"Prologue"

Nine Weeks after the Death of Justice


"Deal, already."

If the young man from across his older companion heard him, he didn't notice. Instead, he twitched his head up and looked around. His eyes were wide, and to his older companion he looked like a spooked deer.

"You hear that?"

The older man grumbled and took his cigarette out of his mouth. "I said deal."

"There it is again. What the hell is that?"

"A damn screech owl, you f***ing idiot. Now are you gonna deal or am I going to have to take those damn cards from you and do it myself?"

The young man looked around a bit more, but then swallowed and turned his head down. He began to slowly deal out the cards, as if he had to practically command himself to do so. His grip shook as he put out each one, quivering like an aspen leaf in a gale. On seeing this, the older companion let out a scowl and put his cigarette back in his mouth.

"F***, man…you sure your balls dropped? You piss yourself tonight, I'm kicking your ass in there with her."

The young man shook so much at this that he actually dropped one of the cards. It was on his deal, and it was revealed to be an ace. In response, one of the other players, who was in the midst of picking up his own cards as each one came out, gave a whistle before putting them down. "I fold."

The fourth man of the group couldn't help but give a snicker at this, showing off a mouth full of rotten yellow teeth as he did so. The older one sighed again as he began to pick up his own cards. Nevertheless, seeing that one of the other players had a good advantage at the start, it made him think a bit more carefully about his own hand.

It was hard for him to see his cards that well, however. The only illumination they had in the unnatural forest was a small bonfire on the opposite side of his young companion. Since he was facing it, the glow naturally didn't uncover his hand that well. Nevertheless, he knew his young friend apparently didn't have the stomach to stay away from the light. He couldn't believe it. The man himself had actually grown up during the war. This young whelp hardly remembered it. If anything, he should have been the one who was cowering away at the moment, jumping at every noise.

The men were all dressed in older, more beaten clothing: a sign of people who weren't very financially well off in the world but weren't in poverty level either. They were folk who lived closer to the wilderness areas of the planet and scraped by making a small sustainable living. Each one had firearms next to them, but each one was hand-made, with only a few critical parts built to accommodate ammunition sold commercially. Each was loaded, and they also had knives or small hand weapons, like clubs or axes, nearby. The four were in the safest position at the moment, making up the western group of watchmen. They were the closest to the town proper, after all. It was the eastern group that not only were farthest from town but had to worry about being on the other side of the thing. It would have been enough to scare the entire group if she had just been standing there, looking vacantly out into space like all the others did.

But this one actually was walking…and talking…

Once the town had finally broken down the door to that shack where they were hiding her and found she wasn't there, it didn't take long to get the truth out of the old couple living there. Frankly, the man couldn't understand why they were hiding it. It was a monster. It had to die. Lonely or not, he couldn't understand how one could get attached to one of those things; knowing it could turn around and kill you at any time. However, what really made him mad, as well as almost everyone in town, was that they were keeping that thing…feeding it…looking after it…and knowing full well that it could have one day snapped and killed everyone in town. Because of that, he felt the two of them got off more than easy with a couple of broken ribs and some busted kneecaps. They should have been fed to it, as far as he was concerned. Once a few of that man's teeth were kicked in he did spit out they had hid it, so he supposed they deserved some credit for that…although he wondered how stupid you had to be in order to actually try to keep one of those things as a 'pet' or otherwise.

Following the Crusades, there were very few natural landscapes left. Most that appeared that way were either done so through cultivation or magical methods. When this was done, the areas were rarely "aesthetically" pleasing. With much of Earth reduced to a waste, you had to focus on practicality where the environment was concerned. Nevertheless, areas that had been low in population had managed to avoid some of the worst of the war. After all, there was no sense in razing an area where no one lived. If there was any natural landscaping left, it was usually either in areas that people had trouble making a living in, or had been rendered devoid of life early in the war and abandoned to slowly regenerate.

This forest, in truth, was somewhere in between. Historically, there was little record of what it had once been called, but the name at present was Schwarzwald. Located in the regions of Germany stretching to Eastern Europe, it had been mostly a chain of a few loosely connected patches of woods at first when the initial Crusades broke out. However, after being hit heavily by war and abandoned, much of them had time to grow toward one another. This was aided by the fact that it appeared some sort of Gear technology was employed in this part of the world. Destructive as Justice had been, even he had to realize that there would be need of resources to fuel his own empire and designs even as they focused mostly on eliminating the current "dominant species". To that end, some sort of technology had been put into play to grow large amounts of lumber quickly. It had been used on a large scale in the area they had rendered devoid of life, and it appeared to have worked. Currently, the block of forest ran a hundred miles north to south and four hundred east to west.

During the daylight hours, one would find this forest picturesque and lovely. There were no signs of ruins or rubble or rust or anything else that most "newly succeeded" forests possessed nowadays. It bore a look of true natural beauty. Most of the animals had moved back in at this point, and the streams and rivers that ran through the region were clean and clear. It could be a bit on the cool side at all times during the year, but with ample growth and a clear set of resources, it was still a nice reprieve from most of the rest of Earth.

However, the fact remained it was created by Gears, and that fact hung over it like a grim shadow. The trees there did indeed grow tall and thick; taller and thicker than what was natural. During the day, the sun shone through the leaves and would create rays of light against the forest floor in such a way that one would think it was from some sort of fantasy tale. But as night fell, the canopy almost seemed to thicken and grow so complete and opaque that long before the sun went down it would be pitch black within the forest. The creatures inside seemed to howl a bit too loudly, and the insects seemed to grow a little too large. It was so large and beautiful that it no longer seemed to be real but something out of a mythological world, and as such seemed a bit too dark and eerie to remain within.

Hence, although the forest provided a hefty bounty, both in terms of its own supply of food and game as well as providing large amounts of lumber for construction and woodworking, few people dwelled there. Even paupers would not risk moving there, preferring starvation. They couldn't stand to live in it. In the entire span of the forest, there were only two villages actually located within Schwarzwald. That was because they were along valleys leading out along natural paths that were forest free, and they themselves were in larger "clearing" portions, the only places that seemed to get natural light all day long. Even so, people rarely visited those and some even shunned them and feared them. This particular party was in a group from one of the numerous villages that lived on the outskirts of the forest, venturing only to the edge for their supply needs. Even then, it was frightening business. The edge of the forest alone was enough to make other people leave, and those who dwelled near the wood realized quite keenly that even when the largest trees were felled, a new one could rise into its place and stature within two or three years. That was enough to unsettle anyone. There was no doubts some sort of magical power ran in the wood, and it was beyond human understanding.

Due to how remote and fear-instilling the place was, it was a small wonder no one had known about the Gear until now.

There were about 40 people inside this area of the forest at the moment. That made up almost the entire male adult constituency of the nearest village, the one where all of this had begun. Groups of four were at each cardinal direction, as well as the directions in between. That left eight men to actually look after the thing itself. At the moment, this was all they could do. They didn't have special guns and swords…at least none that would work on a Gear. They had to contact someone with the means to get rid of it, and that would take time. Two men had already been sent off in the town's only truck to go to the nearest governmental branch to bring someone in to deal with it, but they would be gone until late tomorrow night or maybe longer. That left these people here to watch it and make sure it didn't escape.

Just the same, the older man wished that it hadn't ended up looking the way it did. He didn't care about the eight at the center of the grove working the monster over if they could, but he could see that some of the younger punks that had seen it and weren't that scared wanted to do a bit more than just smack it around. And they didn't have time for that nonsense. That was all they needed…losing it because some fool was trying to get off with a Gear, of all things.

He had only seen it briefly himself. To tell the truth, he was surprised. He didn't expect the thing to look so human… But that only made him hate it more. It probably made itself look like that on purpose; trying to get people to let it be…walk among them…until it decided one day to raze a countryside or two… He wanted to let his shotgun go off in its face; rearrange it so that it wouldn't look so much like one of them…but even if he could get close enough his weak, homemade firearm didn't have nearly the piercing power. He only hoped it wasn't recognizable as a humanoid by the time the government authorities got here to deal with it. He didn't want that damn cow-eyed expression on its face when it came time to blow its head off making any executioner hesitate to put a bullet in its brain.

The man shifted a bit in his old coat, shuddering a bit in the wind. Truth be told, despite his front, he hated being in this forest too. No one ever camped in the forest under normal conditions. Staying there with one of those things was only more nerve wracking. But they had to, and there was no use complaining about it. He only wished the seasons had hung on for a bit longer. They had one of the warmest early Septembers on record, and it had been very good for the growing season. But now it was November, and the seasons were changing rapidly. The trees around them were turning and occasionally a leaf or so would drift into the fire or on someone's shoulder (further spooking the jumpy young man). It was naturally cooler in this forest normally, but with a genuine cold chill blowing through the woods, everyone was moving closer to their fires.

Even so…it seemed to get even colder in the past few moments…

Shaking it off, the man picked up his other card and looked at it. Sixteen. On seeing this, he hesitated only for a second before looking up to the young man. He was finally picking up his own cards with his own trembling grip, but on doing so and looking at his total, the man noticed he seemed to calm down and almost smile a bit. That was more than enough for him.

Immediately, the cards went down. "I fold."

Their third companion, not quite as old or dirty as the one with rotten teeth, took the hint. He threw his down as well. "Me too."

The young man looked disappointed, and with a rueful expression put his cards down, revealing what everyone had believed from the start. An ace and a nine…twenty. He had to admit, frustrating as it could be, it was nice to play with someone who didn't have any sort of "poker face" once in a while.

Rotten teeth began to reach over and take up the cards from everyone, having to get up in order to walk around the fire. He had just finished collecting two sets of cards when the young man snapped his head up once again.

"You guys hear that?"

The third man groaned. The older one swore.

"Damnit, you piece of chicken sh't… Why don't you move back in with your old woman and get in bed with her?"

"I heard something real this time." The younger man went on, his eyes darting around the perimeter fearfully. "It wasn't no animal this time… It sounded like something…cutting…like someone put a sharp blade through a piece of paper…"

"I tell you what, man…" The third man spoke up. "I've had it with this crap. I ain't gonna sleep all night if this kid is going to jump at every little damn noise…"

"Boy…" The older man went on. "I'm about two f***ing seconds from tying you up and leaving you outside the tent tonight…"

"Wait! Listen!" The young man suddenly yelled.

Due to the sudden rise in volume, everyone did quiet down. It wasn't out of actually acknowledging the warning but rather his yell. However, the older man grit his teeth and made a fist. He began to seriously consider throwing the younger man in that cell with the thing. Maybe he could torture it by keeping it awake all night, assuming the thing slept…

However, a second later, and the older man did pause. He did hear something in the silence. He hadn't lived next to a forest his whole life to not know what it was, either. It was the sound of a tree creaking…and not just from age either. It was the sound it made when getting ready to give all together. The others went still as well, no doubt hearing it too. The wind picked up around them. The creaking slowly grew louder.

The older man realized that when they made camp there hadn't been any "widow makers" in the area; large branches or bits of trees that were half rotten or barely hanging on. But aside from the fact that the trees in Schwarzwald never seemed to rot or break like that, there was the fact that he hadn't seen any on arrival…so why was he hearing this sound now?

As the noise stopped being carried on the wind and became distinctive, the noise suddenly registered in the memories of the four men. It wasn't an old tree creaking in the wind or something having come loose either. It was the sound a tree made when it was just about felled…and was falling over of its own accord.

The older man quickly turned his head to the left, just as the rest of his companions were turning as well. The third man, the one with his back to the actual noise, was still turning when he spotted it. A massive tree was falling down…right on top of them and their group.

Rotten teeth, opposite the third man, screamed. He struggled to turn and run for it. The young one gasped and scrambled back in a "crab walk" position. The older man himself let out a swear and pulled back. The third never got the chance to realize what happened. The creaking sound vanished as the tree went over the threshold and fell at full speed. Before anyone could do anything else, the massive trunk swung down and landed right across the third man, rotten teeth, and the fire. The older man yanked back as fast as he could, barely pulling his legs free, before he saw all three crushed…and the fire they had set immediately vanish in a flurry of embers. The most horrible sound he had ever heard rung in his ears; the sounds of two sets of skeletons being obliterated in a wet, crunching sound. Both the impact and the rush of air smothered the blaze and exhumed hot coals. Some of them landed on his legs and burned through the cloth, but he was too panicked from the sight and still pulling back when it happened. His mind ignored the pain and instead replayed the sound of bones crushing in his mind again and again…

When it came.

A figure, robed in ebony, like the Grim Reaper itself come to life, seemed to rip out of the darkness of the forest and appear on top of the fallen trunk. The old man saw something…something blood red and shining…dance out for the opposite side of the log where the young man was still scrambling. Another wet sound went out, this time the one of flesh being severed and blood spilling onto the forest floor.

The older man froze. His eyes widened. He opened his mouth to scream…

The last thing he saw, in the last light of the dying embers, was the figure turn to face him next.


"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this breaking news bulletin.

"The village of Hildebrant, Germany was shaken to its core two nights ago by a magical phenomenon of unprecedented magnitude with potentially grave consequences for the rest of Europe. Nearly half of the denizens of this village were killed that night by an individual of immense magical power, one that IPF investigators can only claim, at this point, was a fully functional, independently operating Gear.

"Authorities cannot comment on how this Gear was able to function, its origin, or its current whereabouts, but local officers commented that after a thorough investigation of the area and numerous readings measured that they were forced to conclude no other alternative. Police noted that the victims were all the males of Hildebrant, age 16 and older, and that no property damage was caused as of yet. No other attacks have occurred since then.

"The local populace within the Schwarzwald forest region is already feeling the impact from an early press release given to the German government. It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of the individuals living in the area have already evacuated, with more on the way. The local military is mobilizing but has already requested assistance from the France, Chinese, and United States governments in combing the forest area and locating the culprit, as well as neutralizing it. Diplomats in Germany declined to comment, saying that they were devoting considerable resources to the investigation of this event but would not make any further moves until they had conducted their own evaluation.

"We now return to your regularly scheduled program."


"Good evening. Tonight's top story: the crisis unfolding in Schwarzwald.

"A representative for the Post-War Administration Bureau, Lee Skinner, came before the press at 9:00 Eastern to issue a statement summarizing the report and findings of the Berlin Governmental Council. This assembly of world leaders and diplomats, originating from the United States, China, France, Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Australia, Egypt, Iran, and 20 other world governments met early this morning in an emergency session to summarize the gathered data from IPF and German officials and to make their recommendations with how to respond. We have the following sound byte.

"'It is now confirmed, without question, that all collected evidence from the affected area indicates only one potential culprit, and that is a Gear of extremely high magical ability. The council has unanimously agreed to treat this situation as the first confirmed presence of a Gear attack in over a decade, and to be immediately handled as such. It is the recommendation of the council to take a multi-lateral, multi-national approach to dealing with this situation as soon as possible, with a priority on discovering the method by which a Gear was apparently able to become active once again or remain active following the death of Command Gear Justice.

"'To that end, based on the low numbers of active military personnel in the region, the council members have agreed to pool resources from their respective governments and post a 500,000 World Dollar bounty on the head of this Gear, to be paid either upon the live capture and presentation of the Gear, or upon confirmation of the individual's death.'

"The major military player in the world, the Floating Continent Zepp, was notably absent from the council meeting. However, the council is not considering this a hostile move but rather a result of the recent revolution that occurred. A series of smaller rewards have also been posted as to any information pertaining to the location and capture of this Gear.

"Tensions continue to rise in the days following this event. Reports of a mass exodus occurring in Germany are rolling in, with as much as 20 percent of the country now evacuated. Many are fleeing to neighboring countries which are straining to take in the emigrants, while reports of local crime leaders seizing power in the evacuated regions during the chaos have also arisen. Unfortunately, the PWAB cautions that this is likely to get worse in the next few days, since, as a result of the bounty being posted, what military figures have deployed there are lax on security, allowing an influx of bounty hunting groups…"


"This is a mess…a real, honest to goodness, f***ing mess…"

"How bad is it?"

"How bad? What kind of question is that? A Gear, for god's sake…"

"It really is one?"

"Of course it's really one, you dipsh't. I'm not that much into this cloak and dagger crap. You didn't think I'd falsify this kind of investigation, did you? Besides, all the independent reports confirm it. It's a genuine one. Energy residue all over the bodies. This one's bad too…not one of those low-level bugs or reptiles… It's a city destroyer at worst… If it ain't a Gear, it's something a hell of a lot worse. Hell…I can't see why it stopped with just killing a few dozen…"

"It's just one, though. Surely it can be dealt with."

"Yeah? And who's supposed to deal with it? This ain't the Crusades. There's not a band of trained or experienced soldiers in a proverbial army ready to deploy. I've got to send in my men and women, and god help them when they get there and it starts butchering them up. I'm pulling a third of the force as is. They probably all need to hit it at once to stop it, but that's gonna take time and it's going to require pinning it down in one area. These dumbf***s in that damn council… They aren't gonna risk anyone in their militaries to do this while the IPF is around. They barely risked their money. That leaves me and my manpower, and a world full of civilians breathing down my neck to attack faster. Who's going to get the heat for everyone it kills? Half of Eastern Europe is already going nuts too. Rioting…looting…damn refugees… It's pandemonium over there. They're tearing apart the streets long before that Gear ever comes into town…"

"…Well then, considering all of that, I think this is more than a good enough time to deploy the prototype."

"…You told me you were still uploading the data."

"That's true, but if the area is going to be a demilitarized zone anyway, I think we could go ahead and deploy a few probes out there. Their data will provide everything we need to make a functional model."

"If that Gear's out there, we're going to lose anything we get. It'll tear apart all the probes and the functional model. It's not rated for this kind of threat."

"That's why we shouldn't attack the Gear first."

"…What are you saying?"

"There will be hundreds of bounty hunters flooding that area soon. Many of them will be highly experienced. Each one of them would provide a suitable target for the probes. The assassin guild might step in as well and offer more talent. No one would miss these targets. We could claim the Gear did them in and everyone would chalk it up to being par for the job."

"…You're saying that we should use this incident to obtain a few 'test cases', is that it?"

"I'm saying that it would look much better for your record to lose a handful of civilians who should have known better than to risk their lives so recklessly in the first place than a great deal of your own men, who you have to provide explanations for to both families as well as the press and any superiors."

"…"

"Am I wrong?"

"…Just make sure you get the data. And those probes better be deadly enough. All we need is a couple of witnesses getting away to turn your entire project into another pipe dream."


To be continued...


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes...FINALLY, after working on and off after seven years, I'm getting this out at long last. My original Guilty Gear novelization was one of my most popular fanfics ever. Now at last I'm doing Guilty Gear X.

I'll admit in advance I'm not entirely pleased with the result, and I'll warn in advance that this likely deviates in some ways from the various canonical fiction like Side Black as I haven't gotten into that...and if I did it would be pointless just to rewrite it. Nevertheless, I hope it's still enjoyable. Enough people seemed to like my first after all.