With a canteen of noodles

Sprinkles of salt and peppers

Another canteen of broth and beans

The mouthwatering smell permeates.

"Mmm~ Are you sure I can have this?"

I try to hide my smile as my nose tingle with delight.

"Of course! Take it as thanks Soba Boy!"

"Really? Then I'll make sure to eat it, thank you!"

Uncle responds with a nod and a huge grin. I wrap the food he gives me and hangs it near my bag.

"Haven't seen you in a few days and next thing I know, a poster girl- Mhm, boy becomes some core figure."

He folds his arms and shakes his head in disbelief.

"Well, I don't know what a core figure is but is everyone in the neighbourhood okay?"

"Okay huh? I can't say but what I can say is that not all of them make it. Many lost someone or something precious during the outbreak, it's chaos in the neighbourhood- no, the whole sector. Even though I lost my shop, I'm lucky enough to escape with both my precious and even more lucky with my sword."

He looks down and pats his bautifully brandished ornamental black katana that gives a soft purple glow...

(It's really bautiful now that I see it closer... Now that I think about it, I did heard from Aunt that Uncle is a retired decorated soldier and when I ask further she just wouldn't tell me more which kinda sucks. No wonder he's the leader for this camp. I wonder how did a soldier even become a noodle shop owner?)

"Talking about precious, it seems my daughter is quite happy that you're not stealing her place as poster girl anymore. But don't worry she doesn't hate you, she's just being a tsun tsun. (Damn rebellious teenage phases)."

He easily changes subject to liven things up, as he shakes his head in agreement and comfort while whispering in the end. I follow the conversation asking:

"Her place? Wait, Shio hates me? And here I thought she's like my best senior in work. I kinda admire her. Say, what about Shio? How is she now?"

I ask in confusion, doubt and worry but Uncle merely shrugs it off with a smile saying:

"Don't you worry Soba boy. She's now helping with the distribution of food and probably also in the medical tent. She's doing her best with what she can... Heh, I guess it's just a one-sided rivalry from her then."

He pats my shoulders with confidence and wraps his hand around my shoulders whispering:

"As I said, she's only being hard to get. Instead, you better worry about her majesty's public face. People are starting to question the house."

I nod in understanding and regret.

"I'm sorry I can't do anything but don't worry Uncle! I'm sure she'll figure something out."

"Of course! She's not the unifier for no reason. She will probably rebuild this sector into a better place in just a few days if what I hear rumours to be true, can't wait to see my shop be rebuilt with two bigger floors now. Seeing youths doing their best makes this uncle wants to do his best too! May the spirits bless what you're doing Soba boy!"

He pats my shoulder one last time and lets me go, I nod in return saying:

"Yes, may the spirits bless you too Uncle."

I turn around and wear the helmet with thought. My cape flutter and feeling my helmet protruding from my nape and encase my head, I grin from ear to ear.

(No matter how many time I do it, it's still so awesome! I guess, that's all my neighbours I found on my way).

Brushing the curtain aside, people that gather in front of the tent scatter like rabbits as they saw me. So many gazes, so many emotions. People who look at me with admiration, fear, and hope. Tents and stalls as far as the eyes can see, ruin haunts the people who're living the best they can with what's given.

"Let's get going, Sova. Time's of the essence."

Saya's voice brings me back to my senses. I nod and continue walking.

"I wish I could do more."

Softly I speak as I pass through the streets and cowering populace.

"Well don't be. Do that when you can manage yourself."

Saya shakes her head as she criticises me.

(But she's right. I still can't really take care of myself yet).

"Uhm..."

I nod solemnly and continue on our destination, to a certain train station that will lead us to the border walls.

(A train... I'm feeling excited and nervous at the same time).

"Stop right there General!"

A boy who looks like the same age as Saya halts me by standing in our way. His distributed clothes are ragged, torn, and dirty. So much so his green hair is stained brown and grey. I look around wondering if his parents or family is there but all I see is people trembling in fear and some even clasp their hands to pray and beg to those above.

(General? I thought I was a Silencer).

I look at him saying:

"I'm sorry but we're in a hurry. So please step aside."

"I... Then answer me first!?"

He shouts with his cracking voice and trembling body. Grasping his shirt with all his might to just stand where he is.

(What should I do? I can't just shove him aside).

Saya walks ahead with an evil grin and her hand lock on her back.

"You got guts boy. You're talking to a Silencer you know. He's a very busy person, STEP ASIDE."

Her voice is small but heavy. The boy clenches his fist and glares at me shouting:

"Tell me! Can I become like you!?"

(Me? Really? I don't think I can consider myself great or good with how weak and how much I lost this past few days. But then again...)

I feel something filling my heart. Soft voices whispering to me soothing words.

"Help him." "Give him hope." "Grant him courage." "Show him faith in Humanity."

Saya shakes her head saying:

"Kid you should-"

I hold her shoulder to stop her, I pull her back and walk ahead. I look down from up above and he looks back with teary eyes. I crouch down holding his shoulder saying:

"I'm but a peasant when I begin. If I can so why can't you?"

I force him to take the food uncle gave me and stare him dead in his light green eyes.

"If you are truly willing, then you can start now. Eat up, train, and learn. Your foundation is the most important thing to begin."

(Sorry uncle, I won't keep my word to eat it for I believe someone else deserves it more than I do).

As he looks at me with widened eyes, I stand up and walk past him. Saya catches on beside me with a smile saying:

"Heh, didn't know you could do something like that. So you now know how to take care of yourself?"

Saya snarks at me while saying that. I shake my head and look at her saying:

"To be honest I just followed the advice from some voices in my head."

"Uh, creepy... I know spirits exist but if they just do that, it's just not comfortable you know. But you sure? That may be food for back up or something. If worst comes to worst, someone might just rob him."

Saya backs away from me, brushing her shoulder. I shake my head saying:

"Even so, I think I did the right. I may not be able to take care of myself but at least I'll do my best all the time and help with what I can."

"Well, suit yourself."

She looks ahead with a hopeful smile and her pink tail swings with delight.

"P-Please, tell me your name!"

The boy yells and I stop on my tracks replying:

"My name is Sova Anmao I guess till we meet again."

"Just you wait, General! I'll join the army, I'll surpass you! And I'll be a Great General of the Heavens! So don't die until I become one! Novn, that's the name that will spread through all of Rucina!"

The kid shouts fade as I went further ahead without looking back.

(Oh... I don't think you should say that to me. And Great General of the Heavens huh? Didn't Nanny Yunyun say the same thing? I wonder if it really is that great to be one? And what's with those voices anyway?

I thought the spirits hated Owlians like me. I mean most of the spirits at the palace ran away when they see me... Could those voices be something else? I'm thinking too much again, but I'm supposed to think a lot if I want to change. Ugh, this is hard...)

*************************************

*thump* *splash* *clank*

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Of course, I'm a Guide, it is my job to memorize places!"

Creaking floors, rusting steel, water reaching my boots, overgrown vines hang from the ceiling and pillars, broken pieces of furniture and signs, a stench of dread and corpse fills the air with only the light of the entrance giving us a bit of sight... This place looks like a dump and has been abandoned for years now. I hold my retractable fantian Ji in my hands. My hands splash from the waters below my feet and I hit the floor with the bottom of my spear.

*thunk*

This place has multiple rooms and passages, some leads down and some even lead up. Ceiling filled with strange thick ropes probably vines and other tech, along with the floor above. I stand on my feet and walk forward till I reach some sort of metal fence that looks like a long dome. I extend my spear to a proper length and steel myself.

"Say, Saya? Do you think it's weird?"

I look back to see her eyeing the closed shops with broken displays. She scavenges around looking for something as she ignores me.

"Saya?"

I call to her once again and she finally turns around with a smile replying:

"What is it Sawyer~?"

"Please don't call me that."

With haste, I ask her to stop but she just takes some toy of sort replying:

"Why can't I? We're alone, and nobody is gonna know anyway."

She walks closer to me as she raises her shoulder and shakes her head.

"Please, just don't..."

"I let you call my real name and I can't call yours? Aren't you stingy? Besides, what's wrong with someone calling your given name? Do you hate your parents or something? Aren't we close friends? Besides, It's not like Sawyer's a unique name or anything it's your family name that's bad right?"

"Well yes, I guess we are? But it's just that I'm not used to it..."

I look ahead and try to avoid her eyes. She pats my back and slides over the fence smoothly as if she is used to it. She looks at the toy at her hands and throws it away.

"Well get used to it when we're alone. And... Please do stop me if I try to scavenge again, old habits die hard."

She smiles ear to ear as her eyes sharpen, making her looks like she's having the fun of her life.

"O-oh okay?"

I stumbled on my words as I try to get past the metal fence.

*splash*

My boots steps in the shallow water and each step is accompanied by the sound of slushing water. Saya is jumping from the protruding floors and reach to the other side that has no water. She slaps her wrist and brushes her hands saying:

"Damn parasites."

She starts chanting and before long casting:

"{Lidefa}"

And her body is quickly covered by thin white light.

"Parasites? Wait!"

I rush ahead and face my back on her asking:

"Please check me. Did any latch on me or something?"

"Sova, you're wearing an armour equivalent of high-end Hunters, nothing can slip inside it. Not unless they cut and pierce your armour or when you open your helm. Didn't you hear Yuwei explain it to you? I'm pretty sure we're both there when we're choosing our equipment."

"O-oh! That's great. I don't need to worry about any itchy marks then."

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

She looks at me with a smile and continues to walk ahead, I follow her while looking at my side. Droplets of water fell on the floor, insects buzz close to my head and shoulders. Lines of closed shops and diner, floors filled with mould and vines heading towards the dimming light behind us, signs, posters, and a certain logo...

Zhixi, a logo that looks like a combination of words and shapes to make it look like an open hand presenting a gift.

"Hmm... Joy."

It sounds familiar... Zhixi, Zhixi-

"Oh yeah!"

I shout holding my spear with two hands.

"W-what!? What is it, Sova? An enemy already!?"

I shake my head and look up to remember.

"No, no, no, just that, Zhixi is the family name of one of May's friend. So they once had a store here... It's sad that it's closed."

Saya folds her hands and holds her chin saying:

"Wait, Zhixi... Like, the Zhixi family who owns Maya?"

(Still what a coincidence to have May's current given name).

"I don't know what's a Maya but yea. Her name is Hua Zhixi, I met her when we started moving in the neighbourhood, she was one of May's first friend before she introduces me to her."

(And she's the one responsible for suggesting the idea of me wearing those skirts too. And everyone surprisingly agreed! What horror!)

Saya looks at me with a tired face.

"Seriously? Her? Alright, and here I thought you couldn't be connected to any more ridiculous people. Say, who is this May? I've been hearing her name a lot in the house, to be honest."

"May?"

I smile ear to ear saying:

"Well, since you asked. She's my childhood friend. She's very smart, strong, helps me study and sometimes lets me cuddle her in blankets. She's the best!"

"Wow wee, you really favour her."

In a tone that sounds annoyed, Saya walks a little faster. But it didn't hinder my spirit as I continue saying:

"Of course! But..."

As memories of our separation surface, my hand start to reach for the place where Sis Rubeca kicked me... As my excitements rise, it falls like Agara's tower.

"But what?" Saya continues to push for an answer.

"Well, I just hope she's okay. And I can't wait to help her out and reunite my family again."

I try to smile but it just feels hard. Saya smacks my arms shouting:

"Alright! Cheer up! You're doing this for them right!? Now let us do our job!"

I grip my weapon harder shouting:

"Of course! Heh, you're actually pretty kind."

"Knock it off, say, what did you wanna ask back at the entrance?"

Saya looks back at me and pulls out her dagger.

(Hmm? Entrance-)

"Ah, right! Don't you think it's weird that there's a smell of a corpse in a place supposedly, I don't know abandoned? And if I'm right, if some Hunters went down here to kill the runaway monsters and succeed. Shouldn't the Hunters usually burn or take the corpse with them? And if some people did enter here, wouldn't the monster already devoured them whole? So where is the smell coming from?"

"Hehehehe~"

Saya laughs maliciously and prepares her red dagger. I raise my weapon in caution asking:

"Um, S-Saya? What's wrong?"

Pressing her gloved finger on the tip. She looks at me with an innocent smile.

"Well, your growth seems to amaze me. I mean who knew a dumb oblivious and dense could start suspecting things. I'm really proud you're getting smarter."

"R-really? You... You really think so?"

"Of course, you doofus. Then let me ask you something, if you're right I'll give you a reward~"

"A reward? Are you carrying something extra?"

"Well that's a secret, now then here's the question of the day. Tell me, what resides in this dumpster of a place?"

"What? Um..."

(If it's not humans, and it there could be possible to be monsters but that doesn't click off the tongue...)

"A tip please?"

I beg her to help and she looks into the darkness where not even the light of the entrance could enter.

"This underground space is not connected to the reliquary, and since it's abandoned it's not part of the surface either. So tell me, what's left?"

"Wait..."

If I remember correctly, Rana told me in that elevator. This place has five levels. The place we reside in is the ground level, probably in the same level as the place that connects all places, the Reliquary, after that is Central, next is the unknown fifth level she didn't manage to tell me and... Underground.

(Could it be... It can't be Central since we're walking down and away from it, Saya's tip said that this place is not connected to the Reliquary either and since we were just in the Ground level, and Rana explains from bottoms up that means the fifth level is above Central so that leaves one choice...)

My lips curl up, surprised by how I was actually able to deduct precisely now.

"Hahahaha, I never felt this accomplished after I finally able to solve my math problem without the formulas."

"Wow, that's a pretty shortcoming goal. But I guess that's pretty normal if you're living a humble life. But then again, you're a Martial Artist, I thought practitioners like you are supposed to be proud of your first awakening of qi?"

Saya looks at me with an even more disappointing face but it didn't hinder me. I point at her shouting:

"As I said, martial art is merely one of my stepping stone for something bigger. And besides, I don't want to remember my Sister beating me black and blue everyday if I can. But I know what this place is now! Be prepared to surrender your reward for the answer to this place is the Underground level!"

She looks at me dumbfounded and hangs her head in defeat.

"I'm right aren't I!?"

I place my free hand on my waist in victory-

"Bwahahahaha! Oh boy! This is hilarious!"

"H-hey, stop it..."

"Behahahaha!"

Saya instead burst out laughing, grasping her stomach to grasp for air. Feeling my cheeks getting warm.

"Just tell me if I'm right or wrong already!?"

I demand an answer.

"Fuh, fuh, haha..."

She grasps the mouldy wall and finally calms down.

"Okay, okay, you're wrong."

Dumbfounded by her casual reply.

"Eh? W-What do you mean?"

Soft whispers seep from my mouth asking for an explanation.

"Well, you're right about that we're in Underground but that's not the answer for your first question doofus. So I guess you're kinda right. So I guess you deserve some explanation."

"Yea, explain!"

I hold my spear in protest.

"Okay, this station is man-made. So basically it's counted as an artificial level."

"But this city is man-made-"

*smack*

"Don't take things too literally all the time you dumb ass!"

After smacking my plate, she rubs own her hand to calm her pain.

"Okay, so what?"

"Alright, since you are totally master your art of deduction let me ask you this. If this place is abandoned and has been left by even the human hobos. What living being are left to inhabit this place?"

"There's insects and plants and-"

*smack*

"I'm talking about more intelligent beings!"

"I thought they were intelligent."

(Weird, I thought those living being classification things May told me about this... Um... C'mon brain! This is the most important thing she has taught me and even Nicole help me with this one! Um... Right, if humans are part of the Kingzdorma of Arnganalia maxurmax then the tier below Arganalia is the Kingzdorma of Planuae maxurmax and menponiar...

Then far further below them passing through Unrgit is the Inzectra Empiriciae. And all of them actually have intelligence if what May and Nicole teach me is true. Could she be wrong? Heh, if only people could name things like the scientists of old, I wouldn't forget something so easily... Wait, didn't I forget it just now? Haah, studying and memorizing things is hard. I wish I can remember things easily like May or at least give me Nicole's brainpower at least).

She rubs her hand again and I decide to take out my salve saying:

"You know, why do you have to hit me all the time? You're getting hurt because of it so here, it'll help."

I hand her the salve but she pushes it away.

"Just keep it to yourself. Well, any other creatures?"

"Well... Do spirit count?"

"I said living beings you dumbass."

"But they still act like-"

*smack*

"Take this more seriously!"

"Mmm... Okay..."

I look up the ceiling filled with holes and mould to ponder...

(Maybe it's just my imagination but is it me or is there a glowing pair of red eyes staring down at me from above?)

Before long, another pair of eyes appear and another and...

"Oh schnitzel!"

With haste, I dodge forward and multiple small silhouettes come crashing down the floor.

Scattering around as to surround us, maybe out of instincts or just my habit of attacks. I use my weapon's butt to hit one enemy that got to my back.

*crash*

The enemy crashes inside the store by breaking the display glass. One of them jumps above my head carrying some sort of dagger to shank me but my reflex moves faster than it could imagine and my spear thrusts upwards, piercing my foe from the chin to its temple with the tip of my spear.

*smash*

My blade pierces its skull and smashes with the ceiling, causing his head to mush through and get stuck there as his small body hangs with dripping blood and dimming light.

The last silhouette suddenly turns her tail and run away in all four. But with a simple dash, I caught up beside it in just a moment and grabs it by the neck with my free hand.

"I guess this is the living being she told me about. Let's see what you are."

Pinning it down in the wall, the light finally give me a clear look at my foe.

"Wha!" I let go of her by the sheer shock of the discovery.

A beast-kin... More specifically, a female rat-kin who still looks around eight years old or younger. Similar to Saya, but she has short black hair and ruby red eyes that are even darker. She wears only her ragged sack of what looks like a sugar bag or the sort and her pale skin is filled with red rashes and bite marks.

"W-What have I done..."

The girl drops on her knees, holding her neck that has my hand mark. Coughing and falling in all four, she tries to crawl away.

"Wait, you need medical attention!"

I quickly kneel and drop my weapon to search and grab my salve-

*stab*

Saya, with her red dagger, stabs her forehead right infront of me. Her blade pierces past her neck as her blood seems to fuse with Saya's red dagger in this dark place.

"I gotta admit, when it comes to normal enemies, you're actually pretty darn strong."

Saya praise me while using her feet to push the girl off her dagger. The little girl's corpse falls in my arms, her blood leaking from her head drenching my hands.

Saya simply kneels down to wipe her dagger with the girl's ragged clothes mumbling:

"Heeh~ this is some good dagger. I could pierce skulls like their made out of cotton. Being connected to powerful people are always so worth it~"

I close her bloodshot eyes and grind my teeth...

"Saya... What- What's going on!?"

I shout for an answer. But she looks at me with disappointment and stands to sheathe her dagger.

"Really? You're asking that?"

She walks forward to the darkness and soon I realize there are two more corpses beneath her feet with holes in their head.

"We got attacked and we simply retaliated. And you better stop holding her like that, the parasites are gonna jump on you- oh silly me, you have your armour on. So they won't pierce through, never mind then. Come on, let's continue forward, I can't believe you can't even figure it out when the answer is standing right infront of you. I guess you really are still oblivious."

"Wait, Saya!"

"Haaah, what is it now?"

She lets out a huge sigh as she looks back at me.

"Say, why did we even enter this abandoned station in the first place? Do we really have to kill these... People?"

"You're finally asking that? Tell me, Sawyer, you kill animals right?"

(Animals? No... Is she comparing-)

"No! They're different!"

"Are they? Let's compare then, we all spill blood, we all eat, shit and fuck. Heck, we can both communicate with each other pretty fine. So tell me what makes you think they are so different than us?"

"That's..."

"That's right, only their looks. And as you can clearly see, we beast-kins share some of those animal features. So tell me what makes us all so different?"

"That's because you-"

"Look like Zerians or Owlians? Pfff, aren't you racist? That's called discriminating Sawyer. Can't believe Owlians like you actually have the nerve to discriminate. Life is life, even plants are life. We take because we want to survive, live or even thrive!

Nothing less nothing more. Those who kill or conserve for ideology are idiots. Say, you learn about the tiers of biology yet? I guess that's too-"

"Yes, I did..."

"You do? Then why are you arguing!? If you don't then it makes sense you care. But if you do know, why are you arguing!? You must realize that our kind can't create our own food, that's why we take and kill! We only give back what we own when we die or shit depending on your kind. That's our foundation! Our nature!"

I clench my fist hearing her words. Maybe out of anger or maybe because I just can't understand. Saya glare feels like it could pierce through steel as I feel the wrath in her voice.

"Alright then, tell me. Why did you kill those monsters?"

Saya asks in a tone filled with fatigue. I answer:

"Why? Because they're trying to kill us-"

"That's it, you hypocrite! Alright, I'll come out honest with you here. Even if Yuwei trusts you as a person, she doesn't trust your skills or should I say she has no faith in your abilities. Simply put, she's right and you SUUUUUCK!!!

First, you forgot to bring your own daily necessities, second, you got lost with even a map that could track where you have gone through, and something more recent is that you prioritize the lives of your enemies more than your own ally, your own ALLIES!!! You fail horribly at even the most basic of being a proper soldier or even yet, a Hunter. I can't believe you're like this after being taught by that Tyrant Gardener who pumps out one Hero after another and that medallion is wasted on someone useless like you."

"I... I see..."

I hang my head low as my spirit wanes and I lay the corpse down. Saya walks closer grabbing my collar shouting:

"You can either give up on your pipe dream and go back to the comfy life of the palace where all your earthly desire can be fulfilled or you can just continue on being like this! And the worst part I can't accept is why are you doing all this!? Nobody's forcing you to do anything you know! You had a royalty taking care of you, you have a loving family, a secret shadow backer, three meals a day, a roof on your head, and helping hands by your side! You have everything any person wants in their life, so tell me why are you trying so hard? It's not like the one you're looking for are in danger you know."

She tries to push me but her meagre strength merely gives me a tiny bump. As I feel like my lips would rip apart from my frown, I took a breather and grab my weapon-

"..."

(Where is it?)

I look around searching for it and it's nowhere near where I thought I dropped it...

(I... Oh, what am I going to do...)

I cover my face with my hands, ashamed, dreadful, and hopeless... As I feel someone tapping my shoulder, I look at Saya handing me my weapon.

"Haaah, you really are hopeless, Sawyer. I'm telling you this as a friend and senior who cares. So don't lose faith so easily, is the love of your family so weak you're going to let your bad habits and someone else stops you? Use it to recognize your weakness and change it!"

I smile bitterly and look at her saying:

"Yea, you're right. Thank you, Saya."

"Yea, yea, hurry and take this thing. It's heavy as fuck."

"Yea, as for your question... I know they're not in danger. It's just that, I can already guess what face they're making. And it hurts to know they're in pain going their separate ways with this misunderstanding. Say what you want about living beings but, my love for my family will never change. And I'm going to help them with all I can... My way."

I take the weapon from her hand and use it to help me stand.

(It seems, my journey to the Jaguar Sector will be a little late. But, I have to try. I have to change... No, I keep saying that when I never did. Rather than words, I should prove it with action).

I activated my helmet's night vision with thought,

(Good thing Saya told me about this before we leave... Wait, if she told me does that mean she knew we were going here? So Sis Yuwei really is testing- Aaah! Think about this later!)

I detract my spear to a dagger's length.

"Alright, Saya, lead the way. I'll protect you from the beast-kin."

"Good, seems we're getting somewhere. And do please let that slide, I kinda express my displeasure there."

I smile in my helm saying:

"Sure. Just tone down with the lectures next time okay, Saya?"

"..."

She looks at me briefly with a blank face before turning tail and walking to the corpses ignoring my request.

"Um, Saya?"

"..."

Dragging the corpses together into a pile she looks around a bit.

"Sa-yaa?"

As if I struck a nerve, she looks at me with displeasure shouting:

"Shut up! Go in the store with the body and drag it here!"

"Y-Yes! Maam!"

As I try to find the body that flings into the store. A flash of light passes by as so is the chant:

"[Lagfre]."

As the light blinds my vision, I turn the night vision off and look back at where the light is from. Seeing the piled-up corpses burn to cinders, their flesh, their face filled with despair, sorrow and pain disintegrate to ash and no more...

(I wonder what kind of face am I making...)

I shake my head to get myself together, whispering:

"I better get back to what I'm doing."

Entering the store from the broken display ahead in the dark corridor with my heart filled with uncertainty. There, the body of a small boy laying weak on the floor. His lungs, gasping for its dearest breath. And his hands, so little yet grasping a rusting locket with his dearest life.

"Its... Still alive?"

My knees descend on the floor. My blade raised high as it reflects in his eyes, his teary and yet hopeful eyes...

"Oh, why..."

"Ghack! Shar wa..."

His voice was weak as he tries to beg me something.

"I'm sorry."

As my blade fell down,

*pierce*

My steel, cut clean beside his head.

"I can't! I just... Can't..."

I grab the salve in my bag and applied it to him. As my slimy hands enter his ragged clothes and touch his chest, I could feel the broken bones from his small body.

"Please, live."

The salve immediately saps in his body as it touches him. The broken bones look like it's moving with a mind of its own from outside. Rashes, marks, and wounds disappear like it was never there. Before long, his breathing returns to normal. He closes his eyes, entering to a deep slumber.

(This... This salve seriously works like magic! Now that I think about it, some people did say that science do sometimes works like magic. Like seriously, what's in this thing?)

"Are you sure about that Sawyer?"

Saya speaks from behind me as her small silhouette appears before me. As the flames behind shine bright, no smokes arise. I look at her with determining eyes. As she looks at me with unmatch pierce.

"Yea. It may not be much but at least, let me be selfish for today."

"Hmph, suit yourself. He will die either way. If you can't tell, he was sent here to hold you back. Even if he returned to his village, he will definitely be killed either way for being useless. Oh, wait... Could it be you actually want to hear gratitude from him? Let me remind you that he's like this because of you-

"I know Saya. I'm not doing this because of gratitude. It's just that next time, I'll make sure to kill them with one strike so they won't have to suffer like this... Or before I have a change of heart."

I cut her off on her words as I grab my spear and stand on my feet. Saya looking at me with a smile saying:

"Now that's I can get by. Still, where did you learn how to talk like that?"

I hang my head low and get out of the store, ignoring her question this time.

"Hey, I'm asking you here."

She shouts as she crawls out of the store. I ignore her again as I look at the burning corpses.

"Oh! I see, so it's payback. Fine, I'll play but it seems you forget who holds power right now."

Saya suddenly turns back to where the entrance is and leave me behind. Realizing the situation, I raise my hand asking:

"Um, Saya. That's the entrance."

She ignores me and continues on. I swallow my petty revenge and hold her arms, stopping her saying:

"Please wait, I'm sorry. Please help me out."

Saya looks at me with a huge grin saying:

"Let me go. Why should I help you out? Even if her Majesty is the one ordering me does that mean I have to follow? Hah! Screw you over."

"Um, wait! Please! I don't know where to go. I'll listen to what you say, Senior! I won't do it again!"

Saya tries to look down on me but it's kinda futile.

"Let me go first," she says with a frustrated tone.

I follow her words and let her go and she folds her arms as her grin becomes wider, she nods saying:

"I see, so you're sorry huh?"

(She really likes to do this huh? Fine! This is kinda like May's situation when I finally beat her at something).

I kneel down holding her shoulders as I try to look at her from below.

"Yes! Yes, I am! I'm sorry for being like that. Please help me out, Senior! I'm helpless without you!"

In a tone of a defeated opponent.

"I see, I see. Hmm~ okay I'll forgive you IF!!!"

"If?"

As we stare onto each other, my heartbeat rose as fast as the tension. Her face, glisten by the burning flames and her red clothes feel like it shines brighter than ever. I feel the cold sweat dripping from my neck when she finally opens her mouth saying:

"I'll tell you when we get to the Jaguar Sector. Now let me go."

"Huh...? O-okay."

I let her go and she brushes the dust on her clothes aside, still with the huge grin on her face she finally leads the way again.