Meteor Arts Saga

Chapter 7

The morning was warm and quiet all over Kyoto, but inside Kyoto Station the atmosphere was cold and busy, where many people came and passing by from multiple directions, from office workers to secondary school students to tourists and to even several government employees. People chatted very little and just came and go. Office workers entering convenience stores, purchasing cans of cold brew and packs of sushi for lunch, catching trains or just arrived.

Two teams of three had just arrived in the station. One group was consisted of Koki, Naotaka and Shintaro. The other group was Saya, Yuuta and Saito. Both teams were sent out by the Renmei on their quests of their own, starting from today. All of that to fend off or even avoid any conflict against their enemy, the Hagetaka. Knowing the Hagetaka planned on securing those three regions and eliminating the Meteor Artists who lived there, the Renmei viewed it as a danger to their lives. In response to this, the six members were chosen for these missions: the five Meteor Samurai, four who were incumbent and one who was former. Not to mention, one ordinary member.

Saya's team was tasked today to head off for Kochi, to rally up all the Water Artists in all of Shikoku. Because she and her mother lived in Shikoku, and together they ran a hospital in Kochi, which was one of the most important affiliates of the Renmei, she was chosen to go there. But she could not go alone, thus the Renmei committee assigned Saito and Yuuta to assist her. Besides Naoki, the president of the Renmei, Saito was the only person who had knowledge, skill, experience and mastery of a Meteor Samurai but officially no longer held the title. And there was Yuuta, who proved his courage against Tachibana-sensei's cruel punishment toward his students during the last training prior to the battles of Osaka and Kobe, even though it was only an elaborate way of testing Koki and his abilities. The committee was impressed and hence they assigned him to join Saya and Saito on their quest.

Meanwhile, Koki's team was assigned to journey across Chugoku, then Kyushu and then Shikoku, to protect and rally up all the rest of the Meteor Artists in those regions. Shintaro was assigned in this journey for being a resident and the Fire Samurai from Chugoku, same for Naotaka but with Kyushu and being the Earth Samurai. With Koki, being a Dragon Artist and a Meteor Samurai, his best role in this mission was, as Kanna the Renmei's liaison said or quoted whatever Naoki said, to use his powers to protect. A reason so vague yet important for a Dragon Artist. Something he himself may not understand now but hoped it may serve him a purpose later on.

On this journey, the first thing Koki's team's goal today was to take the shinkansen for Okayama and meet up with, Yukito Takamiya, Shintaro's father and the previous Fire Samurai. Considering Yukito served as the head representative of all Meteor Artists in his city, the samurai's objective was to inform him and every Artist in Okayama to leave for Kyoto by night.

Two teams of three arrived at the hub of the station, ready to depart. Koki stood side-by-side with his fellow teammates, Naotaka and Shintaro. His team bid farewell and their best wishes. to Saya's team before moving off. They took the stairs up to the platform, waiting for their ride to Okayama. They formed in a queue for their reserved car and have waited several minutes for the bullet train their arrived. They walked inside the car and took their seats.

"Hey, guys," Shintaro spoke. "Wake me up when we get there. I haven't slept well last night." And he fell asleep instantly.

Koki and Naotaka exchanged looks with confusion. Koki looked at Shintaro for a second and back to Naotaka.

"Don't mind him," said Naotaka. "Let him rest for now."

There was movement. The bullet train moved, picking up the pace. Out of the station and into the open. The streets and buildings appeared smaller when viewing outside and the anaemic white sky began to turn a lovely blue.