Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)

The night was cold, the kind of biting chill that clung to every breath and seeped through layers of clothing. The air in Falmuth's capital was unnervingly still, save for the occasional gust of wind that carried the faint scent of smoke from distant chimneys.

Kaede's eyes sprung open, and immediately taking off her covers, she's out of bed geared and armed.

*Snore*

Kaede rolled her eyes at Kirara who was snoring in the bed beside hers. Kirara had gotten herself exhausted just thinking about the escape, and the result was the snoring heal before her.

Kaede adjusted the straps of her specially made utility belt, her fingers brushing over the small devices Artificia had fabricated. Each one hummed faintly with magicules, ready to detonate and deconstruct.

Turning her attention back to the softly snoring Kirara, she allowed herself a faint smile. For all her nerves during the planning phase, Kirara had fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Typical.

She placed a hand on the sleeping girl's chest, ignoring the blush that crept up her face as she did so. 'Artificia, do you see it?'

'Yes.'

As Kaede confirmed the command in her mind, a faint shimmer rippled over her palm, invisible to any ordinary observer but unmistakable to her trained senses. The telltale sign of her unique skill, [Devour], shimmered against Kirara's chest as it took effect. A cold, consuming energy pulsed through Kaede's palm, and she focused intently on the curse binding her friend.

The locking curse was more than just a chain, it was a culmination of malicious magic, coiled tightly around Kirara's very essence. Scrunching her face, Kaede found herself tasting the complexity of the spell, layers of twisted runes designed not just to suppress, but to punish any attempt at breaking it.

But Kaede wasn't deterred. [Devour] gave her a unique perspective. She visualized the curse as a living entity, and with the skill's consuming nature, she began to unravel it.

The threads of magic resisted violently, lashing back with sharp bursts of energy that made Kaede's arm flinch. She took a breath, as Artificia drew in the curse as though siphoning poison. The energy flowed into her body, dark and bitter, but Kaede's skill devoured it greedily, converting it into raw magicules.

Kirara stirred under her touch, a faint whimper escaping her lips. Kaede froze, glancing at her face. Her brow was furrowed, her expression pained, as though she could feel the remnants of the curse fighting to cling to her.

"Shh," Kaede whispered softly, her voice steady despite the slight ache in her arm. "Almost done."

With a final surge of effort, she pulled the last of the curse into herself. The curse surged within her, but Kaede's unique skill compressed it, breaking it down into nothingness.

The black aura around her hand dissipated, and the room fell silent.

Kaede let out a slow breath, shaking her hand as the lingering tingles of dark magic faded. She glanced at Kirara, who was now completely still, her breathing calm and steady. The faint tension that had always seemed to hover around her was gone, replaced by an aura of lightness.

Kaede hesitated for a moment, debating whether to wake her now or let her sleep a little longer. The plan wouldn't need to start for another hour, but Kaede knew how crucial every second would be.

"Kirara," Kaede said softly, nudging her friend's shoulder. "It's time."

Kirara groaned, shifting under the covers. "Five more minutes…" she mumbled.

Kaede huffed, crossing her arms. "We don't have five minutes. This isn't training, Kirara. We're on a schedule."

At that, Kirara's eyes fluttered open, a groggy expression giving way to sharp focus as the weight of the mission came back to her. She sat up quickly, brushing her tangled hair out of her face. "Right. I'm up. Like, I'm ready," she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and grabbing her boots.

Kaede handed her the utility belt, compact orbs fitted with single glowing runes littered its surface. "This is yours. They're MMPs (Magicule Magnetic Pulse) use them to unlock the doors. This is a 'flash-pulse.' Use it only if you get cornered. It'll blind anyone nearby for ten seconds, but it'll also drain magicules from the user, so don't overdo it."

Kirara examined the orb, turning it over in her hands. "Got it," she said, her tone steady but her expression tense.

Kaede turned to the faint glow of the projection hovering above her wristband. The map of Falmuth's capital was detailed and precise, thanks to the drones she'd sent out earlier to survey the area. Patrol routes, barrier locations, and potential escape paths were all carefully marked.

"All right," Kaede said, her voice quiet but firm. "Here's the timeline: Shifu is already in position just within the borders. He'll move in and head towards the sewers after I start the first distraction at exactly 02:00, drawing the majority of the guards away from the prison's main entrance. That's when you'll move in during that window and disable the barriers with the MMP devices."

Kirara nodded, lacing up her boots. "And if the guards catch on too quickly?"

Kaede smirked. "I'm sure you can handle it. But just in case, A set of modified drones are set to simulate a secondary assault near the market district. That should buy us extra time if needed."

Kirara stood, her movements quick and precise as she secured her own gear. "What about the prisoners? How many are we expecting?"

Kaede's expression hardened. "Three hundred confirmed, but we're prepared for more. Once we're in the sewers, we'll regroup with Shifu and make our way back to the forest. No deviations, no risks."

Kirara took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders to loosen the tension. "Understood."

Kaede stepped toward the door, her hand hovering over the latch as she glanced back at Kirara.

Kirara gave her a sharp nod. "We won't fail."

Kaede opened the door, the cold night air rushing in to greet them. The streets were dark, the only illumination coming from the dim lanterns hanging at irregular intervals. The city seemed to hold its breath, unaware of the storm brewing in its shadows.

The two of them moved swiftly, their footsteps silent as they navigated the narrow alleys leading toward the prison complex. Kaede's wristband flickered, a red dot marking the approach of a patrol.

"Stop," she whispered, holding up a hand. She pulled Kirara into the shadow of a nearby cart, her eyes fixed on the glowing map.

The patrol passed, their armor clinking softly as they walked. Kaede waited until the sound faded into the distance before signaling Kirara to move.

They reached the outer wall of the prison, the faint hum of the barrier audible to Kaede thanks to [Magic Perception], and to Kirara who had suddenly decided that Falmuth was hostile territory, activating [Battle Awareness] even from this distance. Kirara knelt, retrieving the MMP device from her utility belt. The fist-sized orb glowed faintly, its energy building as she activated it.

"Thirty seconds," Kaede whispered, watching Kirara's fingers flying over the device as she activated it.

Kaede went back to keeping watch, her eyes scanning the darkened streets for any sign of movement. The tension was palpable, every second stretching longer than the last.

The MMP device emitted a low beep, signaling its readiness. Kirara placed it against the base of the barrier, stepping back as the device pulsed with energy.

The barrier flickered, its hum faltering before it collapsed entirely. Kirara grinned, a sense of triumph sparking in her chest. "We're in."

Kirara moved through the now-unprotected entrance, her movements swift and silent. Inside, the prison was dimly lit, the air heavy with the stench of damp stone and unwashed bodies.

Kaede passed her the wristband, the map shifting to display the interior layout. "Cells are two levels down. Stay safe."

Kirara immediately descended the stairs, her footsteps muffled against the stone. The faint sound of voices echoed from the lower levels, but they pressed on, their focus unshakable.

Reaching the second level, Kirara stopped, extending her senses. She noticed a glowing node on her wristband. "Magic barrier ahead."

Positioning herself near the edge of the corridor, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Kirara knelt, placing the orb quickly to disable the barrier's enchantments.

As the barrier dissolved, a faint sound behind her made Kirara tense. She turned, her eyes narrowing as a figure emerged from the shadows.

"Who goes there?!" A guard marched out of the darkness, a spear in hand. The guard's spear gleamed faintly under the dim torchlight as he advanced, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto Kirara. For a moment, the corridor was filled with an almost unbearable tension, the silence broken only by the guard's heavy boots against the stone floor.

Kirara straightened, her hand still resting casually on the hilt of her blade. Her demeanor shifted, her usual tense energy replaced with an unsettling calm. Her eyes glimmered faintly—a sign that [Bewilder] had activated.

"Who are you?" the guard demanded, his voice sharp with suspicion.

Kirara tilted her head slightly, her expression softening into something almost disarming. "For the next three hours, you will continue your patrol and you will tell no one about seeing me or what I'm doing." she said, her words weaving into his thoughts like threads pulled taut.

The guard blinked, his earlier suspicion giving way to a dazed nod, before turning back the way he came, his footsteps fading into the distance.

She advanced deeper into the prison, the air growing colder and heavier with every step. The faint sounds of muffled sobs and distant whispers reached her ears, a grim reminder of her rather odd mission.

Kirara had no idea why Kaede had decided to help the obviously suspicious ogre now named Shifu. But, being the bleeding heart Kaede was, Kirara had no choice in the matter, so here she was, rescuing bandits she literally just captured.

"Time to be a hero, I guess."