GRADUATION

When graduation day arrived, they gathered us in the ceremony yard, lined everyone up, and called us one by one. They handed us a certificate and told us we were officially soldiers. Everyone was happy at the ceremony—they’d even brought special alcohol. I’m not much of a drinker, but seeing everyone that happy made me smile.

While everyone was having fun, a crackle came from the mic. Ellie was at the microphone.

— Back to Kiyoshi’s POV —

On the day of the ceremony, they snuck me behind the stage. “You’ll be called up when it’s your turn,” they said. So while everyone else partied, I was just hanging around backstage, eating whenever food came by. Honestly, I was comfy back there—vibes were good. Then the mic crackled, and I knew my peace was about to end.

Ellie: “Friends, today is a great day for Base A, but first I want to call to the stage a soldier who has achieved something big and graduated early—KIYOSHI KAZUKI!”

Did we really need this much show?

I climbed the stairs, shook Rodney’s hand first, then Caitlyn’s, and finally Ellie’s, and took the mic—without the slightest idea what to say.

Kiyoshi: “Fellow soldiers, first off, congratulations to all of you on this special day. I hope we walk away victorious from the battles ahead.”

The crowd burst into cheers.

Kiyoshi: “And my heartfelt thanks to the commanders who trained us.”

At that, Ellie gave my head a firm pat. The crowd laughed at the sight.

Kiyoshi: “I don’t have much else to say. Let’s enjoy this day as much as we can—because tough days are coming.”

Another round of applause, and Ellie took the mic again.

Ellie: “Soldiers, I have a special announcement for this base. Your new deputy chief commander is—KIYOSHI KAZUKI! Salute!”

I hadn’t even stepped off the stage yet and I was in shock. Becoming deputy commander was the last thing I expected to find out here. I turned around and every soldier was saluting me. It was… a dazzling moment.

I snapped a salute back and slipped into the crowd.

After a good party and lots of fun, everyone dispersed. I headed to Ellie’s office to pick up my epaulettes. When I opened the door, Blytharos had Ellie by the throat, squeezing. I lunged immediately, but just as my punch was about to land, an invisible wall blocked it.

Blytharos: “Don’t worry, Kazuki—your turn will come. But not now.”

Kiyoshi: “You think you can run from me?”

Blytharos: “I’m not trying to run from you. I just don’t have time to play with you, brat.”

He leapt out the window with Ellie, and I dove after them, giving chase. Ellie was unconscious. I slicked the ground beneath me with water and sped up; I was just about to grab him when—

Blytharos: “Not bad. You’re getting used to your magic. But not enough.”

Just like at Base D, he dropped a bomb beneath him—dust and smoke everywhere—and vanished.

I triggered every alarm and called for backup, then gathered all commanders in the briefing room and laid it out.

Caitlyn: “How do we track down the alien who took Ellie?”

Kiyoshi: “I don’t know yet. I need to think.”

Lukas: “If you want, Shun and I can head out to search. He can’t have gone far. We’ll check the nearby abandoned zones.”

Kiyoshi: “Fine. You two go for now. If you find anything, report to me.”

Lukas and Shun sped off toward the abandoned areas. I stayed to analyze the residual magic from where the bomb went off.

While I was investigating, a message came to my phone—a photo. When I opened it, Ellie was tied on a table, being tortured.

SONS OF BITCHES. NOW YOU’VE DONE IT.

I sent the image to the lab to trace the source, but it was encrypted. They said they’d need a few days.

Kiyoshi: “They’re torturing our commander and you’re asking me for a few days?!”

Tech: “We’re very sorry, sir, but the encryption is extremely strong.”

Kiyoshi: “To hell with your work, then.”

Hugh: “Kiyoshi, calm down. Ellie will be fine—she’s a strong woman. Focus first on how we’re going to find that alien. It’s what Ellie would want.”

Kiyoshi: “Fine. I’ll try.”

Something kept nagging me: how was he vanishing after dropping the bomb? I went back to the site—but found nothing else. It wouldn’t leave my head. Even aliens don’t have this kind of tech. There’s no way Blytharos came up with it on his own.

Which means… it’s the cultists’ tech. Looks like they trust Blytharos a little too much.

Two days had passed since Ellie was taken, and we’d found nothing. I was stewing when Hugh came into my room.

Hugh: “I think we found something—a big lead.”

We rushed to the lab. I figured it was about the bomb.

Hugh: “I went to the blast site and started looking for bomb fragments.”

Kiyoshi: “That doesn’t help much—we know who threw it.”

Hugh: “True. But look closely: there are two magic signatures.”

Kiyoshi: “What? How? I didn’t see anyone besides Blytharos.”

Hugh: “It’s not someone present—this other signature was pre-imprinted. Likely, Blytharos is jumping to the person who carries this signature. Now I can track who that signature belongs to.”

Kiyoshi: “Hugh, you’re a beast. We need to raise your salary.”

Hugh: “Drop the jokes and assemble the troops. Give me an hour—I’ll have a name. Get ready for battle.”

I put out a broadcast, gathered all soldiers, and announced we were deploying. As everyone geared up, a helicopter set down on our roof. I went to meet it: Marshal Adem and Victor. I briefed them, and right then Hugh told me he’d identified the owner of the other signature.

The name was Jeremy Maude—the commander’s brother. But there was a problem: Jeremy died in the first war with the aliens. There’s no way the signature could be his. Marshal Adem spoke:

Adem: “There’s something we don’t know here. But first—do we have Ellie’s location?”

Hugh: “Yes, sir. It points to abandoned regions in China.”

Adem: “We’ll form a team and send them.”

Kiyoshi: “Sir, why aren’t we going with an army?”

Adem: “It’s a trap. They want to thin the city’s defenses.”

This marshal is really sharp.

Kiyoshi: “Sir, I have a team. If you allow it, we’ll deploy immediately.”

Adem: “Approved.”

I quickly assembled my team and we set off by sea for China. As we neared the coordinates, cultists came into view. According to the marshal, they were bait. We cut through them and went inside—the door was underground. We sliced down anyone in our way. When we found Ellie, she looked untouched, just unconscious. We freed her and moved her topside, loaded her onto the helicopter, and lifted off.

As we neared the base, a fireball hit the helicopter from somewhere. We started to go down, but I used wind magic to set us down on the base roof. No one was hurt. When we arrived, the battle had already started. Barricades had been set around the city; the cultists were hammering the main gate. We were on defense.

We moved the civilians to shelters and then joined the defense with my team. The barricades didn’t look like they’d hold long—but they only needed to last until we were in place. We opened the gate and launched a counterattack. We were far fewer, but stronger.

Three hours into the battle, we’d pushed the cultists back a long way. Everything was going great—until Blytharos descended onto the field. Once he came, the flow of battle flipped. We started losing. We’d already lost more than a hundred soldiers. We pulled back behind the barricades, and the Brown users reinforced them with earth magic.

While they tried to break our barricades, we kept replenishing them—but this couldn’t go on forever. Our Browns were running out—and so were they. Suddenly, Blytharos shouted:

Blytharos: “STOOOOOP!”

We didn’t know why he yelled, but everyone froze.

Blytharos: “I have an offer.”

Marshal Adem spoke up.

Adem: “What is it?”

Blytharos: “If this keeps up, we’re getting nowhere.”

Adem: “Then leave.”

Blytharos: “If we leave, your precious commander dies.”

Adem: “And how would that happen?”

Blytharos: “We poisoned her blood. It’s been six hours. She’ll likely die in about two.”

Adem turned to Hugh.

Adem: “Is that true?”

Hugh: “Yes, sir. We just detected it. But we don’t have time to synthesize an antidote.”

Blytharos: “We have the antidote.”

Adem: “How do I know you really have it?”

Blytharos: “Believe it or don’t—the only way to save her is to do as I say.”

Adem: “Fine. What do you want?”

Blytharos: “Send your two strongest soldiers. I’ll fight them. If you win, I’ll hand over the antidote without question and we’ll leave.”

Adem: “And if we lose?”

Blytharos: “You hand over the corpses from the previous war. I give you the antidote. If you refuse, forget about the antidote.”

Adem: “Damn it! Give me time to think.”

Blytharos: “You have ten minutes. Or I withdraw the offer and we continue the assault.”

Five minutes later, I called to the marshal.

Kiyoshi: “Sir, what should we do? Are we really going to let Ellie die over some corpses?”

Victor cut in.

Victor: “Kiyoshi, you don’t understand how important those corpses are.”

Kiyoshi: “Don’t lecture me. You just don’t care because she isn’t important to you.”

Victor: “Watch your mouth before I rearrange your face.”

I answered, low and threatening:

Kiyoshi: “TRY ME.”

As Victor and I squared up, the marshal snapped at us.

Adem: “One more step and I throw you both in the brig.”

Both of us: “Apologies, sir.”

Adem: “Blytharos, I accept your offer. The two soldiers I’ll send are Victor and Kiyoshi.”

Blytharos: “Familiar names, huh? I’M EXCITED.”

Kiyoshi: “Sir, why me?”

Adem: “Because you two have faced Blytharos the most, and you’re the strongest soldiers here right now. I’m counting on you—win and bring Ellie back.”

Both of us: “YES, SIR!”

The gate opened. Victor turned to me.

Victor: “I’m sorry about earlier. I was out of line.”

Kiyoshi: “Forget it. I went too far, too. Let’s focus on the bastard in front of us.”

Victor: “Good. And try not to be dead weight.”

Kiyoshi: “Don’t worry—I’m not who I used to be.”

We stepped up to Blytharos. Our comrades cheered—“Go kill that bastard!”—that kind of thing. I spotted Ayame among them; she looked a bit worried, but I didn’t dwell on it. I was hyped—felt like I could beat anyone.

Victor: “Ready?”

Kiyoshi: “Always.”

Blytharos: “THIS FIGHT IS GOING TO BE FUN.”