they’d be stuck with less favorable contracts, which, in Alistair's opinion, they might as well just stick to raiding the Syndicates rather than waste their time.

They joined Nomura and Kujo on their flagship, knowing that their own fleet would prioritize space combat. Meanwhile, they would serve as the spearhead alongside the Beshin in the raid, with their own troops—led by Simon, Desily, and some of their up-and-coming elites—striking secondary targets.

Before he knew it, they were jumping in formation, the sensations and visuals of warpspace passing him by as they arrived at their first target. Alistair took a long, steadying breath, his eyes sharpening and focusing as he braced himself, ready to use his magic to defend the flagship if needed.

When they tore into realspace, the Ryser ships were already engaging a small fleet, along with weapon emplacements cleverly disguised as asteroids. These were hidden among the belt, where a large construction yard had been built into an asteroid, using its mass and the surrounding asteroids to produce more ships. Alistair could make out a few docking bays and some surface installations on the massive rock. He knew they likely would have never discovered the shipyard if one of the Beshin shinobi hadn’t infiltrated a damaged Syndicate craft that had fled here for repairs.

Alistair watched as missiles arced toward them, and before Kujo, Riseth, or anyone else could react, he swiped them away with his Telekinesis. The impact caused them to explode harmlessly in the distance.

More missiles followed, arcing toward them and the other ships in the fleet. Alistair strained, extending his magic over the vast distances to deflect each one.

"That's impressive, but don't overdo it," Nomura said. "We'll need your prowess to take down those lurking in the depths of the shipyard."

"Don't worry, I’m having fun," Alistair replied with a grin. "It’s kind of like Fruit Ninja," he joked.

Nomura looked at him with confusion. "What is a Fruit Ninja?"

Alistair laughed, swiping again and triggering a chain reaction as a series of missiles exploded in quick succession. "Don't worry about it, it's just a game from my world," he said, still grinning.

They rushed toward one of the hangar bays, watching as the gates rapidly shut after disgorging the last wave of fighter crafts. These were immediately engaged by the far more diverse and sophisticated fighters of the Ryser Clan. The Ryser pilots tore into the mostly remote-controlled enemy fighters with ease, proving their superior combat prowess as they raced through the ranks, weapons blazing and directional shields flaring.

Alistair was genuinely impressed by their reaction speed, as they fired, blocked, and weaved through the enemy fire like unstoppable dervishes. It was clear they had put the majority of their statistics into control and senses, moving with a fluidity and precision that made their performance look effortless.

He couldn't help but whistle in appreciation. James and the other crafters had truly outdone themselves in creating personalized fighter crafts for their people, and the results were clear. Alistair was confident that these fighters outshone their larger vessels by a large margin, their speed and agility allowing them to close distances in seconds—something the larger ships were still struggling to address. The pilots moved as one with their crafts, exploiting their superior design and capabilities to devastating effect.

Alistair actually balked for a second when he realized they were rapidly approaching the now-closed hangar bays. He glanced at Kujo and Nomura, who had stepped up next to him.

"You are free to join, or enjoy the show," Kujo commented, as flames began to roar around the ship. A true inferno of blue flames manifested in space, growing denser and wilder with every passing second. It was soon joined by a sea of ink, imbued with the concept of erasure, swirling around the inferno in an intricate dance—never quite touching—but the energy building into a crescendo.

Alistair chose to watch, knowing he and Riseth would be fine either way. He was more than happy to continue swiping missiles away from their allies’ tails while Riseth redirected them back at their attackers.

He watched as the black and blue inferno raced ahead of them through the vastness of space, erasing anything it touched. It crashed into the closed main hangar bay, ripping it apart before erasing any debris and destroying anything and anyone immediately behind the gate in a bright flash. The light was quickly swallowed by the darkness, the aftermath simply gone.

They continued their rapid approach. He summoned Viv, which immediately melded into his shadow. Alistair drew his weapon alongside Kujo, Nomura, and the rest of the fighters onboard as they flew into the Syndicate shipyard.

"Get ready!" Kujo bellowed, raising his cleaver-like weapon. "Kill all hostiles—show no mercy to the scum!" The command was met with an enthusiastic roar from his warriors.

They slipped through the gap and were immediately met with powerful attacks hurled their way. Alistair punched forward with his Telekinesis, the force of his magic crashing against the incoming onslaught while the others unleashed their own strikes. The combined attack clashed with the enemy’s, the impact threatening to tear apart the docking bay.

Without hesitation, he and the others disembarked, rushing through the maelstrom of violent energy to engage those trying to stop them.

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