I will always be with you

The battle had finally ended, leaving behind dry corpses scattered across the forest. The sharp, blood-red threads that Nosil had unleashed were now hardening and starting to break.

Nosil glanced at his hands, feeling dizzy from the blood loss in his body. He staggered, almost collapsing, when Aya suddenly appeared, catching him and supporting him with concern.

"I told you not to push yourself," she said, her tone exasperated as she sighed, " why boys are such idiots"

Nosil closed his eyes and murmured softly, "We won... Another step towards our mission"

Aya replied, "I know, I know... Let's get out of here now."

Aya carried Nosil and left the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Keni was approaching the site of the battle, trying to catch up with Nosil and Aya. As he advanced, he encountered a gruesome sight that sent chills down his spine. He stood frozen in horror before the dry corpses connected by blood, a dreadful scene that would shake even the strongest soldiers.

"What the hell happened here?" Keni muttered to himself as he followed the trail of bodies, his suspicion about Nosil and Aya growing, though he wasn't entirely certain.

He moved closer to the spot where Makal and Nosil had fought until he found himself standing before Makal's ravaged corpse. Keni smirked and said, "Well, well, what do we have here? Hard to believe."

With Makal's body pierced severely and drenched in blood, Keni realized it was impossible for Nosil and Aya to be ordinary soldiers. They were in disguise, hiding their true powers.

"My instincts were right... The Finger Breaker and the freak are hiding something."

Elsewhere, Saron's team advanced through the forest. They halted in their tracks, horrified by the scene Nosil had left behind. One of them stammered, "What is this? What the hell happened here?" while another vomited from the sheer horror.

Saron, noticing the shift in his soldiers' expressions, addressed them, "This place is dangerous... It's another reason we need to leave quickly." They only stared at him in silence, so he added, "Judging by the clothing of the bodies, they seem to be from Kilian... Whoever did this is more dangerous than Kilian's warriors. By taking them out, our chances of survival have increased. We will avoid this path."

The team mustered their courage and followed Saron, but their eyes couldn't stray from the massacre before them.

Keni continued his search for traces of Nosil and Aya, but to no avail. He finally decided to head towards the lands of Ares.

A few hours later, a report reached Legion Commander Nero, stating that Saron's garrison had been wiped out by a Kilian predator, with several soldiers missing.

Through his years of service, Nero knew that new recruits were often quickly eliminated in new territories, as per the plans of the higher-ups of the Four Families. He was accustomed to such reports, but something puzzled him this time. He had never heard of missing soldiers in previous reports, only bodies here and there.

Turning to the messenger, Nero said, "Verify the existence of missing soldiers immediately... If it's true, we'll send a team to search for them." The messenger responded, "Yes, sir."

After the messenger left, Nero stood from his chair, pondering the possibility of Kilian taking Eris soldiers as prisoners, linking it to recent events at the Kilian base.

" It's unlikely to happen" he said.

Nero then headed to the capital of Eris, the city of Ariam, to meet with highest commander Axel and his leadership.

In the lands of the Kilian Family, the report of Makal's fall hit like a thunderbolt to the family's patriarch, Victor. Enraged, he had lost a second predator in a short span. But this time, the confirmed involvement of Eris soldiers caught his attention. Victor summoned his military leadership, including the Formidable Dominator, Kenzar. It resembled a war council.

The next day, Saron and his group finally reached the lands of Eris and headed straight to the nearest military garrison.

"Whew... I can't believe we made it out of that... Damn," one of them said.

Another responded, "Shut up... Don't remind me of what happened."

While the survivors took a break at the garrison, Saron was preoccupied with ensuring the safety of Nosil, Aya, and Keni.

He introduced himself to the garrison guards, requesting to meet the person in charge.

"I am Saron, leader of the third unit from the Predator Legion under Commander Nero, with the rank of Hunter."

One of the guards, puzzled, said, "We received news that your unit was annihilated... We didn't know there were survivors."

Saron, looking exhausted and panting, replied, "That's not important now. Inform the leadership of our return, and I need a favor immediately."

"What do you mean by a favor? Anyway, we'll arrange a place for you to rest while we await orders. You'll find food in the tent over there," the soldier pointed to a tent in the middle of the garrison.

Saron responded, "I appreciate that, but first, inform our units to search for three of my people who got separated before we arrived... Their names are Aya, Nosil, and Keni."

After pausing, he continued, "I haven't heard any news about them. Keep me updated... Send word to all our units and ask them to look for them, please."

Keni had also crossed the borders of Eris, searching for the nearest garrison. He quickly made his way there, providing information about what had happened to the unit.

As a result, Saron was informed that Keni was alive and safe.

"Good... Thank goodness. So only Aya and Nosil couldn't make it," Saron said, his tone filled with sadness. "I owe them... Without them, I wouldn't have had the courage to return, and we would all have been wiped out." Clenching his fists in anguish, he murmured, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Of course, neither Saron nor the others knew that their survival was thanks to Nosil, albeit indirectly.

By the end of the day, an order arrived from the leadership summoning Saron to Ariam.

Meanwhile, Nero had reached Ariam, the capital city of Eris, receiving news of the survival of some missing soldiers. He was stunned and felt a sense of relief.

Nero proceeded to meet with Commander Axel at the leadership headquarters. One of the advisors informed him, "Sorry to inform you, the meeting has been canceled."

Surprised, Nero asked, "Why would the meeting be canceled... What's the reason?"

The advisor replied, "There is information suggesting that Victor is convening a war council... It's the first in 15 years."

Nero thought to himself that the situation was more serious than he had anticipated. Anything was possible from the Kilian leader. "Alright, thanks for informing me... Convey my regards to Commander Axel..."

The advisor interrupted, "No need for that. An urgent military council meeting has also been scheduled for tomorrow... You will be among the attendees."

Nero replied, "Is that so... I shall take my leave for now."

Nero stepped out into the street, taking in the beauty of the city of Ariam. He thought to himself, "The city has changed so much... It gets more beautiful each time."

But memories of what the city was like fifteen years ago haunted him—a city of despair, rife with poverty and disease.

"I must go," Nero said as he climbed into his carriage. "Things could spiral out of control soon... I hope I don't have to relive what happened fifteen years ago."

The news of Makal's fall and the war council declared by Victor sent shockwaves through Eris. This time, the matter was directly tied to them.

Far from Ariam, near a river in dense forests, Aya was filling wooden containers with water. She washed her pale, dirty face after a strenuous day. Quietly, she began to untie her braid, letting her soft black hair flow freely.

"It's longer than before... Maybe I should cut it soon," Aya thought. She then ignored her hair, removed her clothes, and entered the river to bathe under the moonlight. Her soft body glided through the water as she sang, appearing unusually happy.

Nosil finally opened his eyes after being unconscious for hours. Slowly, he raised his hand to see the bruises marking his skin, which were not covered in bandages as they usually were.

He got up slowly, looking around for Aya but not finding her. He was inside a small cave, hearing the faint sound of water trickling from a small waterfall beside the cave.

Nosil moved with difficulty towards the outside, his anxious eyes scanning the area for Aya. He trudged along until he reached the riverbank.

From a distance, he saw Aya swimming joyfully in the river. Nearby, he saw her clothes and a water container. Nosil sat down, picked up the container, and started drinking from it, his eyes never leaving Aya. He watched her with a slight smile. She looked happy, her body gliding smoothly through the water as if she were one with the current.

After a while, Aya began to emerge from the river. She called out loudly, "Turn around, you idiot... What are you staring at?" Nosil laughed and replied, "Here are your clothes, don't worry, I'll turn around." He tossed her clothes to her, which she caught quickly.

As Nosil turned away, a gentle breeze brushed his face, an unfamiliar sensation that made him slap his hand to his face, surprised to find it not covered with bandages.

Suddenly, Nosil felt a surge of anxiety. He placed his other hand on his face, trying to hide his scars. He began breathing rapidly and let out a muffled scream. His fear of people seeing his face had become a psychological burden, triggering severe anxiety attacks whenever his scares were exposed.

Seeing Nosil's sudden panic attack, Aya rushed towards him, dropping her clothes into the water. She bent down and held his head, pulling him close in an attempt to calm him. "Calm down... I didn't look at you... don't be afraid," she tried to reassure him while he continued to scream, tears streaming from his eyes in oppression.

Aya added soothingly, "Look... My eyes are closed... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to remove the bandages. I just wanted to replace them and needed water to clean your face before putting them back... I didn't know you'd wake up before I return." She held Nosil tightly, gently stroking his head. "Please calm down... Please." Gradually, under Aya's warmth and care, Nosil's panic attack began to subside, and he finally started to relax.

Aya spoke softly, "Do you see that moon up there?" Nosil looked at the moon. "Your face shines brighter than that, Nosil... I've never been afraid of your face...I've always wished you'd let me look at you the same way Lerna does." She brought her forehead close to his, her eyes closed. "We grew up together... You, me, Bugod, Lerna, and Fano... And together, we will complete this mission... We will stay together until the end... I will always be with you."

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