Kings sharp eyes immediately settled on the three young warriors.
The trio walked forward before kneeling respectfully.
Hikari lowered her head.
"Your Majesty."
Jugram nodded.
"Report."
Hikari took a step forward.
"We successfully eliminated the Kaiju."
She paused for a moment.
"However... I arrived later than expected."
"If I hadn't reached the battlefield in time..."
"...the mission could have ended in failure."
She continued,
"The Kaiju was unlike anything we've encountered before."
"It was much larger... and considerably stronger than the ordinary Kaijus."
The throne room fell silent.
Jugram remained expressionless.
"Of course it was."
"It was your first mission as a team."
Light smiled proudly.
"Still, Your Majest—"
He awkwardly corrected himself.
"...Dad..."
The King's gaze immediately sharpened.
"This is the throne room."
"You will address me as 'Your Majesty.'"
"...Not 'Dad.'"
Light immediately lowered his head.
"...My apologies, Your Majesty."
Jugram looked at him for another second before shifting his attention elsewhere.
"Continue."
Light straightened.
"It may have been our first mission..."
"...but we still defeated the Kaiju."
Jugram said nothing.
Instead, he turned toward Lothar.
"Lothar."
"I want your report."
Lothar stepped forward without hesitation.
"I followed your orders to the best of my ability."
"However..."
He glanced at Light.
"Because of his recklessness..."
"...we nearly failed."
"Had Hikari not arrived when she did..."
"...the citizens would've died."
"...and the mission would've been lost."
Silence.
Light's smile disappeared.
He looked at the floor.
Hikari frowned slightly.
She hadn't expected Lothar to be that blunt.
Jugram slowly nodded.
Then he looked at Light.
"This was your first official mission."
"I'll overlook your mistake."
"But understand this..."
"The battlefield is no place for showing off."
"One careless decision can cost hundreds of innocent lives."
"Do not repeat today's mistake."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Light's voice was barely above a whisper.
Jugram leaned back on his throne.
"You are dismissed."
The three bowed respectfully before leaving the throne room.
Outside the palace...
The afternoon breeze carried away the smoke still lingering over the distant city.
The three walked together in silence.
Light stayed several steps ahead, saying nothing.
Hikari eventually stopped beside Lothar.
"What was that about?"
Lothar looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"You embarrassed him."
"Everything turned out fine."
"The citizens survived."
"The Kaiju was defeated."
"So why did you have to report every mistake he made?"
Lothar remained calm.
"Because that's part of the mission."
"If nobody points out his mistakes..."
"...he'll repeat them."
"And next time..."
"...people might actually die."
Hikari folded her arms.
"You could've spoken to him privately."
Lothar shook his head.
"No."
"If someone isn't corrected..."
"...they never improve."
Hikari sighed.
She understood his reasoning.
But she still didn't agree with his approach.
Ahead of them...
Light had already disappeared beyond the palace gates.
Elsewhere...
Far from the royal capital...
Hidden beneath an abandoned factory...
Machines hummed endlessly inside a massive underground laboratory.
Glass chambers lined the walls.
Inside them floated the remains of countless Kaijus.
Some had claws.
Others possessed wings.
Several had been carefully dissected.
Every specimen was connected to strange tubes carrying glowing blue liquid.
Computers continuously analyzed the creatures.
The air smelled of chemicals and burnt metal.
A man wearing a white laboratory coat quietly adjusted his glasses while studying a glowing monitor.
Dr. Veylor.
Without looking away from the screen, he spoke.
"...You're late."
Heavy footsteps echoed through the laboratory.
A young man entered, casually placing both hands inside his pockets.
"So this is where you've been hiding."
Kael looked around the room.
"...Creepy place."
His eyes wandered toward the dissected Kaiju.
"You've been cutting these things open for years..."
"...haven't you?"
Veylor finally turned around.
"I have."
Kael crossed his arms.
"So..."
"What exactly do you want from me?"
Veylor pressed a button.
A giant screen illuminated behind him.
Three faces appeared.
Light.
Lothar.
And Hikari.
"I want you..."
"...to capture two of them."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"Hikari..."
"...and Lothar."
Kael stared at him for a few seconds.
Then burst into laughter.
"You've lost your mind."
"I'm an ordinary human."
"They're elite warriors."
"You expect me to capture them?"
Veylor remained perfectly calm.
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't believe you were capable."
Kael shook his head.
"No."
"The only reason I even came here..."
"...was because you promised answers."
"You've spent years researching Kaijus."
"You claim to know things nobody else does."
"So before I decide whether I'm helping you..."
"...tell me something worth hearing."
For the first time...
A faint smile appeared on Veylor's face.
"...Very well."
"You want answers?"
"I'll tell you everything."
"The truth..."
"...about the Hybrids."
"...the Kaijus."
"...and the history the Five Kingdoms have buried for over a thousand years."
Kael pulled a chair toward him and sat down.
He folded his arms.
"Alright then."
"I'm listening."
Veylor walked toward one of the giant monitors.
A map of the Five Kingdoms appeared on the screen.
"For over a thousand years," he began, "people have been taught the same story."
"That a god descended from the heavens..."
"...united the world..."
"...and after his death divided it into five kingdoms for his descendants."
Kael shrugged.
"Nothing new."
"Every child grows up hearing that story."
Veylor smiled faintly.
"And that's exactly the problem."
"People accept stories without questioning them.
"I don't believe he was a god."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"I believe..."
"...he was an alien."
Silence filled the laboratory.