The next morning, while the others were still deep in sleep, Omelet woke up early. He stood outside the barracks, letting the first rays of sunlight fall gently upon him. The morning air in Heavenfield was crisp and quiet. Omelet took a deep breath, feeling an unusual sense of lightness.
Suddenly, several tall figures appeared in the distance, marching toward him. Omelet flinched. His heart pounded as they drew closer. He took a step back, his voice trembling but trying to sound firm.
"Hey... what do you think you're doing?"
At that moment, the sun climbed higher, and the familiar long bell of Heavenfield echoed through the air. Akidou woke up, stretched his arms, and sat up to greet Omelet from the top bunk. But the room was empty. The little spirit was nowhere to be found.
At the training grounds, the squads had already gathered. They stood in lines, seeing off the elite soldiers departing for their missions. Akidou's eyes scanned the crowd desperately, but Omelet was still missing. A sense of dread grew, and he hurried to ask those around him, but everyone simply shook their heads.
Suddenly, a large metallic object rolled into the courtyard, emitting a steady "beep-beep" sound.
"What is that?"
Shinji curiously ran closer, tapping the cold surface of the steel box. Unexpectedly, the top lid popped open, and a small screen emerged, glowing as it spoke.
"Greetings, Squad 2. I am Commander Tetsutaro."
Everyone was stunned. A steel box... that could talk? Alba stepped forward, leaning in close to the screen to inspect it. Instantly, the voice barked.
"Back off!"
Alba jumped, stumbling backward until he fell on his rear.
"I have received orders from Supreme Commander Odin. You are to report to his office immediately."
Akidou couldn't hide his worry and blurted out.
"Hey, have you seen Omelet?"
"Omelet? Who is that?"
Hearing that cold response, Akidou grew even more anxious. But since this was a direct order from the Supreme Commander, they had no choice.
The group followed Tetsutaro's robotic box deep into the heart of Heavenfield. The steel corridors were long, cold, and silent. When they reached the Commander's office, the box stopped and folded into itself. A small hatch opened in the floor, swallowing the robot whole.
Shinji pushed the door open.
Inside was a completely different world. The room was decorated like a miniature garden, overflowing with trees and flowers. The familiar hanging perch was there, but it was empty. Below it, Odin sat formally, looking stern. And standing right beside him was the one who had been missing all morning: Omelet.
"Ah! Hi, Shinji!"
Omelet waved happily.
Shinji's eyes widened.
"Omelet? Why are you here?"
Hearing his friend's name, Akidou rushed into the room.
"Omelet!"
He ran over and hugged the little spirit, finally letting go of the worry that had weighed on him all morning.
Odin cleared his throat. The deep sound made the room fall silent instantly.
"Ahem. I have called you here for several reasons. Warriors, listen closely. This will be your first mission."
Odin began his story. Early that morning, before the sun had even risen, he had opened his door to find a letter on the threshold. The paper was old and tattered. Odin had opened it to find only a few lines: 'The Ancient Library of Greenpath—where the records of the Demon King Kronos are kept.'
Odin looked up and continued.
"Omelet once lived in Greenpath. I asked him, and it is true that an ancient library exists there, containing texts regarding the Demon King."
At the mention of the legendary Greenpath Forest, everyone's eyes lit up with excitement. They turned to Omelet, their faces full of anticipation.
"Since the Commander directly in charge of you currently needs time to rest, you will be protected on this mission by one... actually, two other people."
Just as he finished speaking, a chaotic noise erupted from outside. The shouts of guards, the clanking of armor, and the rhythmic metallic thud of weapons hitting the floor echoed as if something had just charged straight through the defense lines.
The atmosphere in the room turned tense. The group took a step forward, dropping into combat stances. Their eyes were locked on the massive doors.
CRASH!
The doors were kicked wide open.
Two bizarre figures burst into the room with enough force to knock the heavy doors aside. They were clad in crude iron armor and wore tattered crimson cloaks. Instead of military emblems, their helmets bore symbols resembling chess pieces.
The two were standing inside a large wooden crate, their legs stomping rhythmically like galloping horses. The crate wobbled as they moved, and they both let out enthusiastic horse-like neighing sounds that didn't fit the tension of the scene at all.
The makeshift "chariot" skidded to a stop in the center of the room. The two figures looked up and bowed in a way that was both formal and ridiculous.
"Greetings, Odin! We have arrived!"