Chapter 1: The 120th Awakened Team

"AHHHHHH!!!"

Rains of blood keep falling on a bright night in Edser City. From afar, a group of people is massacring everyone around. Their screams can be heard everywhere. The ones who are not involved in this bloodshed hurriedly run back into their houses and close all doors.

"Please...spare m.." - one old man does not even finish his last sentence when a halberd slashes him in half and chops his head away from the body.

"Hey, Captain! This is Ishino from the Alpha team. We are finished here."

"...The rest?"

"Beta team - Done"

"Delta team - Done"

"Then we will head back to our headquarter. No wandering around this time."

"YES SIR!"

Everyone cleans the scene thoroughly and leaves right away. It is their 5th night in Edser where they keep on killing people. However, the team only performs at night and only specific groups of people are being targeted. No one says anything until they return to the headquarter just as their captain instructs.

"Captain Ryodon!" - A female voice speaks up.

"Stop hugging me, Yuna. We are not kids anymore."

"Don't want to, captain!.. Or should I say...Ryuma?" - Yuna stubbornly hugs her captain.

"Great job as usual, everyone. The next mission will be given to you at a later time. For now, take some rest. The rewards will be given to each person via mail tomorrow morning." - Ryuma pushes Yuna away.

Everyone goes back to their apartment within the headquarter. This is the center of the Awaken - people who are blessed with special powers - where they gather as many people as possible to form teams to keep strict orders in every single city in the country. Ishino, Yuna, and Ryuma are the only three left in Ryuma's office.

"Why are you two still here?" - Ryuma looks at the two.

"I can't stay a while longer with my best friend, huh Mr. Captain?" - Ishino jokingly talks back.

"No can do, brother. I am still working, but you can stay here and help with the paperwork if you want to."

"Hey, how about me Ryuma?" - Yuna jumps in.

"What do you think?" - Ryuma gives each a bunch of paper.

"Haha then see you tomorrow, Captain!" - Ishino takes Yuna and runs out of the office as fast as possible after seeing all the paper in front of his eyes.

"They are still the same...." - Ryuma lets out a sigh.

...

15 minutes later, a phone call is made to Ryuma's office. He looks at the phone and it is from the higher-ups in the headquarter. He stays silent for a few seconds and picks up.

"This is Captain Ryodon of the 120th Awakened Team."

"We need to talk, Captain Ryodon."

"Yes Sir. What do you need me for?"

"Why did you do that?"

It turns out that the Edser massacre earlier was the direct order from Ryuma, and he did not get permission from his leaders. They are calling to figure out his reason as well as giving him punishment for not following their orders.

"I am not quite sure what you meant, Sir."

"You know damn well what we are talking about here! Why did you go for the kill order for Edser city?"

"Because they deserve to be so...."

"You....!!!"

"Before you get angry with me please let me explain, Sir. We spent 5 straight days as you ordered in Edser to follow the Light group. Within this period, we held ourselves back 30+ times. Again, your order was to follow and give back to the Headquarter updated information about them as well as their intentions in Edser."

"And we received no information from your team!"

"I am just finished with the video, Sir. I will send it to you right now."

....

"As I said, we held ourselves back more than 30 times. 30 freaking damn time, Sir! During these times, they TOOK women, KILLED children, set innocent lives ON FIRE, and illegally STEAL money from everyone within the City. Now you tell me, Sir. Until when we would receive an appropriate order from the headquarters? How many innocent lives do I have to lose before I can kill them? I am glad that my team killed them right away because if I have to step out there then I do not think I can control myself anymore, Sir." - Ryuma said with a straight face, showing no emotions whatsoever.

"This is...."

Dead silence on both sides of the phone call as the video keeps on rolling. Ryuma had to break the ice first.

"Whatever punishment you have for me, I will gladly accept it. I am sure you have other punishments for the rest of my teams also, but you can push everything to me and me only. After all, they were just following my order. I will take full responsibility for them."

"...Madam Eliz will look into this and give you a further response later on." - The phone call suddenly ends. Ryuma lets out another sigh and leaves the office. To him, it is just another normal day in his life.

He says goodbye to the staff and heads back to his place. For people who live far away, they can stay right at the headquarter. For Ryuma, his place is within Edser which is relatively close to the headquarter. Walking back to Edser, Ryuma passes the local inn where his team just killed people from the Light group earlier. People are gathering around the place, and they notice Ryuma passing through.

"Captain Ryodon!"

"Hello everyone, why are you all out here at this time? It is kinda late already?"

"Today is a great day to stay up all night. A day we know that our lives are no longer being controlled by those bastards anymore! It is all thanks to you, Captain!" - People of all ages hold Ryuma's hands while tearing up. They are waiting for this day for so long.

"....Please, I do not deserve something like this. If I acted faster then I could have saved more people. I am not good as you all think I am."

"But we know that in heaven, they are thanking you, Captain. Without you, more lives will be lost. Because of that, you are our hero no matter what other people say about you. From now on, if you need anything from us, please feel free to let us know and we will help you out with all our hearts."

"Thank you, everyone... Now please excuse me as I need to go back home and prepare for tomorrow's work." - With an emotionless expression, Ryuma goes back to his place instead of celebrating together with everyone.

....

"Ryuma..." - Yuna and Ishino did not go back to their room after leaving the office. They intended to give Ryuma a prank, but they accidentally heard the entire conversation. Yuna could not help but cry.

"That stupid Captain. Even without the order, we would kill them anyway. Why bothers taking all the blame when it is everyone's responsibility?" - Ishino angrily talks to Yuna while calming her down.

"Should we come to his place and comfort him? After all, Ryuma is our captain so the higher-ups will not leave him free this time." - Yuna wipes her tears away.

"And what will we say? "Let us help you"? We both know that he is one stubborn idiot so he will not listen to anything this time. It is best to leave him alone for now. We will talk to him early in the morning. However, I am sure that they will give the Battle Circle to him as that is one of the most brutal ways to demote a Captain.

He is in charge of the 120th Awakened Team so they might use the Circle to take his position away. He said that he would take full responsibility. Therefore, it is our turn to help him get through the Circle."

"But...but there will be another bloodshed in the Circle if he accepts it."

"His power is not like us, Yuna. We are his only friends from when he was a nobody, so we should know him better than anyone else."

Yuna says nothing while looking at her picture taken together with Ryuma and Ishino. She understands Ryuma's strength, but something tells her that what happens to Ryuma next will not be easily passed through.

~To be continued~