Aspera's Lieutenants finally arrived at the scene.
They were so shocked they didn't even call her back, but got to work immediately.
As Kage took out his surgical tools and bone saw, he turned it on, looking Osprey right in the eyes, worried for his life."Are you sure you want us to cut you out now?" His voice cracked. "We can hold out. I can do a simple blood transfusion while we wait for Solomon. We have the same blood type."
Osprey, calm, showed no sign of fear."Do it. Cut it now."
The saw screeched against the cemented metal pipe, sparks spitting as it bit deeper. The pipe had torn straight through Osprey's abdomen, ripping open flesh and muscle like wet paper. A giant hole remained where his stomach should be, blood pulsing out in thick surges that turned dark against the gray dust.
Cement clung to the open wound, packed into the torn tissue, turning the blood into a black-red slurry.
By all rights, the shock alone should have ended him minutes ago. No man should be awake, let alone breathing, with half his insides crushed and spilling through a hole big enough to see daylight.
And yet, he clung on.
Barely.
That's why he's the acting Elite Guard Rank 0. Because even with a wound that would kill anyone else outright, Osprey refused to die.
As Osprey's life force slowly faded, Vera started working on the wound, using ointments and cauterization to slow the bleeding.
Still observing the area, Osprey whispered, asking Vera and Kage if they were the only ones there.
Kage frowned, confused as to why Osprey's Lieutenants were nowhere to be found, but every word right now mattered.
Kage threw the cemented metal pipe aside and said, "Yes. The troops are moving toward the base. Aspera explained the opponent. His area control is ridiculous, so the more people we brought..."
"The worse it would be for us. More casualties. But luckily, you already defeated him," Vera finished.
She handed her medic, Petera, a package of wrapping. A short brunette, precise and calculated, Petera moved quickly, wrapping Osprey in anti-infection bandages made by Solomon himself.
Solomon's name carried more weight in medicine than any hospital board or textbook. His equipment, scalpels, clamps, antiseptics, was revolutionary, distributed across America. Even without professional training, Solomon-made gear could save lives.
As the bandages wrapped around Osprey's wounds, it felt like his insides were burning. Like swallowing molten lava. The pain crawled through his body, deep and violent.
Kage grabbed his medic's shoulder.
Roy heard the wound sizzle as the damp bandages touched flesh and cringed to the bone just imagining it.
Roy flinched, his stomach twisting. He had seen plenty before. He had been the medic for his family's entire unit, healed them, carried them, closed their eyes when they died. He thought he was numb.
But this, this wasn't normal.
His heart slammed against his ribs. He had never seen someone still alive in this condition. Not breathing like that. Not moving like that. Not clinging to life through sheer will.
For the first time in years, Roy felt fear creep into his chest.
But he stood his ground. The least he could do was face it, like the man in front of him.
Osprey ignored him, sensing something nearby. These infantry medics can't defend themselves. They should leave.
His eyes stayed wide open, unblinking, fixed on Mori's corpse in the distance.
Even now, he felt something. Or maybe his brain was breaking.
Then something fell from the sky.
Like lightning, it slammed into the muddy concrete beside Mori's corpse.
Vera and Kage heard it, but it was too far. They stayed focused on Osprey.
But Osprey, even over a kilometer away, he saw it.
A figure landed, brushing mud off his shoes. A crown glinted faintly as his boots cracked against wet stone.
Young. Far too young to carry that kind of presence, yet he did.
His golden-brown hair fell loosely across his face, framing sharp features sculpted like something meant for portraits or currency. Perfect in a way that felt wrong, like something built to rule.
But his eyes held nothing. Cold. Empty. Predatory.
His fur-lined cloak draped over his shoulders like a monarch's mantle, worn by travel and stained by battle. The crown, forged in gold and set with dark gems, sat heavy with authority.
And then, the weapon.
A trident, its tips stained in blood. Not fresh. Not old. Just used.
He said nothing. He didn't need to.
Osprey's eyes widened as his brain realizes who just arrived.
He passes out in shock.
Vera and Kage froze. "What just happened?"
Roy quickly removed his medical gear, handing it to Petera as she tied off the bandages. "He's going into hypervolemic shock. We have to act fast."
But the truth was, this wasn't shock.
It was just Epicurus..
Getting closer.
Step by step.
One of the strongest had arrived.
Rank 6 of the President's Elite Guard.
"E."
The Exalted One.
Epicurus.