His mind was scrambled. Yuri was seven years old again, watching his family die before him. His mother was unrecognizable, his father under the rubble, and his little sister dying in his arms. As for his brother, he never even found him.

"You could have saved us, why didn't you?" His already dead mother asked him, her face crushed and her brain hanging out.

Yuri knew he was hallucinating, but it felt so real.

Mother would never say that. He tried to convince himself, yet he was still being pulled back to the past.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE US?" His sister demanded.

"Yuri!" Axel slapped him. "What's wrong?"

He was pulled back to reality. The boy he was watching was not there anymore. The house he was facing was not even as destroyed as he saw before. He was facing a wall the whole time.

"Are you okay?" Axel asked, holding him by his shoulders.

"No…" he replied. Yuri couldn't hold in his tears. "My parents, I saw them."

"No. You're just seeing things." Axel told him.

I know.

Axel gave him a hand. He lifted him off the ground and wiped his tears.

"We cannot save everyone, Yuri."

"But," Yuri tried to say.

"All we can do is do our best. There's still time " Axel told him. "It's over, for now. We have to join the others."

"The others, are they safe?" Yuri asked. Axel had to break it to him.

"Master Baldwin did not survive." Yuri stayed silent for a long time, his mind wandering.

"He died protecting us." Yuri said dryly. Axel nodded in reply.

They found all of the others, Ada, Tatsu, Stu, 048, and Tumes assembled over Baldwin's body. They were all paying their respects.

"Did the Proximians just escape?" Yuri asked them. He sounded tired.

"Most of them." Meara replied. "A troop of Proximian soldiers are being chased in the east side. They won't get away." She promised.

"You fly the exterminator, don't you? Fly me over there." Yuri said to her. The others were confused.

"Why?"

"I have a plan." He took out the Polenian compass from his robe pocket. "I bet it's the only way we can catch them all." Yuri looked at Master Hanshon for approval.

"Go ahead." Hanshon understood him. Meara immediately hopped on her armor.

"Grab on tight." Meara took both his hands using her exterminator suit. Yuri had never flown before, but it was not the time for excitement.

With a smoky start, the exterminator flew over the buildings. It did not cover much altitude, but it sure was fast. Yuri's hair was pushed back by the wind caressing his face. He could see everything from up there. Valors running around, Cassian soldiers finding the last survivors, burning houses, and medic vans.

.Sirens kept buzzing throughout the city.

The sun had set and the moon was out. He felt the compass in his pockets juggling around. Yuri’s shoes were loose too. His entire body ached.

“Over there.” Yuri spotted the escaping Proximians. The Cassian soldiers were close by. The border was being surrounded by another troop too. They had no way out.

“Order your soldiers to let them pass.” Yuri said.

“What? Why would we let them escape?” Meara asked him as she lowered the exterminator by a few meters.

“We have to trace their source. They will lead us to their ship.” Yuri reasoned.

“Drop me in the middle of the soldiers.” Yuri told her. “I’ll manage the rest.”

Meara had no clue about Yuri’s plan, but she decided to trust him. She released him to the ground. Yuri took out his katana in mid-air and landed amidst the soldiers. He made sure to kill a few of them before he initiated his plan.

Let loose.

Yuri stopped his offensive attacks, instead, he decided to solely focus on deflecting their blaster shots. The Proximians took advantage of the situation. They coordinated their shots and kept him busy. One of the soldiers kicked him from his blindside. Yuri fell to the ground. The soldiers continued to shoot him as they ran away.

“Go! Go!” The soldiers told each other.

When they were not looking anymore, Yuri took out his compass. He opened the casing. There was a brown nail attached to the compass. He detached it.

I have to shoot it at them.

The soldiers were still in sight, but that would soon change after they took the corner that was waiting for them. He had to make it fast.

“They’re getting away!” Igor entered the scene. He was about to run after them before Yuri stopped him.

“You still have those nails?” Yuri asked him. Igor was confused but he took the nail packet out of his fanny pack and handed it to him. Yuri dropped them on the ground.

It’ll seem less suspicious.

Yuri decided to use the advanced technique again. It was a huge gamble, but he was willing to take it. He weaved his katana in the air again.

It has to hit one of them!

Yuri lifted the nails off the ground using his katana. He shot it at them. Almost all of the nails hit the soldiers. The compass in his hands started to glow blue and the needle started spinning.

Yes!

“So you’re going to track them using a Sizaxian compass?” Meara asked him from her Exterminator armor. “Not bad.”

“I just hope that they don’t pluck it off.” Yuri said. He glanced at Igor, who was avoiding his gaze.

“Where were you?” Yuri asked him.

“I will not apologize.” Igor stated. “But you have to let me join you.”

“Join me?”

“I want to help you chase after those Proximian bastards.” Igor demanded, swinging his ax at the ground.

Meara’s watch started to beep. She took a brief look at it and then adjusted her glasses.

“We have to go.” Meara said. “I’ll give you a ride again.”

“Is something wrong?” Igor asked.

“I think so,” Meara replied. She climbed back on her exterminator suit and started it up. Yuri jumped on her Exterminator’s shoulder.

“I’ll walk.” Igor said. He waved them goodbye.

Sitting on the shoulders was way more comfortable than being grabbed by the Exterminator’s thick metal arms.

“Hey!” yelled from the sky. He spotted Tumes and Stu who were running ahead of them. Stu turned back confusedly.

“Over here!” Yuri said, waving his hands.

“Yuri!” Tumes yelled. Stu still couldn’t understand what was going on.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Meet us at block 13!” Meara’s Exterminator voice announced.

Tefot was now lit by streetlamps and emergency lights installed by the military. It was a hell of a day. He tried to ignore his mind, which was retelling him of all that happened today. The woman jumping off the building, the burning survivors, and the unfortunate witnesses of the explosion. Yuri felt that this was only the beginning. A prelude of something worse to come.

They landed on the ground, close to where they previously left. There were tons of Valors and soldiers assembled there, around a military van. He immediately recognized Kai Tung, the famous Valor who he and Stu were big fans. He wanted to talk to him, but he knew that now was not the appropriate time.

Tumes and Stu ran to them, joining the small crowd. All of them had grave expressions on their face.

“Is that everyone?” The military general asked. He was short with a thick mustache and a shaved head.

“Yes.” Kai Tung replied to the general’s question.

“Good. We have received yet another tragic report.” The general spread his map on the military van. “The capital of Cassian, Adelta, is under an attack from Mendthonels.”

“Mendthonels? As in plural?” Ada asked.

“Yes. We have run into five of them. Three of which is proximian in origin, One in Synaxia, and the other is yet to be identified. These five mendthonels are wreaking havoc on the most populated city in our nation. The estimated death count is 5,300 so far,” The general took off his beret. “Master Cora luckily foresaw the attack and is leading our finest Valors to deal with the situation. We are also ordered to join them.”

“Wait.” Yuri requested. “We have another lead.”

“What?” Kai Tung asked.

“We can track the Proximian hideout and end it before they launch their next attack.” Yuri proposed.

“We would have done that if we knew where they were hiding.” The chief interjected.

“That’s already taken care of.” Yuri showed them the compass. “I stabbed the needle to one of the soldiers.”

“A Polenian compass is too unreliable!” one of the Valors spoke out. ”It will only give us vague directions to find the way.”

“I can help with that.” said a man in glasses. Yuri didn’t recognize the odd-looking guy. He was carrying two pieces of luggage.

“Dad?” Ada asked. “When did you get here?”

“I was always here.” Professor Clif replied.

“Professor Clif, How exactly can you help us?” Meara redirected the conversation back.

“I can modify the compass and amplify the signal. It will give us a clearer direction.” Clif said.

“That’s great!” Yuri exclaimed. “We can put a stop to their plan if we find their location!.”

“Saving the citizens should be our priority. We cannot waste our men on this sidequest!” The general snapped.

“You won’t have to.” Kai Tung argued. “Master Hanshon and Axel, along with the first years, will track down the source. As the leading Valor in this situation, I believe it’s worth looking into.”

“Very well. I take it that the rest of you are going to assist us in saving Adelta?” The general asked.

“Yes.” Kai said.

“If we are all in agreement, we should leave now.” Hanshon voiced his opinion. “Professor Clif will join us as well.”

“Keep us updated.” The general instructed Hanshon.

The team was split into two. Kai and the other Valors joined the military to help Cora in dealing with the Mendthonel attack in Adelta. The other team, led by Master Hanshon, would try to locate the origin of the Proximian soldiers.

“Give me the compass,” Clif said to Yuri. He handed it to him. The compass was regularly looking but it had a few lights and extra needles to make it work.

“Can you modify it on the way?” Yuri asked him, unsure if he was overstepping his position.

“I think so.” He unloaded one of his suitcases and unzipped it. From the suitcase, he took out a mini-toolbox. “We have to head east, I presume?” He judged from the compass needle.

“All right, this will be a sleepless night. We will be proceeding on foot.” Master Hanshon announced to the team.

“What? Can’t we use a military van or something?” Tatsu asked.

“No. They ran off into the forest. Vans won’t work.”

“How about a chopper?” Axel asked him.

“Too flashy. They’ll see it coming.”

Yuri was completely exhausted, but he was still prepared to walk an entire night if it meant tracking them down. He had to know. He had to know what they had in store for the country. He had to find out why they launched the attack in the first place.

“Come on.” Stu told Yuri, who was staring at the moon and zoning out. Yuri was pleased to know that all his friends survived, except for his master. This was a hell of a day for him.

The path in front of him was long and high. Mountain forests were protecting the east side of Tefot, and the Proximians went that way.

“What if they are just going to Adelta?” Tumes asked. “To join the next attack?”

“Adelta is the opposite way. They are definitely escaping.” Ada assured them.

“I am sorry, but where was Master Cora during all this?” Stu asked Hanshon. Yuri had been wondering about that too.

“She was off-nation. She did return when she was informed of the attack. Fortunately, Master Cora was able to get to Adelta by chance.” Hanshon answered him.

“I don’t think she’ll approve of this.” Hanshon added. “She would deem it too risky.”

“But we are helping the nation. Surely, she would understand it better than anyone else.” 048 pointed out.

“No. I have to admit, walking into the enemy’s den is definitely risky, We could get killed easily.” Hanshon warned them. He stopped and turned to address them. “You can quit if you want to. There is no shame in doing so.”

“No way. I am not missing out.” Tatsu replied.

“Yeah. I want to be a part of the story too.” Tumes said, to which all of them laughed.

“It could be a tragic story, we don’t know.” Professor Clif told them. He was unscrewing the compass from the back.

“Seriously, Dad? That is so encouraging to hear.” Ada said to her father.

“What? I am just preparing you. We have to be rational at times like this.”

They climbed the mountain for hours, it only got steeper, and the forest only got thicker. It was getting too dark to see. None of them except Professor Clif had a flashlight with them. It wasn’t very helpful since he had to stay at the back and work on the compass.

“We need light.” Hanshon told them. “Igor, can you cut a few logs for us?”

Igor used his ax to bring down many trees and branches. He and 048 worked together to make nine wooden pieces for the team.

“Use your robes to cover the top.” 048 told them.

“Great. I left mine at Tefot.” Ada said. She used her robe to stop the bleeding of the decapitated woman.

“You can have half of mine.” Yuri tore his robe into two and handed half to her.

“Thanks.”

“Professor Clif, Might you have some oil and matches in your bag?” Igor asked him. Clif opened his bag and tossed a lighter and a small grease container to him. Igor used it to grease and light everyone’s stick.

“This is neat.” Tatsu swung her torch around.

“Don’t play with it.” Igor said.

With their lit torches, the nine of them resumed their pursuit of the Proximians. The fire certainly helped, but the wind was getting too strong.

“These woods are known for ghouls. So, watch out.” Hanshon was keeping his katana out, unlike the others.

“Maybe I shouldn’t walk behind you all.” Professor Clif said. He moved in and allowed Tumes to walk behind him.

“Master Hanshon.” Tumes called out.

“What is it?” His master asked back.

“Walking all night is not a good idea. We should set up camp for the night.” Tumes was right. None of them liked to admit it, but they were all tired from battle.

“But we’ll fall behind schedule.” Yuri said. He was determined not to sleep that day.

“Be logical, even if we run into the Proximian base, we’ll be in pathetic shape to fight back. We should settle for the night and wake up early to continue the mission.” Axel gave his opinion.

“Sounds good to me.” Professor Clif supported the idea. They were all waiting for Master Hanshon’s decision.

“Fine, we’ll set up camp for the night and leave tomorrow morning.” Hanshon decided.

“I could kill a wild animal or something for dinner.” Tumes said to them.

“Igor and I will help.” 048 said. The three of them walked away to find food for the night. The rest of them cleaned the surroundings and gathered wood.

Within an hour or so, all of them assembled back. Tumes, Igor, and 048 were successful in killing a deer. Yuri, Stu, and Tatsu collected enough wood to make a fire. Professor Clif lent his grease and lighter to them again. The nine of them sat around the frying deer.

“I got it!” Professor Clif announced. He showed the compass to Yuri, which now had a small screen attached to its side. There was a green line indicating the position of the needle.

“They are still walking.” Yuri noted from the moving line. He was not sure about relaxing while the enemy was making progress, but he had to admit, he was tired in every aspect.

“What are we going to do when we find them?” Tatsu asked. She plucked out a piece of meat from the spinning deer.

“Find out what they are planning.” Hanshon simply stated.

“I say we bomb them.” Tumes said, with not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “The Professor can make a bomb, right?”

“No… At least not here.” Clif replied.

“Anyway, I won’t be satisfied unless I skin a few of them alive.” Tumes said. “They can’t just walk away, not after what they’ve done.”

“This is just the beginning.” Yuri said. “They launched a second attack on Adelta. They are planning for something bigger.”

“Bigger how?” Tatsu asked.

“I don’t know. These attacks are not random. Either they’re waging war, or it’s a distraction.” Yuri was sure. He had been thinking about it all day.

“I can’t get it out of my head. The screams.” Ada said. “They just keep ringing in my head. It’s not fair.”

“It doesn’t get any better.” Hanshon said to all of them. “You will watch the people you love die in front of you. There is no fairness in it.”

“What’s the point then?” Stu asked.

“There isn’t. You just have to save everyone you can, or try at the very least. We are blessed with these amazing powers. It is our responsibility to try.” Hanshon took off his glasses. “I’m proud of you all. I’m sure Baldwin is too. All of you have a lot in the line. Do your best to protect it.”

After dinner, all of them went to sleep, except Yuri. He couldn’t even if he tried to. Yuri always knew that he had a home with them. It was not like the one he had before but it was indeed worth fighting for. He had a lot more in line than he thought.

I won’t lose them too. I won’t be helpless this time.