At the base of the sixth division.

“You guys took so long! The hearing ended a long time ago!” Lena complained, her eyes visibly swollen, revealing that she had been crying.

“It was my fault for taking so long. Where are the other soldiers?” Kay asked, her mask already off, her tone direct.

“In the mess hall, in the rooms, in the training room... They’re all over the place, inside the base.” Lena replied, with a heavy sigh.

Kay analyzed the surroundings and frowned.

“Is your squad the only one left here? Things are bad…” he said seriously.

“What did you expect? We were a burden in Mineforde! It’s our fault the captain died!” Lena shouted, gripping Kay’s shirt tightly, her voice full of frustration and pain.

Kay held her wrist firmly, but without aggression, and spoke with determination:

“After this week, we won’t be the same anymore.” Lena stared at him, confused and suspicious.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, her voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and anger.

Kay stepped forward, looking directly into her eyes. His presence was almost overwhelming.

“I have memorized the fighting styles of all of you, two captains, several Ghouls... and even a general’s attack. I know both their speed and their attack style. I will reproduce everything.” He paused, letting the words echo in the room.

Lena blinked, surprised, unable to say anything.

“You will fight against me until you are stronger. We will train until the moment when none of you stops in front of an enemy again!” Kay said, her voice firm and resolute.

There was something different in Lena’s eyes: a glimmer of hope mixed with determination.

“Promise?” Lena exclaimed, her voice choked but full of strength.

— Yes. Generals will be a joke to you! — Kay replied firmly.

— Then don't give us this week. Let's start training now! — Lena insisted anxiously.

Kay put his hand on her head as a reassuring gesture.

— Our companions need this time to reflect. Mira and Rem need some time for themselves. — He spoke calmly, looking into Lena's eyes.

— I'm sorry. The ones who will suffer the most for the captain will be the two of them... I was just thinking about myself. — Lena lowered her head, feeling guilty.

— Rem and Mira will be happy to know that Takemichi was loved. Don't apologize for that. — Kay removed her hand and gave a small smile.

Lena let go of Kay's shirt and straightened her posture.

— I'll wait for you to come back! — she said, with a more resolute tone.

— Aren't you going home? — Kay asked, frowning.

— My home is here. — The answer was firm, without hesitation.

— I understand. You'll have company, so you won't be alone. Try to be happy this week. — Kay walked away, waving slightly.

— Yes! — Lena replied, with a small but sincere smile.

— Let's eat something. They won't arrive until tomorrow, and it's best to rest until then. — Kay suggested.

A few hours later, at the base.

The squad sent by the Fifth Division arrived in several helicopters.

— Come to think of it... Will all these helicopters fit in here? — Kay asked, looking at the limited space of the hangar.

— Certainly not! — Fiona replied, crossing her arms and watching the movement.

— Our helicopters should take the vehicles out of the base. We won't be using them this week anyway. — Kay said, with authority.

— I'll pass the message on! — Alex said, already heading towards the landing area.

“I’ll go with him!” Brenda said, hurrying to follow him.

They walked away as the helicopter blades stopped spinning.

The leaders of the Fifth Division squads disembarked and walked towards the soldiers at the base.

“Thank you for coming so quickly!” Kay said, in a formal tone.

“We heard it was urgent and we came to provide support for this week.” Takahiro, leader of the Seventh Squad, replied, extending his hand to Kay.

Kay shook his hand firmly.

“I appreciate it,” he replied seriously.

“What are you planning?” Takahiro asked, looking around curiously.

“You probably haven’t received the news yet... Our captain is dead,” Kay revealed, the weight of the news visible in her voice.

“Takemichi? I’m so sorry for your loss. How did this happen?” — asked Takahiro, clearly shaken.

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— It was a Ghoul. — said Kay, directly.

— Huh? — Takahiro's eyes widened in confusion.

— A captain killed by a Ghoul. I know it's hard to believe, but that's what happened. — Kay kept her tone firm, despite Takahiro's disbelief.

— By a single Ghoul? — Takahiro seemed even more perplexed.

— Follow Ryuji. He'll show you a video that was broadcast in the royal castle, and you'll understand everything. — Kay explained.

— Okay. — Takahiro nodded, still trying to process the information.

Ryuji led the group to a nearby wall and began showing the video on his cell phone.

In the meantime, Alex returned to Kay's side.

— We brought the helicopters! — Alex informed.

— Good work. Pilot your helicopters and park them outside the base, but keep them close enough so we can use them quickly. — Kay instructed, with a commanding voice that inspired respect.

— Okay! — the pilots replied in unison, heading to their respective aircrafts.

Kay yawned, the tiredness evident in her eyes.

— Are you going to sleep? — Lena asked, her brow furrowed.

— No! I'll wait for them to arrive. — Kay replied, stretching her arms to shake off the sleep.

Takahiro, still suspicious, looked at him seriously.

— What level was your captain? — he asked, his voice full of curiosity and concern.

— Around 98% to 100% — Kay replied, directly, as she crossed her arms.

Takahiro's expression changed instantly. He widened his eyes in disbelief.

— A captain with almost 100% lost to a Ghoul... And you called us to reinforce something that goes beyond a Ghoul? Is that really what you're saying? — Takahiro exclaimed, incredulous.

Kay let out a dry laugh, full of irony.

— Saying it like that makes it seem like we're being cruel to you. — he commented, raising an eyebrow.

Lena took a step forward, her gaze firm.

— You're not going to fight this Monarch. We just need you to act in our division to protect the kingdom for this week! — she explained, with a serious tone.

Kay nodded and added:

— Don't be afraid. We have a Ghoul on our side who can sense these stronger Ghouls before they even reach the kingdom.

Takahiro took a step back, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“There’s a Ghoul on your side? What kind of joke is that?” he retorted, almost accusingly.

Kay raised a hand, asking for calm.

“A joke that’s not funny, so it’s not worth joking about. Wait for the other squads to arrive, and we’ll explain everything to you,” he said, his voice calm but full of authority.

Takahiro continued to stare at Kay, but remained silent, processing what he had just heard. A few hours later, the darkness of night enveloped the base, as the helicopter blades finally stopped, allowing the squads to disembark.

“What are we going to do?” Lena asked uneasily.

“Let’s welcome them. Leave Kay alone there,” Joana replied, crossing her arms.

“It seems like he doesn’t want to leave where he is! We’d better leave him!” — said Yan, supporting the decision.

— But it's already night! — Lena insisted, worried.

— It's better this way. — Joana shrugged, looking towards the spot where Kay was standing.

— What a long trip... — complained Nina, getting off one of the helicopters and stretching her arms.

Ryuji's eyes widened when he saw her.

— Are you kidding! Why a vice-captain? — he muttered, impressed.

The third squad, led by Momo and sent by the Fourth Division, began to report to the Sixth Division.

— There are only women... — thought Yan, analyzing the group that was disembarking.

Nina, taking the lead, stepped forward and bowed her head in respect.

— We were informed about Takemichi and the situation that led to the request for reinforcements. I'm sorry for the loss of your captain.

The soldiers accompanying her repeated the gesture, bowing as a sign of respect.

— Thank you. — Joana replied, with a brief nod. — I didn’t expect someone of your level to come in person.

Nina smiled slightly, although her eyes carried a betraying weight.

— When the captain received the news about Takemichi, she was quite shaken. First, she cried. Then, she became furious and went around destroying everything. But soon she became sad again, swearing revenge for him. She wanted to come, but under these conditions, it would be impossible to leave the kingdom unprotected. So, she sent me with Momo’s squad.

Joana nodded, understanding.

— I know your captain has always admired the other captains, even ours, who was below her ranking. She must be suffering too.

Nina sighed, her voice full of experience and resignation.

— In this job, we have seen many deaths. Over time, we end up getting used to the pain, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt when we lose someone. The difference is that we learn to move on. The captain will be fine, and I believe you will be fine too.

Joana clenched her fists, her expression hardening.

— It's true. It hurts to think that we'll never see him again... But we need to move on. For him, for ourselves, and for everyone we swore to protect. We're taking this week off because Kay asked us to. We know that Mira and Rem will need it too. And when we get back, I want to be so strong that the Ghouls will be the ones who fear us, not the other way around!

Joana's words reverberated through the group, intense and full of conviction. The squad leaders exchanged glances, impressed.

— "That's the same thing Kay said." — they thought, analyzing Joana.

Nina smiled, encouraging her.

— I see. So, the fire is still burning! Where do you want us to start?

Joana took a deep breath before answering.

— For now, eat something and rest. Our comrades have already returned home, so the base is half empty. The reinforcements from the Fifth Division should already be asleep. Almost all the rooms are available. We've taken the soldiers' belongings out this week, so feel free to choose where to sleep.

Nina nodded, but couldn't help but notice something strange.

"Understood. But... what about that "statue" standing there?" she asked, referring to Kay, motionless in the distance.

"He's waiting for Mira to come back. It's best to leave him. Now go eat before the food gets cold!" Joana replied, brushing off any insistence.

Nina looked at Kay curiously, but decided not to insist. That's how reinforcements from the Fourth Division arrived.

During the early hours of the morning, reinforcements from the Third Division also arrived, being greeted by Joana and Nina, who were still awake. They gave instructions to the new arrivals before finally returning to their rooms.

Hours later, at dawn, the sound of another helicopter landing broke the silence of the base. This time, no one came to greet them.