Last time on Neon War, the demi-human Lea came to the base of Zemaku’s dad. Zemaku’s dad accidentally knocked her out, and when she regained consciousness, she explained everything that was happening: Thumb, his interrogation of the demi-human clan, and the demi-human clan’s relationship with the Kyozans. She explained that, at some point, the Kyozans' backs were against the wall. They knew her tribe would be questioned about the Kyozan relics by enemy forces if the Kyozans lost. They realized they had only one way to keep their neighbors safe—cryostasis. So, they put all the demis into cryostasis and linked their brains with the lucid room’s AI, Canal, to protect them. The Kyozans set it up so the demis would wake up 15,000 years in the future, but Thumb managed to find out about the demi clan, awoke them early, and put them in for questioning.

As Lea was giving out this information, she suddenly fell over. It turned out that one of Thumb’s men had stabbed her in the back, and she was bleeding out. But can Lea be saved?

Neon War: Chapter 10 - Helping a Demi Out

"What the hell? When did this happen?" Zemaku asked.

"It must’ve been one of Thumb’s soldiers. He must’ve known that Lea was going to get help and had one of his men go after her. Stay on guard," Bill told his son. "We may have a spy watching us," Bill added to Zemaku.

"What do we do about her?" Zemaku asked.

"We save her. Isn’t it obvious?" Bill replied.

"But what if she is a spy? What if Thumb sent her?" Zemaku retorted.

"Do you really think Thumb would send an innocent girl who doesn’t even seem tainted by grief or trauma as a spy?" Bill countered.

"Well, one of his men did torture a child," Zemaku added.

"It doesn’t matter," Bill said firmly. "Thumb would only ever make those he thinks align with his goals spy for him. I could see the desperation in Lea’s eyes," Bill continued, his voice tinged with concern. "She’s in danger," he added, clearly worried.

"Then let’s try to help her. I’ll just believe in your judgment," Zemaku said. "So, what can we do, Dad? I know that you have medical training—can you help her?"

"No," Commander Bill responded. "The wound’s too deep."

"Then what can we do?" Zemaku asked.

"Only one thing," Bill said. "She will have to enter the Lucid Room."

"WHAT?" Zemaku screamed. "First Ren, now her?"

"Relax," Bill said. "The Lucid Room was connected to the demis’ brains before they entered cryostasis, and Lea is still breathing, but barely," Bill added. "That means if she enters the room, Canal can have a clear connection with her, diagnose the issue, and fix it," Bill told Zemaku.

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"So then... will Canal force Lea through her training?" Zemaku asked.

"No," Bill replied. "Lea hasn’t been mentally unstable. She doesn’t need that—she just needs medical attention. I’m sure Canal will know what to do to fix Lea," Bill told Zemaku, trying to reassure him.

"You have faith in that nutty AI?" Zemaku asked.

"She’s not nutty," Bill responded. "She’s just trying to help people. She does her best to support those with mental health struggles in any way she can, and that includes injuries. I’m sure the Kyozans equipped her to handle physical health situations in case of an emergency. It’s the only way," Bill told Zemaku.

"What if she’s not equipped for it? What if Lea enters the dream world Ren is combating his mental health in?"

"I don’t think that will be an issue," Bill responded.

Bill and Zemaku carried Lea into the Lucid Room. Zemaku held her by the feet, and Bill carried her by the head. They moved slowly and carefully—Lea was as heavy as a sack of bricks, surprisingly so for such a skinny-looking girl. Suddenly, the room closed on its own behind them, and all three—Bill, Zemaku, and Lea—were placed in the same dream-like state, sharing the same reality.

"What the hell? I was just unconscious on the floor. Thank God I’m alive," Lea said to herself.

"You won’t be for long," said a voice that was unfamiliar to Zemaku but all too familiar to his dad and Lea.

"Canal," Bill and Lea said in unison.

"Fuck, that’s Canal?" Zemaku exclaimed. "She barely looks older than me! This is the ancient Kyozan AI? She looks like she’s in her 20s. And what’s with the black butler shirt and mismatched pink jeans?" Zemaku asked incredulously.

"Show her respect," Lea and Bill said in unison.

"Anyways," Canal said, trying to change the subject, "so this is Zemaku, right?"

"Yes, this is my son," Bill replied.

"Zemaku, from what I’ve heard, you’re battling a lot of trauma. You know, if you keep your feelings always bottled up inside, you’ll never be able to use a plasgun to its full potential," Canal said to Zemaku.

"Mind your own business," Zemaku said.

"Your loss," Canal responded. "But I don’t think you’ll succeed at your goal if you keep this up."

"Wait, who told you about my search for a plasgun? I was only recently told about its existence," Zemaku asked.

"Your father," Canal replied. "Our talks are always nice," she added.

"Wait, you two talk all the time?"

"Yes," Canal said.

"Damn it, Dad, why did—" but Canal cut Zemaku off.

"We don’t have time to continue this conversation. Lea is in danger of dying unless I do something about her wound," Canal said.

"Damn it, you're right," Zemaku said, caving in. "So, what do we do?" he asked.

"You don’t have to do anything," Canal said. "I’ll try to stop the bleeding by manifesting myself in the outside world inside the Lucid Room. You and Bill will need to make a decision among yourselves."

"What decision?" Bill and Zemaku asked together.

"You both need to decide which one of you will volunteer their blood for a blood transfusion. Lea has lost so much blood, and even with her wounds being closed, she is still at risk of dying," Canal said.

With that, Canal vanished.

Chapter 10 End