Akino and Lyka went back and meets with Alexa who’s standing right outside the outpost. She’s with Kal and some adventurers, guarding the outpost entrance.

Kal: The boys who came with you were traitors, huh?

Akino: Oh, Alexa, you brought that soldier and the captain to Torion, right?

Kal: Hey! You’re ignoring me!

Akino: Shut up, you’re annoying!

Alexa: Ehem! Well, yeah, he’s shocked that some of their dudes were spies. He made me wake up the two and he interrogates them back there… and thru that he knew that they’re the only snitches in Camilla’s team, so hooray?

Akino: That’s good, I guess…

Lyka: What next?

Kal: Torion will be at the sewer with the other soldiers to guard it up. My team will go look for the next location where another group of civilians.

Akino: You - you’ll handle the rescue operation?

Kal: What do take me for? Only a brute?!

Alexa: You said that, not us.

Akino: Alright, we’ll be your cover.

Kal: Just – don’t shoot us with your… what was it again? A waffle?

Akino: Rifle!

Kal: Yeah, whatever.

The group breaks up and went on separate ways. The three girls hurriedly sneak on shadows, looking on buildings and houses, checking the streets and alleys, climbing up to the rooftops. They secured the path Kal’s group taken, and they were able to reach the location of the civilians. The civilians lined up, hurriedly walked the path back to the outpost.

Meanwhile, on a rooftop near the outpost the three girls were overseeing the civilians line up as they get out of Ravine.

Alexa: After this, we’re done, right?

Akino: Yeah, Camilla will take the lead after this.

Akino looks at the far corner of that rooftop, seeing Lyka alone, peering at the streets below them. She slowly approaches her from behind.

Akino: Hey, you’ve been awfully quiet. What’s wrong?

Lyka: Um, huh? Me? Uhh, nothing. Nothing, really…

Akino: You sure? You really look troubled…

Lyka: I – I smell a familiar scent… the scent of my people…

Akino: Demi-wolves?

Lyka: Yeah…

Akino: Can you… pinpoint the location?

Lyka: I can, and it will only take a minute… but our mission was to rescue these people, right? We might compromise it…

Akino: Don’t worry, Torion said they’re the last civilians who wants out of the city. Once they left, we’ll stay here go look for them.

Lyka’s face brightens, and upon seeing that face Akino blushes.

Lyka: Thank you very much!

Akino: Ye – yeah, no problem…

They stayed on that rooftop until the last civilians entered the exit point, then they dropped off and tried to tail them to secure the rescue mission.

Alexa: Aki! Mama! I can hear them! They’re coming!

Akino went out and saw the marching mage soldiers towards their location. The three stands guard at the entrance while the civilians and Kal’s team leave the city safely.

The mage soldiers stop marching once they saw the three girls standing in front of them. There’s no conversation, no dead silence. The soldiers charged and so the three, commencing their clash. Lyka casts her spells, Alexa charges brutely, Akino shots her arsenal. Other soldiers tried to fight back but ultimately failed, others cowardly ran away but the three manages to pin them down.

Alexa: Is that all?

Akino: I think so.

Lyka: Wait, someone’s coming!

Alexa: It’s only one dude – wait, wait, wait… he smells like…

Akino: HE?!

Alexa: I could smell… mixed human and wolf… like ma’s scent… but it’s a male…

Akino: Lyka… that’s the one you’re referring earlier?

Lyka: He – he is…

A tall man, about 2 meters high, walks up to them, carelessly steps on the bodies of the downed soldiers. He’s wearing less armor made of thick black metal. The man steps further towards them, making Alexa gnarl at him aggressively. They could clearly see a tail, a fluffy one and black in color.

Akino: Alexa?

Alexa: He’s – he wants us dead! You fucker! What do you want?!

Lyka: Alexa…?

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The two looked at Alexa. Her hair raised like and angered cat, all on fours like a lion preparing to attack. They looked back at the tailed man, readying his sword as large as his body.

Lyka: I get it… his murderous intent… is extreme… the same as ours…

Akino: So that guy is a demi-wolf?!

Lyka: He is… he’s the one giving off that scent.

Akino: So… you’ll handle him, or I’ll tranquilize him?

Lyka: His body is covered with a strong mana barrier. Projectiles will not work.

Akino: Okay, you’re going to handle him.

Lyka lowers her weapon and slowly walks towards the tailed man.

Lyka: You’re a demi-wolf, right?

Tailed man: I am...

Lyka: My name is Lyka - Lyka von Roza, wolf tribe of Rozz. And you are?

Tailed man: Rozz… I’m from tribe Ingzt. My name is Herol Ingot…

The man raises his giant sword against Lyka.

Herol: You… Lyka von Roza, daughter of tribe Rozz, and of the nameless god… in the stead of all wolf-kind, I hereby declare a duel against you, an abomination!

Akino: Nameless god?

Alexa: Abomination?! You take that back!!!

Lyka: Duel?! Wh – what do you mean?!

Herol charges towards Lyka with his sword. Lyka barely blocks the sudden attack with her left arm, placing her out of her footing.

Akino: Lyka!

Lyka: I can handle this!

Lyka raises her greatsword, parrying Herol’s relentless assaults. Akino and Alexa remained in their positions as they watched Lyka defend herself, but Alexa insists to Akino that they should help.

Akino: You heard her.

Alexa: But -!

Akino: No buts! Let your mother handle it, but things go sideways, we’ll step in.

Alexa: Alright… fine…

While the two stands by, Lyka was struggling against Herol. Not because he’s strong, but because she wants to know why he’s attacking her.

Lyka: Can you please stop for a moment?! I haven’t done anything!

Herol: Your father is! And his heralds!

Lyka: My father?!

The two stops clashing.

Lyka: And his heralds?! Dr’an and Dr’akan?!

Herol: Whoever it is, it destroyed our village!

Herol yells as he charges once more towards Lyka. Lyka didn’t move but instead catches his sword with her left hand. Herol yells louder, with power and magic surging through his body then through his blade. The sword he holds brightens and flames, but the look on his face went grim and confused as he sees nothing is happening to Lyka’s left hand.

Herol: How – your hand should be burning into ashes by now!

Lyka: Carbon fibre and tungsten-titanium aren’t conductive to mana.

Herol: What?

Lyka squeezed his blade, snapping it into two. The mana surge from the inside the blade caused them both to get thrown off. Lyka manages to withstand it, but Herol topples on his feet drops on his back. She approaches him to lend her a hand, but he refuses.

Herol: The Altruisians… they promised us to restore our glory… and they told us about the Great Destroyer, but it’s too late… a herald of your father went to our village and nearly wiped us out!

Lyka: I – I’m sorry… he… Dr’an was deceived… I don’t know how but he went mad and led the Altruisians to our place…

Lyka remembered everything that happened back in her tribe. Feeling saddened, she drops her sword and, on her knees, looking down on the dirt. Herol was stunned upon seeing Lyka collapse on the ground, but he takes this opportunity to strike her. To his surprise, Akino was already in front of him, blocking his attack and punches him into his gut, pushing him out to the far side.

Akino: Lyka…

Lyka: I – I … I’m sorry… I’m sorry…! I should’ve...

Lyka started to cry. Akino went beside her and pats her back, which in turn Lyka immediately hugs her for comfort. Alexa stands beside them, looking gloomed at her mother.

Herol stands up and tried to approach them with his injured body, but Alexa stands in his way between them.

Alexa: I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t want to hurt my mother’s people, but you have to stand-the-fuck-down or I’ll flatten your face!

Herol: She’s… crying…

Alexa: You made her cry!

Akino: Alexa, stop it.

Alexa: Stop it? He thinks he’s the only one who lost everything! Mama also lost everything! And he’s siding with the Alt-people who sliced of her arm, killed her people and trashed her place!

Herol: Killed…? The Altruisians killed her people?

Akino: There must be some kind of misunderstanding.

Herol: I – I...

Alexa: What?! Say sorry?!

Akino: Alexa!

Alexa: He pissed mom! He’s pissing me off!

Akino: I know! I am too! But goddammit, you have to stay calm!

Herol: The knight in the azul armor said they’ll just capture your people… how…? They lied… to me… to us!

Herol throws a tantrum upon his realization. His action made Alexa react, turning her body muscular and armored, startling the male demi-wolf.

Herol: What the -!

Akino: Alexa! Calm down!

Alexa: He’s acting funny!

Herol: What – are you…?

They stared for seconds. Alexa stops her urge from punching the male demi-wolf and so is Akino who’s comforting Lyka, but Lyka stood with a serious look on her face. She’s already composed and calm. Lyka approaches Herol, still shocked upon seeing Alexa changed her appearance.

Lyka: You said you trusted them… the Altruisians?

Herol: Ye – yes.

Lyka: The man in azul armor… he’s the one who did this scar on my face, cut off my arm, and murdered my people…

Herol went dead silent. Lyka grabs the collar of his armor and lifts him up. The other two observes a slight anger in Lyka’s face.

Lyka: What did he offer you? This armor? That sword? Some kind of magic power?

Herol: They – they promised me… that they’ll help my people recover… that they’ll help my sister…

Lyka drops Herol on the ground.

Lyka: How did you know I am the daughter of the nameless god? Of the Great Destroyer?

Herol: They told me… and we, demi-wolves, could look beyond someone’s soul, that yours is entirely different… a deity… a god born on our race…

Lyka: … I am no god…

Herol: They said that too… and they asked me to kill you… in exchange of doing my demands… of helping us…

Lyka crouches in front of the injured demi-wolf. She extends her hand towards him.

Lyka: I – no… we’ll help you instead, I know there are others like us in this city… I could sense them, and you know where they are. A civil war is about to erupt in this place. Are you going to side to these people and entrust your loved ones to them? Or we can help you find a place for them, away from conflicts like this…

Herol: A better place to stay, huh? I’ve got doubts when they offered me this job, but when they gave me this armor and sword, I sworn an oath to the damn humans…

Lyka: Will you serve the humans, despite it might endanger your true people?

Herol takes Lyka’s hand. Akino felt a little jealousy in that moment.

Herol: I guess this is a wakeup call… what do want help with?

Akino: First of all, hands off of her. And second, that’s fucking fast to change someone’s mind from being like savage into a very clearheaded dude, in’nit?

Lyka: Aki, please…

Akino: What?

Alexa: She’s jelly, and you’re bri’ish now?

Akino: I AM NOT!

Herol: Follow me, I’ll show you where my people are… all that’s left.

Akino: How about your “knightly service” with these Ravine bastards?

Herol: They’ll… I don’t know… they have doubts when the Altruisians trusted us to the Ravine, but I guess their doubts will come true tonight.

Lyka: But are they in safe hands? You said that you were handed over.

Herol: I’m sure they are… but we have to hurry. The ruckus you’ve caused alerted the whole infantry of Ravine, if you want to fulfil your promise, we should leave this place as soon as possible.

Akino: And how can we trust you? You’ve set your mind to kill Lyka moments ago.

Herol: Once she said that she’ll save our people… I felt like taking another path…

Lyka and Alexa looked towards Akinom waiting for her response

Akino: Fine, but if you did something shitty, I’ll make sure you’ll never see the sun rise again.