Kay continued eating

"Don't eat again without saying anything!" Takemichi shouted, clearly irritated

Kay continued chewing, his expression distant and thoughtful. A smile on his face, but it wasn't one of relief — it was a smile full of concern.

"This is bad. If the ghouls start coordinating to attack... It wouldn't just be this division, but all the others that would suffer massive losses. More casualties than we're prepared to deal with..." — he thought, as he took another spoonful of food to his mouth.

The soldiers in the mess hall were restless. The previous buzz gave way to a heavy silence, filled with tension. Even the most experienced ones couldn't hide their discomfort. Kay: the man who never backed down, who faced ghouls with unbeatable confidence. Now, seeing him so immersed in thought, clearly shaken by the idea of the ghouls' evolution, was something that made everyone on the verge of nervousness.

"There's no way, captain. You have no choice. — Kay leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed on Takemichi. — If we don't recover the other lost kingdoms, the ghouls will continue to evolve closer to us. And when that happens, they will certainly change the approach they are taking now.

Takemichi crossed his arms, his expression full of irritation.

— I already told you it's not that simple! — he retorted. — And what approach do you think these ghouls are taking?

Kay took a deep breath, her voice full of seriousness:

— They are letting humans reproduce... so they will have something to eat in the future.

An uncomfortable silence took over the room.

— You heard me right, Takemichi. In the dream I had, we humans were nothing more than cattle trapped in these walls.

Takemichi's eyes narrowed, but he didn't interrupt.

— And it makes sense. If the ghouls had wanted to, we would have all been devoured long ago. But why didn't they do it? The answer is simple: there are one or more intelligent ghouls ordering us to stay away from the inhabited walls. Not all of them obey, which is why we still suffer attacks. But... — Kay paused, as if choosing her words carefully. — What if, on another wall, the ghouls decided to attack a human population? How many would die before we could eliminate them? If we continue at this slow pace, we will lose the opportunity to strike first, before they decide to eliminate us completely.

Takemichi shook his head and let out a dry laugh.

— Breeding cattle? Only someone completely insane would think of that!

Kay ignored the mocking tone, her voice firm:

“Forget this idea of taking the walls just to repair them. We will recover them from the ghouls and, in the future, with more resources, we will rebuild what is necessary.”

“I have told you several times…” Takemichi began, but was interrupted.

“Come on!” Kay cut him off. “And, if you want something more guaranteed, ask for help from the other divisions!”

Takemichi took a deep breath, trying to control his tone.

“You are quite annoying, you know that?”

“No. I am a realist.” Kay stood up, her posture resolute. “Thank you for the food.”

He picked up his tray and his bottle, leaving the cafeteria without looking back.

"So that's what he meant by being weird... Is he scared?" he thought, his eyes following Kay as he left.

The scene changed a few minutes later. Raven, with her cell phone in her hand, quickly put it in her pocket and approached Kay, who was lying on the patio, looking at the stars.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Raven asked, approaching him.

"No, I'm just getting some air," Kay replied, without taking her eyes off the stars.

Raven sat down next to him, still watching the sky.

"Are you worried about the intelligent ghouls?" she asked, her voice soft, but filled with a slight tension.

"I'm just thinking... that dream still bothers me," Kay said, her expression serious. "The intelligent ghouls are a threat, but alone I don't think they're that dangerous."

"Do you think they're stronger than the mini-ghoul?" If they are, they will undoubtedly be a real threat. — Raven said, with a worried tone.

“Indeed, it will be hard work…” — Kay replied, thoughtful.

“Aren’t you afraid?” — Raven asked, once again turning her face to face him.

Kay looked at her, a glint of concern in his eyes.

“I am… even more so now,” he said, his voice carrying a new weight. “Now there will be more people who will be sad if I die, and more people who will make me sad if they die.”

Raven was silent for a moment, absorbing his words. Finally, she spoke, with a sincerity that came from the bottom of her heart:

“Our companions? I feel the same way.”

Kay, touched, raised his hand and gently touched her face.

“Especially you guys,” he said, his voice firm but soft.

Raven held his hand, still on her face, and looked at him with a serious and resolute look.

— After you serve your sentence, I will help you reclaim the other kingdoms, if that is your wish. — Raven spoke, her words carrying a silent commitment.

Kay sat beside her, holding her hands.

— I appreciate it, but at the moment, that is not the captain's wish. — he said, looking directly into her eyes. — But when the time comes, we will fight side by side, and I will count on your support.

Raven smiled softly, an expression of understanding and acceptance.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

— I thank you for getting Mineford back, my old home. Take this as a thank you. — Raven said, before unexpectedly kissing him.

Kay was surprised. Raven pulled away quickly, blushing slightly, her face tinged with a soft blush.

— So... this is what it's like to be kissed by surprise? — Kay thought, her heart racing. — Now I understand why you two were embarrassed...

Raven, still blushing, looked at him, trying to hide her shyness with a nervous smile.

— Why are you silent? Say something, you're making me even more embarrassed! — she said, clearly uncomfortable with Kay's silence.

— I was just surprised. — Kay replied, a shy smile appearing on her face.

— It was my first kiss... I apologize if I didn't do it right, like girls do! — Raven said, a little embarrassed.

Kay moved closer to her face. Raven didn't pull away and closed her eyes, accepting what seemed to be inevitable. Kay kissed her softly. The scene changed to a few minutes later, in his room.

“Hey, Slayer, teach me how to become invisible?” Kay asked excitedly.

“Where did that come from? When you discover a skill like that, teach me too, because people don’t become invisible!” Slayer said, intrigued.

“You know that skill of becoming imperceptible to people!” Kay questioned.

“Invisible? That’s not magic, Kay…” Slayer began to explain in a relaxed tone. “You just don’t have to be interesting enough to be noticed. People only notice what draws attention. If you stop making noise, standing out… they’ll just ignore you.”

“What do you mean?” Kay asked, clearly confused.

“The key is basically human perception. Move in a way that avoids drawing attention, keeping your movements smooth and natural. Assume postures that emit mediocrity, avoiding standing out. Explore psychological blind spots.” For example, if there's a lot going on around, people won't notice an individual who "seems to be just passing by."

"I see... Now, looking at how you two did it, I can understand. Thank you!" Kay said, before getting up and leaving the room.

Sky, watching the conversation, frowned.

"What does he want this for?" he asked, clearly curious.

"I don't know! But increasing the skills we have is advantageous for the army." Slayer replied with an enigmatic smile.

"Is he going to train now?" Kratos asked, perplexed.

"The order has been given. He won't break with Mira's mother here. It seems he has enormous respect for her." Slayer said, lying down on the bed.

"She's the one who trained him until we could see certain similarities in the two's attitudes!" Sky commented, with a slight provocation in his tone.

"Don't let the captain hear that!" Slayer warned, closing his eyes.

— Forget what I said! — Sky hurried to correct.

— Of course. — Kratos and Slayer replied in unison.

— So his trial is tomorrow? — Kratos asked, lying down on the bed.

— Everyone at the base already knows the outcome. The conditions are on Kay's side. He should spend some time... — Slayer commented, looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.

The scene changes to the trial room, dominated by dark stone walls and illuminated by cold light emanating from giant screens. On these screens, the captains of the six divisions and important figures from various kingdoms, such as kings, queens and generals, watched attentively, connected through video calls. Advanced technology broadcast the trial scene to all those who needed to be present but could not physically be in the room. Armed guards, standing in strategic positions, watched every move, while Kay, handcuffed and unable to move, stood in the center, being watched by everyone. The weight of the environment was overwhelming, and he knew that his life was about to be decided there, under the attentive and impassive gaze of everyone.

— He will be imprisoned for an indefinite period of time, with permission to go out only on official extermination missions outside the kingdom, after authorization from the king, the head of the imperial guard, Captain Takemichi and myself. — the judge concluded, his tone grave and unchanging.

"I was expecting this result, but everything is happening too quickly... Why? They didn't even discuss the matter. The only ones who said anything here were the judge and Captain Takemichi!" thought Kay, while her gaze remained fixed on the floor

— I agree with that, but I would like to add a condition! — said Captain Kenzo of the second division, interrupting the silence that dominated the room.

— I figured someone would say that. I also want to propose a condition! — said Renji, captain of the Third Division, his firm voice echoing throughout the room.

— I think I can guess what it is, so I propose the same! — declared Yumi, captain of the Fourth Division, with a glint of determination in her eyes.

— Yes! I want that too! —Haruki, captain of the Fifth Division, added with a vigorous nod.

The room fell into an expectant silence.

“What would your proposal be?” the judge exclaimed, breaking the silence.

— I wish he could undergo the same training in my division that he did with the Sixth Division to unlock the maximum potential of the suits! — Kenzo, captain of the Second Division, replied with conviction.

— That is also my wish! — the other captains agreed in unison, their voices reverberating like thunder.

The judge turned to the only captain who had not yet spoken.

— And what about you, Captain Julius? — he asked, staring at him.

— I do not want him in my kingdom. Can we get this trial over with? — Julius replied indifferently, an uninterested look on his face.

The judge remained calm:

— You must be very busy! Captain Takemichi, as the person responsible for this soldier, would like to hear your opinion.

Takemichi looked up, the seriousness in his eyes reflecting his responsibility.

— Everyone here must have already received the information we discovered yesterday about the captured ghoul. It is advantageous for humanity that our subordinates have greater fighting capacity. I agree with the training, but with conditions: that my vice-captain and a few other soldiers accompany this soldier, and that they do not overwhelm him. As captain, I see value in his skills and want him to be ready to fight as soon as necessary.

— I see no problem with that! — Yumi said immediately.

The other captains nodded in approval.

— Is anyone against this decision? — the judge asked, his voice reverberating throughout the room.

The silence of those present was the only response.

— How long does it take to complete the training? — the judge asked, turning to Kay.

Kay pondered for a few moments, memories of her last battle flashing through her mind — the moment when she released her killing intent against the mini-ghoul.

— It depends on the number of soldiers in the base — he replied. — I can train about two hundred soldiers at a time, but due to the risk of something going wrong, I prefer to reduce it to 150 soldiers per minute.

A stunned silence filled the room at the statement.

— This is Kay! — Yumi said, impressed.

— Can we conclude that you can train all the divisions in less than a month? — asked the judge.

— Yes, I can, but I would like to impose one condition — said Kay, her eyes shining with determination.

— You are in no position to impose anything! — retorted Takemichi, his voice full of authority.

— Wait! What would be the condition? — the judge intervened, curious.

— It is a disadvantage for me to remain in prison. If the training is successfully completed, I request that you grant me freedom to return to my division — Kay declared, looking at the judge firmly.

— Unfortunately, the time would be short for the crime you committed — the judge said thoughtfully.

— In that case, allow some of my comrades to visit me while I am in prison — Kay requested, in a more moderate tone.

— That may be allowed — the judge decided. — Then I agree to your terms.

— Anyone against? — the judge exclaimed.

Once again, silence prevailed.

— I declare this trial closed. Take him away! — the judge announced, banging his gavel loudly.

Two guards unhooked the chains and led Kay, still handcuffed, out of the room.

— Excuse me — Captain Julius said, being the first to end the roll call.

— He is still impatient. Well, anyway, I am looking forward to the training! Thank you for your judgment! — Yumi said before leaving.

— It's my job — the judge replied.

With the trial concluded, the scene changed to a few minutes later.

— I see... So it was as we imagined — Joana said, analyzing the information.

— Yes, he won't be returning to this base for two or more months, but he will participate in the extermination missions. In addition, Mira was given permission to visit him and accompany him during the training trips — Takemichi confirmed.

— Thank you, father! — Mira exclaimed, with a radiant smile.

— Don't thank me. We won't be doing extermination missions for a while. We will continue to ensure the safety of the personnel to develop Mineford. Mira, Sarah and Rem, you three will accompany your leader in training. Keep him focused only on training, so that we don't need another trial! — Takemichi ordered, with authority.

— Okay! — the soldiers responded in unison.

The scene shifts to a prison cell, where the damp, austere environment is lit by a single dim bulb. The stone walls reveal the coldness and hostility of the place. In the center, two simple beds with thin mattresses are arranged, separated by a small space that barely allows movement.

Kay, handcuffed and with a calm expression, is observing the man in front of him, whose suspicious gaze examines him like a predator.