"Move out"
One by one, the group exits the skyscraper, the green-tinged sunlight casting an eerie glow over the ruins. Their hair is a mess, especially Hao’s, which has taken on the appearance of an unruly perm. Erley stretches, his muscles sore but rejuvenated.
he says, rolling his shoulders.
"That was some good sleep"
Hao grins, his usual energy restored.
"Yeah, it was very much needed!"
They set off toward their new destination, Myora leading the way. Hao glances at her, curiosity bubbling over.
"So, are we going to the military base?"
Myora side-eyes him, her voice calm but firm.
"Yes, but it’s not abandoned. I thought they would’ve left by now, but they’re still active."
Erley asks, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"We are going to a military base? you have a death wish or something? the guy i fought almost killed me."
Myora responds.
"You'll be fine, that guy was probably an outlier, most of them are probably weak. Hao can deal with the imperfect."
Hao looks at Myora angered.
"Hey, why do i always have to deal with everything!"
Erley interrupts, his tone wary.
"What about Selth?"
Myora keeps her eyes forward.
"He should still be alive, as long as he played his cards right."
She pauses, her expression hardening.
"Also i thought about it yesterday... Someone's been following us."
The group falls silent, the weight of her words sinking in.
"From the metal can we heard when we first entered the city, to the deformed humans... someone followed us and kidnapped Selth. Stay alert. Whoever it is, they’re probably an Imperfect."
Erley thinks, his grip tightening on his sword.
'Knew it.'
Myora glances at Annie, her tone dry.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"I'm sorry about the imperfect thing Hao, but someone lost their weapon."
Annie scratches her head, avoiding eye contact.
"Ah, yeah... sorry about that."
They continue through the ruins, the mix of old and modern buildings creating a surreal landscape. Moen gets distracted by a rat scurrying past, but Myora’s sharp voice snaps him back to attention.
"Come back, Moen. Stay focused."
Moen pouts but hurries back to the group.
They cross another small river, the water murky and lifeless. As they pass a broken statue, Myora slows, her gaze lingering on the figure. It’s a man with a lion-like mane of black hair, a scar running through one eye, and a broken sword in his hand. The head lies intact on the ground.
Myora thinks, a strange feeling stirring inside her.
'Weird.'
The others glance at the statue, but only Myora stares longer, her expression unreadable.
----------------------------------------
They reach the outskirts of the city center, the buildings around them in varying states of ruin. Myora stops, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"We've arrived. Follow me. We'll camp in one of the taller buildings over here."
They settle in a building far from the military camp, the only safe option given the leveled structures nearby. The camp itself is a hive of activity, lights flickering on as the sun sets. Cars move between hangars, and soldiers hurry about, their voices carrying through the air.
From the top of the office building, they have a clear view of the camp. Annie frowns, her voice uneasy.
"Um, i don't think this is a good idea. I can count around fifty of them. and that’s just the ones outside. Who knows how many are inside?"
Myora doesn’t look at her, her gaze fixed on the camp.
"We’ll have to kill them all. I’m confident we can do it."
Erley flinches. His gaze locking onto Myora.
'She's awfully cold when she's leading.'
Moen chimes in, his voice enthusiastic.
"Yes! I know you can do it, Annie!"
Annie glares at him, her nervousness turning to irritation.
"Tch. Fine, then"
----------------------------------------
Selth collapses to the ground, his body battered and broken. Nails missing, his body wet, multiple bones broken. A cold voice cuts through the air.
"Come on! Tell me, what the fuck are you doing here?!"
Selth remains silent, his face contorted in pain.
The man—a red-haired figure with a mullet and a strong, angular build—grabs Selth by the hair, lifting him off the ground.
"Seems you're enjoying this."
The man sneers before delivering a brutal punch that sends Selth sprawling.
Selth looks up, his vision blurry, as the man storms out of the room.
Outside, the man grabs his jacket, his badge—a shield behind four arrows—gleaming in the dim light.
He barks at a nearby soldier.
"The fucker doesn't want to talk. Give it one more day. I need to check on Jack."
he barks at a nearby soldier.
"About that... when are you going to tell the higher-ups?"
The man’s eyes narrow, his anger palpable.
"Tomorrow. Now shut up and get back to work, Lieutenant."
Suddenly, gunfire and screams erupt from outside.
'What's going on?'
The man rushes out, his eyes widening as chaos unfolds. Outside smoke billows from a nearby hangar, and soldiers scramble to respond.
----------------------------------------
Annie’s voice rings out, sharp and panicked. In front of them a burning car.
"HAO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!? NOW THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE, YOU DUMBASS!!"
Hao looks away, scratching his chin sheepishly.
"Sorry..."
A soldier’s voice cuts through the chaos.
"HEY! STAY DOWN! NOT A SINGLE MOVE!."
Annie freezes, her hands raised in surrender.
"Hey, chill out! Let's talk about this!"
Suddenly screams break out somewhere else on the military base, followed by shots.
A soldier shouts.
"SHOOT THEM!"
Hao charges forward. Suddenly a bright light forms in front of him. A laser blast hits him, but he barely flinches.
He mutters, brushing off the burn.
"Ow, that hurts."
Annie watches in disbelief before snapping out of it.
"Alright, I guess I have to fight!!"
She rushes after Hao, who’s already cutting through the formation of shield soldiers with his greatsword. His expression remains cheerful, his natural happiness shining through even in the chaos of battle.