The room is thick with tension. King Douglas takes a seat, his brow furrowed in thought. Olivia stands nearby, her expression a mixture of worry and faith. She has always believed in her husband's ability to navigate even the most treacherous waters, but the current situation tests her resolve. Her fingers twitch nervously, but her eyes remain fixed on the King, silently willing him to find a solution.

Mukai paces back and forth, frustration evident in every step. He finally stops and faces his father.

Mukai: "You're just gonna let them do what they want like that?"

King Douglas brushes him off and replies, "The situation is complicated; I need to think."

Mukai's eyes flash with anger. "What is there to think about? They’re just a group and we have an army; we clearly overpower them."

King Douglas sighs, rubbing his temples. "Alicia will kill Sukai if we’re reckless. No one in this house would forgive that, and your mom would fly into a rage and kill Alicia. Fairly simple, she's not that powerful. However, we’d have to deal with her father, and that battle would leave countless casualties and destabilize the nation."

Mukai is sobered by the realization.

Olivia clenches her fists. "Chandler’s daughters are so burdensome."

Moto, hesitant but curious, asks, "Who's Chandler?"

Mukai looks at them angrily. "Why are you still here?"

Olivia puts Mukai in check while the guard replies.

"He is the maverick of the heavens, a man who does whatever he wants despite being one of the higher-ups of the most powerful nation, Denga. His daughters make it very difficult to avoid attracting negative attention from them."

Moto: "Sounds like some spoiled brats to me."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The King holds back a chuckle. "You’d do well never to say that to their faces."

Olivia and Mukai glare at him, their eyes communicating that he ought to take the situation seriously.

"The Hwange is a small price to pay for our son’s life, but we need more time. Put Alicia back on," says the King.

The king's guard restarts the transmission. The screen flashes for a moment, and then Alicia appears, looking down from it.

Alicia: "...Good news, I hope?"

Douglas: "I’ll bring it, but as you know, the Hwange’s radiation is extremely dangerous."

Alicia: "I know you’re not affected by it."

Douglas: "True, but even I need to approach it carefully. Give me till sunrise."

Alicia thinks briefly. "...Denied."

The screen immediately goes blank.

Mukai’s temper rises again. He breaks the table and confronts his father. King Douglas signals Olivia to let Mukai speak.

Mukai: "If you were a powerful king, this wouldn’t have happened. Even the outside peasants disrespect you."

Douglas: "The power of your allies is yours as well. Why didn’t you protect your brother?"

Mukai retorts: "If you had sent Mukai to the lower-level schools with others of his skill level, he would have been safer."

Douglas, realizing he has no time to go back and forth, has his guard freeze Mukai with her ice. He knows it won’t hold him for long.

The King and Queen rush to the castle. The Earth ore is in a tower raised high above it. He has his guards evacuate people out of the path he is to take out of the country.

Meanwhile, Moto’s team is left in Mukai’s house. While Mukai paces up and down, mumbling about how none of this would have happened if Sukai were stronger, he sees Moto huddled up with the others, whispering to them. Whatever they are saying, Sheu does not agree, shaking her head.

Moto: "It's settled then. Hey, wanna go get your brother?"

Mukai: "What?"

Moto: "It’s six of them, so your power can even the odds."

Mukai: "Wha?- how do you—?" He remembers that Moto jumped into the portal earlier. "Could he have done recon so quickly?" he asks himself.

Moto: "You're taking too long to decide, dude. We're bringing Sukai back either way."

Moto insists, "Look, the odds are stacked against us, but if we can help, we should. The perk of being underestimated is that you can infiltrate places more easily. We can surprise them and rescue Sukai before they even know what's happening."

Sheu hesitates, "Are you sure about this, Moto?"

Moto nods, determined. "Yes, Sheu. This is our chance to make a difference."

Finally, Mukai agrees, "Alright, let's do this. For Sukai."

The group leaves Mukai’s house and heads towards the cave where Alicia is holding Sukai hostage. The path is treacherous, but they move with purpose and resolve. As they approach the cave, the weight of the mission settles on their shoulders, but they press on, united by their shared goal.