As implied, the notion of grief only exists within the minds of those who were afflicted with a burdensome calamity or were wronged, causing their heart to yearn for justice, for the hurt they have suffered.

Amid this chaos within one's mind, one could find himself or herself suffering from hurtful self-talk, about the cause that harmed them, about the reason they were hurt.

This is nothing but a resultant reflex from suffering, from an invisible part of the human body, the part being –

"It is the difference between the pain in different parts of the body, if you were to think deeply for long you will feel pain in your head, Correct?"

Keith gestures as if urging Stella to say something.

"—Correct!" Stella replied

"But when you grief, the part that hurts the most is not your head but—"

Keith who was cladded in heavy golden armor that fit his muscular build, pointed his index finger towards his chest, more specifically his heart, saying-

"It's here, that hurts the most."

"But I feel headaches when I think about that monster girl from Empire, though I know I am grieving."

"You are correct but heart here means the emotional unseen part of the the human soul, like it's this collection of stimuli you feel when you are emotional, that's what I am referring to"

"I got the gist of it, but it's weird for you to talk about something like this."

"Weird? How so?" Cocking his head Keith asks.

"You are a born-to-kill soldier, you have harmed countless number of people, being this reflected in this kind of thing is definitely a weird thing."

Stella remarks.

Even though Keith's intent behind killing might have been born out of duty and necessity, however, killing people will always bring sadness and grief.

It may be the most despicable person, but the people who were connected through that person would feel saddened even if the magnitude might be far less to be called grieving, or so Stella believed, hence.

"You are right on that one, it is weird but all I can say is in one battlefield the more you kill the more you understand."

The Subject to be understood here is the human heart, not the lump of flesh that pumps blood rather than the emotionally unseen one

.

With striking realization, Stella's eyes bore deep into Keith's, as she heard those words she could imagine a gruesome massacre of people behind those brown crystalline irises as Keith said those words.

Then silence filled the air, as the gentle breeze went past between them, as they were surrounded by gigantic towering trees, in all directions trees, big towering in great numbers, as far as the eyes could see.

Suddenly a high-pitched sound vibrated through the forest, followed by the sound, of a big orb of red flashing in the sky, shimmering red over yonder above.

"A red flare?"

"Are they serious?"

Their gaze upward towards the direction from where the orb was originating from, that being the source of this red flare.

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The conditioning for using a flare was a call for reinforcement, however, if the color was red it meant a great enemy, more specifically great monsters beyond their capabilities attacked them.

This was given to the soldiers to signal help from surrounding reinforcement if they were to need so, the flares were divided into three categories.

If the flare was colored green then they needed more soldiers as calling higher officials than soldiers was nothing but excess, which they couldn't afford to have.

If the flare was colored yellow then they needed a higher force either one of five high-ranking officials who take the lead in this operation, as per Keith's and Stella's operational strategy.

If the flare was colored red then they were in dire need of Keith or Stella or perhaps both of them, as the white glorious horse they rode could cover the distance between them with much greater speed, given that it was the fastest mode for travel available to them.

"Let's—"

Before Keith could say more, suddenly another red flare from the front direction where five high-ranking officials- Battle Rankers- and soldiers were taking the front of this operation.

"What, at the same time?"

Surprised Stella widened her eyes, the reason for shock being that on both fronts they must have lost a great number of people from their operation unit of three hundred soldiers along with five Battle Rankers.

Because that was the condition for using a red flare.

A serious look in their eyes became evident, as the realization of their situation dawned upon them.

"I'm taking front, that thing must be more fun," Keith said as he directed his glamorous white horse in the said direction.

The case was that in front they had an assembly of five Battle Rankers, meaning their enemy in front may have been a monster of greater strength in comparison to their rear, from where Keith and Stella were.

"Good luck, I'm taking the one at back." Changing the direction of her horse as she pulled the reins,

"Then, don't die, I want to talk more about your wife after this"

As Stella said those words, with its neighing sound the glamorous white horse, raises its forelegs off the ground for a brief period.

"I'm off." As soon as those words left Stella's lips, a thunderous sound filled the air, giving off dust in its aftermath, Stella had run off to reinforce the rear direction of their operational perimeter, as per their strategy formation.

"---that was cool, that's gale princess for ya."

Keith said, watching Stella figure getting lost in the clumpish forest.

"Then, I'm off too."

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Their gazes were frightened at the sight of the macabre-inducing creature that stood before them, gracefully its' grotesque features came into view.

Its features and appearance were similar to that of a lion, but its face was not the same as usual lion, in specifics they did belong to that canine lion-like cat of the fierce forest, but they were multiple in numbers, which is not what made a dozens of soldiers hesitant to move from their tracks.

Instead of having one head, the beast has around ten heads attached to a single neck, surrounded by its thick mane and shoulders.

Its figure in size would be greater than a lion, so much so a lion would look like a scared small cat in front of it, similarly its bestiality would be far greater than a lion in comparison.

Two similar beasts sat adjacent behind the beast mentioned prior, performing their heavenly order, mauling the dead body of a soldier, beside them a mountain of nourishment in the form of human soldiers lay dead, eating the contents of flesh inside of their stomachs, to fulfill needs of their stomach.

They tear, chew, and spill red elixir from the packets of soft flesh from their stomach, neck, calf, and head, leisurely after having killed more than fifty soldiers with monstrous ease.

After having killed soldiers, the beast attacks in its frenzy, it growls to threaten and intimidate the remaining soldiers, causing them to freeze and cower in fear.

The horror and numbness of the moment made the remaining soldiers frozen in their tracks, they watched their comrades and friends becoming nutrition for those three beasts.

The reason for killing here was due to the eternal duty bestowed by the heavens given to the predator and its prey, the relationship being that the beast with its fangs dug deep inside the dead soldier's neck, with the stream flowing from the cuts of red human blood pouring out.

The beast's fangs would pull the neck of the soldier, the head of the soldier would dangle, hoisted up from the forest ground, and the beast's jaw would crush the neck bone of the dead soldier.

"Everyone don't move!!"

"We just have to wait and maintain distance."

"Oohh shhit."

It's been a half minute after they fired a signal flare to summon enforcement of higher caliber.

But their patience was running off, in front of this gruesome reality. Some were giving cautionary cries, some were losing their minds, while some were practicing equanimity.

"What the hell??"

Suddenly a soft voice through the air, The remaining soldiers turned their gaze towards its source.

Cladded in silver female armor, Stella, the Gale princess arrived at the scene.

"That's the most disgusting cat I have ever seen."