The light was with the man.
The light valued the bond between the man.
But man refused it.
Part of light's messengers tried to become greater than the light,
and became the shadows,
but they couldn't win against the light.
So the shadows focused to something else.
It is which the light valued the most.
Light's messengers and the shadows were called "Outer", and they spread their powers unto the ground.
Powers of light were called "Hika", powers of shadows were "Geka", and even though these powers were nowhere near to the Outer,
it were phenomenal for man.
These two powers of Outer erodes anything, and those eroded things were called "Outerless".
Hika shines man's holiness, Geka shines the darkness.
Outer most likely don't interfere, they just kept watching the path man took.
As man used and been fooled by the powers of light and shadows, each one of them lived their own lives.
-episode.1-
December, in the woods of the northern country, three bounty hunters were walking under the moonlight. First one was a woman, named Arkuus Vahaous. 25 years old.
She equipped military use muscle suit (a type of powered suit), sword rifle, grenade, and a handgun. Second was a cyborg man, named Suuri Fingot. 25 years old.
He equipped a spear rocket and an assault rifle. The third bounty hunter rode a heavy equipped powered armor (some kind of a powered suit for a human wearing a powered suit) who brought a giant trike, named Yukusan.
Three of them held Outer detector and some equipments, making sure there were no signs of Outer nearby, while heading to a village up north.
"Hey, are you sure we'll get the pay just by checking the Outer radiation around here?"
"Yeah, this job is from my well known broker, it's for sure."
Even though Yukusan reminded with his low voice, Arkuus still had a doubt.
"Well, we just met you recently. Weapons you sell are great, but a job from an unknown broker makes us concerned. Anyways, we gotta go on and get to Musta Pukin village. If we can get to the village then it's fine."
Suuri didn't care much about the job than Arkuus.
"Aren't there a lot of armed Santas in that village?"
Yukusan answers Arkuus's question.
"Yeah. Like the village has its name meaning, "black Santa", armed Santas has been protecting the village from the old days." Not just for sightseeing like the village we just passed, also a lot of people visit Musta Pukin for business. Recently, the village were planning to construct a Geka plant, but after the construction of the prototype plant, Geka Outerless started to increase its number around the village. It seems like they're attracted to the Geka fuel, but nobody knows exactly why."
Yukusan stopped walking, and he looked around. Arkuus tried to call Yukusan, but her detector started to react. She closed her eyes, put her hand on a head phone-type External Cybrain, (External Simplified Cybernetic Brain. A cyborg brain that is easy to use by simple surgery.) and Arkuus raised its processing speed.
"Is something out there?"
Suuri couldn't find anything.
"Got a vital signal from distance 300... A human...?"
As Arkuus wondered, three bounty hunters moved to the location where the signal showed. At that location, there was a little girl wearing a coat. Her name was Peri Hope. 5 years old.
When she noticed the three bounty hunters, Peri pointed her finger to Yukusan.
"Oh, Mister Robot."
Watching Peri, three bounty hunters opened their mouth.
"What a cute little girl..."
-episode.1-Village of armed Santas-
Three bounty hunters became cautious and looked around, also Arkuus made sure Peri was no threat.
"What are you doing here? Isn't there anyone else?"
"Me and my dad were running away from the monster, but then I got lost."
"Do you know where your father is?"
"No."
"Oh well... I heard you say Mister Robot, do you know this man?"
"No. But a lady Santa just said to me if you stay here you will meet Mister Robot. She said she will be back so stay here."
"A lady Santa?"
Yukusan answers to Arkuus.
"Guess she's talking about the broker that I've mentioned. She's one of the armed Santas. If she is coming back here soon, do you want to wait here?"
Arkuus faced Suuri for an answer.
"I don't mind."
When Peri and Arkuus were having a chat, her Outer detector reacted tremendously. After the bounty hunters grabbed their weapon, a female armed Santa came from the sky with a 12 gauge shotgun on her shoulder. As she landed on the ground, she started to introduce herself.
"I'm San Tana Rose. An armed Santa of Musta Pukin. Sorry I've made you wait. I'm taking Peri to a safe place. It is dangerous here."
Suuri talks with Tana.
"Dangerous? Is there an Outerless?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure about the details but it's around here."
As Peri got worried, she kept staring at Tana.
"Where's dad?"
"My friend is looking for him. After I send you, I'll go look for him too."
"Alright."
Tana carried Peri, and warns the three bounty hunters.
"If you want to go to the village safely, go around to the national road on the east. I'll pay at the village. Thanks for the help."
In Tana's arm, Peri waved her hand gently, and Tana flew into the darkness. Arkuus waves back to Peri.
"Are they fine?"
"Tana is a Hika Outerless. She is strong."
As Yukusan answers, Suuri stares at the Outer detector.
"I see. That's why. But I got another Outer signal. Distance 200, density 10, it's a Geka. By this cheap equipment, this is the best I could know. Seems like we'll be able to make more money."
Suuri in the front, three bounty hunters headed where the Outer signal showed.
As Suuri found something, he stopped his legs. There was a man lying on the ground. When Suuri walked closer, he saw a middle aged man struggling in pain.
Suuri walked closer to the man, while the other two stayed cautious.
"Hey. Are you alright?... Oh!"
Suuri noticed the man's left body started to become Outerless. Half of the man's body was black and wriggling, trying to swallow the man in pain.
"Hur... ry... ru... n..."
In the awful sight, Suuri calmed himself, he took the spear rocket and tried to cut off the Outerless part of the body. But when he raised his weapon, a giant claw flew right in front of Suuri. Suuri blocked the claw, but he was blown away. There was a fully grown human type Outerless standing in front of Suuri.
Its body was covered with black, and had a big claw on its long arm.
"Hey... Do you understand my..."
Suuri tried to communicate checking if Outerless had conscious, but Outerless attacked on him.
Arkuus fired her sword rifle, Outerless stepped back to take distance. Suuri also fired his assault rifle, and fired a rocket grenade from his spear rocket.
With a blast, the area was covered with smoke. As the three bounty hunters stayed cautious, wounded Outerless came straight to Arkuus. As Arkuus put in her strength to the muscle suit she was wearing, she parried Outerless's right arm with her sword rifle, and she gave a stroke. Outerless blocked the stroke with its left arm, and swung its right arm towards Arkuus.
Arkuus pulled the trigger, making the Outerless's arm stop, and she kept shooting the Outerless that were falling back. Yukusan also fired, but Outerless disappeared in to the woods, and then came the silence.
Healed Outerless created a smoke by rushing through the snow, confusing the three. Outerless attacked each one by hit and away, the three bounty hunters weren't able to move. Arkuus lost her balance by the attack, then Outerless aimed for its target. But Yukusan interfered by striking his left shoulder to the Outerless, and Yukusan extended his arm to the weapon container on his right shoulder, but all the sudden.
A jingle bell was ringing. Outerless stopped, also the three. Outerless disappeared into the direction where the jingle bell was ringing. No sign of danger, Arkuus and Suuri dropped to the ground and took a breath. Yukusan put his weapon back, and he stared where the Outerless headed.
Where the Outerless arrived, there was a Santa.
When Outerless ran towards the Santa, Santa pulled out a 40mm revolving grenade launcher, firing it so the Outerless can't get close to him. He also fired a 9mm submachine gun, slowing down Outerless's movement. As soon as Outerless found a chance, it came closer to Santa, so Santa threw a grenade. Outerless dodged the grenade, and it accelerated by using the blast of the grenade. Outerless stroke its right arm from the sky, and Santa swung his left arm by reflex.
Outerless's claw hit the Santa's left arm, ripping part of its clothes. Suddenly, Outerless's claw cracked, and then broke off. Outerless were surprised, as it saw a claw mounted on the Santa's left arm. Santa's left arm was surrounded by a black aura. He was also a Geka Outerless. By the power of Geka and the muscle suit he was wearing, Santa smacked the Outerless, and pulled out his huge 12 gauge revolver. This revolver uses shotgun shells, had two barrels vertically and able to shoot it together.
Outerless flew towards the Santa, so Santa pointed his revolver sideways and took the shot. The bullet blew the Outerless's legs off, and Santa spinned by the gun blast. Outerless was still in the air aiming for the Santa, but Santa used the momentum and smashed the Outerless to the ground. While Outerless struggled, Santa took out a syringe and stung it to the Outerless's neck. Outerless struggled even more, but soon became calm. There was a white illuminating liquid inside the syringe. It was a Hika. Seems like the Hika spread throughout its body, Outerless started to transform back to human. Its legs stopped in middle of Geka's healing. Even though its feet were gone, Outerless turned back to the middle aged man. Weaken man opened his eyes.
"Sorry, Taz... I've made you use your precious Hika..."
"Don't mind."
To the man who spoke silently, Santa answered. His name is San Taz Claws. Age around 30. He is called Taz most of the times.
"Where's my daughter?"
"She's fine."
The man smiled gently.
-After a half a day-
The man who became an Outerless went through seven hours emergency operation at the village hospital. His name is Rakenna Hope. 48 years old. Father of Peri Hope.
Outside Rakenna's room, tired Peri was sleeping on Tana's lap. Rakenna was weaken, but he was talking with Taz.
"Anything about the Geka Outerless that attacked us?"
"Sorry but we can't still find it... But I'm surprised. Your conscious is back after becoming an Outerless. Is it because you're a researcher of Geka fuel?"
"But my body is all messed up. And you two are also an Outerless, right? Would you tell me how did you become an Outerless?"
To Rakenna's question, Taz started to speak.
"About us? Well... When I was still in the military, my father was an armed Santa. When I came back here on vacation, father and I fought with a Geka Outerless. Father got stabbed trying to protect me, but I was also stabbed and Geka went through out my body. Father died, I barely overcome the Geka, and became a Geka Outerless."
Taz continues.
"Tana's father was a Hika Outerless. She is a born Outerless, which is very rare. Tiana, who's not here right now, is also a Hika Outerless. She was once near death when she was attacked by an Outerless. That time Tana used up her Hika trying to save Tiana, but it didn't work. Because of that, Tana's body was heavily damaged, then another Outerless attacked her. Suddenly, to save Tana, Tiana woke up as an Outerless..."
"Can't believe there are so many humans who could control the power of Outer just in this village..."
"But huge powers of Outer always come with risks."
"That's right... Oh, I just remembered something."
Rakenna faced towards Taz.
"Remembered what?"
"I've noticed when I became an Outerless, but the increase of Outerless is not by the Geka fuel."
"What?"
"Something... Something is attracting... the Outerless..."
Rakenna became difficult to speak.
"Alright. Take a rest."
Ignoring Taz, Rakenna continued to talk.
"Tell my... daughter... to take care..."
Taz came closer to Rakenna.
"Hey, stay strong. You've won to Geka already."
Tana noticed the situation outside the room, she put her hand on top of Peri's head gently, and Rakenna closed his eyes.
"Yeah... Always come with risks..."
In the snow falling night, Rakenna Hope died.
"When Geka reaches the brain, guess there's nothing we can do..."
Taz spoke silently, as he saw Rakenna's body were carried out of the hospital.
"Even though medical is growing, Outer still is a threat."
Next to Taz, Tana took out a cigarette, but she putted back when she saw Peri. Peri also noticed to the two, and she walked towards them.
"I've decided! I'm going to be a great researcher just like my dad!"
In the sunrise, the girl's eyes were shining brightly.
-episode.1-Village of armed Santas- -fin-
Rakenna's words
targeted village
red death
next-episode.2-Tana and the creeping shadow-
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