The forest air was heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth when Zazm finally rose to his feet. His movement was slow, deliberate, as though weighed down by thoughts he hadn't voiced.
But just as he straightened, a sound cut through the silence—the crisp thud of feet landing against solid ground. Kiyomasa appeared, his face calm but touched with urgency.
"Zazm," he said, catching his breath lightly.
"Miwa found a good place. Let's go there."
He didn't wait for a reply, simply turned and began walking, his tone and posture suggesting he trusted Zazm would follow regardless.
Zazm gave a small nod, then shifted his gaze to Zephyra. He hadn't spoken yet, hadn't even drawn the words together in his mind, when she moved first. She carried herself upward with a single effortless motion, then she descended like falling starlight.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind, her familiar touch soft but unyielding, and rested her head gently against his shoulder. It was her way—silent, close, unshakably bold.
The moment her feet touched the ground again, Zazm followed after Kiyomasa, Zephyra still close to him, her presence clinging like shadow and moonlight.
They walked until the trees opened into a clearing where a giant tree loomed ahead. Its trunk stretched impossibly wide, its roots clawing into the earth like ancient stone. Kiyomasa was the first to step inside the natural labyrinth of its branches.
The branches had grown so densely they wove into one another, forming a flat, layered platform hidden beneath a ceiling of leaves.
The thick canopy above was stitched tight with foliage, their edges blurred together, making the place feel like a hidden fortress—an untouched tree house built by nature itself.
"Look," Kiyomasa said, pointing upward. "Some of the leaves have small holes. We can easily see the camp from here."
Zazm moved forward, scanning the interior carefully. His eyes settled on Miwa. She was leaning against a massive branch, her posture slack until she noticed him. Not far from her, a small fireball floated, slowly drifting through the air. Its glow lit the space in a soft, amber hue.
"That fire will keep moving," Kiyomasa explained, stepping up beside Zazm. "It'll give us light and heat without burning down the forest."
Zazm lowered himself onto one of the branches, sitting with an air of calm detachment. Miwa, startled by his movement, immediately straightened her posture, sitting up with forced discipline. Kiyomasa followed suit, settling down across from them.
The silence that followed wasn't comfortable—it pressed down heavily, the unspoken tension from earlier weighing on all three of them.
It was Miwa who broke it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Both Zazm and Kiyomasa turned their heads toward her.
Miwa lowered her eyes. "I… spoke too much, Zazm."
Her tone carried guilt, like she regretted every syllable from before.
Kiyomasa, too, lowered his head slightly. "I should apologize as well. It's thanks to you we've come this far. We promised to follow you—and I meant it."
Zazm said nothing. His gaze was distant, unreadable, his silence stretching long enough to make the air thick.
Then—he felt it. A gaze on him, not sharp but warm. Without moving his neck, his eyes slid sideways.
Zephyra was still at his shoulder, her lips curled into a soft smile. Her arms tightened ever so slightly around him, the message wordless but clear.
Zazm's eyes closed briefly. He exhaled, then finally spoke.
"…It's not your fault."
Miwa and Kiyomasa's heads shot up in surprise.
Zazm's voice was quiet, but steady. "I spent too much time alone. Perhaps I even forgot who I was…" He let the words hang before continuing. "And besides… I'm not someone who can order you around. You're free to do whatever you want. All I am is a—"
"You're wrong there, Zazm."
Kiyomasa's interruption was sharp, his tone cutting through Zazm's words.
Zazm turned his head, meeting Kiyomasa's gaze.
"We decided to follow you because we trust you," Kiyomasa said firmly. "We follow you because we want to. Not because someone forces us to."
Zazm stayed silent again, but this time his stillness wasn't empty—it was listening.
Miwa's voice joined in, shaky but determined. "That's right… so can you please stop acting like you're alone? Like we're nothing?"
Her head lowered, her bangs shadowing her eyes, and then the tears came. They fell freely, tracing lines down her cheeks as she clenched her fists.
"You call us family," she continued, voice breaking, "and we do the same. Then why do you always feel so distant?"
Kiyomasa stayed quiet, but his face betrayed conflict—he wanted to stop her, to ease her pain, yet he also wanted to hear Zazm's answer.
Miwa sobbed softly, her words spilling out between ragged breaths. "I'm not asking you to trust anyone… you can do whatever you want… but can you at least…" Her voice cracked completely, unable to finish.
Silence lingered, the kind that stretched into eternity.
Then Zazm finally lifted his head. His eyes turned upward, fixed on the stars through the holes in the leaves.
"You know, Miwa," he said quietly, "the sky in the void isn't like this."
She looked up, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Kiyomasa followed his gaze, his expression somber.
"In the void… the sky doesn't exist.Everywhere you look is nothing but darkness. You can't see any other color but black."
His voice was low, cold even flat, yet it carried weight.
"I might have changed," he admitted. "Perhaps the darkness of the void has darkened me. But…" His gaze lowered to them. "…deep down, my heart remains the same."
Kiyomasa's lips lifted into a faint smile. "We know."
The three of them sat together in silence for a while, not heavy anymore, but softer.
Zazm's eyes shifted. "How is your training going?"
Miwa quickly forced a smile, trying to erase the tear stains from her face. "It's going great. My telekinetic power has increased by several folds. I'm ten—no, a hundred times stronger than I was."
Zazm turned to Kiyomasa.
Kiyomasa grinned faintly. "Besides wind, earth, fire, and water, I can now use blood, metal, nature, and ice."
"I see." Zazm nodded once. "You have gotten strong. However… not enough." the message was less directed at them and more at something or someone else.
Kiyomasa's grin widened. "It's not over yet. We'll continue to grow stronger."
Miwa nodded eagerly, her voice steadier now. "Yes, of course. Just you wait."
Suddenly, Zazm straightened, walking toward the leafy openings. His eyes narrowed as he peered out.
"What's up?" Miwa asked, concern creeping into her voice.
"Nothing," Zazm said, shaking his head. "I felt like I saw Nova for a second."
Kiyomasa shifted closer. "Zazm, I have a question."
Zazm gave a slight tilt of his head, a signal for him to continue.
"I've been trying to use sound manipulation," Kiyomasa explained, "but for some reason… I can't."
Miwa touched her cheek thoughtfully. "Why not?"
Kiyomasa rubbed the back of his neck. "For other elements, I just… imagine a shape, and they appear. Or I imagine them into what I want, and it just happens. But for sound, I don't have an image. So it's difficult."
Miwa nodded slowly. "That definitely seems hard."
Zazm stood near the leaves, his voice calm but firm. "You should not try to imagine it. You should simply try to use it."
Kiyomasa walked closer, frowning. "Easier said than done."
"Then let me teach you something."
Zazm closed his eyes, then opened them again. His Nexus's Gaze flared to life. His sclera turned pitch black, and intricate lines rippled across his iris like rings of power, like a ripple in still water spreading outward infinitely.
Miwa stepped closer, awe plain in her voice. "These eyes… they look so damn cool."
"Usually," Zazm explained, "remnants call out the name of their attack. It helps them visualize better, and it helps their brain process the ability."
He closed his eyes. When they opened again, they were back to normal. Then, once more, he shut them—this time speaking his voice low:
"Nexus Eyes."
When he opened them again, the black sclera and intricate markings returned, sharper than before.
"Normally," Zazm continued, "it takes focus to use them, so I don't lose my sight. But saying the chant makes it easier. Effortless."
"Like magic in animes and stuff?" Miwa said with a small grin.
"I thought that was just bullshit," Kiyomasa admitted, smirking. "Turns out it actually makes sense."
"It's useful," Zazm replied flatly.
Kiyomasa nodded, raising one hand with his fingers curled upward. He concentrated.
"Sound Burst."
The moment he opened his hand, an ear-splitting blast erupted outward. A single wave of sound, sharp and deafening, slammed through the tree like thunder.
Zazm, Miwa, and Kiyomasa all instinctively clapped their hands over their ears, their expressions twisting at the sheer volume.
"Damn loud!" Miwa shouted, pulling her hands away after the echo faded.
Kiyomasa gave a nervous laugh. "H-how did I even do that?"
Zazm gave only a subtle nod, his expression remained emotionless and cold like always.
Miwa, still rubbing her ears, peered through the leafy gaps. Her eyes widened. "Uh… wonderful."
Below them, movement stirred. The entire camp was now rushing in their direction, drawn by the thunderous blast.
Miwa let out a nervous laugh. "Great. Now the entire China knows we're here."
---
The ground cracked as Nirin's body slammed into it, the impact sending dust and dirt spiraling into the air. Her breath hitched in her chest, but she rolled to her feet before the dust even settled, daggers already raised. Her sharp gaze fixed forward.
A woman stood there, her arms grotesquely extended like the twisting limbs of some deep-sea creature. They writhed unnaturally before slowly retracting, bones snapping and tendons twitching as they returned to their human-like shape. Beside her, a man landed lightly, his presence calm but suffocating—like the air itself bent to his command.
Nirin twirled one dagger in her hand and smirked despite the blood at the corner of her lips.
"Looks like we'll have octopus for dinner tonight," she taunted, her voice sharp.
Then she moved—fast. Her boots hissed with a burst of pressure as she lunged at the woman, daggers flashing silver in the pale light. But before her blade could sink in, a crushing force slammed into her side.
The man.
A wave of compressed air had struck her like a battering ram, hurling her across the clearing. She crashed into the trunk of a thick tree, bark exploding under the impact. Her teeth clenched as pain shot through her ribs, but she spat out blood and hissed, "Come on."
Without pause, she launched herself upward, boots igniting with short bursts of propulsion. She dashed from tree to tree, her speed making her appear like a blur through the canopy. The shifting shadows and sudden movements kept her foes on edge, her every leap a calculated distraction.
Then she switched angles—her daggers angled straight at the man's throat.
But just as her blades neared flesh, something coiled her midsection. The woman's arms had snapped forward, grotesquely elongating once more. The tentacle-like limbs wrapped around her waist, lifting her high above the battlefield.
But Nirin's eyes gleamed. She let one dagger slip free, letting it fall to the ground below. At the same time, as the woman swung her body upward like prey about to be slammed down, Nirin twisted her wrist and grabbed hold of one of the stretched arms with her free hand.
Her boots flared.
Instead of being tossed, she reversed the momentum—shooting herself down the line of the arm like a grappling hook, dagger leading the way. Her blade cut a thin line of red across the woman's skin, only a breath away from her throat.
But then—another crushing wave of air.
The man's strike blasted her sideways, forcing her to abandon the killing blow. She crashed into another tree, branches snapping beneath her weight.
Nirin landed crouched, teeth gritted, blood seeping from her mouth again. She scooped up her second dagger from the dirt with a quick spin. Her chest rose and fell in sharp breaths. For a moment, she thought, This fight isn't for me. But her smirk returned, faint and stubborn. She turned and bolted deeper into the jungle.
The pair followed, relentless.
Wind blades tore past her head, felling trees as they carved the forest apart. The woman's stretching arms lashed out like hunting whips, each one narrowly missing as Nirin wove between trunks. Her speed, her unpredictability—that was her edge.
One limb almost caught her by the throat. She dove aside, rolling through leaves and dirt, only to be met by the man directly ahead. His palms glowed with condensed air before unleashing a blast that roared like a cannon.
Nirin crossed her daggers in front of her chest at the last second. The impact slammed into her, sending her body flying backward until she smashed into a thick trunk.
The entire tree groaned and shook from the force. She collapsed to her knees, coughing violently. Blood sprayed across the dirt as her chest heaved.
The two figures approached, circling her like wolves.
Her head lifted, smile cutting through the blood on her lips. "At least I got you here," she whispered.
The air shifted. The forest around them grew unnaturally dense. Vines twisted down like serpents, branches thickened, and the shadows deepened into an oppressive wall. It was no longer a battlefield—it was a trap.
She bolted again, weaving through the suffocating growth. The woman's arms lashed wildly, but every strike was slowed by vines and branches catching the extended limbs. Nirin seized the moment, darting toward the man again.
Another gust of air screamed toward her. She shifted her trajectory mid-leap, slamming against a trunk to halt her momentum before rebounding forward. The woman's arms extended again, desperate to intercept her, but in her haste—
They struck the man instead.
The force staggered him, throwing his rhythm off.
And Nirin was already there.
Her daggers gleamed silver, and in one fluid motion she plunged one into the woman's throat and the other straight into her forehead. The octopus-armed woman's eyes widened before her body collapsed lifelessly to the jungle floor.
But the victory lasted only a heartbeat.
The man roared, his fury exploding outward. A storm-like gust tore through the forest, uprooting vines and even wrenching trees from the soil. The entire battlefield was stripped bare in a single breath.
Nirin was flung back again, crashing to the earth with bone-jarring force. Her daggers remained buried in the woman's corpse, leaving her unarmed. Pain lanced through every limb. She coughed hard, her body trembling, but forced herself onto shaky feet.
The man strode forward, wind swirling at his command. Nirin glanced around—nothing left to use. Just open ground and the crushing presence of her enemy.
Another blast screamed toward her. She dove aside, rolling gracelessly, landing awkwardly on her shoulder. Her body couldn't take much more.
She snarled. "What can I do…?"
Another gust came. Instinct saved her—she blasted upward with her boots, narrowly escaping the strike. And in that instant—she saw her chance.
Her boots flared again, and she launched herself high into the air. She twisted mid-flight, body aligning perfectly with her target. The man prepared to crush her with one last strike, confident she had no way to dodge in midair.
But at the last heartbeat, she angled her boots downward, a burst of pressure kicking her just above his attack. The gust skimmed under her, missing by inches.
And then—she was on him.
Her legs snapped around his neck like a vice. She slammed him to the ground with the weight of her fall, rolling back but never breaking the hold. Her thighs clamped down mercilessly, choking the air manipulator as he clawed at her legs.
Her vision blurred. Her strength was fading. But she didn't let go.
Her hands shot forward, fingers curling into claws. With a raw, guttural scream, she jammed her nails deep into his eyes. Blood and fluid spilled as he shrieked, thrashing in desperation.
But Nirin's hold only tightened, her teeth clenched as blood flowed down from her mouth, she twisted her fingers deeper, burying her fingers until his screams broke into wet gurgles. His arms flailed once, twice—then fell limp.
The forest fell silent.
Nirin gasped, every breath agony. Her legs loosened, body trembling with exhaustion. She fell back, sliding against the dirt, her chest heaving.
Then, with bloodied hands and blurred vision, she finally collapsed into unconsciousness beside her slain foes.
---
Lisa breathed hard, sweat rolling down her brow, the firelight painting her face in flickers of orange. The man in front of her moved with the confidence of someone who knew his flames could keep her away forever. Every time she closed the distance, another surge of heat forced her back.
"Not even letting me breathe…" she muttered, gripping her sword tighter.
The man exhaled another scorching wave, a torrent of flame roaring across the ground. Lisa raised her arm, her energy shield bursting alive with a shimmering hum as it absorbed the worst of the heat. Sparks crackled along its surface.
Her boots pulsed—time to move.
With a sharp push, she launched herself into the air, soaring above the flames. The man's eyes widened, sword rising too late. Lisa twisted midair, using the second jump to propel herself straight down toward him. Her blade clashed with his in a ringing strike that rattled through her arms.
Steel screeched, fire flared. The man snarled, swinging again, but Lisa's shield caught his strike. The impact shuddered through her bones, yet she planted her feet, eyes locked on his.
"Your flames won't save you."
She ducked under his next slash, leapt again, and came crashing down at his flank. The force of her double jump drove her sword past his defense, slicing across his side. He roared in pain, flames bursting wildly from his mouth in desperation.
Lisa raised her shield against the inferno, the energy barrier sizzling as it strained under the pressure. The heat was suffocating, but she pushed forward through the blaze, boots pounding the scorched ground.
She leapt once more, vaulting over the fire, flipping behind him. Before he could turn, her blade punched clean through his back and out his chest.
The fire in his throat died in a choking gasp. His sword slipped from his hand, clattering uselessly against the stone.
Lisa yanked her blade free, standing tall as the man collapsed to his knees, eyes wide in disbelief, before falling face-first into the dirt.
Her chest heaved, shield crackling faintly before dimming out. She stared at the corpse for a breath, then whispered to herself:
"Finally…."
She fell down to her knees to caught her breath, "That took everything out of me."
---
Ai's sword clashed against the man's with a clang that split the air. Sparks scattered as they pressed against each other, strength against strength, until both fighters broke away with a simultaneous jump back.
The man's lips curled into a smirk. He lunged again, blade flashing, but this time he kicked mid-swing. Ai brought her sword up, catching the strike with her blade, the shock rattling through her arms. Her boots skidded against the dirt as she was forced backward.
The man didn't wait—he soared high, a piece of the ground tearing itself free to float beneath his feet. He landed on it, raising his hand. All around them, the battlefield rumbled. Spikes, jagged rocks, and chunks of earth erupted violently from the ground, hovering in the air as though gravity had no claim over them.
With a sharp thrust of his arm, he hurled them forward.
Ai sprinted, her boots pulsing with energy as she double-jumped across the battlefield, weaving between the incoming barrage. Each rock that missed crashed behind her with earth-shaking force.
She clicked her tongue. 'The shield won't hold out against this.'
Her eyes flicked upward—and her stomach sank.
She was surrounded.
Thousands of rocks floated above and around her, their pointed tips angled at her like a sea of spears. There was no opening. Each row was layered, one attack hidden behind another, and another behind that. Dodging one meant being skewered by the next.
Ai's eyes widened. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest as the man snapped his hand down.
The storm descended.
The spikes and boulders came screaming toward her in waves, the pressure suffocating, the noise deafening.
Ai whispered hoarsely, "I'm dead."
Then—her eyes flickered with an unfamiliar glow.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up. She leapt forward—not away, not to dodge, but into the oncoming storm. Her boots kicked against one of the flying rocks as if it were solid ground. Another came; she landed on it, twisting aside at the last second to let the barrage slice harmlessly past.
Her body knew where to move, as though every trajectory had already been mapped out in her mind. She leapt from stone to stone, weaving through the unending rain of death like she'd trained for this her whole life.
The man's smirk faltered. His eyes narrowed.
Ai blurred in his vision. One instant she was drowning beneath the endless barrage— the next, she was cutting through it like water. Her movements were no longer desperate. They were precise. Efficient. Perfect.
She dashed up the cascade of rocks, each one becoming her stepping stone. Her sword gleamed in her hand.
The man barely had time to raise his blade.
Clang!
The force of Ai's strike sent shockwaves through his floating platform. His arm trembled as he tried to block, but Ai's assault didn't let up. Each swing came faster, sharper, her blade tearing through the air like lightning.
His defense broke on the fourth strike.
Ai twisted, her eyes glowing brighter. In that moment, her form blurred again—and she was behind him.
The man froze. His instincts screamed. He turned, but far too late.
All he saw was the gleam of Ai's sword.
The next heartbeat, his world turned upside down—literally. His headless body collapsed onto the platform, spurts of blood staining the cracked earth below. His vision blurred as his severed head hit the ground.
Above, Ai stood calmly, her blade dripping red, her chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. Her expression was unreadable, almost curious, as she tilted her head at the corpse.
Her lips parted.
"I can even adapt to all this?" She let out a low laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's insane."
Her eyes lingered on her glowing hands, then on the bloodied blade, the battlefield still humming with the echoes of destruction she had just danced through.
"Wait the others...." Ai realized and quickly turned around.
---
The forest was dark and endless, every tree looking the same in the damp night. Branches clawed at their clothes as they moved, and the air carried the faint scent of smoke that didn't belong here.
Minos grumbled under his breath, then suddenly kicked the side of a thick tree trunk. The wood shuddered from the force.
"Where in the hell are these goddamn camps?" His voice was sharp, laced with irritation.
Nova, just as annoyed, nodded. "Seriously. At this point I'm thinking they dug themselves underground or something." He swiped his hand through his hair, brushing a dangling branch out of his face.
Jennie, walking a little behind them with her hands folded behind her back, smiled softly despite their frustrations. "Don't worry. We'll find it soon. We just need to keep looking."
The three trudged forward for several more minutes until Minos suddenly stopped and jabbed his finger ahead.
"Oi, look. There's light coming from that direction."
All three heads turned. Sure enough, a faint glow flickered between the trees.
Nova raised his hand. In a shimmer of energy, a sword formed in his grasp, its edge humming with power. Minos followed, summoning his own weapon, while Jennie did the same with a flick of her wrist. Their steps grew quieter, more deliberate, until they crouched by a thick bush.
Nova slowly pushed the leaves aside—and there it was. A cluster of tents stood in a small clearing, fires reduced to embers, smoke curling lazily into the night sky.
Jennie's lips curved into a small smile. "Perfect. We found it."
Nova grinned wide. "Let's gooo—"
"Wait." Jennie's voice stopped him. "We're supposed to just observe, right?"
Nova gave a nod, though his smirk didn't fade. "Yeah, I know. Let's find a high place and watch from there."
Before they could move, Minos frowned. His voice dropped lower, wary.
"Guys… doesn't something feel off?"
Nova and Jennie turned toward him.
Minos crossed his arms. "It's awfully quiet around here."
Nova tilted his head, listening. "…Now that you mention it."
Then he stood, brushing off his knees.
"Oi, idiot, what are you doing?" Minos hissed, eyes widening.
Jennie quickly nodded in worry. "Nova, that's dangerous. Come back."
But Nova kept walking slowly out of the bushes, his sword still glowing in his hand. "Something isn't right here," he muttered.
Minos clicked his tongue. "Tch, he's gonna get us killed." But despite his words, he hesitantly followed after.
Jennie let out a tiny sigh and rose too, her hand lingering near her weapon, steps careful.
They crossed the clearing. The closer they got, the stranger it became. The tents weren't damaged—but they were completely empty.
Jennie pushed one flap open. No one inside. She checked another. Same result.
"It's… all empty," she said, puzzled. "There's no one here."
Minos crouched, brushing his fingers over the dirt. No tracks leading out from the front of the camp. He scowled. "Yeah. Not a soul in sight."
Nova knelt beside a firepit, staring at the charred mess of a meal. His expression turned oddly serious.
"They most likely ran away," he said quietly.
Jennie blinked. "…Ran away?"
Nova nodded, tapping the burnt food with the tip of his sword. "The stuff is still here. No weapons missing. And the food was left on the fire until it burned black. They left in a hurry." His voice carried a strange weight, almost mournful about wasted food.
Minos stood and dusted his hands. "Where the hell did they run off to?"
Nova shrugged, lifting his hands. "I came here with you. You tell me."
Jennie's eyes caught something. She pointed toward the forest edge. "Look, over there."
Both boys followed her gesture. To Minos, it just looked like more trees.
"That's just forest," he muttered.
Jennie shook her head and walked closer, crouching by the underbrush. "No, look. The bushes are stepped on. Flattened."
Nova narrowed his eyes, then without hesitation leapt upward, landing on a branch. He scanned the treeline carefully, his sharp eyes following subtle signs. Bent twigs. Broken bark. Uneven branches.
Minos groaned. "What the hell are you doing up there?"
Nova's lips curled into a smirk as he landed back down. "Many branches are bent or broken. Means someone was jumping from tree to tree. And the ground's covered in faint tracks. They ran that way."
Jennie's brows furrowed, but she nodded. "Then what should we do?"
Nova smirked wider, his confidence bubbling. "What anyone in our position would do."
Minos immediately cut in, raising a finger. "Yeah, we turn bac—"
"We rush to them!" Nova announced with a grin, completely overriding him.
Jennie and Minos froze, quiet.
Finally Minos muttered, "You know… if this was a real mission, turning back would've been the right option."
Nova gave a small shrug, already hopping onto the first branch. "But it isn't. It's a simulation." And then he was gone, sprinting into the treeline.
Minos sighed hard, throwing his head back. "…Unbelievable." But he still leapt after him.
Jennie followed too, silent but smiling faintly despite her nerves.
They jumped from branch to branch, weaving quickly through the forest until Nova dropped back to the ground. He halted suddenly, eyes narrowing.
A body lay sprawled across the dirt, lifeless.
"There's one over there too," Minos said, pointing.
Jennie's hand flew to cover her mouth. "Who could've killed them…?"
Nova's grip tightened on his sword. His voice was calm, but sharp. "We'll find the answer right there."
They pushed forward, and soon the trees parted into another clearing. Their eyes widened.
Before them stood a massive camp—three times larger than the one they had just seen. But it was nothing but ruins now. Tents shredded. Fires snuffed out. Weapons scattered across the mud. The smell of blood and smoke hung thick in the air.
"This is… huge," Minos whispered.
Jennie's voice trembled. "But it's completely destroyed…"
Nova's eyes widened, genuine shock crossing his features. "Who could've done this?"
Minos scanned the ruins, his guard rising higher. Then his instincts screamed. He spun around—just in time to block an incoming strike.
"Shit—!"
Jennie and Nova immediately whirled, weapons raised, eyes fixed on the shadows moving between the trees.
A figure stepped out slowly. A hood was pulled low, a mask covering their face. The tension spiked—until the figure casually dropped both hood and mask.
"Hey, guys," the familiar voice said.
"…Kiyo?" Minos blinked in shock. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Kiyomasa gave a sheepish half-smile. "We accidentally revealed our location, so… we just destroyed the entire camp."
Nova blinked, then let out a short laugh. "That's fine and all, but could you at least be a little thorough?"
Kiyomasa rubbed the back of his neck, clearly awkward.
—
The scene shifted further into the forest.
Miwa was laughing as she ripped a full tree out of the ground with telekinesis. Her hand flicked, and she swung it like a hammer, smashing camps into the dirt and crushing remnants like insects.
Beside her, Kiyomasa pressed both palms against the ground. The earth trembled before countless spikes erupted upward. A beat later, each one burst into small explosions, leaving nothing standing.
Zazm stood silently in the background, hands in his pockets, simply watching.
"They're so loud…" Zephyra's voice came lazily from his shoulder. Her arms were wrapped around him from behind, her cheek resting against him as she yawned.
Zazm didn't answer.
Suddenly, Zephyra unwrapped herself, pushing up on his shoulders with both hands. She swung herself upward smoothly, twisting mid-air before driving both feet into the head of a remnant sneaking up from behind.
The man's body froze for a second—before his skull shattered like glass under the impact.
Zephyra landed lightly, almost catlike, before once again draping herself across Zazm's back. Her head settled back onto his shoulder, her arms curling around him lazily.
"Careful," she murmured, voice half-dreamy. "We're getting third-partied."
Zazm finally turned his head. From the treeline, several more remnants emerged, charging toward them.
He lifted one hand slowly.
Their bodies twisted grotesquely, bones snapping with wet cracks as invisible force gripped them. One by one, they were lifted into the air, writhing—before being flung away like broken dolls, lifeless.
—
"After that, we sat down near a fire," Kiyomasa finished, smiling awkwardly. "But then I sensed someone nearby. Turns out, it was you guys."
Nova, Minos, and Jennie listened quietly as they walked deeper into the ruined camp. The devastation around them spoke louder than words.
Jennie gave a nervous laugh. "Didn't you guys go a little overboard?"
Nova chuckled, nodding. "Definitely not a little."
Minos smirked, crossing his arms. "Either way… this looks sick."
Eventually, the group reached a fire burning low at the center of the clearing. Zazm sat on one side, his posture composed as always.
Miwa lay stretched out on the ground, hands folded behind her head, one leg crossed lazily over the other. She opened one eye when she noticed them, then quickly sat up.
"Hey! You guys! How did you get here?"
Kiyomasa explained. "They followed those other remnants here."
"Oh, the ones Zazm wiped out with no mercy?" Miwa asked with a grin.
Nova raised an eyebrow. "Like you showed any mercy."
Miwa laughed brightly. "That's right, I didn't!"
They all sat in a circle around the fire.
Nova leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Now… how exactly are we going to explain this to Lisa and Nirin?"
Miwa waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need for that."
Minos frowned. "What?"
Kiyomasa added, calm as ever, "We already told Ai to keep them away using Miwa's telekinesis."
Jennie nodded. "And the mission ends in a few minutes anyway. The camps have already been destroyed."
Relief washed over Nova's face as he leaned back with a smile. "That's good, then."
The crackling of the fire filled the silence as the group let themselves breathe, the chaos of battle slowly fading behind them.
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