Lyon POV:

I leaned forward and examined the bandages wrapped around my abdomen. My injuries had healed a lot faster than I expected, so I planned to be more active again. The last battle against Solina was still fresh in my mind; I had to be ready no matter who I go up against.

I shifted my gaze to Lissandra, who had been leaning against the wall quietly with her eyes closed. She had kept a close eye on me ever since that incident happened in District 3. I knew she was concerned, but it seemed like her concern wasn’t just related to my well-being.

“!”

Her eyes flickered open just before a loud bang echoed throughout the room. The doors had been bashed open, and I could hear someone approaching at a fast speed. They broke through to the main room and instantly dropped to one knee.

“Gunnar?”

His messy black hair clung to his face which was bruised and cut in several places. Bloody patches adorned his long black and white jacket as well as other parts of his body.

‘Who did this to him?’

Gunnar wasn’t weak. He couldn’t compare to Lissandra, who was in a league of her own, but his best trait was his consistency. For many people, growth is represented as a continuous up-and-down curve. There would be times when you feel like you’re in the best shape of your life, but other times, you’d feel like there’s been no improvement or that you’ve gotten worse; this was normal. However, Gunnar's growth could only be characterized as a straight diagonal line—a continuous growth with no relapses.

It was because of this trait that Gunnar quickly reached the Vice rank. He had been lacking direction and correct leading, but once those two conditions were met, his true talent began to blossom.

“Leader! The Senior Vices are in danger! The rank 15th Royal Guard wants to meet you...”

My eyes narrowed, and I immediately got up from my seat. It was rare to see such desperation on Gunnar's normally calm face. It was clear that the situation wasn’t good. The Senior Vices were being used as hostages, so we were short on time. I could get the details from him on the way there.

“Lissandra, get Holder. We’re moving out immediately.”

I rested my hand on Gunnar's trembling shoulder. Knowing him, he probably tried his best to fight against the odds that were stacked against him.

“What about Isabelle?”

“...It's too risky.”

She nodded her head and vanished. I supported Gunnar's body as he wobbled while getting to his feet. He stabilized himself and placed both his hands on my shoulder.

“Leader, I know you can beat him.”

In between the gaps of his messy hair, two lights shone brightly. The corners of my mouth rose as I witnessed the result of building up those around me. I had gained their unwavering trust.

“I probably won’t need to do anything, because Brunaulf moved out hours ago.”

I watched his eyes widen, followed by a slight smile. I felt his muscles loosen by a fair amount as he started to gain some of his strength back.

“Gunnar, lead the way."

“Yes, Leader!”

He bowed his head and sprinted out of the room. Though I was worried about his condition, Holder could patch him up while we travelled.

Lissandra and Holder were already waiting outside the building complex. He immediately fanned out his fingers and began healing Gunnar as we dashed towards District 3.

“Gunnar, tell me the details.”

I observed the swelling on his face gradually decrease as his open wounds were sealed shut. Holder had made noticeable improvements not only with his healing speed but also the extent of how much he could heal as well as being able to heal on the move.

“Storm. That’s his name. He has some sort of vendetta against you, Leader. In addition, Enigma and the Royal Guards are engaged in war in the heart of District 3.”

“!”

The Ruler really had chosen to make a move against Enigma first, but Inner Astril should have responded by now. How did he hide his military force?

“There’s a strange red mist that covers all of the inner area of the district. It makes you unable to sense things clearly and distorts your sense of direction... I used myself as bait to let the others get away, but it seems like the Royal Guards can navigate through it...”

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It was the correct decision not to bring Isabelle along. If something unexpected were to happen, Enigma or the Royal Guards could recapture her.

I watched Gunnar clench his teeth as he recalled what had happened earlier. He looked extremely dissatisfied with the outcome.

“I’m sorry, Leader...”

“Don’t worry about it, Gunnar.”

I patted his back lightly while we approached the boundary between the two districts. I had known for a while that Gunnar had wanted to prove himself in his own way, so this setback hit him harder than normal.

“What about the other Guards? How strong are they?”

“From what I can tell, the others seem to be ranked in the 20s. Personally, I think the Senior Vices are stronger than them, but the barrier between the 10s and the 20s is very large.”

I pondered for a while. It would be nice to know what rank Solina was so I could use her as a reference point, but based on what Gunnar said, I was able to assume that she was at least ranked in the high 10s.

“Brunaulf will have handled things by the time we arrive.”

I spoke in confidence, but Gunnar wasn’t completely convinced. It was difficult for him to know how much Brunaulf had grown because he was never seen training.

“Leader... I know Brunaulf is strong, but against someone ranked as low as Storm, could he really win?”

The corners of my mouth rose. I would like to think I knew his growth better than anyone. However, if there was one thing I was concerned about, it was his ability.

I had only seen it once, but the fact that he chose to create something like that was sad in its own way. Nevertheless, I had grown to trust him, and over time, I even began to consider him a close friend. That was why I could say the following words without hesitation.

“He won't lose.”

***

Elinor POV:

I had arrived at one of the locations that previously held the Amplifier. Enigma's laboratories were placed on the underground levels of various building complexes around District 3 for maximum security. But now that we were no longer in a partnership together, this choice had backfired.

The lower levels connected to a network of tunnels lined with prison cells they had created beforehand. It was here that Enigma carried out further inhumane experiments, and it was the reason why they had managed to avoid raising Solina's suspicions while they moved in the darkness. However, even if they escaped underground, they would still need to make it to the surface again.

Outer Astril and Inner Astril weren’t directly connected by land. In other words, they would need a teleporter and judging by our current raid progress, they had gotten rid of most of the enhanced stable KEDs long ago, as I suspected.

The King had granted me permission to use Tengu's Breath, but I still needed to be cautious of Inner Astril’s eyes. I chose to only bring some of the Royal and Shadow Guards, ranked in the 20s and high 10s, along with a large number of Watchers and Vices—this would be sufficient.

“This floor is clear, Ma’am.”

I nodded at the Guards, who bowed their heads before me. They had completed their search, and the result was another dud floor with no KEDs.

We continued our descent to the lower levels and eventually found the main laboratory. Flashing tube lights ran above the panelled ceiling that illuminated the scattered pieces of paper strewn along the floor.

'...'

At first glance, the notes appeared to hold vital information regarding their experiments, but that was far from the truth. It was a common tactic they used once they believed a site to be compromised—a simple method of slowing the perpetrator down.

The Guards and Vices had defeated most of the Enigma members on the way here, but I knew it wouldn’t be so easy. Those members were mere scientists; they didn’t specialize in combat, nor would Enigma spare their heavy resources on a testing site they didn't deem absolutely essential to their goals.

I kicked open a suspicious-looking door hidden near the back of the laboratory, and the lights cut instantly.

"Stay alert."

The Guards immediately responded to my warning by converging closer together, watching each other's back. Seconds later, several powerful presences made themselves known a few meters away from me.

A red light flickered on, casting a bloody glow upon a man wearing a black cloak sitting with his fingers interlocked over his knee.

“Oh, Elinor. Why does a woman of your stature serve such a foolish man?”

He placed his fingertips together, spreading them open like a net before resting them against his chin. His hood covered all of his face, bar the area around his mouth, and his voice—powerful enough to cause everyone behind me to prostrate themselves before him.

“He is my King.”

Convulsions rippled across the Watchers and Vices as they looked at me with worried eyes full of pain. Their spirits were being crushed by the overwhelming pressure given off by the cloaked figures surrounding the seated man.

“King? He is not worthy of you. He is a fool chasing after an impossible dream. Your talents are wasted on a man like him.”

I clenched my teeth but couldn’t rebuttal his response immediately. His words penetrated my mind, and I began to feel uneasy.

“You know it too. Accept it, Elinor.”

I bit my trembling lip.

I couldn’t leave him. Even if he had become obsessed with a fruitless dream, even if the whole world turned against him... I alone needed to stand by his side. That... That is what it meant to love someone.

“...You're wrong.”

He let out a sigh and shook his head. I moved my hand slowly to the scabbard attached to my hip.

“I give you chance after chance, yet your stubbornness remains the same. I don’t understand why you cling to him—why you protect him. Does he not know that the only reason he’s on that throne right now is because—”

“Silence!”

I drew my blade in a beautiful arc as I furrowed my eyebrows and released a portion of my Ki. The whole building complex shook violently while I glared at the seated man. The actions I took were mine and mine alone to bear. He didn’t need to know—I wouldn’t let him ever find out.

The Guards followed my example and released their Ki as they struggled to their feet. They moved into formation, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

I watched him get up slowly. His cold gaze rested firmly on me, and the uneasiness in my chest grew. A fragment of his Ki partially erupted, pushing back the Royal and Shadow Guards with ease. Explosions echoed throughout the whole building complex and beyond as the ground beneath my feet began to crack apart.

Two purple eyes flashed as his hood flew off his head, revealing his short, spiky white hair. He slowly levitated into the air and peered down at me.

“I am Kindred.”

His hands rested by his side, and the air pressure from his explosive Ki shot forward, instantly severing the heads of everyone behind me from a simple shockwave alone. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I gazed at the unknown.

“Elinor, it’s time to come home.”