Lissandra POV:

The sun peeked over the horizon as rays of light shot through the sky. They shone brightly down on the earth, illuminating the destruction within the area.

“Keuk!”

I crashed into the debris as a pained moan left my mouth. My dishevelled hair fell over my forehead while dirt and grime clung to my clothes.

We had fought constantly for one month. Each day the battle grew more intense, and I was forced to take off my shackles one by one as his strength kept rising.

His true potential exploded as his movements refined themselves at a frightening speed. He anticipated and reacted before I even moved, pushing me on the back foot while constantly advancing forward.

Eventually, I removed the necessary amount of restraints in order to bring out his full power. He was overwhelmed at first but slowly caught up; our blows causing violent tremors that rippled beyond District 4.

The corners of my mouth rose as I shifted my gaze to the one building still standing in this area. I ascended the floors slowly, finally resting my sight on the District Leader, who stood topless on the edge of the highest floor.

His body: completely refined and toned better than before the District 3 incident. His messy hair had grown longer, yet it suited his new physique. Those ocean blue eyes peered down at me from above as the sun bathed him in its light, acknowledging the completeness of his metamorphosis; a sign of the path he walked.

“You’re ready.”

I got to my feet and dusted off my jacket. My lips curved into a satisfied smile at his growth that went far beyond my wildest expectations.

The District Leader had finally returned.

***

Lyon POV:

I didn’t forget to tell Lissandra how thankful I was that she took the time out to train with me. Our bond had grown deeper as the exchanging of fists communicated in a different way compared to words. I watched her cheeks go a light shade of red as we parted ways, and I smiled to myself.

‘She's beautiful.’

I cleaned myself up, and Kumo filled me in on the events that had transpired over the last month. I thanked her for working hard, but she was just happy that I was healthy again. We parted ways, and I continued walking towards the top floor.

I stood in front of the tall chair again. My hand ran along the broken edges as I recalled everything that had happened: The hardships, the suffering, the pain and the agony. The responsibilities that came with being a leader were a heavy burden that I had to carry.

‘...Master, I’m ready now.’

I felt his hand rest on my shoulder lightly before disappearing. He had given me everything I needed to succeed here.

The door opened, and footsteps echoed along the short corridor at a rapid pace. I turned around and looked down at Isabelle, who stared at me with wide-open eyes.

Her face flushed slightly before immediately dropping to one knee. She carried a bag in her hand that she placed neatly on the ground.

“L-Leader... You look well.”

My lips curved upwards—I really had made a lot of people worry.

“Thank you, Isabelle. Is there something you need to talk with me about?”

She raised her head and got to her feet. Isabelle reached down into the bag as her lips parted.

“I want you to wear this. As the District Leader, you should look the part... And I think it’d suit you well.”

She pulled out a large cloak. It was mostly black, with light blue highlights that ran down the seams. There were two large symbols imprinted on the back in a deeper shade of blue that appeared to glow slightly.

“泉 means spring while 心 means heart. A spring is the source: the beginning of something. You are our beginning, and you represent the heart of District 4. This community that you’ve built, I don’t want it to disappear...”

Her words trailed off as I saw the sadness in her eyes. The fact that Isabelle had made this meant that she believed in me, but it also meant that she was fighting on in her own way.

I walked down the steps while she placed the cloak in my hands. I slipped my arms through the long sleeves as the ends of the cloak flapped lightly. The fit was perfect; it wrapped around my body with just the right amount of tightness.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“...You look good, Leader.”

“Thank you and don’t worry. This war is one we won’t lose.”

I clenched my fist while gazing into her eyes. I saw her eyebrows quiver as she smiled brightly and nodded her head.

“...About Brunaulf—”

“Leave it to me.”

I placed my hand on her shoulder as I walked past her. He had suffered greatly during my absence, and I couldn’t imagine the pain he was going through. It was my duty to stretch out my hand to help him back up whenever he fell down.

I descended the floors while greeting everyone. The size of the Organization had grown rapidly, and Isabelle had already started distributing the clothes she had made based on the rank system. It made it easier to identify people this way.

I left the main base and walked towards the estate where Brunaulf lived. I took the time to greet those I hadn’t seen since I last secluded myself away to train. Soon enough, I ended up outside of his apartment.

It had been roughly one week since he was last seen, and the few people I met expressed their concern over his well-being. He refused every visitor, even turning Triste away when she tried to alleviate some of his pain.

I knocked on the door lightly. A few minutes passed by, but the door remained shut. I knocked again and waited patiently for a response.

Those few minutes turned into one hour, and that turned into two. I raised my fist to the door and knocked again.

*Click*

The door opened slightly as two large, light green eyes peeked through the gap, observing me with caution. Her long eyelashes matched her dark green hair that reached down to her knees.

“Who are you?”

Her eyes narrowed while a hint of hostility laced her words. My lips rose slightly as I took a small step forward. She had to be Brunaulf's younger sister.

“Lyon Asphalios, District 4’s Leader.”

Her pupils dilated as she stared at me in disbelief. Her surprise soon vanished, replaced with a thin veil of anger that dropped her eyebrows down.

“Leave.”

She went to close the door when my hand shot forward.

“!”

My fingers wrapped around the side of the door, holding it open as she forcefully tried to close it. The door didn’t move an inch, and I watched her bite her lip while glaring at me.

“Sorry about this.”

I slowly pushed it open against her will. I stepped inside when she dashed in front of me with her arms outstretched. The fierceness in her eyes obscured the layers of pain hidden beneath them.

She was a few centimetres shorter than me, and her body was stronger than I expected it to be. She also didn’t back down despite knowing who I was.

“Get out.”

“...”

I closed my eyes for a few seconds as this scene reminded me of the past, though the situation was different. I opened them again and stared at her directly.

We locked eyes; her expression gradually changing as she stared into mine. I walked forward till I was a step or two away from her. Tears pooled at the sides of her eyes, spilling over and rolling down her cheeks.

“...So bright.”

She mumbled to herself while looking away. Her hands fell as she turned sideways, letting me pass by.

“Thank you.”

I opened the door to the side room and saw Brunaulf slumped against the wall, staring at the ceiling lifelessly. His gaze didn’t move as his cracked lips parted slowly.

“...Not hungry, Belle...”

He looked thin and wore a black hoodie that covered most of his face. There was no light to be found in his eyes, just emptiness and despair. I looked at the kitsune mask placed neatly on the table before letting out a small sigh.

“Brunaulf.”

His eyes shook as he heard my voice. He turned in towards the wall, not wanting me to see the condition he was in.

“B-Belle...! W-Why... Did you let the Leader in?!”

He shouted for his sister as his thin arms trembled. He covered his face, ashamed of his current appearance.

Belle quickly entered the room and held his head close to her chest. She stroked his back lightly while rocking him back and forth. The trembling of his arms slowly calmed down, and my eyebrows quivered as I watched his current state.

Belle looked up at me with helpless eyes, biting her lip while she did her best to hold back the tears. There were only so many heartbreaks a person could take. I dreaded what his condition would have been like if he had lost both Denise and Belle.

“B-Belle...”

He repeatedly called for his sister, holding her tight as he curled up into a ball.

“I'm here. Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright. I’m here...”

She consoled the broken Brunaulf. I watched Belle slip her hair behind her ear as she hummed a soft tune. The room seemed to light up while the tempo increased. It had a melody that made you feel at ease as a gentle breeze drifted throughout the area.

Brunaulf fell asleep as the melody came to an end. She placed his head on a pillow slowly and left the room. I closed the door behind her, leaving Brunaulf to rest as I turned my attention towards Belle.

“...What? I don’t like it when other people stare at me.”

“You don’t seem surprised by the fact that the District Leader is the same age as you.”

She looked at me with slight interest in her eyes.

“Ah, that... My brother told me all about how you gave him a good beating.”

Her eyes narrowed while she clenched her teeth. My lips curved upwards as I took a seat in front of her.

“Different times. Different situations.”

I didn’t expect Brunaulf to tell her about that, but it was good that the two of them seemed to get along well despite what happened in the past.

“...Tch.”

Belle clicked her tongue and looked away. She seemed hostile to everyone apart from Brunaulf, but there was something interesting about her.

“Your Ki is different.”

“...What are you talking about?”

I closed the distance between us and placed my hand on her forehead while activating the Mark of a Pantheon. My suspicion was correct. There was something going on, or rather, something had already happened inside of her.

“Hey.”

She knocked my hand away and pushed me backwards.

“Do I look easy to you?”

“What?”

I looked at her in confusion. I ignored her rambling and recalled that feeling I sensed inside of her. I didn’t know what it was, but I concluded that it wasn’t harmful—it had helped her in some way.

“Good. Your body is healthy.”

“...What the hell is wrong with you?”

“...”

I explained the situation to her clearly, and she finally understood the reasoning behind my actions.

“...I see. Yeah... My brother was also concerned about it.”

I gazed at the door where Brunaulf was currently sleeping. It seemed like today wasn’t the right time. However, that was also fine. By coming here today and him hearing my voice, something inside of him was sure to move again.

“As you saw, my brother won’t be going back to the Organization. You don’t need to visit again. Please leave.”

I got to my feet as she escorted me towards the door. I glanced back at her while she gazed at me with annoyed eyes.

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“No, you won’t.”

She slammed the door in my face as I stood alone on the landing. That was how my first meeting with Belle went.