Chapter 60 – Battle of Mana and the Song That Shouldn’t Exist

Western Front – The Pride of a Samurai

Yasuke stands amidst smoke and broken stone.

His left eye still burns faintly.

His blade hums.

The battlefield senses it—

That dangerous shift.

Then—

A voice echoes in his mind.

Azrael.

“Return to me… we have done our part.”

Yasuke’s flaming eye dims slightly.

“…Is that so…”

“Retrieve Nikola Tesla. I believe he fell against Alfian and Aethone.
We leave now. Hide in plain sight.”

Yasuke’s jaw tightens.

“What of Thorgrim and Morwenna?”

“Pull them back. The objective is complete.”

A pause.

“…I see.”

He exhales slowly.

“…He asks much.”

For a moment—

He looks almost… disappointed.

“…Very well.”

Dark aura erupts from him.

His cracked armor peels away in shards of light.

A more divine form manifests—

Hair flowing wildly.

Energy wrapping around him like a storm cloak.

A godlike silhouette.

Then—

He ascends.

Retreat of the Northern Demons

Morwenna and Thorgrim are locked in combat when Yasuke lands between them.

“The battle is lost,” he states calmly. “Withdraw. Orders fulfilled.”

“What do you mean?!” Morwenna snaps.

“Do not make me repeat myself.”

His voice alone silences them.

“…Fine,” Morwenna hisses.

She turns—

Her eyes meet Luna’s.

“We shall meet again… sister.”

“Sister?!” Luna’s breath catches.

She lunges—

But a shadowy barrier erupts.

Yasuke steps between them.

“You win this time.”

Before he can move—

I drop from the sky.

Strike.

Our blows collide midair.

No words from me.

Just impact.

He looks at me calmly.

“Makoto no eiyū ga matsuei yo… Izure mata aō zo… Sono kyōdai naru tamashii, nanji ga karada kara uketotte kureyō zo.”

I glare at him.

“Kagami o miro, kono yarō.”

A faint smile touches his lips.

“Heh…”

He leaps backward—

And vanishes with the retreating army.

Silence spreads across the battlefield.

Oswald blinks.

“…What did you just say to him?”

“I told him to go look in a mirror and piss off.”

“…Ah.”

Oswald raises his fist.

“WELL THEN—WE WON!!!”

Cheers erupt.

Students collapse in relief.

Knights raise weapons skyward.

The Western Front—

Secured.

Uneasy Victory

Luna approaches me quietly.

“You look like you’ve seen something.”

“…That samurai.”

“What about him?”

“He felt familiar.”

I look toward the horizon.

“Uncle and Conrad told me stories… Orochi… Susanoo… ancient gods.”

Luna’s expression tightens.

“You think—”

“That idiot demon king just called forth something way above his pay grade.”

Before she can respond—

A communication pulse hits my device.

Nyx.

“HEY RANDY! BACK ME UP!!! Kline’s on the way! Don’t bring your girlfriend—she’s useless for this! Just you, me, and Kline! PRONTO!!”

I blink.

“…Got it.”

Luna narrows her eyes.

“What happened?”

“Hold the fort.”

I take off immediately.

Skybreaker – Emergency Departure

I land on the Skybreaker’s deck.

Kline is already there, adjusting instruments.

“…Trouble,” he mutters. “Mana’s unstable. Extremely unstable.”

We enter the bridge.

Eira grips the controls.

“Coordinates?”

I send them.

“Head here.”

“Aye aye!”

Kline suddenly straightens.

“OHHH a girl!!! Hey there, I’m Kline—handsome genius—pleasure to meet you—”

Eira slams him into a chair with one hand.

“The pleasure is all mine. NOW SIT.”

“…Feisty…”

The Skybreaker ignites.

Shockwave blast.

The vessel rockets forward.

Behind us—

Luna watches from the battlefield.

“…Please be safe.”

Her voice is almost too soft to hear.

In Transit – The Omen

The sky darkens unnaturally as we approach the demon capital.

Clouds spiral inward.

The air feels heavier.

Even inside the anti-magic field—

I feel it.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Kline swallows.

“…Nyx found Cleo.”

My chest tightens.

“And?”

“…She’s singing.”

A pause.

“That melody shouldn’t exist.”

The mana readings spike violently across Kline’s display.

“That’s not summoning,” he whispers. “That’s invocation.”

My hands tighten.

“Of what?”

Kline doesn’t answer.

Because ahead—

The sky fractures.

A pillar of blinding light erupts into the heavens.

And beneath it—

A silhouette forms.

Not fully visible.

But ancient.

Watching.

Waiting.

“…We’re late,” Kline mutters.

I stare forward.

“No.”

Jets flare brighter.

“We’re right on time.”

We arrive.

The capital of the Northern Demon Kingdom…

…is gone.

Burned towers.
Collapsed cathedrals.
Black smoke clawing at the sky like dying fingers.

And in the center of the ruins—

A pillar of blinding white light pierces the heavens.

It splits the clouds.

It screams.

“By the gods…!” Eira gasps from the helm of the Skybreaker.

“Stop here!” I shout. “Keep distance from the beam! Prepare fire support!”

“Aye!”

The Skybreaker shifts hard to port, engines roaring against unstable mana currents. The air itself feels distorted. Heavy. Wrong.

Kline grins beside me. “Well. This looks illegal.”

“Jump.”

We leap.

Thrusters ignite. The ground rushes up.

Below, Nyx stands in the middle of a half-complete sealing array etched across shattered marble streets. The lines glow unstable violet.

“What’s up?!” Kline lands beside her.

“Kline help me!” Nyx snaps, sweat dripping down her chin. “Azrael summoned something beyond protocol! I need the outer ring stabilized!”

“No wonder the mana feels like it’s vomiting— got it!”

She points at me without looking. “Randy! Back us up!”

“Already on it.”

Then I see it.

An airship fleeing the capital.

“Eira!” I bark into comms. “Fire on that ship!”

“Aye! Cannons away!”

The Skybreaker releases a massive beam of condensed artillery fire. It rips across the sky—

—and stops.

Someone stands midair.

He catches the beam.

Like it’s nothing.

Then with a flick—

He reflects it harmlessly into the upper atmosphere.

My blood runs cold.

“…So it’s true.”

Kline stares. “Who the hell is that?”

“A god,” I answer quietly. “The one who slew Orochi. Susanoo.”

The divine figure doesn’t even look at us.

Just observing.

Judging.

We are insects in his sky.

“We can’t win that,” I mutter. “Not today.”

Then—

The sky tears.

Kline squints upward.

“…Is that a hand?”

It isn’t a hand.

It’s a claw.

Massive. Scaled. Dripping molten mana.

The clouds warp around it as something beyond the world pushes through reality.

Nyx goes pale.

“Malefexia,” she whispers. “The High God Dragon.”

The claw descends.

Reality cracks under its pressure.

“With WHAT?!” Kline screams.

Nyx turns to me.

“Randy! It’s pure magic! If anyone can push that thing back— it’s you!”

I stare at the descending divine claw.

“…So basically I’m on a suicide mission.”

“RANDY, GO!”

She kicks me straight in the back.

“FINE!”

I blast forward.

The Push Against a God

The claw fills the sky.

It hums with absolute mana density.

Enough to vaporize kingdoms.

“Maximum output,” I command.

All drones detach from my armor, forming an aerial array around me.

“Release limiters.”

Thrusters scream.

Anti-magic field expands outward like a black corona.

I slam both palms against the descending claw.

It feels like pushing against a mountain made of lightning.

“COME ON!! GO BACK!!”

My armor creaks.

Warning signals flash red.

Behind me—

“KLINE! SECURE THE CIRCLE!” Nyx shouts.

“YOU’RE TALKING LIKE THIS IS EASY!”

“WE’LL BE VAPORIZED IF YOU DON’T!”

“FINE! DON’T BLAME ME IF THIS FAILS!”

“IT WON’T!”

The claw presses harder.

My anti-magic field burns against it, eroding its structure molecule by molecule.

But it keeps coming.

I grit my teeth.

“Not… enough…”

Then—

A voice.

Soft.

Familiar.

“Listen to this…”

“…Lilith?”

Suddenly—

Everything goes silent.

My body begins to glow.

But not mana.

Not magic.

Something else.

Golden light surrounds me.

I look around—

Figures.

Warriors.

Women clad in radiant armor.

Winged.

Ethereal.

They are singing.

A melody.

Ancient.

Gentle.

Powerful.

The Song That Was Never Meant to Exist.

Behind me, Nyx freezes.

“So it’s true…”

“What the hell is happening?!” Kline yells.

Nyx whispers,

“Lilith had one thing that ended wars… her melody.”

Her voice trembles.

“And those… are her ancestors. The Valkyries.”

The golden warriors sing in harmony.

Their voices layer over each other, weaving strength into my bones.

Kline squints upward.

“…Damn. They’re hot.”

“FOCUS!”

The claw roars.

The sound shakes the world.

Nyx and Kline collapse to their knees from the shockwave.

But it doesn’t affect me.

Because it’s magic.

And I am not.

“Alright,” I breathe.

“Let’s end this.”

Anti-Magic Ascension

My drones begin to change.

Conrad…

That old mad genius.

“…Looks like Conrad upgraded my armor again.”

Each drone ignites in black light.

Anti-magic aura radiates from them.

Not canceling magic—

Erasing it.

The claw begins to dissolve.

Its scales crack.

Golden Valkyrie voices rise in crescendo.

“Push it,” they sing.

I roar and thrust forward with everything I have.

The claw is forced upward.

Back toward the tear in the sky.

Nyx and Kline finish the circle.

“SEAL!”

The magic array erupts.

Chains of light bind the rift.

The claw lets out one final, furious roar—

Then vanishes inside the sealing gate.

The sky heals.

Silence.

I hover in the air.

Breathing hard.

Then I raise my hand toward the sky.

And give it the middle finger.

“Fuck you.”

Shutdown

Everything goes dark.

“Power extremely low. System shutting down.”

“…Yeah. Figures.”

Thrusters die.

I fall.

“Randy!” Kline shouts.

He slams his palm against the ground.

Alchemy circle ignites.

A massive gelatinous slime creature forms beneath me.

I crash straight into it.

SPLORCH.

I sink halfway inside the slime.

It jiggles.

Warm.

Disgustingly comfortable.

“…Yep,” I mutter weakly.

“With slime.”

Nyx walks over, breathing hard.

“You idiot…”

Kline wipes sweat off his face.

“…I can’t believe we just pushed back a High God Dragon.”

Nyx looks at me.

“No,” she says quietly.

“He did.”

The golden glow fades.

The Valkyries disappear.

But their song still lingers in the wind.

And far above the clouds—

Susanoo watches.

Silent.

Interested.

The battlefield finally falls silent.

Smoke drifts across broken towers. The sky, once torn apart by a god’s claw, is quiet again.

Too quiet.

My armor flickers and dies completely.

“System offline.”

“…Great.”

I drop to one knee as the metal plating disengages piece by piece. Sparks fall around me.

For now, I’m just Randy again.

Nyx suddenly dashes past us.

“CLEO!!!!! CLEO!!!!!”

Her voice cracks.

I blink.

“…Who?”

Kline immediately elbows me in the ribs.

“Hey! Don’t you remember? Harmonia’s sister.”

“…Oh.”

Right.

The quiet one.

The mysterious one.

The one Azrael used.

“Anyway,” Kline sighs, stretching his shoulders, “looks like the battle’s over.”

“Not bad for a lazy alchemist,” I smirk.

He grins back.

“Not bad for a suicidal anti-magic idiot.”

We slam our palms together in a perfectly synchronized buddy handshake.

Clap—grip—pull—shoulder bump.

Nyx turns slowly.

“…Ew.”

Both of us freeze.

“…We almost died together,” Kline defends.

“That doesn’t make it romantic.”

“It’s called bonding!”

She glares at us.

“Muscle-head bonding.”

We immediately look away.

“…Let’s just find Cleo.”

Searching the Ruins

The capital feels like a graveyard.

Collapsed pillars.
Shattered crystal structures.
Scorched streets where divine mana burned through stone.

Nyx closes her eyes.

Her aura spreads outward like a ripple.

Scanning.

“…There,” she whispers sharply. “Northeast. Under heavy debris.”

She opens her eyes and points.

“Hey, you two muscle heads! Come here!”

“Yeah, yeah!” Kline jogs over.

We start pulling rubble aside—broken marble, shattered stone, fragments of ritual crystals.

My muscles burn without armor support.

Kline uses minor alchemy reinforcement to lighten the slabs.

“Careful,” Nyx warns. “The mana residue is unstable.”

We finally reach it.

A massive fractured crystal.

Cracked from inside.

And beneath it—

A body.

Small.

Still.

We clear the final slab.

There she is.

A little girl.

About Nyx’s height.

Short bobbed hair.

Delicate features.

Her skin pale but not lifeless.

For a second—

My chest tightens.

Kline kneels beside her.

“…She’s weak.”

“…Yeah.”

I activate my comm.

“Deploy medical golem.”

A small metallic construct unfolds from my storage capsule and begins scanning Cleo’s body.

Kline stares at it like I just pulled a dragon out of my pocket.

“You’re kidding me,” he says. “You got that thing to work?!”

“Yep.”

The golem emits soft blue scanning lines.

“Vitals stable. Minor bruising. Mana overload traces.”

Kline still looks shocked.

“That’s the prototype from Conrad’s designs! It barely functioned last time!”

“Improved it.”

“How?”

“…We used it to perform a heart transplant on the Pope.”

Kline freezes.

“…You WHAT?”

“Long story.”

Nyx drops to her knees beside Cleo.

“Cleo…”

Her voice softens in a way I’ve never heard before.

She checks her pulse.

Then blinks.

“…She’s fine.”

“What?” Kline and I say at the same time.

“Pulse is steady. Breathing normal. Just minor bruises and mana exhaustion.”

Nyx exhales deeply.

A breath she’s been holding since the claw appeared.

“…Idiot child,” she mutters quietly.

For a second—

She presses her forehead gently against Cleo’s.

It’s subtle.

But it’s there.

Relief.

The Atmosphere Changes

The wind shifts.

The broken crystal behind Cleo glows faintly.

I narrow my eyes.

“That crystal wasn’t ordinary.”

Nyx nods.

“It was a vessel.”

“For what?” Kline asks.

She looks at Cleo.

“…For something that should never have been summoned.”

There’s tension in the air again.

But softer now.

Less immediate.

More ominous.

Cleo’s eyelids twitch.

We all freeze.

Slowly…

Her eyes open.

They aren’t glowing.

They aren’t possessed.

Just… clear.

Confused.

She looks at Nyx first.

“…Sister?”

Nyx flinches.

Then gently brushes hair away from Cleo’s face.

“I’m here.”

Cleo’s gaze shifts to me.

There’s something there.

Recognition.

Not fear.

Not hatred.

Something else.

“…You’re loud,” she murmurs weakly.

Kline bursts out laughing.

“HA! First words and she roasts you!”

“Shut up.”

Cleo continues staring at me.

“…But warm.”

My heart skips.

Nyx notices.

Her eyes narrow slightly.

“Oh?”

Kline immediately smirks.

“Ohoho…”

“I swear I will vaporize both of you,” I mutter.

Cleo slowly tries to sit up.

She winces.

I instinctively move forward and catch her before she falls.

She’s lighter than I expect.

Too light.

Her fingers weakly grip my sleeve.

“…Did we win?”

I glance at the sky.

The rift is sealed.

The claw is gone.

Susanoo has vanished.

“…For now,” I answer.

She closes her eyes again.

“…Good.”

Then she falls asleep in my arms.

Nyx stands and looks at me carefully.

“…Thank you.”

Her tone is sincere.

No sarcasm.

No teasing.

Just gratitude.

Kline crosses his arms.

“So,” he says casually, “we pushed back a High God Dragon, sealed a divine gate, and rescued the mysterious vessel girl.”

He grins.

“Just another Tuesday?”

I sigh.

“My armor’s dead.”

“The capital’s half destroyed.”

“A god saw us.”

Nyx adds quietly:

“And Malefexia now knows Randy exists.”

The wind grows colder.

Not the kind that cuts skin.

The kind that touches memory.

I look down at Cleo in my arms.

Small.

Fragile.

A child who survived becoming a divine vessel.

That alone is unnatural.

There is a reason the Demon King left her behind.

And something tells me—

He knew.

He knew we could seal the dragon god.

He calculated this.

Left her here like a piece on a board.

“…Whatever,” I mutter under my breath.

They escaped.

The god is sealed.

The capital lies in ruins.

But—

We’re still alive.

Then I notice something.

Movement.

From the broken streets.

From shattered homes.

People.

Civilians.

Demonfolk.

Old men.
Mothers.
Children.

They step out from hiding.

They gather around us slowly.

Not hostile.

Just… hollow.

Kline glances at me.

“Well… at least they’re not trying to stab us.”

Nyx shakes her head gently.

“They’re not enemies.”

She looks at the ruined skyline.

“They’re victims too.”

My head suddenly feels light.

Not from exhaustion.

Something else.

A whisper.

“Sing this song…”

Lilith.

“…They are innocent people as well.”

I narrow my eyes.

“What if I don’t want to sing?”

A sharp ringing fills my skull.

Like a divine mother flicking my forehead.

“Sing.”

…

Yeah.

She’s definitely acting like a mom now.

I sigh.

“Fine.”

I gently hand Cleo to Nyx.

Then I stand.

In the middle of the ruins.

In the middle of survivors who don’t know whether to hate us or thank us.

And slowly—

I sing.

Soft.

Almost like prayer.

A trembling heart in the mirror
Where the moonlight wavers
Delicate tears spill forth
As fallen stars scatter…

The melody feels old.

Older than magic.

Older than gods.

It’s a song I remember from somewhere.

From when I was a baby.

Before memory.

Before language.

Why the hell am I getting sentimental now?

The wind changes.

The air grows warm.

I close my eyes.

I don’t want to see what’s happening.

I just sing.

From Kline and Nyx’s View

Kline watches in stunned silence.

“…That’s something,” he breathes.

Nyx’s expression softens.

“This song…”

Her voice is barely above a whisper.

“It’s soothing. It doesn’t command. It doesn’t force.”

She swallows.

“It persuades the heart to move forward.”

Around Randy—

An orb of soft golden light forms.

It doesn’t explode.

It doesn’t flare.

It simply exists.

Warm.

Gentle.

Kline squints.

“Look at that… it’s like he’s surrounded by a barrier.”

“No,” Nyx corrects softly.

“It’s not a barrier.”

She smiles faintly.

“It’s an invitation.”

“Invitation to what?”

Nyx looks at the civilians.

Their shoulders slowly relaxing.

Their crying softening.

“…To let go.”

Kline blinks.

“Let go?”

Nyx nods.

“Want to know something about Valkyries?”

Kline immediately grins.

“Yeah. I’m very interested.”

Nyx ignores the tone.

“Legend says they are soul retrievers.”

“They guide the dead to the afterlife.”

Kline’s grin fades slightly.

“So you’re telling me… Valkyries aren’t just flying warriors swinging spears?”

Nyx smiles gently.

“That’s just what people see.”

Her eyes remain fixed on Randy.

“Their true role… is guiding the lost.”

Kline slowly connects the pieces.

“…That’s why Xorvath wanted that power.”

“Yes.”

“A power that doesn’t require magic. Or miracles.”

She exhales softly.

“It’s something else entirely.”

“Something not everyone can possess.”

Kline crosses his arms.

“…And the specimen is right in front of us.”

Nyx doesn’t deny it.

“…Randy is more than anti-magic.”

The golden light intensifies slightly.

The civilians begin to cry quietly.

But not from fear.

From release.

From relief.

Kline whispers,

“So… there’s more than meets the eye, huh?”

Nyx nods.

“Yes.”

From the Skybreaker

High above—

The crew of the Skybreaker watch in stunned silence.

Eira grips the railing.

Below them—

Orbs of light begin rising from the ruined capital.

Small.

Gentle.

Countless.

They lift from the ground like fireflies.

Souls.

Freed.

Guided.

They spiral around Randy before ascending into the sky.

No screaming.

No distortion.

Just peace.

Eira’s eyes tremble.

“…Like Drake always said…”

Her voice is soft.

“He guides lost sailors from the sea.”

She watches the lights vanish into the heavens.

“…Randy guides the lost from the world.”

Back on the Ground

I finish the song.

The last note fades into the wind.

The golden light dissolves.

The orbs are gone.

The civilians stand quietly.

Some bow.

Some simply stare.

Not in fear.

In gratitude.

I open my eyes slowly.

“…What happened?”

Kline walks up beside me.

“You just escorted half the capital to the afterlife.”

“…Excuse me?”

Nyx steps forward.

“You didn’t kill them.”

She shakes her head gently.

“You saved them from being trapped.”

I look at my hands.

They’re not glowing anymore.

No mana residue.

No magic signature.

Just… warmth.

“…I didn’t use magic.”

“No,” Nyx says.

“You used something older.”

Cleo stirs in Nyx’s arms.

Half asleep.

She murmurs softly,

“…You’re warm…”

I freeze.

Kline smirks.

“Ohhh?”

“I swear I will dismantle you molecule by molecule.”

He laughs.

But Nyx doesn’t.

She watches me carefully.

Because now she understands.

The Anti-Magic King.

The Valkyrie Song.

The Soul Guide.

Randy is not just a weapon.

He is something gods fear.

And yet—

Right now—

He just stands there, tired.

The people begin gathering around us.

Not in anger.

Not in accusation.

But in despair.

An old elvish man steps forward, leaning on a wooden staff carved with fading runes.

“Lady Nyx… we have nothing left in this place…”

His voice trembles.

Behind him—

An elvish woman wipes her tears.

“What are we supposed to do now…?”

A goblin man clenches his fists.

“My son… my son passed on…”

An orc lowers his head.

“My boy was at the Eastern Front…”

Grief piles up in the air thicker than smoke.

Nyx steps forward.

Her posture straightens.

Her voice firm but not cold.

“Listen, everyone. This capital is no longer safe.”

She scans the broken skyline.

“Your leader abandoned you.”

A murmur spreads through the crowd.

“But where do we go?” the orc asks.

Nyx hesitates.

Just slightly.

“….”

Before she can answer—

The ground shakes.

Everyone steps back.

Cracks spread across the plaza floor.

“What now?!” Kline groans.

The earth suddenly bursts upward—

Stone fragments fly—

And something rises from beneath.

A massive mechanical drilling platform.

And standing atop it—

A woman in knight armor.

“RANDY!!!”

…Misha.

Kline immediately drops to his knees.

“WHY IS IT ALWAYS RANDY?! WHY NOT ME?!”

The crowd stares.

Nyx blinks.

“You must be…?”

The woman steps forward confidently.

“I am Misha. Second-in-command of the Knights.”

Her eyes shift to me.

“…And I think you owe me an explanation.”

“…Yeah,” I scratch my head. “About that…”

The Underground Surprise

After a brief explanation about gods, dragon claws, divine vessels, and accidental apocalypse—

Misha crosses her arms.

“Lady Garnet did mention it was time to recruit new people…”

“…Recruit for what?” I ask.

She smirks slightly.

“You’ll see.”

The Skybreaker descends with a roar.

Eira jumps down and freezes.

“Aye!? MISHA!? What in blazes are ye doing here?!”

Misha shrugs casually.

“Conrad wanted underground mapping. Something about a ‘subway system.’”

“…Subway?”

“Apparently it’s faster than dragons.”

She points downward.

“We’ve been building tunnels across the northern territories.”

“And,” she adds casually,

“I’m currently riding a giant subterranean spider.”

Everyone stares at her.

“…Uh huh,” I say.

Then—

She steps fully out from the dust.

Armor slightly scuffed.

Confident stance.

And I—

Notice something.

Oh.

Oh no.

What the hell am I thinking.

Focus.

Focus, idiot.

“…Nice… butt?”

…

Silence.

The air freezes.

Luna appears instantly beside me.

Teleportation ripple still fading.

Her smile is sweet.

Too sweet.

“…What was that?”

“Nothing.”

“You said something.”

“Wind. It was wind.”

“By praying,” she says calmly.

I blink.

“What?”

“That’s how you release tension.”

Before I can respond—

Misha waves happily.

“Hey Luna!!!”

Luna’s smile tightens.

“Umm… Misha… what are you doing here?”

The two women lock eyes.

Friendly.

But charged.

Misha beams.

“Helping with evacuation!”

Luna nods slowly.

“…I see.”

This battlefield is more dangerous than the dragon claw.

Randy’s Brain Shutdown

My head spins.

Refugees.

Gods.

Jealous princess teleporting.

Spider-riding knight.

Soul-guiding Valkyrie energy.

Nope.

System overload.

“I’m done,” I mutter.

And I just—

Lay down.

Flat on my back.

On the ruined plaza.

Staring at the sky.

“I’m sleeping.”

“HEY!!!” Luna shouts.

Misha kneels beside me immediately.

“Aww… he’s so cute!”

Luna grabs Misha’s shoulder.

“You! Get away from him!”

Misha doesn’t even move.

She gently pats my head.

“He’s really, really cute.”

“I SAID DON’T!!!”

Nyx pinches the bridge of her nose.

“Can we please not do this in front of displaced civilians?”

The refugees stare in confusion.

Kline is still on his knees, fists slamming the ground dramatically.

“BASTARD RANDY! YOU SAID THERE WERE MERMAIDS IN MARINUS!!! WHY DO YOU GET ALL THE GOOD STUFF?!”

“…I never said that.”

“YOU IMPLIED IT!”

“I did not!”

Nyx raises her voice.

“Everyone line up! We’re evacuating to Marinus!”

The name spreads through the crowd.

Whispers.

Hope.

Marinus.

The coastal stronghold.

The sanctuary city.

The place Garnet prepared.

The New Direction

Misha stands tall.

“Our tunnels can transport civilians safely. We can move them underground before dark.”

Eira nods.

“Skybreaker will provide aerial overwatch.”

Nyx looks at me.

Still lying down.

“You’re not sleeping.”

“Watch me.”

She kicks my foot lightly.

“You guided souls today.”

“And?”

“And leaders don’t get to nap.”

I groan.

Kline suddenly gasps dramatically.

“WAIT.”

He looks at Nyx.

“Did you say Marinus?”

“Yes.”

“The coastal city?”

“Yes.”

“With sea routes?”

“Yes.”

“…With potential mermaids?”

Nyx stares blankly.

“…Focus.”

He slams his fists again.

“WHY IS RANDY BLESSED BY ALL FEMALE ENTITIES IN THIS WORLD?!”

Luna calmly steps over me and looks down.

“…He isn’t blessed.”

She folds her arms.

“He’s just stupid.”

“…Thanks.”

Misha giggles.

Nyx sighs.

The refugees begin lining up.

The ruined capital empties slowly.

To be continued.