By Any Means Necessary

Consumed by a raging desire for vengeance, Theo bolted forward with a full head of steam towards Sedgwick and his battalion. He could hear the sound of his blood pumping furiously through his veins as he bellowed out, "I'll kill you! You hear me!? I'll fucking kill you!"

Theo was like a man possessed, his vision obscured by a red haze of fury that left no room for rational thought. All Theo could think of was getting his hands on Sedgwick and making him pay.

"Theo, Stop!" David and Dawn screamed in unison, trying to rein in the unstoppable Theo. But it was no use. Theo's face twisted into an expression of pure malice and hatred, and nothing could stop him from reaching his target.

Sedgwick was shocked by the sight of a young male charging toward him with such ferocity. "You fools!" he barked at his men. "Don't let him get away! Capture him!"

As Theo drew closer, a sudden gust of wind swept through the battlefield, bringing everything to a standstill. A forest green cloak billowed past him towards Sedgwick, the intended target. In a moment of panic, Sedgwick shoved one of his soldiers forward to take the brunt of the attack. The two swords clashed as the soldier swung his blade.

"Defend me!" Sedgwick screeched at his men, who were struggling to figure out what was happening. The hood of the cloak was blown off by another gust of wind, revealing Nozomu's now-bearded face.

Nozomu gasped for air, his chest heaving as he summoned a mighty windstorm that sent the soldiers flying in all directions. Sedgwick tried to make a run for it, but the ground beneath him shook violently, knocking him off his feet. Standing over Sedgwick was Evaughn Wyatt, a burly man whose presence exuded strength. He was bald with a thick black beard. Concealed beneath his forest green cloak was his muscular frame.

"Going somewhere, Section Commander?" Evaughn sneered down at the trembling Sedgwick.

"Attack!" 

Nozomu's fierce cry shattered the stillness of the battlefield. A blur of motion darted past him, and he knew it was Isabella Rain, a diminutive warrior with fierce determination. Her army-green cloak and attire made a perfect match for Nozomu and Evaughn.

Isabella's jet-black hair whipped around her face as she descended upon the enemy with swift and deadly grace. She engaged the soldiers with a lethal rope javelin upon closer inspection, revealed to be a fluid weapon made entirely of water.

Sedgwick was struck dumb with amazement as he watched his soldiers drop one by one. He scrambled toward a group of his men with caution, his mind in turmoil.

"Damn it! What in the world are you doing!? Kill them! Kill them!" Sedgwick ordered his men, his emotions in a state of chaos. Evaughn and Isabella were the primary targets of the enemy's concerted attacks, and they fought with everything they had to stay alive.

"Wind Manipulation... Needle Current!" Sedgwick's men yelled as they unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp needles made from the swirling wind around them. 

The projectiles were sharp like flechettes and surged toward Isabella, aiming to impale her. However, with a swift movement, a gust diverted the needles skyward and towards Pop, who levitated above them. 

Pop, a solemn male in his late teens with wavy hair tied into a man bun, drew his sword from beneath his cloak. "You all lack control over the wind," he proclaimed as he swung his blade, stirring a gale that blasted the needles back toward their attackers. 

A massive explosion followed as the wind needles hit their intended targets, sending Sedgwick's soldiers flying.

As the smoke cleared, Tana Effie, a fiery-haired woman with emerald eyes hidden behind spectacles, emerged from the haze. "You guys can't have all the fun!" she exclaimed as she jumped into the air, heading straight toward the soldiers. 

"Flame Manipulation... Prometheus Spear!" 

Tana's hand ignited, blazing with fiery hues as she molded the flames into a searing spear. The blazing spear whizzed toward Sedgwick's men, enveloping them in a scorching inferno. Crimson flames danced and licked their bodies as they howled in agony, their screams echoing for miles before the fire consumed them entirely, leaving only smoldering remnants in its wake.

Theo's heart raced as he watched the brave new warriors confront Section Commander Sedgwick, notorious for his strict rule.

"Woah...Amazing..." Theo muttered in disbelief as he observed the chaos unfolding before him. Theo was both amazed and terrified at the same time. Realizing he could use the commotion to his advantage, Theo navigated through the battlefield to his fallen parents. 

"All of you! With me!" Sedgwick ordered his men to follow him, and they obediently fell in line. 

Branch Corvust, a man dressed in royal light armor similar to Sedgwick's but less flashy, approached from the horizon. He was frail, with black-shaggy hair, but more importantly to Sedgwick, he had numerous horses alongside him.

"Sir! This way!" Branch shouted towards Sedgwick and the men.

Sedgwick's eyes gleamed as he shoved his men aside and dashed toward the horses. "Retreat!" he yelled, and the soldiers began withdrawing to Branch and the horses.

However, Nozomu noticed the withdrawal and formed a swirling ball of wind, hurling it toward Sedgwick. The small ball of wind spun towards them at an incredible velocity, blowing everything and everyone out of its path. 

Sedgwick quickly noticed the windball and shoved one of his men to absorb the impact. The soldier was caught in an updraft and engulfed in a tight and compact wind vortex that slashed away at his entire body, creating a distraction that allowed Sedgwick and his men to retreat on horseback.

As Sedgwick and his men rode off, Isabella asked Nozomu, "Should we go after him?" 

"No..." Nozomu replied, staring at Theo, sitting emotionless and clutching his parents' corpses.

Evaughn persisted, "You sure? We could easily catch up to them." 

However, Nozomu's plans remained the same. "It's fine. That won't be the last we see of the Section Commander," he warned Evaughn before approaching Theo. Nozomu loomed over Theo, who was now swayed with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes. 

"Hey, kid. I'm sorry we couldn't make it in time," Nozomu said, his voice filled with genuine sympathy.

Theo's emotions got the best of him, and he let out a tremendous scream, causing David and Dawn to hurry over to him. Nozomu left Theo to his friends and went to join his comrades, who had gathered around Evaughn.

"Isabella, Tana, I want you to tend to the wounded. Evaughn and Pop, your mission is to search for any survivors," Nozomu instructed, assigning tasks to his comrades. "I will handle the fire."

Pop's concern was evident as he gestured toward Theo and his deceased parents. "What about the ones who have been... you know?" he asked Nozomu, who took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering. 

"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do for them. The mind-wiped victims will pass away within an hour, assuming they aren't already dead. You all have your orders. Move out!"

The group responded in unison, "Yes, sir!" and swiftly dispersed to carry out their duties.

Sedgwick and his men trekked through the open fields of Sector Five until a massive stronghold loomed in the distance. Upon entering the fortress, soldiers showered Sedgwick with greetings and salutes.

"Welcome back, sir!" one of the soldiers exclaimed as Sedgwick pushed past him.

"Move it, imbecile!" Sedgwick barked, making his way to his quarters.

"I must inform the God-King," Sedgwick muttered, his eyes and fingers glowing brightly. He touched his forehead with his index and middle fingers, and his consciousness drifted into an astral projection inside a cosmically lit throne room.

Sedgwick kneeled before his God-King's astral silhouette seated on a large throne.

"Your Grace."

"Speak," commanded the God-King in a stern tone.

"I believe we've found him," Sedgwick replied, aware of the gravity of his words.

The God-King's anger was noticeable as the throne room shook violently. Sedgwick trembled in fear as he looked up at the God-King.

"You see, Your Grace," Sedgwick stammered, his voice quivering with anxiety, "My men and I just fought off an attack by a man who fits the same description."

The tension was thick in the cosmic throne room as Section Commander Sedgwick Fullerman stood before the intimidating God-King. 

"Then it's in your possession now, right?" the God-King demanded an answer, his voice echoing across the cosmic chamber.

"Regrettably, no, Your Grace," Sedgwick replied. "We were ambushed in Artimia by a group that could utilize Dyna. But if I'm not mistaken, Your Grace, wasn't it only one Dyna user mentioned in the reports?"

The chamber suddenly shook, and cosmic rubble rained down from the ceiling as if the universe itself were quaking in fear of the powerful God-King's anger. 

"Did I ask for your excuses?" the God-King thundered.

"No, Your Grace, not at all," Sedgwick stammered, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Section Commander Sedgwick Fullerman, under the will of your God-King Sen Elkai, I order you to retrieve the Iritheum Core... By any means necessary," the God-King declared, his voice commanding and unwavering.

"At once, Your Grace," Sedgwick replied, still knelt before the mighty ruler as his soul felt crushed under the weight of the God-King Sen Elkai's terrifying presence. 

With a deep bow, Sedgwick's astral body departed from the cosmic throne room, ready to do whatever it took to retrieve the treasured Iritheum Core.