Akachi woke up from the Discharge Session. The barrier dissolved. He rose from the ground. His body felt light. He no longer felt all that tension circulating in his body. His Inner Portal and the Divine Power emitted by the Spiritual Key of Faith had stabilized. He felt he could use the artifact's full potential from there.

He saw four bodies lying in a row on the ground with a cloth over their faces. Spin Bomb was supporting Fadala. He had a serious wound on his shoulder. The wound was gushing a cascade of blood. Akachi walked towards him. The girl placed the assassin against a rock. He was pale and looked very frail.

Feruzi walked over to him and inscribed striped dots around his shoulder. He applied his Axé to the wound. The blood was stopped. Although he looked strong, he was tired and in a lot of pain. He collapsed right there.

Akachi and Spin Bomb looked at each other for a moment. She closed her fist and punched him in the stomach. The medium bent over and put both hands on his stomach.

"Argh! Why did you do that?"

"It took you too long to wake up. If you'd been here, it would have helped."

"I'm sorry for the embarrassment. You wouldn't believe me if I told you what I saw…"

"I don't care, just try to help with something."

The ex-sages smiled when they saw Spin Bomb's flushed face. Despite her sullen manner, she cared about her companions.

Suddenly, the Savage Unit's military helicopter appeared and flew over the area. The air support had been ordered to return after a certain period. However, when it realized that Gahiji's phalangites had been shot down, the aircraft turned around.

The ex-sages prepared to attack, but showed signs of fatigue. Nyatui stepped forward and gestured for them to move away. He raised his arm in the air. The ex-sage shaped his spear.

"They won't get away, not from me."

He threw the blade into the aircraft's tank. The impact sent it spinning. It exploded before it could get away. The wreckage fell down the waterfall. Nyatui wiped his hands, slapping them together. She turned to her companions, all of whom were lying on the ground.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Come on, get up! We have to bury the bodies of the phalangites. Bunch of lazy bastards."

⸎

Fadala opened his eyes. He realized he was inside one of the huts. He looked around. He noticed Spin Bomb dipping some cloths into a clay pot, taking them out, wringing out the cold water and applying it to his forehead as a compress. When she saw that the man was awake, she got up hurriedly and went to the door of the hut. She waved her arms and spoke with unrestrained excitement:

"Hey guys, Fadala's awake, he's awake!"

The others entered the hut. The space had shrunk with so many people inside. Despite this, the assassin felt reassured. He knew he could count on them. He tried to get up, but Akachi and Feruzi made him lie down again. His shoulder had healed, but he couldn't push himself, he had to stay lying down.

Feruzi lit his pipe and, to take the edge off the heat, removed his hood and rolled up the sleeves of his tunic to his shoulders. Akachi, Fadal and Spin Bomb saw his face more clearly. He was very old, with a firm face and white, woolly drool. His hair, as gray as a cloud, was straight, short and bald, which widened his forehead. His skin was as white as if he were a ghost and his eyes were violet.

Fadala smoothed his shoulder with his fingertips, then turned to the former wise man.

"Thank you, Mr. Feruzi."

"There's nothing to thank you for, you're our ally."

"Don't be so sure, you old fool. Isn't it about time you told them the truth, Fadala?"

"I'm Fadala, I'm part of an organization that silences people or groups that put the world at risk…"

"I don't want your false narrative, Fadala, I said 'the truth'. You're a mortician for the Ilê Apanyan, a monastic-warrior order. At heart, they're just hitmen using faith as a pretext to make money and influence governments."

Spin Bomb collapsed on the floor. His knees were shaking. He felt that he had been in great danger on this journey.

A… a… a hitman? I thought the guy was just a merc slot machine. He even looks like a corp.

Fenyang came up behind Akachi and put his hand on his shoulder. He gave a long, sharp whistle close to his ear. The boy swallowed. He had been walking with an assassin all this time without knowing it.

I've always been suspicious of this guy, bro. Never trust a bald man with a gun.

What are you talking about, Fenyang? Nyatui only noticed because he must be a very experienced warrior. The Circle of Sages had access to Ilu Nla's court and knew all the threats that surrounded it.

It seems that everyone here has their own well-guarded mysteries. Be careful, Akachi, you could be his target.

I don't think so, otherwise he would have killed me by now. This guy was too good to be just a bodyguard. He helped us destroy a bipedal tank.

"The Ilê Apanyan is a mysterious organization with tentacles stretching across the underworld on a global level. Sorry, no pun intended… Its origins go back to a Nigerian Christian sect, with very 'heterodox' practices, if I may say so. It was born many centuries ago and operates in the shadows."

Spin Bomb pointed a finger at Fadala, and still disturbed by the news, asked:

"What the hell is a guy like that doing in Ilu Nla?"

"I guarantee he's not on vacation or sightseeing. I had a little chat with him that didn't convince me at all. He's here to kill someone. My question is, who is it?"

Everyone stared at Fadala. For the first time, the killer felt vulnerable. He was sick in bed, without his pistols and with reduced mobility. All he could do was lie and tell the truth.