Kliner glanced at Armin, concern flickering in his eyes. "Do you think he's awakened yet?"
Armin stood still, eyes closed, as if reaching out with some unseen sense. After a moment, he shook his head. "If he had, I would've felt it. Right now... I can't even sense his presence."
Kliner frowned. "Maybe he's unconscious. Or worse—he could be dead."
Armin's expression hardened. "If he doesn't awaken soon, I'll have no choice but to move to Plan B."
Kliner hesitated, choosing his next words carefully. "He's still just a kid, Armin. Too young for this."
Armin opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them. "I don't give a damn about his age. Survival doesn't wait for anyone. Either he awakens—or he will be forced to re---d--e."
The words hung heavy in the air between them, sharper than any blade. Kliner said nothing more, knowing that once Armin made up his mind, there was no turning him back.
Sheath's eyes fluttered open, pain flashing across his face. He tried to sit up but immediately cried out, clenching his teeth."Urgh! My back... it hurts... a lot."
Kale quickly moved to his side and hissed, "Don't shout, you idiot! They'll hear us."
Rein knelt beside Sheath, checking his injuries. "That fall did a number on you," he said grimly. "Your back's probably fractured. You won't be able to walk properly until it's healed."
Sheath gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious. His voice was strained as he asked, "Where are Lira... and Isame? Are they alright?"
Kale glanced toward the battlefield. "They went to check what's happening. The fight's getting worse by the minute."
Meanwhile, hidden in the undergrowth at the forest's edge, Lira and Isame crouched low, watching the chaos unfold. Smoke billowed over the scorched fields, and the air was thick with the sound of distant gunfire and explosions.
"This war's only getting worse…" Isame muttered, his face tight with worry. "What do we do now? Most of our soldiers are injured. We can't hold out much longer."
Lira's eyes narrowed as she scanned the battlefield. "We have two choices—either we help them fight, or we escape through the forest while we still can."
Before Isame could reply, a deafening crash shook the ground. An airship spiraled from the sky and slammed into the earth just a few feet in front of them, throwing up dirt and fire.
Lira froze in shock, but Isame reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and yanking her back just before the wreckage could crush them."What the hell was that?!" Lira gasped, her heart pounding. She glanced at Isame and said, softer, "Thanks for saving me."
Isame nodded, already moving toward the wreckage. "Come on. We need to check for survivors."
They cautiously approached the burning airship, shielding their faces from the heat. Inside, flames devoured the interior, and twisted metal groaned under the weight of the destruction. They searched what they could, but it was clear—no one had survived.
Shaking their heads, they turned away from the smoldering ruin and made their way back through the forest, their clothes smeared with ash and soot.
Rein and Kale spotted them returning and quickly waved them over. Sheath, still struggling with the pain, looked up at the sound of their footsteps.
"What's going on out there?" Rein asked as Lira and Isame knelt beside them.
Lira wiped the sweat from her brow. "The battlefield's a mess. More airships are crashing. It's only getting worse."
Isame added grimly, "We didn't find any survivors from that crash."
Kale clenched his fists. "We can't stay here much longer. If they push into the forest, we're dead."
Rein nodded. "First, we need to figure out how to move Sheath without making it worse."
Sheath grimaced but managed a weak grin. "Guess I'm a burden now, huh?"
Kale punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You've always been a burden."
Despite the fear and chaos surrounding them, a flicker of stubborn determination passed between them. They weren't out of this yet—but they still had each other.
Armin stood on the rooftop, his eyes scanning the battlefield. "More soldiers are dying... airships are crashing," he muttered, almost to himself.
Kliner shifted beside him, tense. "Should we go help them?"
Armin shook his head slowly, his expression unreadable. "Not yet. We move only when it gets much worse."
Kliner hesitated but nodded. "Understood."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant sounds of gunfire and the crumbling of burning wreckage. Then, Armin's eyes sharpened, and a faint smirk touched his lips.
"Finally..." he said under his breath. "I can feel him."
Kliner turned to him, hopeful. "Is he strong enough?"
Armin's smirk faded. "His presence is weak. Barely there."
Kliner said nothing. They both knew what that meant: if the boy didn't grow stronger soon, this war would swallow him whole.
Lira crouched behind the tree, peering through the thick forest toward the battlefield. Her voice was low but urgent."We could escape through the forest and find Armin or Kliner. Maybe they could help us."
Sheath shook his head immediately, his face pale but his eyes fierce."That's the worst idea you could have. If we go to them begging for help… they'll give us a death worse than anything on that battlefield. It's better to stay hidden here than to walk into their hands."
Kale nodded grimly. "The only person we can count on is Maverick, sir. He's the only one protecting us. He's been holding them off for over an hour now."
Isame clenched his fists. "Then let's go help him. He has to be exhausted by now."
Lira looked at the others and quickly made a decision."Alright. Me, Isame, and Kale will go. Rein, you stay here with Sheath."
Sheath tried to push himself up, ignoring the burning pain in his back."I'm not staying here!" he growled. "I can fight too!"
Rein immediately shoved him back down, glaring."Shut up, dumbass. You can't even stand without screaming. How the hell are you going to fight?"
Sheath gritted his teeth and tried again to rise, but the sharp pain forced a groan from his lips."Erghhh…"
Rein grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back against the tree, more gently this time."If you try to stand again, I'll knock you out myself. You'll only slow us down."
Lira placed a hand on Sheath's shoulder, softer than Rein's."Stay here. Rest. We'll come back for you after we bring Maverick back."
Sheath didn't reply, but his fists trembled in frustration.
Without wasting another second, Lira, Isame, and Kale slipped away into the trees, moving quickly but carefully. Every step away from Sheath felt heavier, but they all knew there was no other choice. If Maverick fell, they would all be hunted down next.
As they ran, the forest thinned, and the battlefield slowly came into view. Fires burned across the wreckage of fallen airships. Black smoke curled into the red-stained sky. In the middle of the chaos, Maverick fought like a storm—his blade flashing, his body moving in brutal, efficient strikes. Alone, he faced dozens of enemy soldiers and still pushed forward without hesitation.
Kale swore under his breath."He's still holding out... but he won't last much longer."
Lira's hands tightened around the hilt of her weapon."We're not letting him die here."
Isame's voice was low but determined."We fight with everything we have."
They rushed forward without hesitation, joining the fray, blades flashing, determined to protect the one man still standing for them.
Back at the forest's edge, Sheath watched them disappear through the trees, rage and helplessness burning inside him."Next time," he whispered through gritted teeth, "I won't be the one left behind."
And behind him, Rein stood watch, silently promising himself the same.
Lira crouched behind a tree, her rifle steady in her hands as she took aim. With sharp, practiced movements, she started sniping down enemy soldiers who were trying to take cover behind the trees. Every shot echoed across the battlefield, clearing a path through the chaos.
Meanwhile, Kale and Isame stayed close to Maverick, fighting back-to-back with him. Maverick was a blur of movement, cutting through enemies with brutal precision, but even from a distance, Lira could see the strain in his steps.
After a few tense minutes, Maverick rushed over to where Lira was stationed, ducking low beside her as bullets whizzed past.While returning fire, he called out, "How's Sheath? Is he holding on?"
Lira quickly reloaded, squeezed off another shot that dropped an approaching enemy, and then lowered her rifle for a moment."He's alive," she said, panting lightly. "His back's broken, though. He's hidden in the forest with Rein."
Maverick allowed himself a brief, tight nod, his face unreadable beneath the dirt and sweat."Good. That's good to hear," he said, almost as if reassuring himself.
Without missing a beat, Lira lifted her rifle again and continued picking off enemies, while Maverick rejoined Kale and Isame. Together, the small group started pushing through one side of the battlefield, wiping out clusters of soldiers who had been giving their side hell.
When the last of the nearby enemy forces fell, Maverick gathered the three of them together behind a half-destroyed wall for a brief moment of breath.
"We've cleared this area," he said, scanning the chaotic horizon where smoke curled into the sky. "Now we move to help the others."
Kale wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing ragged."Sir, with all due respect... you need to rest," he said. "You're pushing yourself too hard. You're already exhausted."
Maverick glanced down at him with a fierce glint in his eyes, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth."Warriors don't need rest," he said simply, as if that was all the explanation required.
Kale hesitated, but then gave a short, respectful nod. There was no changing Maverick's mind once it was made up."If you're going, then we're right behind you," Kale said.
Without another word, Maverick turned and charged back toward the heart of the battlefield. Kale, Lira, and Isame followed, weaving through the wreckage and smoke.
The center of the battlefield was a nightmare. Airships lay crashed and burning, filling the air with black, choking smoke. Wounded soldiers cried out for help. Gunfire cracked endlessly in the distance.
Despite the overwhelming destruction, Maverick moved forward with unshakable determination, carving a path through the chaos. His presence alone seemed to steady the remaining soldiers nearby, who rallied and joined the push.
Lira stayed close, picking off any enemy that dared to show their head, while Kale and Isame fought fiercely at Maverick's side.
In the midst of all the violence and madness, one thing was clear: even as the world around them burned, they were not ready to give up. Not today. Not yet.
Standing atop the roof of the central building, Armin gazed out over the battlefield beyond the capital's towering walls, the smoke and chaos reflecting in his sharp eyes."With Plan B," he said coldly, "we can create more than one wielder of his power — ones we can easily manipulate."
Kliner, standing a few steps behind him, folded his arms, wary of the direction things were heading."Plan B could be more effective," he admitted, "but there's no guarantee. Some of them might not inherit his powers at all."
Armin didn't turn around. He just kept watching the war unfold, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips."We only need a few," he said, voice low and sure. "The rest... are expendable."
General Rivas stood among the rubble and chaos, surveying the battlefield with narrowed eyes. Smoke curled into the air as the last of the enemy airships crashed into the ground. He turned to Rauth, his voice steady but grim."We've taken down all their airships," Rivas said, lowering his binoculars.
Rauth, blood splattered across his uniform, shook his head in frustration."But at what cost? We've lost most of our soldiers."His words carried a sharp edge of anger, the kind born from watching their forces crumble even in victory.
"We can't waste any more time," Rivas said, his tone urgent. "Leave the launchers — we need close-combat weapons now. Get rifles, anything you can carry quickly."
Rauth nodded, then added, "We need to find their leader. If we take him down, their formation will collapse into chaos. It'll make the rest of them easy to finish off."
But before Rauth could even finish his thought, a sudden crack echoed through the battlefield.A single, precise shot tore through the air — striking Rauth directly in the mouth. His body jerked violently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
From a nearby vantage point, Maverick watched the scene unfold and smirked."Nice shot, Lira," he muttered into his radio.
Enraged and desperate, Rivas turned, raising his gun to fire at Maverick — but before he could even pull the trigger, two sharp gunshots rang out behind him. Kale and Rein, hidden behind a smoldering tank, had fired simultaneously. Rivas staggered forward, dropping his weapon as he clutched his bleeding side.
Maverick approached the fallen generals with slow, deliberate steps. His boots crunched over shattered glass and debris. He knelt down beside them, inspecting their broken forms with detached calm. "You had a decent plan," Maverick said, his voice low and almost pitying. "Target the leader to break the enemy's spine. Create panic. Turn the battlefield into a slaughterhouse."
He stood up, glancing around the battlefield where the tide was already shifting. "But you forgot one thing," Maverick continued, his voice hardening. "You made your plan in the open. Loud enough for anyone with ears and a scope to hear."
Maverick gave a small, cold smile as he turned away, speaking almost to himself ."And now, thanks to your arrogance... your own plan will be used against you."
Behind him, the battlefield was changing. Without leadership, the soldiers who once fought under Rivas and Rauth's command began to splinter, hesitation and fear setting in. Small pockets of resistance formed, but without orders, they faltered.
And the recruits — battered, wounded, but still standing — saw their chance.
The real counterattack had just begun.
The moment General Rauth collapsed with a bullet through his mouth and General Rivas fell shortly after, a heavy silence washed over the battlefield. For a few seconds, everything seemed to freeze — the smoke hung still in the air, the gunfire paused, and the sound of screaming engines faded into the background. The enemy soldiers stood in stunned disbelief, eyes fixed on the lifeless bodies of the very men who had led them.
Then, chaos erupted.
Cries of confusion and panic shattered the silence. Soldiers dropped their weapons, some stumbling backward, others turning and running. Shouts of "Retreat!" and "They've killed the generals!" echoed through the crumbling warzone. A few fell to their knees, hands raised, begging for mercy that would never come. Others broke ranks entirely, running blindly across the battlefield, desperate to escape the death that now felt inevitable.
Their formation collapsed instantly. Without orders, without leadership, their discipline dissolved into raw fear.
The recruits, still bloodied and bruised from earlier combat, saw the sudden shift in momentum — and they didn't hesitate. Fueled by anger, grief, and a burning drive to survive, they pushed forward with lethal precision. Bullets ripped through the air as the once-overwhelmed recruits surged ahead, targeting the disorganized enemy soldiers.
No longer was this a battle between evenly matched forces. It had become a rout — a slaughter.
Isame fired round after round, barely blinking as enemy soldiers scattered in every direction. Lira, positioned on a broken ridge, sniped fleeing soldiers with cold focus. Kale led a small group of recruits through the chaos, clearing out hiding spots and cutting off retreat paths.
Even Maverick joined the advance, his blade slicing through enemies with brutal efficiency. Every movement he made was sharp, calculated — almost mechanical. He didn't revel in the bloodshed, but he didn't slow down either. This was war, and war had no room for mercy now.
The few remaining enemy fighters, realizing they were surrounded, either surrendered or fell trying to escape. Cries for help went unanswered. The battlefield was now littered with bodies, smoke, and the smell of burning steel. What had once been an organized military strike had unraveled into a massacre.
As the dust began to settle, the last of the enemy forces either lay dead or unconscious. The airships were gone, the central building still stood tall, and the recruits, panting and bloodstained, looked around at the aftermath of their victory.
Kale lowered his weapon slowly, his hands trembling."They're… all gone," he muttered.
Lira stepped beside him, her gaze hard but hollow."We did what we had to."
And somewhere near the edge of the battlefield, Armin stood atop the central building, watching with an expression that was unreadable — a mix of satisfaction and something far cold.