To the extent that the eye could see, the sky was stretched. Its brilliant ocean color seemed to go on forever.

It was the month of December. There were no woolly clouds hanging over the sky. Only the cold wind of winter swirled there.

Just then, two steely-black aircraft abruptly swooshed across the sky.

They had the shape of a massive eagle: two wings, a tail, and a beak. That much would have been enough to fool the human eye. In fact, it was for these purposes that bombers were designed.

Indeed, this stealthiness was what made these bombers one of humanity's most valuable inventions, and a catastrophic invention. One could say that its ability to carry weights over ten tons made it a very effective invention. In reality, it was more about its ability to create havoc with its unfathomable speed of 1000 miles per hour at its maximum, along with impeccable bomb control.

At the moment, they were speeding at 670 miles per hour. And with that much speed, they disappeared from view in the span of a single eye blink. They crossed the sky's horizon directly to the west.

The place they were heading to was called the Severa Empire. A place ruled by a cruel tyrant named Tsunehito Severa.

Divided into two parts -- Federal Democratic Of East and Severa Empire, this world was full of war and chaos. It was a routine for a mother to cry bloody tears. It was the same for a wife who had been waiting for her husband to come home, and would be labelled a war widow the next day. A dark void filled everyone's eyes as apprehension had already consumed them. Even a middle-class family had no food. Neither was there a shelter to keep the raging rain from pelting down on them. Several cries would utter in different directions, but none could be heard over the roar of fire. Yes, this was the Severa Empire.

Exactly opposite was the Federal Democratic Of East. Even people born with a wood spoon had a chance to prove themselves. Everyone in there had something that Severa people lacked. Which was freedom. This simple difference had splintered the world into two.

With advanced development, it wouldn't be unreasonable to describe the Federal Democratic Of East as heaven. Whilst the Severa Empire was hell controlled by the devil. That's why these bombers heeded to the pleas of many people in the Severa Empire.

There were several operations taking place inside the bomber. The cockpit of the bomber was filled with a cacophony of sounds coming from various machines.

"Gentlemen. Are you prepared?" An orotund yell came from the pilot's radio, next to the handle. Also in its center, the mesh of the radio bulged.

The atmosphere inside the cockpit of the bomber was intense. The same voice that had spoken just a second ago was the cause. Despite this, the pilots carried out the orders without a second thought. It was since the voice was emanating from the president himself. Had it been others, it would have been much more comfortable.

"Indeed, sir! We await your commands!" The two pilots yelled. The two bombers were positioned side by side, seemingly on purpose by their pilots.

After the pilots gave their response, the radio sound disappeared. Then came white noise nonstop from there. Was it that the antenna failed to catch the signal? No, it was a sign that headquarters was getting ready to issue the next order. In other words, it was turned off from headquarters. Plus turning it off was too much of a hassle for the pilots who had been holding their hands on the controller. So they just let it be.

The sky was still clear, and the bombers continued flying towards their destination, straight into the ocean-like sky, with the sun shining above them. The land awash with cluttered houses appeared a mess from this height as the land they were heading for lacked emotions.

"Starting..1....2...3..." The radio was turned on again.

"President sir, now is the time to begin. We are all ready." Another unknown sound came from the radio.

"...Hello, my dear soldiers. I am sure that you already know what we are about to do. Still, I would like to emphasize that we are only doing it for greater deeds. If we want humanity to go by leaps and bounds, we must choose this option. Historically, wars like these have shackled us since the dawn of time. Thus, without further ado, I, the head of the military, and executives have decided to drop it. May god be with humanity. The countdown begins now!" The president gave orders without wasting any time. He also knew what it was like to be a soldier. So he made sure to offer some words of encouragement to his fellow soldiers. His voice was crystal clear--there was no nervousness or emotion in his voice. That voice was pure, strong, and reverberated.

In the wake of the speech, the six soldiers on each bomber began shouting. It undoubtedly fuelled their tanks. It was apparent on their faces. Some were shouting, and some were just contemplating, with no reaction. But it was clear that everyone at the bombers was motivated.

According to orders, the bombers slowed down and stayed in the same position. It was the place from where the mission would soon get underway. One of the pilots peeked through the window, and saw nothing more than a cluster of dirty houses. The river at the centre of the place was orange-muddy, and there was an abundance of waste near it.

They were flying at a height of 20,000 feet. Pilots were filled with questions. What if they fell from here? This height? What if they were blamed later on? If they fell from there, they would be squashed like a tomato. That much was true. Having all this in mind, one of the pilots swallowed his saliva. In fact, this was the first time they had piloted such an advanced aircraft. So they were bound to be scared.

Nevertheless, the president's speech a moment ago acted as a catalyst. Both knew they must complete this mission successfully.

"Yes, sir!" Both pilots' responses synced.

So the radio was again turned off. Following all of this, both pilots inhaled a deep breath, and tightened their hearts. With shaking hands, they touched a red button placed in the middle of the steering wheel.

The work of the pilots had finished with this. All they had to do was pilot the bomber, and give the other five soldiers the instructions provided to them by headquarters.

Now came the work of the soldiers who were at the rear of the bomber. Apparently, the bomber was divided into three sections - cockpit, engine room, and storage room. At the front was the cockpit, and between the cockpit and the storage room was the engine room. At the end was a storage room. This place stored various things needed for bombers such as bombs, ammunition. Soldiers stayed here as well.

Five soldiers were in a single bomber with an object measuring almost six metres in height and one metre in width. But it was covered by a light scarlet scarf, appearing more mysterious.

All five were before that enigmatic object, when all of a sudden the door opened. It revealed the sky, and with its opening, a brief blast of nippy air rushed from there, neutralising the heat that had gathered.

Seeing the door open, the soldiers began to mentally prepare. It was the first time for them as well. Who would have thought that in their twenties they would be killing hundreds?

Then the countdown began.

"10...9...8...7....6....5....4....3...2...1...0....LET IT GO!" A voice that sounded like it was recorded with a 100-microphone emerged. The voice was not from the president, though.

At the end of the countdown, all five of them pushed the object. It was unknown to the soldiers that the thing they were pushing was a nuclear bomb. A fact that they would learn later by seeing shimmering divine-red energy below them.

Thanks to the wheels at the bottom of the nuclear bomb, it was easy for five soldiers to push it to the edge of the exit.

"""""Hoooo!"""""" Soldiers gave a loud shout, indicating their final push. They launched the bombs from the bombers' perimeters.

After then, it was all play of gravity. Nuclear weapons dipped toward the ground. The speed multiplied. It was just a matter of seconds before it reached the ground. More to the point, it could detonate in under a minute.

Meanwhile, the bombers crew were at something. Now that they had achieved their goals, they no longer had a justification for being here. And the headquarter had said it was too dangerous for them to be there. The pilot then hurriedly started their engine and fled the scene at full velocity to their opposite.

***

Everything I did in my life was research.  My life revolved around such things because I was a chemist. And so, my life was just your average person's life.

Even after spending almost 20 years on it, I had no luck. Age forty. No significant others.

Having graduated from college 20 years ago, it was at that point that my life began to take the current direction. Research. Try it. Try again if you failed. Next, try something new. Such had become a part of my daily routine.

Although it was a simple life, I was happy with how things were going. Because when I think about the time before I graduated as a chemist, my life apparently was not good. At least my life was interesting enough huge kudos to being a chemist.

In this world, one would have to be on the battlefield. Finding a balanced life was rare. Only someone like Pope could live the life of their dreams. All of which was due to the influence of our country's king. Even your shit, that had to be done in accordance with his regulations.

The result of this created the age of saints. People accustomed to worshipping the king and obeying the garbage fake-shit of priests. They went to church even if they had a disease. Had to eat, go to church. For the people, every day, every night, every second was church. Above all else, churches were merely the king's pawns. Er...but doing was alright. Just including it in everything was the main problem. No go for me.

Here, using science properly was like spotting a needle in the sea. Due to the bad beliefs of people. It had been drilled into their heads that lunatics were who follow science, and that people like me were insane. As if pre-programmed they were.

This caused the world to become divided into the Severa Empire and the Federal Democratic Of East. Which occurred 100 years ago.

First of all, there were significant differences between the two. So, for me, the partition was valid even if it had killed thousands. Because the Federal Democratic Of East was a place where all people were in charge, as suggested by its name. Being thousands of years more developed than the Severa Empire was a significant feature of that nation. Regarding the Severa Empire... Don't talk about it. There's no point in thinking about it. Basically, it was a rotten potato in a bag.

Even the path of 100 years proves that how much worse was Severa Empire. It was only stained in the bloods of thousands.

Because of these circumstances, my life had been difficult. But I wasn't one of those people who could be affected by such petty things. That was how I spent the last 20 years of my life, enduring extreme discrimination.

Anyway, returning to the subject.

As you put it, a typical chemist's life. The only thing that I wanted of now was a gorgeous wife. I had not even married my dream girl yet. Talking about serious problem. I mean, my standard. Were they pretty high? Height over 170 cm, an idol figure, and lustrous brunette hair. If I had to add anything else, having a large... Ahmmm. Let's just end this dream of mine. It would only get worse. Maybe they were high for someone who had been tagged as lunatics. I really didn't want to, though. Umm, was it necessary at this age to have a girlfriend? If I were much younger, yes. Girlfriend needed not to be my main focus. Just researching kept me busy enough.

Also, I was fine with being alone. Why am I? Since it was something I was born with. Nobody dared to speak with me either. Who would want to communicate with someone who truly wanted to help them?

I might have lost my parents when I was a year old. But as far as I can remember, there were no memories of them. No emotions at all came to mind. It would have been helpful to know why I was an orphan. However, when I asked my orphanage's caretaker a direct question, I got the following response:

"You were a boy wandering the streets naked to his butts."

These made me wonder if having parents would have improved my situation. My birthdays, my time in college, my youth, and my graduation. Would these be different? That was not a complain. The potential answer had interested my mind. Also, it was my own heart that yearned for parents' renowned warmth. What did it feel like? Warm? Cold? Lukewarm? or tasty? But was it even conceivable?

To this question, I quickly discovered a partial solution. When I was ten years old, some 60-year-old man with wrinkles on his forehead adopted me into his family. Like me, he was a bachelor. His name was Nashval. I was fortunate to have him as a family member. He gave everything to make life enjoyable for me. That uncle was such a nice guy.

My doubts, worries, and uncertainties vanished after that, and I no longer felt the icy sensation that accompanied them.

However, time moves quickly for humans. Tragically, he pa....

"Run... Otani... they're here!" Outside my room, there was a loud yell. I was in my experimental room when I heard that throaty yell. It was Shimada, my friend, I was certain.

"Hurry...up..." He yelled once more.

'Ah, shit. I did nothing more than brood over nothing for the past 30 minutes. Is this a sign of old age?' I muttered.

I realized what my friend warned me about. Quickly, I had my left and right scanned. Then, I spotted what I was looking for. The window.

In the middle of a dense forest, I was in my shrouded building. Unless someone saw me coming here, it was impossible for them to locate the building.

Like old sect, this building was hidden by bamboos. It would look like a single sand grain even from the perspective of a bird.

The moment I heard his warning, my hand shook ferociously. I was trembling all over in the obvious reasons.

I tried to snap out of my fear. And it was success. Then I attempted to fit a chemical box inside my protective coat's outside pocket, but it wouldn't fit.

I put it on the table once more and tried to catch it. But my ratting hands stroked it, causing it to fall and broke.

THAM!

Shit! I muttered.

My fifteen year old project fell to pieces. I had to retrain myself to function normally even if it shocked me. To get away from them, I had to. If I got away, I could build that thing. I was aware of the procedure this time. As a result, recreating it would only require one year.

My heart lingered in the situation even though I was able to control my mind. Then I began to curse a specific person. The image of him had firmly etched in my mind.

The country's greatest villain: Tsunehito Severa. He was the current ruler of our country, and the root of our nation's entire corrupt system as well. He was 150 cm, a short guy. He had an inflated belly as if he was nine months pregnant. His black hair styled into bangs gave him a nerdy look. And above all, he had 120 wives and 50 sub-wives. Listening to that was, of course, painful.

The reason behind my suffering. Not just me, but the entire population of this country. We had no secured future. Constant war with the Federation of Democratic Of East made life impossible for citizens of our country. I mean, the Federal Democratic Of East had no victims since 90 years ago. In comparison, the Severa Empire lost more than 50% of its residents during that period. Those who stood up to their government would cease to exist the next day. No one could escape from here either. That was how he ruled until now.

Everything that was happening forced me to act. I didn't want to be sitting around while he was living the life of his dreams. Which he apparently stole from his citizens. To make him stress, I orchestrated a number of anti-monarchy movements. But I ended up being the only person with the freedom board on the deserted road.

The other day, Imperial Red raided and sealed a laboratory. They also stated this before departing: "Chemist, Otani! Majesty expects you to shoulder the burden of all of this. If we catch you doing this again, we'll have your head chopped off in front of everyone!"

Yes, that was a warning for me. Of course, I did as they instructed. I wanted to live, but I kept working on the project in secret. That's where he stepped in. He was my friend and his name was Shimada. In fact, he was a member of the imperial red. At first, I was dubious about the idea of him being close to me. However trustworthy he was; maybe the so-called god helped me. Thanks to that, I managed to advance my experiment without being cautious. Nevertheless, it was better to be so.

There were windows in each direction of the room, and my initial search was for the window on the east side.

By taking the east window, I was now running through the forest. On an unknown path, I relied on fate. Wherever it directed me, that was my fate.

I also had to take initiative before getting into this building. In the event of an emergency, that was. In accordance with the plan, I built a one-story structure. This allowed me to jump because my body could manage the height. Yes, that was the only explanation for why I was able to flee.

By the way, I had never worked out. Therefore, even that height could potentially be fatal to me. Heh! Use your brain, not your muscles.

I ran forward without glancing behind me. I was certain they were far behind. Most likely by this point, they were in my room. I could hear the pounding of hearts and hurried breathing, and there was a sense of despondency that pervaded the forest.

I muttered, "Due to that sh*t."

All I wanted was for that short king's ridiculous rules to be abolished. Why did it turn out this way? What caused it? Was it my wish to see my country grow that caused it? Did I do something wrong when I wished my country well?

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

I kept running toward nothing while a moon as if a diamond was overhead. Heart-pounding silence engulfed the forest. My feet stepping on the crunched-up leaves was all I could hear. At one point, I stopped breathing to take in as much oxygen as I could at once.

This was absurd. Why was it that I was in pain? My only goal was to free them from the rusty restraints that were infecting their wounds. That hurts. As if an elephant were pressing against my heart, my heart began to hurt.

I was frantically running for my life at midnight somewhere in the forest, hoping to make it out alive. Who could have imagined this? And Shimada, what happened to him? Did they learn about our connection? God, please be with me now. Please, dammit, I won't be asking for anything else besides this. Don't get caught, Shimada. Work this time as well. It'd always been successful. And I hoped it would function properly once more. Being caught here was impossible. Like impossible. If not, all of my sweat would have been in vain.

My lungs were giving up, that's when I heard:

"GOTCHA!"

I was looking down at the ground. Brown, dried leaves were everywhere before me. Perhaps I was too afraid to handle the situation. But it became hard for me to muster the courage to look forward.

CLICK! KHICHIK!

Huh! What's that? A gun? Shi..

I tried to look ahead.

""""""""""BAM!"""""""""

A sound was heard that was thought to only occur once in a lifetime. Once in a lifetime, in all honesty. It sounded like a shotgun. I was only able to hear my tinnitus after the deafening noise.

It disturbed the tranquility of this pleasant night. There were flocks of birds chirping everywhere and flying everywhere. With this sound, it now made my location known to the squads.

"Aargh..." I muttered.

A consuming torment swept through my body. It was my stomach. I was supposed to die at instant. However, the fact that my mind was still there indicated he missed it. So, will I be able to run away? My wound, is it bad?

BAM!

In a state of shock, I thudded to the ground, unable to identify who it was. Who is this? The imperial red? A thug? More of it like an imperial red member. Why would a thief come here? As a result, I labeled him as a member of the imperial red party. My body struggled to endure the shock. It was a blow to my mind as well, which had been gathering mountains of data. It broke the chain in the blink of an eye.

My stomach muscles cramped up. I could feel it. I tried to move but was unable to. There was a sudden jolt of warmth close by. The chills had vanished. It was hot to the touch.

I blinked. Before my eyes were twinkling specks of stars. White, blue, and red were among the colors. The moon and stars, which sparkled like brilliant diamonds, adorned the night. The red full moon hung in the sky as if it were the manifestation of a vampire god.

ZING.....ZING....ZING. The cicadas warbled in the background.

"Agra-ga-ga. I CAUGHT HIM!" Pure joy was present in that voice. Is he coming towards me? His footfall, they were increasing to be more louder and louder. Who he was? Let me have glimpse of him. I tried to bend a bit and catch a glimpse of him. But my abs, as if they had reached their limits, prevented me from being able to do so.

Ah....Hurts. I continued to mumble as if it were my first voice of the day.

Several thoughts flooded my mind. All had the same reason. Was I going to die here? I didn't want to give up here. As if I would give permission. Until I finish my mission, I will live. I have to run before the squad arrives. Otherwise, it will end here. I must...I .....Still at this point, I was motivated to run. For some, this could have been the end. One shot from a shotgun would be more than enough to kill anyone right there on the spot, wouldn't it? But I hadn't died yet. I was moving. My consciousness still hung there. If I had a chance, I could live. That's what my gut told me. And that provided an impetus.

I tried standing up. I failed. It was nearly impossible to stand up because of the pain. It was not anything like I had felt in any other tests. I had gotten shock from electricity, acid dropped on me. This was all fine. During my test I experienced more painful things, but none were this serious.

That is how it must feel.

Just then, another shot came.

""""""""""BAM!""""""""""

Peace, which was beginning to return, reacted again to the violent noise.

"Hehe. You....bitch....Do you know...how fast I ran?" His voice was deep, and with some exhaustion he spoke. This time, too, I couldn't see his face. Maybe he was being cautious. Why did he act that way, though? Had he any reasons?

The pain obviously surpassed off the chart. Regardless of the pain, it was my stomach again. Wasn't this how the elders said you'd know when death was approaching? The pain was unbearable as if a boulder had fallen on my stomach. It was terrible, wasn't it? Shit... Now, I was too weak to move any parts. Itchy sweat trickled from my forehead down to my mouth. It was salty. Not only was I sweating from my forehead, but also from all parts as it was scorching within me.

Gu....dum.....Gu...dum.....

Ah.....I want to ask. Why did you have to kill me? Ah, come on. I am at death's door. So why did he kill me? I summoned all my strength to ask him. In any case, I was going to die. That's why I thought it was fine to ask him why. It felt personal, unlike Imperial Red, whose aim was to catch me and punish me. But this psychopath killed me directly.

".....Ah...Why did you kill me? .....King ....must ....have..." I failed to finish the sentence. But he should have understood my objective.

No response came. Instead...

"Agra-ga-ga. Die, you scumbag. Die."

In his response, I gritted my teeth. So much that one tooth broke. This bastard. If I survive, the first thing I will do is kill you. Just you wait.

Gu....dum....Gu...dum...

My ears followed several running steps. The numbers were large. It was predictable, though. It ranged from 20 to 30. 24 was actually the correct number since Imperial Red had 25 members in total.

My vision had already deteriorated to the point where it was too hazy to see clearly. It was so hot inside me that it made me nauseated, and my tongue was as parched as if there had been a drought. Water...Water...Water....W

"What did you do? You...." 

That was the extent of my hearing ability. I inhaled deeply, probably the longest breath in my entire life, breaking it up occasionally.

Small dusty leaves entered my nose.

My eyes started to close. Before me was a pitch-black chasm. I gradually lowered my eyes, falling into a long, deep sleep. Nothing would exist, not even dreams. Also absent was the infamous, "Life flashes beige eyes."

My consciousness vanished before I had time to consider anything else.

I closed my eyes.

*

Otani stood amid a never-ending pitch void. It was dark. It was as if he had been sucked into singularity, with no ray of light visible at all. As if by magic, he took a step forward. A door was in sight as he walked toward it.

At first glance, the edges of the door looked pure white, glistening with brilliant white lights. There was an apparent separation between the white line and the dark void, giving it an appearance of a door. Besides the edges, the entire door was black and connected to the void.

Even worse, the door appeared to be far enough away for the human eye to miss it. This gave the door an appearance of white dot.

Even for Otani, the location was mysterious. He had never seen this location before. He should have been lost, as it should have been. Yet he didn't. Walking toward that door, he appeared to be certain of where he was going.

Every single time, he stepped. He landed on a solid surface, even though all that was there was void. It was impossible to explain this strange occurrence using logic or science.

In a flash, thirty minutes had passed since he first began to move toward the door. He should have arrived at it by now. Not at all. The door seemed to be farther away the further he walked. In a matter of seconds, his pace began to increase little by little. He was desperate to reach that door. His expression said it all. At a certain point of time, he was running even though he did not realize it.

He ran. He ran. He ran. He ran. He ran. He ran.

Another hour had gone by. It had taken him an hour and a half to get nowhere. He ran the entire 90 minutes, so he ought to have made it to the door. No, he still couldn't reach it.

Then he halted. He bore a blank expression as he stood still, facing the door.

His iris suddenly grew larger until it reached full size. The door was moving toward him. All this time, he was the one who chased it. Yet out of nowhere, that door sprinted toward him. This was a very odd occurrence, to say the least. It traveled at a speed that was almost as fast as light.

But. A typical person would find it impossible to comprehend such speed. Otani, on the other hand, was able to see it. Other people could have seen it as well, not just him. If someone else had been present, they might have perceived it as if it were any other simple vehicle.

Right then, the door stood before him. It displayed an excessive amount of whiteness, as if countless nebulae were incorporated into it. As much this could have destroyed human eyes. It would have been impossible to have a look, even with advanced equipment.

"Click!" Otani pushed the door open. The door burst into light, letting him enter a magnificent new world. It was as if it were heaven. Surrounded by Sakura trees, there were fountains. Petals of pink danced in the breeze. The gurgling of water falling from the fountain dominated the air. Those yellowish-crunchy marbles gleamed in the sparkling lights, turning the air gold.

Otani was still hanging there in the same position. Finally his face showed some emotions. His eyes began to water. The vision before him was all hazy. He had a heavy nose filled with snot. But he dared not to make any sound. Of course, it was a bit sudden for him. Seeing one's family member after 20 years would make anyone emotional.

In view, there was an old man sitting on the backside of the fountain, looking at the opposite direction. He donned a blue wool jacket and a paint suit. His back was hunched. He was Nashval, uncle of Otani.

Otani saw him. His only family, and it was expected. The emotions that he had held in erupted. With tears rushing out of his eyes, he sprinted to his uncle.

*

"Bastard, you know what you did? You murdered him!" One person shouted. He was bigger than everyone else present. His muscles shaped the outer bulk vest he wore. Being 6'7 inches tall, he had a towering presence. He easily outclassed predators thanks to his strength. For someone like him, it was a worthy position: The Imperial Red commander. Vervain was his name.

The mission given to them was to capture a specific individual named Otani. He was meant to be presented to the king. But based on the current circumstances, the mission was a failure. Due to the actions of someone who was lying on the ground at the time. Getting beaten by the beast Vervain, blood stains on his mouth. He was Shimada.

In the meantime, twenty-four soldiers surrounded the dead body, which was covered in crimson black. The blood, which gushed from the wound, had already clotted. And the smell of strong rust reeked out.

That body was the center of attention. Their sad and terrified thoughts could be seen in their eyes. The sight of the body left them speechless. However, they made no display. Not a single cry could be heard in the night's silence; instead, all that could be heard was Vervain beating Shimada.

"Damn you, you bastard!"

"Dammit! Ahhh!" Vervain roared in agony. He was angry with both his limitations and the person who had caused him to feel this way.

He continued to kick Shimada in the stomach with his powerful boots.

"Ahh! Bastard! BASTARD!"

Shimada kept quiet. He took all the kicks from the commander, his face expressionless. It was as if he was already dead inside. Both of his hands shielded his head.

One of the soldiers suddenly stepped out from the group and seized the commander. Then he moved backwards by five steps. Oddly, this person had a plain face. Completely unaffected by the circumstances. Even the commander, the member of the group who was supposed to be the most logical, had lost his cool. At this point, other people were also in tears.

"Captain, control yourself. It's wise to stop here."

"Don't stop me! I am going to kill this bastard! Vice-commander, this is an order. Free me!"

Yes, that person was the vice-commander of the Imperial Red. He wore rectangular sunglasses. His diamond face and ash-silver hair gave him a menacing appearance. However, this person was the most kind-hearted of the group. He was also renowned for his rational thinking. His name was Saver.

Vervain attempted to kick him. But failed. Saver had already distanced themselves from Shimada.

"Release me! Killing this bastard will only quell my anger." Once more, Vervain tried to kick.

"No, Captain. The moment something is finished, it is finished. Killing won't alter anything, for example."

Vervain stopped. Then he scowled at Saver. His eyebrows arched upwards, his nose widened, and his eyes narrowed. He gritted his teeth as well.

Saver hesitated for a second. The face of Vervain was unlike any he had ever seen before. His heart accelerated at that moment. If Vervain hits Shimada, what could he even do? There was nothing. No one in the entire nation could stand against this man's strength. He was a pure beast. Saver knew this, opening his arms.

Saver's eyes dilated in shock. A drop of sweat trickled across his forehead. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine himself in such a situation.

When he let go of Vervain, Vervain quietly walked to the circle of his members.

There was no motion on the part of Saver. He stood in the same position.

*

It was soon morning. The sun started to disperse its rays from the east, obliterating the pitch-black night. Birds perched on the swaying branches. They moved their wings and shook their heads. Fresh, humid air continued to make a lingering sound like a gentle breeze.

The imperial reds hung no expression. Their faces looked much darker. The place was silent. Their eyes were glued to the ground, and their lips were curled downwards. They were sitting restlessly on the ground at the moment. They were, however, in the same circle they formed seven hours earlier.

All this time, they had been crying. Now, at this point, their eyes were fully covered in tiny red veins. It had progressed to the point that their tears had dried up.

Some lay down, while others sat on the rocks that were there. By this time, everyone knew crying wouldn't change the outcome. It was already late, to the point that they had nothing to do. Several questions arose in their minds. One of the questions that stood out was, "What if we had come a bit faster?"

The only thing that caused them to question. The obvious result that they would receive when they return to the palace. Because they were aware of the consequences of failing their mission. That was death.

A soldier muttered, "It's better for us...to kill ourselves."

The voice was soft and small, yet everyone heard it. Nobody gave a response. Saver, who could process an insane amount of information, was also silent, hiding himself behind Vervain.

Imperial Red was formed ten years ago, making every 25 of them part of one great family. Therefore, it was inevitable that a soldier would consider the situation of each member.

Meanwhile, Vervain was lying face down on a bump in the ground. It was the place where they had buried Otani. Despite being underdogs, they didn't let their morals slip. They had no choice but to perform a proper funeral for Otani as a result. Even a few white flowers were left behind.

"It is not possible. If we don't appear before his majesty, our family will—" Vervain stopped his words, looking at the sky. His voice broke a few times.

He knew it was better to end his words right there. Otherwise, it could have been salt on the wound. His heart ached in pain when he remembered that fact. That's why he also didn't want to watch those pessimistic images form in his mind.

Suddenly, a black object in the sky caught his attention. At first, he ignored that black thing. He regarded it as the simple effect of crying all night. Anyone can experience delusions due to exhaustion. However, his 10 years of experience didn't let him ignore it. It made him to be cautious about that thing. So, in a state of curiosity, he asked a question.

"What is that thing? Am I imagining things?"

His question prompted the soldiers to take a quick glance at the sky. Vervain's statements had been regarded as genuine and serious by all 24 soldiers since they joined the army. His remarks weren't a joke. He spoke with authority and with a firm foundation behind each statement.

In view, they saw a black thing falling straight at them at high speed. They also noticed what was right beside it. There were two aircraft in the sky.

"That's the enemy." Saver muttered politely, looking at the commander.

However, Vervain's face astonished him. Vervain was smiling but tears were streaming down his cheeks. Upon seeing him, Saver realized the answer in an instant.

Hurriedly, he looked at the others. Others smiled too.

You all.... He thought to himself.

His heart throbbed as the chilling air touched his heart. Finally, tears also flooded down.

"...." He didn't make any sound, and made sure not to let others see his face. He faced downwards.

"Now, Imperial Reds, this could be our last opportunity. If you want to....you still have time. However, it's okay if you don't want it. I pray that heaven will bring you all joy. Unfortunately, I don't believe I'll be able to make it to heaven. I might be, but no... Get what this cursed world has deprived you of.... I won't be able to enter heaven, so that's a bummer for me. I'm sorry if I offend you by being so strict at those times. I sincerely apologize if you still harbor resentment. And all of the karma will fall on me." Vervain declared. His voice was soothing for someone like him, who had a heavy and manly voice.

"Don't say things like that, captain. I consider what you have to say. I, too, admire—no...we all admire your efforts. We would be dead right now if you hadn't been there. We exist today thanks to you. You are our greatest leader, " Said an unknown voice. Other voices concurred with this new voice.

That startled Vervain. The words were insignificant, but at this precise moment, they pierced his heart. Throughout his entire life, he had killed the families of others. He would not spare any innocent life, even a child. For ten years, he had painted himself with blood. Now that the squad he had assembled was about to disband. Such words were unexpected for him to hear.

He gazed at everyone before him. They were all in tears and smiling. For the last time, they saluted him.

"You guys..." His eyes brimmed with tears.

Before he could finish his words, a surge of energy appeared. One look at it rendered anyone who saw it blind; it was divine and red-sun colored. In fact, it gleamed brighter than the sun. The energy enveloped the entire forest and ate everything in its path. Additionally, it quickly dissolved the imperial reds. In that energy, Shimada, who was on the ground, Vervain, who was speaking, Saver, who was crying, and the 22 others who were saluting all perished. That energy was truly gorgeous, reminding one of the twinkling of stars.