Back at HQ, the war room was heavy with tension.
The faint hum of broken lights buzzed above as smoke drifted from the still-damaged ceiling. The table in the center was cracked, the surface scorched by stray magic from the earlier attack.
Andrew slammed his fist against it, the sound echoing through the chamber. "They got us good…" he muttered, voice low with anger.
Around the table sat Vayne, Crowne, and Riku—each of them worn, silent, and stained by battle.
"They got our stone," Andrew said bitterly, his eyes burning with frustration.
Crowne leaned back, arms folded. "Relax. We still have one left. Sure, it's not nearly as powerful, but it'll do the job for now."
Andrew turned his head toward him, his expression blank with disbelief. "Are you serious right now?"
Crowne raised an eyebrow.
Andrew's voice rose, sharp and furious. "You seriously piss me off, Crowne. How can you be this careless? This—this stupid!"
Riku leaned forward, tone cold. "And your hesitation cost us the stone."
Crowne's head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. "Oh, shut the living hell up, you bastard. You held me back the first time."
The two glared at each other, silence stretching like a blade between them.
Vayne sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "Enough." His voice was calm but firm. "We need to calm down. What's happening right now is already horrific enough." He leaned back slightly, his gaze shifting toward the flickering holo-screen. "Right now, we need a proper status update."
Andrew exhaled through his nose, forcing his tone steady. "Which I'll be providing…"
He swiped a cracked tablet across the table, pulling up the latest casualty report. His voice lowered as he read the names aloud:
"Zuberi Kaelani."
"Echo Virell."
"And Nova Greaves."
He paused. "…All confirmed dead."
The room went silent.
Riku froze—his breath catching halfway in his throat. His hands clenched on the table as his pupils shook.
"My whole squad…" he whispered, voice cracking just slightly. "Wiped out…"Vayne exhaled, his expression grim as he scrolled through the tablet in front of him. The soft flicker of the holo-display reflected in his eyes, each new line making his jaw tighten further.
"…There are still more names," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Several units are missing in action, and a few confirmed—"
He hesitated, his thumb hovering over the next line. The room seemed to hold its breath.
Andrew looked up from his hands. "Go on."
Vayne nodded slightly, forcing himself to continue. "From the Mars detachments, we've lost—"
The door slammed open.
"GUESS WHO'S ALIVE!"
Zara Blitz burst in, panting, armor in pieces. Only the torn under-layer of her suit clung to her, the fabric scorched and stretched where her chest plate had blown apart. A faint glow traced the long scar across her chest, proof she'd somehow rebuilt her own heart.
The room went dead silent.
Andrew froze. Vayne blinked. Crowne's eyes widened slightly, for once speechless.
"But—" Andrew managed, standing so fast his chair scraped the floor. "Your heart was completely ripped out!"
Blitz grinned, slamming her fist hard against her chest. "Yeah, about that—used all my magic to pump my body full of healing energy before I bled out. Managed to fix my own heart in time!" She threw her head back and laughed. "I CAN'T DIE THAT EASY!"
Crowne turned sharply, flustered. "Please—just cover yourself already…"
Blitz laughed louder. "Oh please, Crowne, you've seen worse. Since when do you get shy?"
Riku rolled his eyes. "This is absurd…"
Blitz dropped to her knees, hands slamming against the floor.
"I'M SORRY!" she cried. "I let my guard down! Because of me—this whole mess happened!"
Andrew sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What's done is done… I don't even know whether to be angry, shocked, or just confused. But reviving your own heart?" He frowned. "That should be impossible."
Blitz nodded faintly, breath shaky. "Yeah… believe me, I'm surprised too." She coughed hard, blood spattering against her gauntlets. "But… I don't think it'll hold for long."
Andrew's expression softened, though his tone stayed firm. "Head to the med bay. We'll discuss this later."
"Yes, sir." Blitz stood unsteadily, saluted weakly, and limped out of the room.
Andrew sank back into his chair, letting out a deep breath. "Alright… continue, Vayne."
Vayne straightened the tablet, his tone quieter now. "Well… we can at least cross Blitz off as alive." He hesitated before continuing. "But we have one confirmed loss from Angel Squad."
"Rose Valcrest."
The words hung in the air, heavy as stone.
Andrew's expression darkened. "…I see."
The silence that followed was heavy.
"I still don't understand why Helion Calder would betray everyone like that," Riku said quietly, his voice thick with disbelief. "It doesn't feel real… he was a good man."
Crowne scoffed. "A man's true colors show when war breaks out."
Andrew straightened, his voice firm again. "We can't dwell on it now. Crowne—take the Divine Stone you have and place it into the core, immediately."
"On it." Crowne stood, his expression cold again, and walked out without another word.
Andrew looked to the others. "We need to make preparations. Mercury is weakened beyond belief."
Vayne folded his arms, sighing. "We only have one option left. We must begin transferring our citizens from Mars and Mercury to Saturn."
"I wish it were that simple," Andrew muttered. He slammed his hands on the table. "Sovereign Lycareth Valeor has refused to aid us any further. We haven't received a single shipment, a single message—nothing!"
Vayne's eyes narrowed. "…Then what now?"
Andrew stood, his chair scraping against the floor. "It's time we secure an audience with him ourselves. I'll make preparations immediately."
He turned toward the exit, his tone resolute. "Vayne—comfort Angel Squad. They'll need you now more than ever."
Vayne nodded quietly. "…Yes, sir."
The medbay was quiet—too quiet.
Only the hum of machinery and the soft beeping of monitors broke the silence. The air felt heavy, thick with the smell of disinfectant and grief. Dim lights flickered along the ceiling, casting long shadows across the rows of medical pods.
Blitz rested on one of the stretchers, her breathing shallow, her chest still faintly glowing from the healing runes etched across it. Kai sat nearby, his right arm still made of flickering magic, eyes fixed blankly ahead.
But none of it compared to the sight at the center of the room.
Rose.
She lay inside a glass pod, still and silent. The pale blue light beneath her body made her skin seem almost untouched—peaceful, as if she might wake at any moment. But the monitors beside her read nothing. No pulse. No breath.
Arnik sat beside Aika's bed. She was asleep, her body bandaged, her expression twisted in a dream that looked more like pain. He brushed a bit of dust from her hair and stared down at the floor.
"I can't believe… she's actually gone," he muttered, his voice low, breaking slightly.
His thoughts sank deeper—into guilt, into the ache of command. I failed them. I failed all of them.
Across the room, a sharp sound echoed.
THUD!
Markus's fist slammed into the wall, hard enough to crack it. Blood smeared down the metal as he kept his hand pressed there, trembling with rage.
"Unforgivable…" he whispered, voice shaking. "Absolutely unforgivable…"
The medbay doors slid open.
Takashima was back on his feet, steady enough to walk. Miu followed behind him, face hollow—she looked awful. She'd just lost her student.
Without a word she crossed to the glass pod and pressed her palm against the lid where Rose lay. She didn't speak. She only stared.
Takashima moved over to Blitz. "You should be dead within a few days" he said bluntly.
Blitz let out a small, coughing laugh. "Figured."
Takashima exhaled. "I won't let that happen. I'll make sure of it."
Blitz nodded once, eyes distant. "Do what you want to me. Doesn't matter to me."
Takashima glanced to Kai and stepped closer. "This is why we don't let feelings onto the battlefield," he told him quietly. "You can't let it control you. If you want to quiet Angel Squad, I will permit it."
Arnik snapped, "Why would you suggest such a thing?"
Takashima turned his head, calm. "Listen. He's far more suited for science and tech. Kai could do far more there."
Kai's jaw tightened. "No."
"—But Kai—" Takashima started.
"If I'm not on the front lines," Kai interrupted, hand over his chest where the wound still throbbed, "I can't personally get revenge on the man who killed my heart." His one good hand curled into a fist. "I may be weak now, but I'll develop a weapon so strong it will destroy those demons."
Takashima sighed, softer this time. "Well. At least you still have your fire."
Arnik stepped up and put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Kai, please—don't lose yourself."
Kai looked at him, eyes burning. A half-smile turned bitter. "Lose myself? I can't stand you, Arnik. You believe we need morals to fight these demons—like some righteous idiot. You're weak. You never gave a successful order. Arnik, you honestly are… pathetic."
Markus nodded once, voice flat. "That's the truth. How did we get stuck with a sorry excuse for a leader?"
Arnik froze. The words cut, but he didn't answer. He knew what they thought. He couldn't blame them—not now.
Thirty-four hours later, the medbay was quiet except for the steady hum of machines.
Blitz and Kai were strapped down to reinforced tables—heavy restraints coiling around their arms and legs to keep them still as monitors pulsed softly beside them. Tubes ran from their chests and sides into the walls, feeding mana and stabilizing fluids into their systems.
Overhead, mechanical arms glided with surgical precision, scanning every inch of their battered bodies. When the process was complete, the tables shifted back, locking into large recovery chambers—pods big enough to hold a person upright.
The glass closed with a soft hiss.
Inside, Blitz's breathing was faint but steady, the glow of healing runes crawling across her chest in rhythmic pulses. Kai lay motionless, his expression calm but worn, his eyes closed as the light from the machines reflected off the pale walls.
In a corner, Takashima and Miu leaned over detailed schematics. The plans were ridiculous in scale—half-machine, half-ritual—diagrams of bio-interfaces and arcane conduits. Not just a machine. Something that could turn a person into a cyborg.
"I knew Kai was brilliant," Takashima muttered, tracing a line with a gloved finger. "But this… this is magnificent."
Miu's hands trembled as she looked up. "But it's too risky. Kai—are you really willing to do this?"
Kai's face in the pod answered before his voice did. Exhaustion lined him, but his eyes were steady. "I'll do what I must. I have no reason not to."
Takashima let out a long breath.
Miu's voice cracked. "What about your child?"
Kai's expression hardened—relentless. "Especially for my child. If I can help stop Lionel, it's my duty as a father."
Blitz snorted, a weak, raw laugh. "I'm pretty much dead already, so what the hell." She slammed a fist against her chestplate; bruised, bandaged, still alive. "I can't die that easily."
Miu swallowed. "I see."
Takashima closed the tablet and nodded once, solemn. "Right. We start the process."
Miu took a breath and moved to the console. The room steadied; outside, the city still smoldered. Inside the medbay, a new plan began—she new this was necessary.
A faint mist seeped into the air from the vents above, carrying the sterile scent of anesthetic.
Kai's head turned slightly toward the ceiling as a respirator mask lowered over his face. The cold plastic sealed around his mouth and nose, and the hiss of mana-infused vapor filled his lungs. His eyes flickered once, the sharp focus in them softening.
His mind began to drift.
There's no turning back now.
He saw her—Rose—smirking at him the way she used to when she caught him studying too late.
Her tail swaying lazily as she teased, "You're too serious, Kai."
He saw the way she'd bump his shoulder when he ignored her. How she'd pout just to get a reaction.
Then the memories shifted—high school.
He remembered sitting by the window during lunch, pretending to study while Rose and Aika laughed across the courtyard. He'd roll his eyes, muttering about how loud she was, about how he couldn't wait for peace and quiet.
Now… he would give anything to hear that laugh again.
Her voice echoed faintly through his fading consciousness. "You're my partner, remember?"
A sharp pang hit his chest. He reached out weakly, but his arm barely moved against the restraints.
"Rose…" he whispered.
The sedative deepened. His heartbeat slowed, steady and rhythmic. His eyelids grew heavier with every second until they fluttered closed. His last thought before slipping under—I'll make them pay. For you.
Across from him, Blitz smirked faintly through the oxygen mask. "Figures," she muttered, voice muffled but sharp. "Should've died already, huh?"
Miu sighed softly. "Please, don't talk. Just breathe normally."
Blitz chuckled weakly. "No promises…"
The injection needle slid into her arm. A faint glow ran up her veins, spreading warmth through her body. Her vision blurred at the edges as she felt her heartbeat slow.
She thought of the battlefield—the endless smoke, the sound of metal and screaming, the flash of the magic stone exploding in Calder's hand. She remembered how it felt when her chest was torn open… the burning, the fading heartbeat… and how she refused to die.
She smiled to herself, eyes half-closed. "Guess I'm too stubborn for the afterlife."
The monitors beeped in rhythm as Blitz exhaled one last shaky laugh before her head tilted to the side. Her body went still.
Takashima glanced at the readings, his voice calm. "They're under."
The mechanical arms lowered again, surrounding the two with a soft blue glow. Energy began to flow—steady, methodical, unrelenting.
Kai's eyes snapped open.
A splitting headache tore through his skull, like static burning behind his eyes. The room spun. Everything was blurry—lights too bright, air too cold.
He groaned and sat up slowly. His body felt… heavy. Wrong. But as he looked down, it was all the same—his skin, his chest, his scars—everything. Except…
His right arm.
He flexed his fingers slowly. The movement was smooth, too smooth. He could feel the air brushing against it, could feel warmth—but when he pressed it against his chest, it didn't feel alive.
"…So this is it," he muttered under his breath.
He slid off the table, nearly stumbling as his legs wobbled beneath him. The room tilted for a second, his balance failing, and he caught himself against the wall. He walked groggily toward the exit, one unsteady step at a time.
The door slid open with a low hiss.
Miu and Takashima were standing just outside.
"Look," Miu said softly, relief on her face. "He finally woke up."
Kai blinked, squinting. "Is it… over?"
They both nodded.
"I see…" He looked down at himself again. "If it's the same as my design… I just have to think of what I want my body to do."
He focused. A faint hum filled the air—then his right arm shifted, plates sliding into place, energy building inside the frame. In seconds, it reshaped itself into a sleek railgun.
Miu took a cautious step back. "It works…"
Kai stared at it, flexing his hand as the weapon reverted back to normal. He touched his face, his neck—his skin felt real, warm even. "You used synthetic skin. It mimics body heat and texture."
Takashima gave a tired half-smile. "I thought I'd add that… so you could keep your humanity."
Kai's eyes darkened. "It's just a fake replica."
A sudden BANG! echoed from the next chamber, followed by a loud CRASH!
Blitz kicked her pod door clean off its hinges, smoke curling around her as she stretched her arms with a wide grin.
"Oooh, this feels good! I feel so much stronger—like I could punch a tank in half!"
Then she paused, glanced down, tugged at her waistband, and smirked.
"You even added the junk back too, huh? Hope it still works."
Miu's face went beet red. "B-Blitz! Please!"
"What? I'm just checking quality assurance," Blitz snorted, laughing as she rolled her shoulders. "You're all such woosies."
Takashima sighed. "Kai…" He stepped forward, voice serious. "This body may look and feel like yours, but your heart now runs on a magic stone. Your magic output will be incredible—but…"
He hesitated. "…I fear you might start losing your human emotions."
Kai's hand tightened into a fist. "I couldn't care less. I don't need humanity to kill demons."
Takashima exhaled. "I suppose you're right."
Blitz grinned, slinging an arm over Kai's shoulders. "Well, kid, looks like we're in this together now."
Kai turned his head slightly, his tone flat.
"Please don't touch me."
Blitz blinked—then laughed loud enough to shake the hallway.
The lights flickered, the sound of her laughter echoing through the cold metal halls.