A GENIUS' DISCERNMENT

The 3rd General's eyes searched around. It was dark that only the torches on the halls had served their purpose in letting her see something inside. The shadows who captured her harshly dragged her down to her feet making her knees bent towards the woman sitting on a throne.

"Welcome to my palace, Seratsuki"

The mention of her name out of the woman's mouth made the 3rd General want to severe her head with the blade. She didn't reply, for she had never been interested in speaking regards to someone like her.

"Do you like it here? Wonderful isn't" said the woman approaching her. Her figure shadowed over Seratsuki, taking a tight hold of her face. "Gross," she remarked as she removed her hand on the General followed by a slap that echoed through the walls of the palace.

Seratsuki tasted blood from the corners of her mouth. Though it had not washed her blank expressions towards the woman. She remained in thought that if only, she wasn't held by the runes and she'd been careful not to push herself into the corner by the mention of her mother she might've not been here.

"Velonica" she muttered in utmost contempt.

"Oh, my dear, have you missed me?" said the woman followed by a small laugh of mockery.

"You look old as ever"

The woman's hand clawed to the air and a black cluster of dust encircled it charging towards Seratsuki, yet she withdrew her hand stopping abruptly in a deep breath to calm herself down. The black dust disappeared in thin air in a silent swoosh. "Take her to the chambers, I'll slay her in front of our people" The woman demanded, walking back to the throne with a sharp gaze towards the 3rd General. "Her head would be a worthy trophy to show to the Anshiantiae"  

---

Ongoing research on the Phaedrus continued. The hands of the Nephus division were busily jotting and taking details in preparation for the samples to be brought by the task force but the 7th General Hermes had been consistently doing his personal investigation to the Phaedrus' destruction. He tracked each possible cause that might lead him to light even if he had to reach the deep and hidden outskirts of Anshiantum.

"So, it was you all along..." Hermes mumbled to himself.

"General Nephus?" Akaru Hiraoka interrupted, entering the tent.

"When the task force arrives, I'll issue a meeting with the Generals. Oh. I mean everyone, including General Yozou and the three" he said to Akaru, continuing on his work in reading the paper of reports and files sent by his soldiers.

"You've found something?" said the 2nd General.

"Who knows?" With the matter at hand, the fuss from outside the tent made the two Generals gaze at each other. They moved on their feet to inspect what was going on. Just as before they could set their foot outside, a soldier from the Hiraoka division blocked their way with a salute.

"Sir! Reporting sir! The special task force has arrived!"

Hermes and Akaru glanced at each other, their eyebrows creased pondering why the group had arrived earlier than expected. They immediately rushed to the riverbank and their eyes saw Mitsuka and Hiro taking hold of Raijin on his back and surrounded in briars as his hands and feet were encased in ice.

"Assist them!" The 2nd General ordered. His men followed the command, rushing to the other side of the river. Akaru's eyes darted on the current of the water and a golden light shone from it, he created a flat bridge for them to step on. He wasn't sure, but he had felt that the waves on the currents were strong and reeked of something that might endanger his soldiers if they were to use their own prowess.

Everyone watched them cross over the water as Raijin had been carried in a stretcher by two men—to which he had complained in muffled noises. Mitsuka and Hiro were guided by someone who asked and checked their wounds. Their whole was entirely exhausted yet the failure of completing the mission and leaving the 3rd General was incomparable to that.

Soldiers started to tend them as Hiro and Mitsuka withdrew their restraints on Raijin who had seemed to lose his remaining energy from forcing the ties to break. They all sat on the fireplace and the serious gazes of the 7th and 2nd Generals on the camp landed on them, waiting for their reports.

"Second and Seventh General," Hiro started, glancing at Akaru and Hermes. He raised his hand to issue a salute yet the two had only signaled him not to. "General Noguchi was-"

"I'm going to save her no matter what," Raijin said. His words created silence afterward that left the two Generals diverting their serious gazes at him.

"Save her? If you're able to, she would be here with you" Akaru replied, not changing his stare from him. The response made Raijin lower his head, filled with such shame of the truth. "Kazahana Fujihiro, proceed on everything that happened"

Hiro went on stating every detail and Mitsuka had occasionally given her nods and words on it though Raijin had only sat quietly by the fire watching it blaze brightly under the black sky. And after the report, the 7th and 2nd Generals remained in their composure. Hermes' gaze followed the 8th General approaching them, she stood beside him catching up to what had taken place.

"General Hiraoka, issue a meeting between the Generals only. Don't invite the council on this and if possible, they shouldn't know" Hermes said, turning to his heels and heading back to where he was working but the voice of Raijin stopped his tracks.

"But General Noguchi! How about her!?" The thought of her being discarded like that was not enough for Raijin to bear with. She accepted him when no one had wanted to and when no one had not been able to.

"The land is our priority" Hermes responded, making Raijin rise to his feet dashing towards him in an attempt to grab the 7th General by the collar.

"Watch your words Ikazuchi Raijin" Akaru followed.

Nova stood in front of Raijin to reach and block his way yet his rage had only caused him to push her hand aside. Hermes turned to face him. "Cry all you want. We will not return to Nemiendr just for her"

"If you're not going to then I will!" he continued even if Hiro had also come to his side in the hopes of calming him. There was a sudden far-off thump that echoed on the skies as if a nearing thunder was about to befall them.

Hermes glanced at the black sky. He rolled his eyes with a deep exhale, turned around, and continued to walk ahead of them. Nova followed him, and Raijin was too enraged to hear the 7th General say: "Woman, you should've shown him energy fused martial arts" to which the 8th General had only answered in a complaint that her father had given her a name and that it was not pronounced as 'woman'

"General Noguchi is in danger! She's your sister right!? Why don't you-"

The 2nd General closed his eyes with a deep breath. "I said watch your words. Do not speak like you're the only one who had wanted to drag her out in there"

The words made Raijin stop and came to meet the realization of his selfishness. He had been thoughtless of what the others had felt, that the only thing he wanted was for him to protect what was important to him only and he had not been aware of what the Generals might've felt in needing to push their emotions away for the land's sake. That is right, this must've been also hard for them since Seratsuki had been with them longer than he did.

'Ah really, after all, I don't know anything' he whispered in his thoughts miserably.

"And," Akaru continued, noticing his expressions. "She isn't the Third General for nothing. Sera is strong. No one can save and protect her more than herself, and I've seen that through the years"

Hermes is halfway back to his tent again, he heard everything that Akaru had said "If there's someone who can save her it's not you Ikazuchi Raijin. It's..." he trailed off and muttered those words to only him and Nova could hear. "For tomorrow, I am expecting you three to attend our meeting. Six o'clock sharp, don't be late. General Yozou will be with us since he had already recovered" Hermes said in a much louder voice this time, for the three to hear.

The mention of General Yozou suddenly made Raijin's thoughts clear. He survived and that is more than enough for him. He was eager—much eager to meet him and apologize sincerely.

"You can visit him. But make sure to take a rest after" Akaru spoke before he left them to return to his post.

Raijin was about to run straight to the city after he heard the 2nd General but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Do you need some company?" Hiro asked.

Shaking his head slightly, he smiled at him. "Thank you, Hiro, but I'm good by myself." Having said that, he ran ahead waving his hand towards the two.

The entry to the medical facility is quite a long way. Though Raijin had not felt the pain of traveling with his exhausted body just to see the man again. His badge as a soldier from the Noguchi division served as an easy passage for the officers to recognize him. Nurses and doctors lingered through the halls and his eyes traveled from everywhere, almost in awe of how the facility had advanced throughout. He had not recognized it before since his focus was entirely directed on the invasion.

Turning to a corner, the door with a signage of the General's name came before him. He let out a heavy breath before reaching for the doorknob and turning it over. He expected the man to still be asleep but the image of the 6th General was staring at the windows where dusk is quite nearing.

Algard turned his head in his direction. He flashed a smile at him while he slowly walked to his bed. "Ikazuchi boy, you came" Algard greeted, to see Raijin before him had made him quite wonder how long was it since he had woken from his deep sleep.

The messy locks of his crimson hair that left an impression on Algard were cut quite short and his body had also made minor changes from the vigorous battle he had fought that the 6th General had not almost recognized he was the same boy he met on the way back in Riagi. Though, the innocence and sincerity of his storm eyes remained reflecting his earnest resolve.

"General..." Raijin muttered.

"What is it? Did you miss me that much Ikazuchi boy-"

"I'm sorry! Sorry for everything General! Because of me, you're here I promise next time that I'll do my best not to..." his words trailed off when the laughter of the 6th General echoed through the room followed by a short cry since some of his wounds that were covered with bandages were still not completely healed yet. The dried burn scars were spotted uneven to the skin everywhere on his body. Even the face that Algard's most proud of was affected with a charred part widening to his left eye and sharpening like a deformed triangle that tore off the sides of his lower lips.

"I'll accept your apology if you'll bring me a cute lady right now" Algard teased, causing Raijin to crease his eyebrows in confusion.

"Huh?" Raijin replied, almost at the idea of starting to run laps in search of what the General had wanted. Everything for the 6th General's sake! He must say.

"Just kidding. Unless..." Algard continued, not brushing his smile. "Sit here" he ushered.

Raijin walked quietly to the side of the bed pulling the chair in front of him. His eyes remained on the General who was seated on the sheets that noticed his uniform and badge. "Oh, that's right General" he started, swallowing the lump in his throat. "General Noguchi selected me to be her divisional soldier" the image of the woman has not vanished from his mind and as possible he wanted to run to where she was.

"Searsuki did?" Algard's tone was more of a surprise rather than curiosity. "That's great! You're now a big shot Ikazuchi boy!" He clapped his hands together and reached to place a soft pat on the young man's shoulders but the change in Raijin's expressions made him stop. "I heard from Akaru about what happened in your mission"

"She would come back here, right?" said Raijin, convincing himself of the fact that the 3rd General would appear before him again to force him inside sweetie sweet and to meet her word of teaching him zero zone.

Algard reached to him again, ruffling his crimson hair but the short strands didn't move that much in his touch. "She's your General and you should know the answer to that question more than I do"

General Noguchi's strength is incomparable to what he had witnessed and he did not doubt it. Though the thought of her being captured by the Nemiendlich who had never shown mercy on their kind made Raijin uneasy.  

---

Each official entered the room one after another. Raijin, Mitsuka, and Hiro remained in their places feeling the tension inside rising. Every General in the conference room wore a firm and serious expression that they had not spoken greetings to one another. Raijin had wondered why the Generals had been this way? Shouldn't they be distant from each other in all those years fought dreadful battles?

Hermes was the last to step foot inside. His eyes lingered around to assure everyone's presence and pushing the door behind him he walked in front, surrounded by all of the General's seats. Their attention focused on him.

"I've extracted records of the Phaedrus. You can read it if you want" the 7th General's voice was surprisingly relaxed. "To start, I have to keep this gathering from the council because they don't need to hear a thing about this. What was said in this room would stay here and I know you guys understand that. So... let's begin" Hermes waited for their reactions, but there were none. Letting out a deep breath he continued. "The Phaedrus was broken, that is all we know. But the cause of the rift is still unknown. That's why my division and the Hiraoka division spent a couple of days mulling over it"

The Generals took a hold of the papers laying on the table. Their eyes ran through the division's detailed reports as if they were panels who had checked research papers.

"The flow of energy in the barrier is unknown. We made tests to alter its flow but none worked. It was tough—more than tough to be precise" the 7th General paced around and Raijin watched him in anticipation. Hermes' glances exchanged over them inside. "Forcing and overlapping it with our own energy to seal the rift is a failure. I also gathered energy from the Phaedrus to track a similar nature of its energy but the tracking device self-destructed in contact with it. Then we decided to proceed with our fourth solution, General Hiraoka's ability to create defenses. We made him try to create a screen that can close the fissure and even let him summon his light spheres together. He is a higher noble and the ancestors of the higher nobles have a close relation to Lord Giansh who created the Phaedrus—but to our surprise, it also failed. For the fifth solution, it's the mission of the special task force in obtaining energy samples from one of the palaces in Nemiendr"

Raijin, Hiro, and Mitsuka lowered their heads at the mention.

"We have the last solution. But I wouldn't want to resort to this. That's why I need everyone's approval because this cure means breaking the laws of Anshiantum and I think it is the only way" Hermes said. Though what he said was a lie, even if his fellow Generals had not agreed to it, Hermes would still make it possible for the sake of the people.

"And what was it?" the 2nd General spoke.

"The use of an ancient art to resurrect someone"

The words he said made them gasp and widen in shock as they stared at him in disbelief and bewilderment. "Are you planning to..." said the 4th General.

"Yes, I am. It's the only way" Hermes responded to General Kazahana who stood on her feet.

"Hermes! Are you crazy?! We can't value a-" Algard exclaimed, patches on his face and arms still covered in bandages.

"General Yozou, are you scared that your plans might crumble if he were to come back?" Hermes met Algard's gaze. "Well, I can't blame you—he is after all the strongest"

The remark made Algard rush to him but Lucien immediately stood in front. "What are you saying?" Algard said, his voice wavered of confusion, and what he had heard pained his honor as a General.

Raijin standing beside Seratsuki's seat was perplexed about everything. He had not followed the entirety of what Hermes had explained about the Phaedrus and his mind right now had only wondered about what the man had said about Algard Yozou.

The Generals stood on their feet, stopping Hermes and Algard from starting another argument that might lead them to the council's eyes.

Hermes remained in his composure, straightening himself. "The Phaedrus wouldn't be broken in just a single attack. Someone had been spending his years slowly making contact with the people outside the divine protection so they could successfully break it at the same time. Once a force similar to the energy of the Phaedrus was built up from outside the barrier and another force was placed inside simultaneously—the Phaedrus wouldn't be able to endure the stress of each two kinds of strong overlapping energy and would break apart. But since the divine protection came from a god's power it would take these people years for them to successfully tear it completely"

The 7th General paused, looking intently at Algard. "In our theory, the fissures started little by little until they had achieved their current size which resulted in the invasion of the Nemiendlich who suddenly appeared in our land. Those Nemiendlich saw the cracks—or perhaps someone had been working with them from our land to plan and create the rift for them to enter. And Fajra, a god —just a bit of a guess but when he had entered here the divine protection might've reacted to his energy causing those rifts to grow in size and now that he knows that the Phaedrus is broken, the other gods would also hear it from him. If our division hadn't discovered this sooner, reports from the people about different species of beasts lingering here in Anshiantum might've increased and could endanger their lives"

There was nothing but a deafening silence throughout the room. No one decided to utter another word for they anticipated more of the General's spill. Even Raijin who only had a few grasps on everything stated grew at ease with what he would be hearing.

"There are soldiers responsible for taking rounds around Anshiantum to check the river bordering Nemiendr and our land to ensure nothing suspicious is happening. They are the only ones that have full access on the border to report sightings of the enemy, how come they didn't notice a sign of the invasion? As far as I am concerned, they're trained enough to handle things of that sort." Everyone's head turned in the direction of a man standing. Hermes cleared his throat. "This is your division we're talking about, General Algard Yozou, or am I mistaken?"  

-End of Vol. 1-