— Seriously, is Dad going to find out that he's already my fiancé? Will he get mad? — Mira exclaimed, anxious.

— Fiancé? — Thais thought, surprised.

— Ara, ara! — Rem said, with a low laugh. — Do you like Kay too? — Rem whispered in Thais' ear, with a mischievous tone.

— What are you... — Thais said, blushing and euphoric.

— Mom! — Mira said, irritated, emanating a threatening aura.

— Interesting... I'm going to join this squad too! It seems more fun than staying at home! — Rem said excitedly.

— You can join the army, but don't even think about making jokes! — Mira replied, with a suspicious look.

— What did Mira's mother tell Thais? — Dan whispered, curious.

— It's better not to get involved, sister! — San whispered, worried.

— Okay! — Dan replied, slightly nervous.

— I'm serious, Mom! Don't put the wrong ideas in their heads! — Mira stated, with a firm look.

Rem just smiled back.

— I'm serious, Mom! — Mira insisted, her patience running out.

— Okay, I won't say anything! — Rem replied, raising her hands in surrender.

They passed by corpses of ghouls that had similar injuries, creating a sense of tension in the air.

— She really got excited! — Joana said, observing the scene.

— What weapon is she using? — Rem exclaimed, intrigued.

— It's some kind of whip! — Joana replied, with an impressed tone.

— Interesting! — Rem commented, smiling, but with her eyes fixed on Mira's weapon.

— Let's go, or you'll be left with nothing! — Joana said, impatient.

They quickened their steps, feeling the pressure increase.

— Captain, the ghoul's cage is coming! said fernanda, on the radio

— When it comes to that, they are fast! said takemichi

— Try not to hurt him too much or when we need him in Longtail, he won't help! said kay

— It looks like it's on the other side, but the smell is strong... It must be full of Noxium there! — Kay observed, with his eyes fixed ahead, focused on the environment.

— A mine? — Takemichi exclaimed, surprised by the possibility.

— The smell is unbearable. I'm going to stay here and this little guy here won't be able to handle it either! — Kay commented, with a serious tone, already anticipating the discomfort that was approaching.

— I'll check. Wait here! — Takemichi said, with determination, before crossing to the next room.

Kay sat down, crossing his arms, prepared to wait.

The environment before Takemichi was a vast and cavernous room, illuminated by a dull glow that emanated from the rocks. Noxium, a rare and powerful metal, was everywhere, impregnating the walls and the ground with its unmistakable energy. The soft glow of the Noxium reflected in the water that formed a natural pool in the center, creating a scene of contrasts between the metallic shine and the dark waters that flowed slowly. The water seemed to have its own course, leaving through an opening in the opposite wall and returning to some invisible point, creating a continuous current that passed between the stones and fell at the bottom of the room.

Takemichi observed the water carefully. It was cloudy, probably due to the presence of Noxium mixed in the flow, which gave the place an unsettling atmosphere. The sound of the current was constant, muffled by the vastness of the space. The water flowed without stopping, entering on one side and leaving on the other.

He took a few cautious steps, observing the reflections of the water that moved slowly over the surface covered in Noxium.

"The water must come from an underground system connected to that waterfall up there," thought Takemichi, as he studied the current that seemed to descend from the depths of the earth.

The water was accumulating in the room, but there was an opening in the opposite wall that allowed it to drain, probably to some distant point that, in the end, flowed into the same course as the waterfall.

“I don’t know what they can do about this mine, but the kingdom will have to reward the people of this village! And don’t even think about destroying the boy’s house!” Takemichi said, with unwavering firmness, knowing that Fernanda was watching on camera.

Takemichi quickly returned to where Kay was, ready to advance.

“Let’s go back.” Takemichi said, his voice deep, indicating that the mission was complete.

Kay immediately stood up, her expression curious.

“What was it?” Kay exclaimed, trying to understand the situation.

“A Noxium mine. Most of it is flooded, but the people at the institute should be able to fix it!” Takemichi replied, not hiding his tone of concern.

Kay looked at the floor, thoughtful.

— I see... several ghoul corpses, a different ghoul and a Noxium mine... it was worth coming here! — Kay said, with an enigmatic smile on her face, clearly satisfied with what they had found.

— I want to know the situation of the other teams! — Takemichi said, quickly changing focus. He was already thinking about the next step.

— They can handle it, let's go up, I'm dying for a coffee, I'm starving! — Kay replied with the same calmness as always, as if the situation wasn't so serious.

— Are you going to leave the others here to go up alone? What a handsome boyfriend my daughter has found! — Takemichi commented, joking, but with a cynical look.

Kay quickly changed the band on her radio, adjusting it precisely.

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— Mira, use the third band and tell me what you and your mother think! — Kay said, knowing that Mira was listening through the call with Fernanda.

— He caught us! — Rem said, laughing softly, apparently amused by the situation.

— You also make things obvious! — Mira retorted, with a hint of sarcasm.

— My habit! — Rem replied, laughing even more, without hiding her pleasure at the joke.

Mira looked at the radio and answered directly, changing the track.

— What do you think? — Mira exclaimed, with a hint of curiosity.

— Let them go, we're almost done here too! — Lena answered over the radio, her voice firm and determined.

— I agree! — Joana quickly confirmed.

Mira, without further ado, said over the radio:

— We're almost done, you can go ahead!

Kay smiled at Takemichi and said, with a dose of humor:

— See? I know the girlfriend and mother-in-law that I have!

Mira, a little embarrassed, answered over the radio:

— Just to make it clear, it was the mother and not me! — she said, with a disconcerted tone, trying to defend herself from the joke.

Takemichi smiled, listening to the interaction over the radio.

— Finish it there, let's take the mini ghoul to the surface and we'll go back! — Takemichi said, clearly and objectively, already starting to get ready to leave.

— Understood! — Mira answered over the radio, with the same determination.

— Let's go! — Takemichi exclaimed, taking the lead of the group again.

Kay, already moving towards the exit, made one last request.

—Ask a soldier to open the passage at the waterfall! — he said, with an authoritative tone.

—Right! — Fernanda responded, over the radio, with the same readiness.

The scene changed. They were on the surface.

—Good job! — the soldiers said, saluting.

"We didn't do much..." thought Takemichi and Kay, exchanging quick glances, with the humility of those who know the mission is not over yet.

—Captain Takemichi! — said some guards, also saluting.

—And your boss? — exclaimed Takemichi, with a relaxed but curious tone.

—He stayed in the castle! — replied the officer responsible for the guards who were with them.

Takemichi, maintaining the posture of a leader, made a signal with his hand.

— First, I'll let people know that they don't need to be afraid. You're in charge of opening the passage to the cave. — he ordered, his voice clear and authoritative.

The officer nodded, already aware of the orders.

— The scientist has already informed us of the conditions and depth of the cave. The institute arrived a little while ago and is already bringing the materials for this cleaning. — the officer explained.

— Good work. Get everything ready. My people are eliminating the rest of the ghouls down there. When everything is ready, you can go down. — Takemichi said, finishing his instructions.

— Understood! — the guard replied firmly.

Kay and Takemichi walked away, heading towards the helicopter.

— What's that? — Brenda exclaimed, noticing the strange creature Kay was carrying.

— It's a mini ghoul. A rare species! — Kay replied, holding the bottle carefully, as if it were a valuable relic.

— Such a small ghoul... I've never heard of anything like it! — Brenda said, visibly surprised.

— It's the first one I've seen too. But he's pretty strong. Better not underestimate him! — Kay warned, without losing focus, as she poured herself a coffee. — It's empty... I think there's time to go home! — Kay said, with a disguised smile.

— He's still on a mission and you're being monitored by the guards! — Takemichi said, with a serious look.

— I know, it was just a comment. Let's take this mini ghoul before he wakes up! — Kay replied, without looking away.

They headed towards the institute's helicopters, where a huge noxium cage awaited them.

— I think they got the size wrong! — Kay commented, laughing, looking at the exaggeratedly large cage.

“Captain Takemichi!” — exclaimed one of the scientists, approaching and saluting.

“It’s this little guy here!” said Takemichi, pointing to the mini ghoul.

“Did they break him?” asked the scientist, with a worried tone.

“That’s his size!” replied Takemichi, with a sigh, apparently indifferent.

“Is he alive?” asked the scientist, with an expression of surprise.

“Yes, and you better keep him that way!” replied Kay, without changing her tone of voice.

“A rare species. Let’s study him! Of course we won’t kill him!” said the scientist, excited.

Kay carefully placed the mini ghoul inside the cage, then retracted the tentacle that was still visible, making his suit return to normal. He looked around carefully before speaking:

"Don't forget, keep him safe. This little guy will come in handy in the future."

— The other ghouls are dead or being eliminated. You can take this one! — Takemichi said, pointing to the cage with the mini ghoul.

The scientist signaled to the pilot, who began the procedures to take the mini ghoul back to the research institute.

— Aren't you going back? — Takemichi exclaimed, looking at the scientists who were preparing to leave.

— The others are waiting for the ghoul to arrive. We are responsible for installing the platform that will give access to the underground! — the scientist replied, without taking his eyes off the preparations.

— I think Fernanda has already informed your headquarters, but we found a noxium mine at the bottom of the cave. Part of it is flooded with water! — Takemichi added, with a warning tone.

— That's a lot of good news in one day! This is a treasure trove of resources for the kingdom! — said the scientist, visibly excited.

— Don't destroy anything outside the mine and don't disturb the lives of the villagers. — Takemichi was firm, his voice full of authority.

“Leave it alone!” the scientist replied, in an assuring tone.

They walked away, and the pilot started the helicopter's blades, which soon began to gain altitude. The cage containing the mini ghoul was slowly raised, following the movement of the helicopter.

“And with all that noise, he still hasn't woken up? Lazy creature!” Kay commented, observing the mini ghoul sleeping inside the cage.

“Look who's talking!” Takemichi said, turning to Kay with a sarcastic smile.

Kay just laughed before walking away and returning to the soldiers. Meanwhile, the scientists hurried to finish the preparations and enter the cave.

“Let's dig a detour here next door,” said one of the guards, watching the water carefully.

— It will work, but it needs to be deeper, the amount of water from the waterfall is too great! — commented another guard, scratching his head as he analyzed the flow.

— The soldiers can dig here, wearing the suits. Ask them for help! — said Kay, turning to the scientists with a confident smile.

— The tentacles... that will work! — exclaimed one of the scientists, a gleam of understanding lighting up his face.

As soon as the tentacles quickly emerged from his suit, the soldier began to dig, extending towards the ground. With precise and quick movements, the tentacles dug a passage through the earth, creating a channel to divert the water. In a matter of seconds, the earth was removed, and the water began to divert along the new path, flowing smoothly away from the cave entrance. The entrance was clear, without obstacles.

— First stage completed! Now we will prepare the base to install the platform! — announced one of the scientists, with a tone of satisfaction.

"The water is on its way," Kay thought, pleased with their progress. They had avoided any interruptions to the flow, ensuring that the passage to the cavern remained free of obstructions.

With the water now under control and the path clear, the scientists began preparing the ground for the installation of the descent and elevation platform.

"Ghouls eliminated, how should we proceed?" Raven exclaimed over the radio.

"Return to the surface! Leave the rest to the scientists and the guards!" Takemichi responded over the radio.

— Understood! — Raven replied on the radio, before ending the communication.

The scene changed. All the soldiers who were underground were now returning to the surface. The atmosphere was tense, but the job had been done.

— You did well, you can rest! — Takemichi said, looking at the soldiers who had returned, with a tired smile.

— I'm going home to make another coffee! — Mira said, already heading inside.

— You... — Takemichi began, with a confused look, but was soon interrupted.

— It'll be worse if he sleeps during the mission. And dad, mom decided to join the army, let's help her pack her bags! — Mira added, with a mischievous smile.

Takemichi looked at Mira, surprised.

— Are you serious? — Takemichi exclaimed, unable to hide his smile of astonishment.

— Yes, I'm going to join Kay's squad! — Rem said, with an excited smile.

Takemichi was shocked, not knowing what to say.

“I’ll help you pack, I’ll just stop by the house first!” Kay said, already getting ready to leave.

Takemichi turned to him with a serious look.

“I’m tired of talking to you. Don’t cause any more trouble. You can go! Keep an eye on him!” Takemichi said, with a heavy sigh.

“Okay!” Kay replied, and Mira, in unison, quickly retreating.

Takemichi stood still, looking at the horizon, thoughtful.

“I can’t leave here…” Takemichi muttered, more to himself.

“It’s okay, I know! Mira and Kay will help me.” Rem said, with a reassuring smile.

Takemichi looked at Rem with a softer gaze, a hint of concern still visible.

"Welcome back!" Takemichi said, with a tired smile.

"I'm back!" Rem replied, smiling contagiously.

The scene changes, and now we see the inside of the house.