R. A. T. H

Thirteen vol.2

"Now approaching sector 0, home to the Dungeon District," A voice called and Rose looked at the center of the bus's lane to see the display film momentarily transform into the hologram of a white-clad woman. Further back, there was another screen, a stationary television that displayed the lady's smile.

The bus had no human driver. Automated, she assumed, most likely controlled by the city's central core. It slowed down naturally as it began its descent and Rose's anticipation built. How would the great dungeon look up close? She couldn't say she wasn't at least a bit curious.

There was little signal that the vehicle had stopped when it did.

"The bus will remain stationary until it detects no individual wishing to board or deboard. Please, if you wish to, orderly vacate your seat and leave through the door." That same woman spoke once more.

The three girls unequipped their seatbelts and stood.

"Ah-right," Elsa laughed, the two finding themselves unable to move at once with hands still grasped, "Sorry sorry."

As the girl let go, Rose stared at her hand momentarily then walked, following her two companions, behind a slew of also-departing individuals. Most of them, she noted, were armored in some shape or form. Though many wore leather, they were more akin to tactical gear than anything of brashness she would find on a common slummer's body. In honest, it reminded her of the grunts of slumlords, though these were far more colorful and personal in their design.

They stepped off of the bus and, immediately, Rose found her golden eyes dancing to take in the scene.

Around the base of the cream-colored dungeon was a massive building of glass, circling the structure. It looked to have at least three floors and her superior eyesight allowed her to catch sight of people walking within.' Floating above that structure were large screens of mana, slowly rotating and displaying faces, rankings, and even advertisements.

The world around the dungeon was still very much metropolitan, but few cars flew in the air here, and the skyscrapers weren't so tall. There were also smaller shops and stores and even what she spied to be a cafe of sorts. It was a large place with a field of concrete where an endless amount of people walked. If Rose had to put her finger on it. . .it looked like a glorified shopping zone.

At least, that was the impression it gave her until she saw someone blinking through the crowd at an insane speed she could barely keep track of, an armored individual riding above them all on a hoverboard, a person floating down from the sky with a sniper strapped to his back, and another in pajamas sleeping lazily upon a pillow that drifted forward.

She was speechless.

". . .what's that?" Rose stared wide-eyed.

"A Gear, most likely," Lilias answered her, squinting her crimson eyes. She seemed perturbed by all the noise and chaos.

"A pillow of all things?"

"People come in all manners of shapes, sizes, personalities, and oddities," The dragonian replied, "As Gears are a representation of an individual's soul, it's not a surprise that very peculiar ones would exist; some become armor instead of weapons, some become cherished items, and some do not even show themselves as a physical form."

Rose furrowed her brows. "So you're saying some Gears exist as essentially powers or abilities, not concrete weapons?"

"That is not incorrect. . ." Lilias smiled.

Elsa, on the other hand, simplified things even further. "A Gear's a weapon but what's a weapon's different for everyone, right?"

Lilias nodded. "Correct. To some, the simple advantage of one specific ability is a weapon on itself."