When I got home, the first thing I did was take a shower and change my clothes, because the ones I was wearing were damaged from the recent fights, torn and bloody, and already belonged in the trash. I decided to wear something more reserved, but that would still allow me to move properly. After a stroll through the wardrobe, I came back with a black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a red vest, a belt, short shorts, fingerless gloves, and mid-calf boots.

  Now well-dressed, I went to the place I least wanted to visit—the headquarters of the Order of Prevalence—which, upon arrival, looked more like a cathedral—tall pillars supporting the weight of the upper floors, which were decorated with beautiful stained glass windows, as was the courtyard and its marble statues.

  Upon opening the gate, I came face to face with Carotol (I had forgotten his existence since his defeat in the tournament), who simply stared at me, without a single thought behind those dark brown eyes, until I spoke:

  "Hello... soldier? Mascot? Anyway, I've come to find your commander." Carol nodded, gestured for me to follow him, and we entered the HQ.

  The interior of the HQ was immaculate and pristine, with light focused in beams by the architecture. There are so many details that I can't even register them all. Anyway, along the way, I was stopped by Tsundora, who said:

  "What is the rogue Cog doing here?" she asked, her voice more serious this time, embodying discipline.

  "I'm looking for your Commander, Kassidy." I replied, but something seemed to irritate her slightly.

  "Know that he has no power over me, for I am Tsundora Kibishi, the captain of the Order's field squadron!" She roared, not unlike Kassidy. "That fraud shouldn't be more than a mere corporal; he's just a soldier with a little more freedom of action, but he still acts as if he were an authority figure around here!"

  I was visibly startled, which she noticed and subsequently lowered her voice.

  ”Oh, I am sorry! The ‘commander’ drives me crazy; I only work alongside him when the general leaves me no choice.”

  "So we have something in common!" I offered a handshake, but she just stared at me seriously. "Oh, my kind isn't exactly welcome around here, is it?"

  "Well, in the overall context, yes. But I personally believe you have merit." She turned to the side and began to mutter. "Bunch of idiots, you let two incidents dictate your entire view of you Cogs."

  “Ahem.” I called her attention. “So? Where's the commander?”

  “First, I must ask what the purpose of your contact with him is—our recordings indicate that the two of you do not have a good relationship.”

  "I need his help because I plan to infiltrate Machina Research's Facility Lambda, and I can't do it without his combat expertise—even though I hate the idea." This startled Tsundora.

  “The rogue wants to ally herself with her executioner?! What is the point of that?”

  “Because they're both going against the same entity! That moron is just attacking the wrong target!”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Convincing. Go ahead, but I doubt he'll be that receptive.”

  “Thanks, Captain, and if you need help with a little rebellion, I'm at your service!”

  "I would never think of such a thing!" she said before turning around and muttering some more.

  Upon reaching the commander's quarters, Kassidy was staring at the wall while sipping a cup of tea, his cape removed, revealing his soft, rosy shoulders—such a sight is not for the faint of heart. Closing the door, he turned and, realizing it was me, slammed his cup on the table, rushing to grab his sword:

  "What are you doing here, freak?" He thundered. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted Tsundora and that incompetent rabbit to keep you away!"

  “Hold on a minute, handsome. I came to ask for your help.”

  Kassidy remained armed. "Go on." he growled. My heart was pounding in my chest.

  "I'm going to put an end to Hideaki, but first I have to get past the security at Facility Lambda, where he's imprisoned. And that's where you come in—you must already be quite proficient in combat, I just need you to clear the way for me. You can leave once I go down to his cell—"

  "Never would I murder another human being!!" he yelled as he tried to attack me.

  “Have I said anything about killing them?!" I questioned, preparing a blow. "Divine told me about how you kill us without hesitation, but you still start a fight at the mere mention of human violence!"

  "That's the logical conclusion to the intentions of your kind!" He retorted. "You've desired nothing but power and carnage from the start!"

  "You saw the recording, didn't you?" I retorted with a punch. "Hideaki himself had noble motives, just like me!"

  "And look how he ended up!" Kassidy stood up. "Reduced to nothing more than a killing machine, just like you'll soon become!"

  There's no way to convince this fanatic; with every word he becomes more aggressive! I should start talking about things other than ourselves:

  "Hey idiot! Who makes the Cogs?" I pointed at him. "Machina! And where am I going? To one of their facilities!"

  “Nonsense! You are the ones who caused all that destruction!”

  “I know you're too stubborn for this, but think about it! Who's worse? The beings that are rebelling or the people who let them run rampant in the first place?”

  “You are the immediate threat! Those reclusive scientists can wait!” Damn it! Doesn't he listen to anyone?

  You know what? I'm tired of this shit!

  I ran towards Kassidy, grabbing his neck and pinning him against the wall. Seeing his red, breathless face made my heart race, but now is not the time to fall in love.

  "Since you don't want to listen to me, then I won't give you a choice. You will listen to me," I said, serious and threatening, which, for some reason, caused his pupils to dilate in a contradictory way. "My objective is this: I will incapacitate Hideaki, because killing him is not an option. Your purpose is to neutralize the facility's defenses. Understood?"

  Kassidy then nodded frantically, prompting me to drop him to the ground.

  "Come on then, we have a role to play." I said as I headed out the door. I got what I wanted—recruiting Kassidy for my mission—but I bet I can't get too relaxed around him.