Gideon and Lena stepped out of their room and into the inn's hallway. They glanced to the side—several Moko soldiers were entering, clad in iron armor.
"That's them!" one of the soldiers shouted.
He raised his pistol and pointed his gun forward. He released the safety and pulled the trigger, letting the bullet rip through the armor. The man staggered, injured, but not dead.
"The bullet pierced through the armor, but it didn't kill him," Lena noted.
"Aim for weak points, legs or faces."
"Luckily, their armor doesn't cover their faces," Gideon replied.
Lena nodded. She raised her M17 and pulled the trigger, firing continuously down the narrow corridor.
The sharp echo of gunfire rang through every part of the inn, even reaching outside. Some of Lena's shots landed—five soldiers were hit square in the face and dropped dead on the spot.
Lena kept firing to try and hold them back. But they kept advancing, and she didn't realize her ammo had run out.
"Damn it, I'm out!"
"Time to go!" Gideon barked.
He and Lena rushed back into their room. He smashed the window and looked out from the second floor. It wasn't too high—manageable if they landed properly.
"We're jumping?" Lena asked.
"Jump, then roll forward when you land."
"Lean your body forward."
"I got it, Captain."
Lena jumped first, screaming as she spotted the landing site. She landed successfully, though pain shot through several of her joints.
Gideon smiled. A jump from that height was risky without proper gear. But this was an emergency—there was no other choice.
The door burst open as soldiers stormed in. Gideon glanced back, then sprinted toward the window. Villagers watched in awe—they'd never seen anyone leap from the second floor of an inn.
And now, Gideon and Lena were doing just that. Gideon landed unharmed. Lena wasn't so lucky—her joints throbbed with pain.
"Are you okay?" Noele asked, running over to them.
"I'm fine."
Gideon helped Lena to her feet, and the two of them sprinted away from the village, fleeing the pursuing Moko soldiers.
The enemy squad commander spotted them and ordered his troops to chase them down.
"Get their weapons and capture them!" the commander shouted.
The Moko soldiers ran after Gideon and Lena, shouting for them to stop. But Gideon didn't care.
He looked back and fired a burst in their direction. His last ten rounds flew—four struck their targets right in the head, killing them instantly. The rest either missed or hit less critical areas.
Lena winced harder now—her ankle was swelling from the bad landing. Gideon holstered his pistol and took her up in his arms, catching her completely off guard.
"Gideon?" Lena gasped.
"If you get caught, the whole team's dead."
"Hang in there!" he said firmly.
She fell silent, blushing as Gideon carried her, so focused on her well-being. Lena forced herself to refocus. She could still hear the Moko soldiers relentlessly chasing them.
"CAPTAIN!" Luke shouted.
Gideon and Lena looked ahead. Luke stood upright, while Lyra crouched beside him. Both of them stared at the approaching swarm of enemies.
"Take cover!" Luke shouted.
Gideon saw an M67 frag grenade in Luke's hand. He pulled the safety pin and hurled it forward, shouting as he did. He and Lyra dove behind trees for cover.
Gideon veered off the trail and shielded Lena behind a tree. The grenade flew far and landed right in the center of the enemy group.
"Frag out!"
BOOM!
The explosion shattered steel casings and sent sharp metal fragments flying in every direction. Screams of agony filled the air as the blast tore into the Moko troops.
Gideon and Lena lay flat in the grass, with Gideon shielding her. Lena's heartbeat pounded—she hadn't expected Gideon to protect her like that.
The echo of the explosion carried all the way back to the village, startling Noele and the squad commander. They assumed it had been a magic attack.
Smoke filled the area, mixed with groans from wounded soldiers. Gideon and his team waited several seconds for the blast to settle.
Gideon looked up—bodies were torn apart, blood everywhere. Most of the soldiers were down, and only a few remained standing.
Still carrying Lena, Gideon left the woods. They met up with Luke and Lyra, who were walking toward them.
"What's this? Romeo and Juliet now?" Luke teased.
"Romeo and Juliet?"
Lena quickly got down from Gideon's arms and tried to walk, limping. Lyra took one look at her and immediately started assessing the situation.
"It's just a sprain. No need to worry," Lena said.
But Lyra was concerned. She had Lena sit on the ground and extend her legs. Then she pulled off Lena's boot and found her ankle swollen.
"What happened to her?" Lyra asked.
"She twisted it jumping from the second floor."
"She jumped?!" Lyra exclaimed.
Gideon nodded. There was a lot to explain, but right now he needed to get Lena to safety.
"I'll help her walk. Here, take this," Lyra said, handing Gideon an M4 with a full mag.
"M-Monster…"
Luke and Gideon reflexively turned around. A man stood there, clad in red armor and a crimson cape trailing behind him. He was the Moko squad commander.
"Don't move!" Luke warned, aiming his rifle.
"What is that metal you carry?" the man asked, pointing.
"You don't need to know."
"Take your men and leave!" Luke ordered.
"You're the ones who defeated us in the battle with the wolf village. Am I right?" the man asked.
Gideon noticed how tense Luke had become. He stepped forward and gently patted Luke's shoulder, causing him to glance sideways.
"Captain?" Luke asked.
"You've seen what we're capable of. Fighting us is pointless. Your troops will only die," Gideon said, walking forward with the M4 slung over his shoulder.
"With my team's power, I could kill thousands of you. But we refuse."
"We want peace."
"What are you saying?" the commander asked.
"Let's make a deal."
"Stop attacking the southern region, and we won't raise our weapons against you," Gideon declared.
"HAHAHA!"
"No way! His Majesty ordered us to wipe out the disgusting race in the southern Moko region!" the man barked, defiant.
Gideon fell silent, eyes sharp and unyielding, trying to intimidate the commander.
'He's too obsessed with the monarchy's ideals. Probably already tasted the luxuries the kingdom handed him.'
'If he retreats now, the king will punish them. In the end, none of them will live peacefully.'
"Then there's no deal between us," Gideon said, flipping the safety off his M4 and raising his weapon.
Luke followed suit, aiming at the commander and the few remaining Moko soldiers. But before firing, Luke waited for Gideon's signal.
"What now, Captain?" Luke asked.
Gideon stared intensely. Then, he let out a slow breath and re-engaged his rifle's safety. He chose not to kill them—the commander had already lost too many men.
"Take your soldiers and go. If I see you near the wolf village again, I won't hesitate to kill you."
The commander nodded. He led the surviving Moko troops away. As for the wounded who were too far gone, he left them to die, not wanting the burden of carrying them.
He and his team departed the area. Gideon ordered Luke to secure a safe path to the Kitsune village while he continued walking backward, watching the area ahead.
Things gradually began to settle. The Moko squad commander hurried to their base camp to report what had happened.
A major war was on the horizon!