The teams from Libertas of Esios and Harthland were running toward the border. The Kingdom's army had been alerted to their presence in the region—and they were now being hunted. They hadn't returned by the peaceful route they had taken on the way there. Kana's men were on their trail.
"Where are we going?" Keiji asked Gilbert, panting.
They'd been moving for over an hour, and everyone was out of breath. It wasn't easy—especially with the wounded.
"We're heading north, to the White Forest," the Fire Esper replied. "There, we can hide among the trees and throw them off our trail."
Unfortunately, the path ahead was blocked. A squad of Esios soldiers and Espers stood in their way, cutting off the road to the White Forest.
"Looks like we'll have to fight," Katia said, materializing a long chain connected to her wrist.
"That's your...?" Yuu began.
"You'll see soon enough!" she answered, spinning the chain above her head and then striking it with lightning. The chain lashed out in all directions, crackling with electricity and striking the enemies around her.
Yuu noticed something: when Katia fought, all her usual shyness vanished.
Even though several enemies had fallen to Katia's lightning, more kept coming.
"We've walked right into a trap. They knew we'd pass through here," Shinya said grimly.
"Then we'll fight our way through!" Yuu declared. "We've taken down worse enemies than this."
They were surrounded—but the first wave that rushed in was repelled almost instantly.
Kaito gently laid down Misuto, still unconscious, beside the other injured. Misuto's hands were bound in special manacles designed to suppress Esper abilities.
As Yuu engaged one of the enemy Espers in close combat, a deep rumble echoed across the sky.
Suddenly, the Kingdom's soldiers scattered. Two Lizard-class airships swooped down, guns blazing.
The man who jumped down was Hitoshi.
"Hurry up! Kyorano sent me to get you," he shouted. A peach tree burst out from the snowy ground, growing rapidly until it reached the airship above. "Climb up and get aboard the Lizards!"
While Hitoshi held the enemy at bay, more Libertas operatives descended from the ships to help load the wounded and recently rescued prisoners.
As the others scrambled up the tree, Yuu picked up Khala in his arms and grabbed onto the lowest branch. The girl reached out for Keiji's hand—he had already made it to the Lizard—and climbed aboard.Once everyone was safely on board, Hitoshi followed and leapt onto the ship behind them.
"You really got us out of a bad spot," Toru said with a relieved sigh.
As the airships pulled away, the peach tree withered and crumbled back into the snow.
They resumed course for Harthland at full speed—but it wasn't over yet. Several air Espers, capable of flight, were giving chase.
"Persistent bastards," Erich muttered.
Activating his Vitalis, Erich unfolded his wings and threw himself off the ship. In seconds, he closed the distance, unleashing razor-sharp feathers that pierced their pursuers with deadly precision. Once the last enemy had fallen, Erich returned to the ship, and the hatch sealed shut behind him.
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"I didn't quite get that," Yuu snapped, his voice filled with anger after Hitoshi's explanation. "You used us as a decoy to capture the Governor of Astalia?!"
"Yes," Hitoshi replied without hesitation. "We took advantage of the situation. We made it look like we were launching a full-scale assault on Esios and that Harthland was left unprotected—but in reality, all our forces were hidden in the mountains near the Astalian border. As soon as Garga showed up, the trap was sprung."
"So our mission wasn't about saving those kids at all," Shinya muttered. "It was to keep the enemy's eyes on us."
"You should've told us," Keiji said, glaring.
"We couldn't," Hitoshi replied firmly. "If you'd been captured and interrogated, the original plan might've been exposed."
Yuu began to understand Kyorano's strategy. He'd known they would never abandon innocent children to their fate—so he had sent them in as a distraction, to lure the Governors away.
Khala sat quietly between Yuu and Keiji. She hadn't spoken a word since boarding the ship.
"We managed to capture the Governor in no time," Hitoshi continued. "Kyorano took him down with a single punch. We'll interrogate him once we're back in Sira."
"And the Astalian army?" Kaito asked.
"They scattered the moment they saw their Governor fall."
Hitoshi's gaze shifted to Misuto—now awake, but silent.
"I see you've taken a prisoner of your own."
"He's Kana's bodyguard… and an old friend of mine," Kaito replied.
"He might have information," Hitoshi said, clearly pleased.
"I didn't bring him here for interrogation," Kaito said sharply. "I want to speak with him first—alone. The rest can wait."
Hitoshi didn't look happy about that, but said nothing. Then his attention turned to Khala.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
The girl flinched slightly, then answered timidly, "Um… I… Sir… My name is Khala. I grew up in Reeda with Yuu, Keiji, Toru, and Mira, but… a few months ago, I was captured by a group of mercenaries and sold to the scientists in Esios."
Gilbert interrupted her.
"Can you tell us anything about the kinds of experiments they were conducting there?"
She shook her head. "Not much. I know they were looking for kids—those with potential to become Espers—and they… experimented on them."
"You look like you're in perfect condition, though," Shinya commented, his tone cold.
Yuu caught a bitter note in his voice. He could tell—Shinya didn't like Khala much.
Khala lowered her gaze. "Yeah… Seems I wasn't a successful candidate, so they just made me clean the floors."
"We've arrived," Hitoshi announced, shifting the topic.
The Lizard carrying the prisoners continued its flight toward Sira, disappearing into the clouds.
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Once on the ground, they were greeted by Captains Mercure and Lucas.
"Welcome back," said Lucas.
They had landed at the western border of Harthland, right on the edge of Astalia. The region was the smallest in all of Anima, nestled at the foot of the Grey Mount, from which smaller mountain ranges branched off and stretched across the land.
"We'll hear your mission report later," Mercure said, his voice muffled beneath his mask. "For now, there's a more urgent matter. Kyorano and Arien are waiting for you."
Yuu couldn't help but feel a bitter weight in his chest. To them, the lives of those children slaughtered by Kana meant nothing. What truly mattered was the Governor they had captured.From a strategic standpoint, they weren't wrong… but even so...
hey found Kyorano leaning against a magical cannon—a weapon that channeled the power of multiple Espers into a single devastating shot.
Arien stood nearby, arms crossed. At her feet sat a hulking man in chains, silent and stone-faced.
"Ah, so you've finally returned," said Kyorano, the leader of Libertas.
No one answered.
"I see. You didn't manage to save them all," he deduced calmly.
Arien watched them silently, expression unreadable.
"Yuu, I know how you feel," Hitoshi said, stepping up beside him. "But you have to keep moving forward."
"No matter how many enemies we take down, the Kingdom never seems to feel it. But us… we're left hollow every time," Yuu muttered, eyes fixed on the chained Governor.
"That's exactly what sets us apart from them," Kyorano replied.
Meanwhile, Arien had walked closer, stopping beside Mira. She stood there quietly, just observing the girl. Mira, noticing her gaze, looked back with a questioning expression.
"Enough talk," Arien finally said. "We need to transport the prisoner back to Sira for interrogation. There's a chance that some of the enemy forces scattered into Harthland during the retreat. They could set an ambush to free the Governor."
"You waited for us to escort him?" Shinya asked.
"If he breaks loose, you're the only ones who can stop him," Arien replied coldly. "Governors aren't like regular opponents. Even though we've reclaimed Harthland, we don't yet have the strength to go toe-to-toe with the Kingdom head-on."
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They had been marching for hours. The Lizard had taken off again, headed straight for the Esios front. Harthland was under attack from all sides, never allowed a moment's rest. Kyorano had ruled out returning to Sira by air—it would've made too easy a target.
The Esios team marched slightly ahead, while the Harthland team stayed close to the prisoner.Khala had been sent farther up the line to assist the wounded.
Governor Garga was massive, his entire body packed with muscle. His skin was dark—not naturally, though. Yuu could tell something about his body had been modified, enhanced to make him stronger. Still, it hadn't been enough to beat Kyorano.
The prisoner kept pace with them, occasionally grunting but saying nothing.
"Being dragged around by a bunch of brats," he finally muttered under his breath.
Yuu turned toward him. "If Kyorano knocked you out in one hit, you're not that strong to begin with."
"I didn't even get a chance to use my Ethereum," Garga growled. "If I had, things would've gone very differently."
"You already look hideous enough," Mira smirked. "I don't need to see your monstous form."
The Governor chuckled. "Maybe it's time someone taught you kids some manners."
Yuu glanced back—and noticed a strange silver liquid oozing over Garga's body.
"What the hell is that stuff?"
"No clue," Toru replied.
The liquid flowed over the magic restraints, then suddenly hardened—and shattered the chains in an instant.
Garga flexed his wrists. The silver liquid dropped to the ground… and began to shift, reshape, and rise. In moments, another figure stood before them—an exact copy!
"You're such a disgrace," said the new arrival, his skin a bizarre metallic blue. "Getting yourself captured without even putting up a fight. How pathetic can you get?"
Garga laughed. "Forgive me, brother. But now that you're here… we can finally get our revenge."
"There's two of them?" Keiji said, stunned.
"Don't mistake me for that idiot," the blue one sneered. "I'm not him. I'm his older brother—Gorga!"
Everyone drew their weapons in unison.
"What's going on?" asked Gilbert, just arriving with the Esios team.
"Looks like our friend had an ace up his sleeve," Shinya replied. "Someone alert the captains."
A few soldiers ran toward the front lines while the rest stayed behind—to face off against the two new threats.
"How the hell was he hiding like that?" Erich asked.
"I control metal," Gorga said proudly. "I can shift it from solid to liquid at will—and I can even turn my own body into metal."
"He sounds like a tough one," Katia said.
"Don't forget me," Garga added with a grin. "I specialize in hand-to-hand combat. Let's see how you hold up."
The two teams split: Harthland's squad took on Garga, while Esios's squad faced off against Gorga.