CHAPTER 178 – OPERATION MISSIONARY
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN
THREE HOURS AGO
I gazed out the window of the Demonic Cathedral’s living quarters, watching as the majestic Windwalker hovered silently in the twilight. Its sleek, silver body gleamed under the dim light, casting long shadows across the cathedral’s dark stone walls. I had bid farewell to Lysander with a joyful wave, trying to ignore the gnawing sensation of parting. He responded with a pained, forced smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth, a silent testament to the weight of our separation.
With a final nod, Lysander boarded the Windwalker Airship, its elegant design a stark contrast to the grim surroundings. As he disappeared inside, a shimmering magical circle, radiant with intricate symbols, appeared above and below the vessel, pulsating with arcane energy. In an instant, the Fast Travel Magic activated, and the Windwalker vanished like a bubble bursting into nothingness, leaving only a faint ripple in the air. Alone now in this vast, unholy place, a sense of solitude washed over me.
I took a deep breath, the air thick with the scent of ancient stone and arcane residue, and sighed deeply. Gathering my resolve, I turned towards the winding staircase and descended. At the bottom, I was greeted by the sight of four steadfast companions, each one a pillar of strength and trust.
Kate stood tall, her short red hair framing a determined face. She rested a rusted broadsword casually on her shoulder, its blade dull but undeniably formidable. Gaeun, clad in a tattered mage’s robe that fluttered slightly in the drafty hall, gripped her wooden staff with unwavering conviction, her eyes glinting with hidden power. Charlotte flicked her long brown hair with a practiced grace before hefting her aged sniper rifle, the metal glinting with stories untold. Meike, with her long orange hair tied back in a makeshift ponytail secured by a white bandage, exuded a quiet confidence that spoke volumes.
As I stood before them, a wave of gratitude surged through me, causing my eyes to mist and my lips to curl into a joyful smile. My friends were all here, unscathed and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. We were together, and that was all that mattered.
“Wassup, Hiraya!” Kate beamed, her grin as wide as ever and full of infectious energy. Her red hair framed her face in untamed strands, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Kate.” I acknowledged, meeting her gaze with a mixture of relief and amusement at the crimson-haired tomboy’s antics.
“We’re sorry that it took us so long to track you down,” Gaeun said shyly, her voice soft and apologetic. She looked down, fiddling nervously with the hem of her robe.
“Gaeun.” I smiled warmly at her, taking in the sight of the chubby brunette, whose gentle demeanor hid a fierce resolve. Her eyes met mine, and she offered a tentative smile, her cheeks tinged with pink.
“Ugh, my hair is all sticky from those long travels,” Charlotte complained, scrunching her nose as she inspected her brown hair. She flicked it over her shoulder with an exaggerated flourish.
“Charlotte.” I addressed her, noting the sassy girl's slender frame and expressive features. She always had a way of making even the smallest inconveniences seem dramatic.
“Are you okay, Miss Hiraya?” Meike asked, her voice laced with concern. Her long orange hair was tied back in a makeshift ponytail, and her eyes searched mine for any signs of distress.
“Meike.” I muttered her name softly, then nodded reassuringly. “I’m fine. Lysander has been taking care of me.”
The words were barely out of my mouth before an overwhelming wave of emotion surged through me. Unable to resist any longer, I leaped from the staircase and enveloped them all in a tight embrace. My arms encircled them with all the strength and love I could muster, drawing them closer as if to make up for the lost time.
The girls chuckled, their laughter a soothing balm to my weary soul as they welcomed my embrace. Their warmth and presence washed over me, dispelling the lingering shadows of fear and uncertainty.
“I knew it! I knew you girls were alive!” I cried, tears streaming freely down my cheeks, each drop a testament to the depth of my relief and joy.
“Y-Yeah, though barely,” Kate admitted, her voice a mixture of lightheartedness and gratitude.
“Lysander has been going easy on us,” Gaeun added, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
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“You call that going easy? He left us in a ruined castle without food and water!” Charlotte protested, crossing her arms with a huff of indignation.
“Don’t complain, Charlotte. Lysander let us live, and that’s all that matters!” Meike interjected, her voice calm and reasonable, always the peacemaker among us.
I held onto them, savoring the moment, the reality of our reunion sinking in. We clung to each other, tears mingling with laughter, an unspoken promise to face whatever lay ahead together. In the quiet of my mind, I offered a silent thank you to Lysander for sparing my friends, a debt of gratitude that ran deeper than words could express.
After a while, we settled onto the pews of the demonic cathedral, the worn wood creaking beneath us as we sat in a huddle. The cold stone walls loomed around us, their shadowy recesses filled with memories of darker times. I recounted everything that had happened to me since my capture by Lysander, each word drawing nods and gasps from my friends. When I finished, I turned to them, eager to learn their side of the story.
“So, what happened back there? Why did Lysander spare you guys?” I asked, leaning forward with curiosity and concern.
“He doesn’t have the balls,” Kate replied with a smirk. “After he killed the leaders of the races, he shifted back to his Partial Dragon Form and chickened out on killing us.”
“That bastard just left us without saying a word!” Charlotte interjected, her voice sharp with lingering anger. “We spent days walking in the desert, trying to trace where Lysander might have flown. And we lived like hobos, scavenging for food and water wherever we could find it!”
Her complaints echoed in the cavernous space, and I could almost see the sunburned, parched landscape they’d traversed.
“Good thing Meike knows a lot about survival techniques,” Gaeun added, smiling gratefully at Meike, who blushed slightly under the praise.
“Well, I lived in the slums near the desert. It was mostly luck that we found a deserted city,” Meike said modestly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her practical demeanor was a beacon of calm amidst the chaos.
“You mean that destroyed city where no humans survived,” Charlotte corrected, her tone bitter but resigned.
I frowned at Charlotte's words, feeling a pang of sorrow. The city they spoke of was likely a victim of Lysander’s Purge of Humanity, a grim testament to the destruction he had wrought. The thought of the empty streets and crumbling buildings filled me with a deep sadness, a reminder of all that had been lost.
“Just what is going on in Lysander’s mind, anyway?” Kate asked, her brow furrowed in frustration. “Why does he need to kill the leaders too?”
I hesitated for a moment, weighing the burden of the truth against the need for understanding. My friends deserved to know the complexity of Lysander’s motives, even if it was difficult to comprehend.
“He doesn’t want to purge humanity itself,” I began, my voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and resolve. “He wants to purge the sins of this world.”
“Huuuuh?” Charlotte’s jaw dropped, disbelief written all over her face. “That peasant… Is he trying to be the messiah?”
I shook my head slowly. “Quite the opposite. He wants to eradicate evil by becoming the ultimate evil himself. Lysander continued the Purge of Humanity so that he, and he alone, could bear the sins. He killed the leaders to ensure everyone would hate and fear him. This was the original plan of the Altered Regression.”
The air was thick with tension as my words sank in. The idea of Lysander’s self-imposed role as a villain was a hard pill to swallow.
“Don’t make me listen to time travel bullshit again,” Kate groaned, rubbing her temples. “My brain is only good at swinging swords, not analyzing magic.”
“But brains cannot swing swords,” Charlotte quipped sassily, a smirk playing on her lips. Her humor was a welcome break from the heavy conversation.
“Anyway,” Kate continued, undeterred, “as I was saying, I will be your sword, Hiraya.” She balled her fist and pressed it firmly against her chest, her eyes fierce with determination. “I don’t know what your decision will be, but we will follow you.”
“Um, I will follow you too, Hiraya,” Gaeun added, her voice soft yet resolute. Her eyes were earnest, filled with a quiet strength. “I know Lysander’s actions are wrong, but Arthur is in the wrong too. What will we do in this situation?”
I was left contemplating their words, the weight of leadership pressing heavily upon me. I held my chin, my mind racing as I weighed our options. The path ahead was fraught with danger and uncertainty, but with my friends by my side, I felt a glimmer of hope.
As I pondered, the flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on the cathedral’s walls, echoing the turmoil within my heart. The future was uncertain, but together, we would forge our destiny.
I understood that Lysander’s decision to carry the burden alone was at the heart of this entire mess. He wanted to shield us from the despair that would follow the Altered Regression Plan. By bearing the weight of the Purge of Humanity himself, he hoped to preserve our sanity and spare us from the darkness. His intention was clear: keep us uninvolved in the atrocities he was willing to commit for what he saw as the greater good.
However, there was nothing stopping us from fighting against Arthur. At this moment, Arthur was the true enemy of the world, a cunning and deceitful adversary. His sly nature meant he would undoubtedly resort to underhanded tactics to undermine Lysander. Knowing Lysander’s rash tendencies, he would likely fall into Arthur’s traps if left unchecked.
“We will not take part in the Purge of Humanity,” I declared, my voice firm and unwavering. I looked at each member of the Daybreaker Squad, scanning their crimson dragonoid eyes, which glimmered with determination. “However, Arthur must be stopped. Our job as the Daybreaker Squad is to protect the world from its destroyers, and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
“Ugh, okay then,” Charlotte groaned, rolling her eyes but unable to hide a smile. “Just point me to the target, and I’ll shoot it.”
Her confidence was infectious, sparking a flicker of excitement amidst the tension.
I stood up, spreading my arms wide to encompass the room and my companions. “This will be our last mission, Daybreaker Squad!” I announced, my voice echoing off the cathedral's ancient stone walls. “I will call it Operation Missionary!”