Lyon POV:

I walked around the district while Brunaulf trailed behind me. We stopped frequently and greeted those who came up to us to express their thanks for how much better their lives had become.

The evening sun pierced through parts of the overcast sky, lighting up the streets and alleyways below. People no longer constantly looked over their shoulders while travelling to their destinations. They no longer huddled together in alleyways, afraid of bumping into the wrong group. They no longer stuck needles into their veins, trying to replace reality with fantasy as they gave up on this life.

I couldn’t stop a wide smile from spreading across my face while I shook their hands one by one. My time here hadn't been easy. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I was grateful for all of it.

“Brunnie!!”

Sonia ran across the street with a bright smile on her face. She bowed her head towards me before gazing back towards Brunaulf with caring eyes.

“Do you know how upset Martha is?! You still haven’t come over to taste her bramble pie!”

She poked his chest lightly while pouting. Martha was Sonia's guardian and also one of the best chefs in all of District 4. I glanced at Brunaulf, who looked away from her as he mumbled a reply.

“S-sorry...”

Sonia's eyes wobbled. Her gaze swept over his body, and she bit her lip before reaching out for his hand. She held it lightly while Brunaulf refused to look at her.

“...Take it easy. Come over when you have time, okay?”

“...”

He somewhat nodded his head, and Sonia let go of his hand. She turned her attention back towards me, moving her hands behind her back.

“Leader, is this really alright? It doesn’t look like he should be walking around.”

“It’s fine. There’s something he needs to see.”

“Hmm... Alright then. Take care, Leader.”

She bowed her head and went on her way after glancing at Brunaulf briefly. We continued walking on, visiting different parts of District 4 as more and more people swarmed around him.

I smiled to myself while the rays of light grew brighter. We walked down a few alleyways and turned a corner, stopping in front of a wide street. The trash bags that used to line the sides were now completely gone, and the musty air I remembered vividly had disappeared.

“...Why did you bring me here, Leader?”

I took a step forward as Brunaulf reluctantly followed behind me.

“This was where we first fought.”

“...”

The trauma of that time had long since passed. His eyes scanned over the scene but didn’t show much change apart from the obvious dislike of being here.

“Let’s move on.”

I scaled the side of the building in a blink of an eye as Brunaulf looked up at me in surprise. He made his way up, and I took him to the next location.

We stood on the ledge of a rooftop while gazing down at where Len and Marina used to live. It was here that I watched Brunaulf threaten Len, though I didn’t know what their discussion was about at the time.

“This place...”

His eyebrows quivered as his gaze swept over the familiar scenery. A small sigh escaped his lips while he placed his hand over his left eye, rubbing it gently.

“There’s one more place I want you to see.”

He nodded his head, and our bodies flickered. It didn’t take long for us to arrive at the final location: the roof of the main base.

The sun had begun to set, dispelling the overcast sky and replacing it with a red-orange veil that wrapped around all of District 4.

I saw Brunaulf's eyes widen as we watched the scene from the highest point in District 4. We stood on the ledge of the roof in silence, taking in the rare view laid bare before us.

“Belle doesn’t want you to come back to the Organization, and I don’t plan on forcing you to return either.”

“...”

“Today, I wanted you to see the impact you’ve had on this place. I wanted to show you just how far you’ve come despite all of the setbacks you’ve been through.”

Brunaulf didn’t say anything; he just stared at the view silently.

“To the people here, you’re one of the pillars that supports this new Organization, this new lifestyle in District 4. As the Leader, I failed you. The situation with Denise and District 3 should have never happened. The fault lies with no one else but me.”

He turned to face me as his eyes shook slightly.

“...You didn’t fail anyone, Leader. If you never came, all of us would have died right there and then...”

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I turned my back on the scenery as the symbols, etched into the cloak Isabelle made, mixed in with the red-orange veil from above and glowed lightly.

“I’m bringing an end to all of this. Brunaulf... You’ve done enough.”

“...”

I walked away as the setting sun pulsated one last time.

“...Where there is life, there is hope. That’s what you drilled into me every time we sparred. Leader, tell me honestly, just like you always do. Can you win?”

My feet came to a halt while my cloak fluttered in the wind.

“No.”

I glanced back at him out of the corner of my eyes and smiled.

“We will win.”

***

Margaret POV:

“Thank you so much.”

I looked down at the man who gazed at me with affectionate eyes. The corners of my mouth rose as I bent down and whispered into his ear.

“You’re welcome.”

His face flushed while I closed the door behind me. Ever since Holder had caught on to me, there was a slight change in the hospital. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly, but I could feel it clearly.

It was unsettling. My disguise had been perfect, and I even succeeded in breaking down the District Leader further, yet I could tell things were beginning to slip out of my control.

‘...It's time then.’

I placed the clipboard down on the desk in my office and made my way to the main building. I ascended the stairs while greeting past patients who came to give me their thanks.

I reached the fifth floor and approached the District Leader's room. Two Vices stood guard, peering at me cautiously.

“The District Leader is in a meeting right now. Come back another time, Margaret.”

“Oh? What a shame.”

I folded my arms, emphasizing my bust as the two men's pupils dilated. I licked my lips seductively while one of them gulped.

“Hey! Get your act together!”

The Vice, who came to his senses, knocked the other guard on his head. He apologized and stood up straight, refusing to look in my direction.

“Hmm. I’m going to need the two of you to step aside.”

“Wha—”

I strolled forward as the two men fell head over heels for me, and by that, I mean they faceplanted into the floor, passing out immediately.

I kicked the doors open, quickly walking down the short corridor. The sound of my high heels colliding against the floor echoed around me as I broke into the main room.

I glanced at Brunaulf, who held a batch of papers in his hand with a mask over his face. My gaze shifted to Lissandra, who leaned against the wall with her arms folded, and finally, I looked at the District Leader, who somehow looked reborn.

Almost.

“Margaret?”

He looked at me with calm eyes, even though my arrival here should have been a surprise.

‘Was it Holder?’

I bit my lip in annoyance at the lack of reaction to my grand entrance.

“That’s me, but allow me to introduce myself again anyway. I am Margaret, Rank 9 among the Royal Guards.”

I threw my white coat to the ground, revealing my toned curvy body as I licked my lips. I released my Ki causing the whole building to shake.

‘Show me. Let me see if you’re all talk then.’

I gazed intensely at the District Leader as my smile gradually grew wider.

‘Huh?’

Time seemed to come to a stop. The moment I had blinked, he was gone. His presence; completely undetectable. His speed; completely untraceable... But how?

‘...?’

The ends of a black cloak with blue highlights flapped slowly at the edge of my peripheral vision. My eyes swivelled to the side as I looked down at the District Leader glaring at me.

“If you want to test me, you shouldn’t hold back.”

‘Hold back?’

My pupils dilated as he vanished out of my view once more before I could react. I swivelled my eyes back to the front, where he leaned forward in the chair, staring at me calmly.

‘He... He's incomparable to the version who fought Storm...’

I glanced at Lissandra, who shot me a smile while waving her hand lightly.

“Long time no see, Margaret.”

“Ha...”

I ran my hand through my short curly hair and dispelled my Ki. Knowing Lissandra, she definitely hadn't told him anything in detail.

“You’ve exceeded my expectations, so let’s get down to business. When do you plan to go to war against the Ruler?”

His lips curved upwards as he stared at me with those tranquil blue eyes. There was no fear inside of them, just unparalleled confidence that no matter who stood in front of him, he would come out on top.

I shuddered lightly. He’s no Pantheon, but he definitely seems to embody parts of their traits.

“Before that, you didn’t do anything strange to your patients here, did you?”

Brunaulf stepped forward; his eyes piercing through the mask.

“...Not at all. My affiliation may be different, but I am still a doctor. Holder can vouch for me if you’re still concerned.”

“...”

He moved back as I turned my gaze towards the District Leader.

“Two days. I plan to finish this in the next two days. Tell me what you know.”

‘Two days?!’

I rubbed the side of my temples slightly. Pride cometh before a fall—his overconfidence in his growth was blinding him from the reality of war. Loss was inevitable, and deaths would occur.

‘...He's only a child at the end of the day.’

I sighed inwardly. Surely by now, he should understand what it means to bear the responsibility of being a leader. It meant standing strong even when those close to you are hurt. It meant being a pillar of support for everyone you lead over.

“...Fine. But don’t you think you’re being too overconfident? You want to start a war and end it within two days? This isn’t a joke, District Leade—”

“He can do it. I believe in him.”

Lissandra gazed at me with steadfast eyes. If she was this certain, then he must have held back tremendously in that brief exchange earlier.

“We’ll see if that belief of yours will hold, Lissandra.”

I bent down and picked up my doctor’s coat. I threw it over my shoulders loosely before folding my arms.

“A resistance has already formed in District 1—it’s been there for years, but they're afraid. One reckless move and they all die.”

“Interesting. Go on.”

The Leader appeared to be making mental notes in his head as he stared at me intently.

“You have four obstacles: The Pit, The Range, The Organization and finally the Royal Guards. Before you can even think about reaching the Ruler, you’ll need to go through all of them first. A surprise attack is your best option. If they get a chance to mobilize all of their forces, you lose.”

He shifted his gaze to Brunaulf, who had been jotting down notes on a piece of paper.

“What are the conditions to make the Resistance move?”

“Take out the obstacles keeping them in check: the Pit and the Range.”

I answered Brunaulf's question while focusing solely on the District Leader.

“We should split our forces into units. Once we link up with Skorr, getting rid of those two obstacles won’t be a problem, Leader.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure. The District Leader herself keeps a close eye on the Pit; it's where most of the raw talent is found, and that means Watchers and Vices will be patrolling the area.”

The leader interlocked his fingers as his lips spread into a smile at my response to Brunaulf's suggestion.

“You can leave it to me, Leader. I’ll move with a combined unit and shut down both the Pit and Range at the same time.”

I shook my head lightly. They didn’t truly understand who they were going up against.

“Brunaulf, I don’t recommend you take on that role.”

He took off his mask and looked at me. I saw a flash of madness in his determined eyes as his lips parted.

“I appreciate your concern, Margaret, but I'll be fine.”

“Hm.”

I shifted my gaze towards the District Leader, hoping he would talk him out of it. Had not a similar situation happened a couple of months ago?

“Let’s stop here for now. I want all of the Senior Vices, Holder and Isabelle to be present for this discussion.”

“I’ll inform them right away.”

Brunaulf bowed his head and immediately left the room. The District Leader rose from his chair and peered down at me.

“Let’s change locations.”