Rumors

"Hey, hey, did you hear?" An archer with a bow and a pair of short daggers at her waist walked through the outer gardens of Thar-Abbys. Still young, her group of four was heading toward the well-known Thar-Abbys station of the Multicontinental.

"I heard Iris failed her Academy Grade E exam. That’s enough to make my day," one of the boys said, sipping his hot drink. The white snow sharply reflected the sun from the vast, open sky above them. The storm clouds characteristic of the central tower were completely absent, revealing the pearlescent tower of the academy, shining like a watchman over the world.

"No, no... do you mean... that?" Another young warrior, clad entirely in silver and bronze armor, brought her hand to her face. The same scene was repeating itself everywhere, and the anxiety only made the inexperienced young adventurers tense. Other groups walked alongside them, some boarding the train while others returned from their adventures.

"Oh, yeah... you mean the masters assigning completely wrong missions... with difficulties way beyond the other students' grades?" A tall boy, cloaked in a grayish cape and armed with a Klauvra staff—which was topped by a gray boulder—used it to support his stride as he quickened his pace to catch up with his group.

"It must be the story of the fist-warrior... She and her group went to check a report of a large predator on the outskirts of a small town in the P'yi wetlands..." Indignation and anger flashed across the boy's face, only to fade into sadness. The surrounding kids listened closely, trying not to show their interest.

"And... what happened to her? Are they okay?" the archer replied. The others paid attention; even a few outside their group sharpened their ears while continuing their own tasks.

"Well... the professors haven't said much... but out of that group of four, only three came back, and they say she lost her legs. A clean cut, from what they say." The others around them fell deep into thought. Some simply dismissed it as a rumor and walked away, while others took it to heart and clutched their medals. Unloaded luggage piled up nearby; not all of it would be collected by its owners. Some would remain there, unclaimed.

"Uhm, well, that's why we're only going to safe zones, right?" The girl in armor tried to cheer up the group. The others smiled back at her as they chatted and checked their belongings. With a lingering sense of insecurity, the kids boarded the station to begin their journey.

"Enough! Let's not just talk about our comrades' misfortunes like that! Whether it happened or not, we won't know. The masters support us with so much... You, Luan, didn't even have a place to sleep and the academy gave us a house, remember?!" A young man dressed in gray armor with a large longsword halted his steps. Resting his hand on the pommel of his sword, he confronted the cloaked mage.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember... Damn it, he never misses a chance to remind me... Cursed Rax." The cloaked youth wrapped his cape tightly around his fists and his Klauvra, quickening his pace and leaving the others behind.

"Ah, wait, Luan! Rax, you're always like this! You never miss an opportunity to be mean to Luan!" the girl in silver armor scolded the young swordsman before running after the mage.

"Ah, wait, Rhea!" Rax ran after the young armored girl, while the archer stayed behind to buy some bread.

"Wai' for me, don' go!" The young archer, biting into a loaf of bread, ran after the others.

"Run, Nesta! Luan and Rax are fighting again!" Rhea raised her hand toward Nesta, urging her to hurry. The four of them boarded the Multicontinental in a rush, heading to their assignment further north in the vegetable farms of Ifritia.

"Now remember: we are only supposed to drive away pests and wild animals from the village fields. Anything outside the fields is strictly out of bounds." Rax read every line from a booklet of instructions as if they were absolute laws, solemnly lecturing the group while the others reacted with varying degrees of interest.

"Hehe... I think... Rax is pretty excited, don't you think?" Rhea scratched her cheek, listening to the rules Rax was laying down.

"Bah, it's the same old thing. The hurofalcos won't be a problem, we just shouldn't go into the frozen woods or the white pastures; it's easy to get lost." Luan, still bundled up in his gray cape, leaned against a window, staring blankly as trees and houses blurred past the glass, completely uninterested in what Rax was saying.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Rhea! I've been your leader for three weeks and I don't see Luan or Nesta taking me seriously! I'm a higher grade than you guys, damn it! You should listen to what I say!" Throwing a tantrum, Rax slammed the book shut, sat down violently, and stared out the window opposite Luan.

"Huh? What's going on? This again? Come on, Rax, are you still fighting with Luan? You should just apologize! I'm not in the mood to do this mission with you two bickering like always! Especially not on this mission!" Nesta, having paid absolutely no attention to anything Rax had said earlier, slumped onto the sofa inside the Multicontinental cabin. The massive cabins, equipped with all the luxuries of a private house, were a favorite among adventurers across Khuarhya.

"Rax! Luan! Pay attention! We've only done missions carrying things, escorting small merchants from town to town, and patrolling roads in the afternoon. This is my first real combat mission, don't ruin it, okay?" Nesta scolded both boys. They merely glanced at each other and turned away to their respective sides, slightly annoyed with one another.

"Hehehe... Nesta, the boys will do their best and behave, right?" Rhea's warm and loving gaze suddenly washed over them, instantly dissolving the tension among the youths, though a bit of friction remained.

"Erm... I don't promise anything, but I'll try to behave." Luan relaxed his grip on his cape, yielding to Rhea and blushing slightly as he avoided looking at her.

"Fine, as long as they stay sharp and support the team, I won't have any problems." Rax tucked away his prized copy of Introductory Regulations for Wood Grades and Beginners.

"So! What are we actually doing on the mission?" Nesta asked, completely ignorant of their objective. Rax looked at her with a mix of anger and worry; Luan tightened his cape again, while Rhea scratched her cheek, as she always did when she got nervous.

"Did you not hear a single word I said? We are going to a village west of Ifritia, to Maghllar. Their livestock has been disappearing in the afternoons and mornings," Rax replied, exhausted from repeating himself.

"Ah, sorry, sorry! It's just that I hadn't finished the cheese pastries we bought at the station. Have you tried them? They are really good, and on Tuesdays they sell ones stuffed with meat and spices! ... Right, the mission, hehehe." Nesta stuck out the tip of her tongue mischievously and smoothly changed the subject. "But don't worry, we'll find the scoundrel who's stealing or eating those poor animals!" Nesta spoke incredibly fast, leaving Rax barely able to keep up.

"Fine... just pay attention. You're the group's scout, and I need you alert, got it?" Rax looked into her eyes; all he could see inside them were thoughts of food and drink. "...Rhea, please help me." Disheartened, Rax turned to Rhea. She smiled at him.

"Hehe, that's just how Nesta is, Rax, but she's an excellent scout. Don't worry, you'll see we'll finish this mission quickly and be back by tomorrow afternoon." Rhea smiled as always, bringing her usual positivity to the group. They all went to sleep; the Multicontinental would arrive at the station very early in the morning.

Flocks of birds swarmed and circled; their shrill cries rose into the sky alongside their massive numbers, which looked overwhelming from the ground. Tall grasslands stretched out into a vast expanse; small, shallow lakes reflected the morning light here and there.

"Hey, Rax," Rhea asked in her usual soft voice. "Hmm? What's wrong, Rhea?" came his always slow, warm reply. "Well, I'm worried... those rumors... You always tell me not to fear, that the professors and examiners at Thar-Abbys are excellent... and... I believe that too, but... what if whatever is happening is out of their hands? Don't you think it would be better to go back to Rondalla? Old Mrs. Ralz might take us in, and... and..." Rhea fell silent, lost in her thoughts. Finally, she gave him her best smile. "Mmmh... no, nothing, don't mind me... I know how much this means to you, hehehe," Rhea said, scratching her cheek again. Rax listened intently.

"Thanks for understanding... I'll make sure we can build a decent life. We just need to reach bronze grade. I heard that's enough to earn a living as a guard for your region, and if we go back as guards to our hometown, we can have a good life..." Rax clenched his fist around his greatsword. The carriage that was supposed to take them to their destination was already a couple of hours late. Luan and Nesta were on a nearby bench; Luan listened to the conversation, pretending to be asleep.

"Huh? It's still not here. We should just walk, Rax. It's not very far, and there's a decent stone road leading to the village." Luan rubbed his eyes, pretending to wake up, and stood up, abruptly letting poor Nesta slide down the wooden bench. She hit her head with a dull thud. "Bonk! Auuuu, a surprise attack!" Nesta clutched her head, writhing from the pain.

"Alright, let's go. Grab your things." Rax helped Rhea up, and they set off down the cobblestone road. The hip-high grass swayed carelessly; a gentle, cold breeze carried the scents of the countryside: water, stone, and moss. Winged mice made long leaps with sparrow-like front paws and mottled wings, casting curious glances as they nibbled on tall seed-heavy stalks.

"Hey guys, doesn't it feel strange? It's suddenly very quiet," Rhea looked up at the sky and then back at her companions. "Rhea's right, the flocks are gone! I'll go a bit ahead to get a better look from that tree." Nesta felt a strange unease; she ran forward at full speed, dropping her luggage bag. Her light frame allowed her to quickly reach a gnarled, twisted tree—the only one along the road.

"Rax, maybe you should see this." Luan pointed his Klauvra toward a clearing beside the road: a destroyed carriage, blood, and fur marked a scene of struggle and defeat. Rhea watched with terror; her heart raced, and she instinctively clutched her stomach against the sudden emptiness. "I-Is that... or was that someone?" Terrified and pale, Rhea clung to Rax's arm.

"No, it's horse fur and blood... it's the coach that was supposed to pick us up..." Rax looked to the right. The carriage had been cleanly sliced in half; notches from claws and teeth were marked deep into the hard Gluco wood, known as "ironwood" by the locals.

"Is that... a feather? I thought it was a sword!" Luan looked not far away. A massive crimson feather, looking like fresh blood and measuring nearly a meter long, lay wedged into the middle of a boulder. "Ra...x... what is that?" Rhea's terror was palpable; she grabbed her massive shield and assumed a defensive stance.

"Everyone stay sharp! Nesta, what do you see?" Rax shouted, drawing his sword. "RAX! RAX, LOOK UP! ABOVE YOU!" Nesta screamed in terror, running back while pointing her bow above the boys.

A shadow, swift as lightning, silent and merciless. The massive creature's eyes locked onto Nesta... Feeling the gaze, Rhea ran to defend her, planting herself in front of it, terrified yet displaying a contrasting bravery. "Rhea... RHEA!" Rax sprinted in desperation, his sword held high; agonizingly long, desperate moments, steps that felt like they would never end.

"It's a Ferruginoso! RHEA, GET OUT OF THERE!" He gripped his sword, ripping it from his hip; his body spun away from where he stood, and shouting in fear, he watched the shadow close in closer and closer to Rhea, but only his voice was fast enough to reach her.

To Luan's eyes, Rhea was beautiful beyond measure; her soft voice and tender warmth meant everything to him. In that moment, an effigy of gold, black, and red loomed before him: stripes over massive muscles, blood-red wings, a beak and claws like burnished steel. The great predator lunged at young Rhea, delivering lethal strikes with its claws. Luan shrieked in desperation, casting the only spell he knew: "STELLA SECARE!" Luan recited at the top of his lungs, pouring all his strength and power into it, letting the incantation drink all his energy and poison his body; nothing mattered more than stopping that massive winged tiger from hurting Rhea. The mana pooled in his body, intoxicating him; he felt parts of his form go numb from the buildup. The price for this ability would be high, but he didn't care.

But Luan was still inexperienced: power does not equal speed, and to a Ferruginoso, speed is everything. With a sweeping twist of its wings, it severed both of Rax's legs, throwing him to the side of the road. The expression on Rax's face said it all: fast... too fast. Just as he took a step, he collapsed, completely unable to comprehend why his legs wouldn't respond. He hit the cobblestones face-first; the dry impact broke his nose. Entirely ignoring the pain, he scrambled up and looked around: neither the Ferruginoso nor Rhea was in front of him.

"Ah... no way..." Nesta's face lit up in the glow of the furious, uncontrolled sphere. It slammed into her chest, sinking into her flesh. The stray Stella Secare, having missed the Ferruginoso, struck the oblivious archer dead-on, sending her flying through the air, spinning until she crashed into the tree.

"Nesta!" Luan fired in a frenzy, and in less time than it took to unleash the spell, Rhea and the giant Ferruginoso vanished. But he did see Nesta's left arm sever and tear away. THUD! The heavy slam of armor echoed as a body fell from the sky, its occupant choking on her own blood in the grass. Rhea reached an arm into the air, her other hand clutching her abdomen; the infinite sky stretched out before her. Life was draining from her due to a massive peck wound to her neck, which bled profusely. With hollow eyes, her mouth silently formed the name Rax.

And suddenly, amidst the chaos wrought by the Ferruginoso, the ticking chime of an eco-quartzite rang out, pulsing to the rhythm of a voice emerging from it: "Inola, give me a protection barrier!" shouted an older boy wearing a blue military uniform with white embroidery; a metallic fist gleamed on his left arm.

"Ithil, there are too many wounded! I'll treat the girls first. Leonidas, go get the two boys further ahead. Cover me!" Mina, a massive young woman nearly two meters tall with blonde hair, swiftly pulled out small droppers with needles and injected a clear liquid into Nesta and Rhea. Lifting the girls, she carried them to a spot where she unrolled a plastic tarp on the ground, laying them down side-by-side. Attending to Nesta first, Mina applied tourniquates and quickly bandaged the wound. The young archer, unconscious from the shock of the impact, stared into nothingness, lost in her own mind with blank, gray pupils.

"Here's your defense, Ithil!" Working in unison, Jacob and Inola instantly materialized a dome of cords and seals that proved impenetrable to the Ferruginoso. Relentless and fierce, the massive winged tiger continued its assault, slamming against it repeatedly; with every strike, the dome reverberated like a bell. Mina worked frantically inside the dome. Since Stella Secare was one of Ithil's own abilities, Mina knew well that the wound would be sterile and wouldn't require much disinfection, so she focused on closing it as quickly as possible using small elastic bandages tipped with sharp claws.

"Magaska, I need you to apply pressure right here on the armored girl's neck, don't let go! Use your hair to keep pressure on the archer!" "Magaska on it!" The white-haired girl placed her small hands over Rhea's neck; her hair came alive, wrapping around the torso of the archer, who lay unconscious beside her severed arm.

"Who... who are you guys? Are you from the academy?" Rax looked up at a massive, bald young man; blue tattooed accents on his head gleamed under the sun. "Haha, comrade, we're the backup!" Leonidas hoisted both Rax and Luan onto his shoulders—both critically wounded. Mina kept working rapidly; time was against her. Inserting expanding cotton packs, she managed to halt Rhea's profuse bleeding.

"Where... where is Rhea?" Rax, fading, barely managed to cling to consciousness. "Easy there, leader friend, we're heading to her," Leonidas replied, carrying him on his shoulder as if the boy and his armor weighed no more than a feather. "And Nesta! How is she?!" Luan remembered the young archer in terror; in his mind, she was being struck over and over by his Stella Secare. "Don't worry, young magicer, they are being tended to by Sister Mina. She is fighting to save them, I assure you." Taking large strides, Leonidas moved quickly toward the clearing where the shield stood.

"The Ferruginoso is still out there. It's massive and furious; it's already caused so much damage... Mina, should we put it to sleep?" Ithil asked as he rushed to meet the others. Mina examined the two girls closely; the bleeding was subsiding, but their conditions worried her. "Let me see you, my girl, I need to check beneath your armor." Mina took a knife and carefully sliced the straps securing the armor to its owner. She quickly checked her arms—one was broken at the shoulder from the impact, but both legs were intact.

A faint murmur escaped Rhea's lips. Mina leaned in to listen, feeling her chest and abdomen. "What are you trying to tell me?" Mina couldn't decipher the whistling sound barely passing through Rhea's lips, likely due to the neck wound. Suddenly, Mina froze. Hurriedly, she grabbed an oval jade gemstone and pressed it against Rhea's abdomen; the stone flared a brilliant pink. "No... it's a male. It must be gathering food for its nesting grounds; breeding season starts in a few days... Ithil, we need to talk." Taking Ithil by the shoulder, Mina pulled him away from where Rhea and Nesta lay, stabilized for the moment.

"The shield warrior..." Ithil looked down at the girl. Blood covered her face, her armor was dented from the impact, and with her eyes nearly rolling back, her lips moved in silent repetition. "Ah, damn it, how is she? Did we get here too late?" Worried, Ithil looked at Mina and the young girls.

"We need to get to the academy fast... Ithil... the shield girl... she's pregnant. I applied mild muscle relaxants and antispasmodics; she's in her first month. She'll survive, but... I only know one doctor capable of saving them both: Emilia needs to see her." Ithil's eyes widened in shock just as Leonidas arrived with the two youths on his shoulders. "What? Pregnant! Rhea... why didn't you say anything? If you had told me, I..." Rax recalled their conversation from that morning and fell silent, overwhelmed by the secret Rhea had kept. Tearing his throat, he screamed his agony into the air, clawing at the hair on both sides of his head.

"Magaska, trap that Ferruginoso along with Jacob and Inola!" Ithil grabbed a communicator; the eco-quartzites vibrated once more. "Y-You're a doctor, right?... Please, I beg you, save her... Save Rhea and my child. I'll give you everything I have, I'll even be your slave, I can give you so much money... please, save her..." Pale and in shock, Rax gripped Mina's hand tightly as she bandaged his legs to halt the bleeding. Suddenly, he screamed in desperation, "WERE YOU NOT LISTENING?! SAVE RHEA!" With eyes lost in confusion and rage, Rax held Mina back. "Calm down, we are doing just that... but I can't guarantee anything, do you hear me?!" Mina used her strength to pry Rax's hand off her arm; his grip was preventing her from treating him. Mina was on the verge of reprimanding them for bringing a pregnant girl on a mission, but chose to say no more, lacking a deeper understanding of the situation.

"Kill it..." a voice muttered behind Rax. Mina caught the venom in the words; they landed heavily, but she ignored their weight. Using an emergency lumaria, she purged the mana poisoning Luan's system. Ithil and Leonidas fell silent, understanding the profound hatred the creature had bred in the group. "...KILL THAT DAMN MONSTER, FINISH IT! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU CAME FOR TOO?!" Possessed by rage, Luan began to thrash, shaking his Klauvra, demanding a blood payment from the other youths. "Kill it... finish it, please..." Bundled in his cape, Luan wept impotently.

"Mina... I have cooling packs in the vehicle. I'll tell Leonidas to fetch them as quickly as possible to preserve the archer girl's arm." Ithil tossed the keys to Leonidas, who understood instantly. "On it, siblings. I'll go get the vehicle." Patting both boys on the shoulder, Leonidas sprinted off. They watched him go, each lost in his own separate grief.

"Good, you're a lifesaver, Ithil. If we drop the pregnant girl's temperature, we can buy more time—that gives us a better shot at saving her, and the archer's arm too! Magaska, thanks for the help, go assist the boys." Mina tended to both girls, preparing to move them. "Right! Magaska is going after the Ferruginoso!" Giving a military salute to her brow, Magaska took off, her wings flaring open.

"Jacob, I've got the right side!" Inola threw a handful of threads into the air. Shaking his rosary, he created a floating net that lunged toward the Ferruginoso. "Graaaa!" With a roar, the massive beast pulled off an impossible mid-air twist, using its wings to pivot hard in the opposite direction of its leap. "Magaska's got it, haaa!" Also winged, Magaska intercepted it, using her hair to mirror Inola's net; both surrounded the creature. Only Jacob was missing.

"Wraaa!" The massive, muscular juggernaut saw an opening and slipped agilely between the three youths; its wings granted it a supernatural maneuverability in the air for a beast of its size. Escaping the three young fighters, the animal fled and vanished into the tall grass. "What...? Where's Jacob? Do you see him?" Inola crouched low as well, trying to hide after losing sight of the Ferruginoso, looking around nervously; the beast had simply vanished. "It's still here. It's an ambush predator. Stop talking and pay... attention." Jacob crouched down, gradually lowering his voice, using his hand to signal the others to stay low.

Silence fell once more; the wind and the grasslands sang over one another with tiny, raspy, high-pitched voices. The waves of grass rippled in a continuous, monotonous pattern. Beyond the perimeter set by Jacob and Inola, where the wounded lay, the tension ratcheted up bit by bit. Two yellow-breasted lupho birds watched the field side-by-side, attentive witnesses to the duel of patience unfolding in the grasslands below. Gleaming eyes and a beak of burnished black steel peeked through the stalks; the Ferruginoso's patience broke.

"HiAAAAAA!" Mina launched off the ground in a single bound; her steady fists wielded her characteristic white august staff that Jacob had crafted for her some time ago. Directing the strike straight at the Ferruginoso's flank, Mina sought to topple the striped giant onto its side. "Graaa!" Dodging the staff and shattering it with a powerful swipe of its claws, the Ferruginoso soared into the air, enveloped in a cocoon of wings.

"It's yours, Leonidas!" Ithil shouted from his hiding spot. Leonidas spun a pair of steel bolas, ready to snare the animal. The throw was inches from catching it, but the Ferruginoso's tucked wings flared open violently, stopping it just shy of capture. Executing a contorted twist, it lunged directly at the now-exposed Leonidas. "Heiii! Leonidas doesn't fear your claws or your wings!" Planting his feet using his rondallas, Leonidas stood firm, ready to meet the massive, towering beast head-on.

"Kan-ja! Binding Chains!" Crouched in the grass, Inola prayed aloud with his favorite weapon. Cords and knots ensnared the striped giant. Inola instantly felt the raw, unadulterated strength of the beast. "Leo! You idiot, you barely recovered from Nivoria—it took you eight months! And here you are again, asking for wounds!" Sweating profusely, Inola grew frustrated; the spiritual weight of the binding was immense. Creatures like this, committing no sins and remaining pure in their nature, were notoriously difficult to subdue with the rosary.

"JACOB, NOW! NOW! NOW!" Mina leaped from behind the creature, splitting a new staff made in sections; the tips featured sharp metallic claws that flared open, pinning both of the Ferruginoso's wings. "I'm here! Haa!" With his small frame, Jacob literally soared through the air using wings crafted from metallic tubes, within which Lizva resonated powerfully. Jacob slammed face-first against the Ferruginoso, gripping the creature's fur tightly, taking care to avoid the sword-sharp feathers.

"PWAAA, bleeeeehhh, pfft, pfft, I got fur in my mouth!" Jacob squeezed his eyes shut; the coarse fur of the Ferruginoso pricked and irritated his face. Crawling blindly up its spine, he reached the crown of the beast. There, using a small device, he deployed a syringe that inoculated a glowing red substance into the potent animal. "It's done! Ithil, Magaska, your turn!" Jacob let go of the beast, which still possessed plenty of vigor. Thrashing even while half-trapped, it threw Jacob and his gadget, sending him skidding face-first through the grassland for several meters. A worried Lizva emerged at the side of the dazed Jacob.

"Magaska will hold the beast until the drug takes effect!" Magaska's hair completely entangled the animal, barely pinning it down as its claws fought against the encroaching sleep. "This is the end of the line, boy," Ithil approached the massive Ferruginoso. The beast glared at him with pure rage. Screeching and piping like a hawk, its fury was plain to see. Pshii, pshii! Soft hiss-like shots echoed as a durt gun smoked in Ithil's metallic hand. His reflection in the Ferruginoso's pupils blurred, and the creature sank into a heavy slumber. The Ferruginoso had been subdued.

"Leo, bring the vehicle around. We need to load the rookies and contact Samael and Emilia," Ithil grumbled between his teeth, as was his habit. The barrier protecting the rookies dissipated, allowing Jacob and Inola to finally rest. "Those kids... their first mission..." Ithil couldn't take his eyes off the four youths, barely five years younger than his own team.

"Ithil! We've finished securing the locking bolts. The Ferruginoso is completely tied down." Jacob approached the group. Taking in the grim scene, he glanced sideways at the rescued squad. "Good job, Jacob. We'll call the ranger squad. Just set up the tent so the Ferruginoso isn't left out in the open; we don't want any more accidents." Jacob nodded, looking back at the young rookies. "They'll be fine. Mina is an excellent doctor, you know that firsthand," Ithil gave Jacob a tired smile. Jacob looked back and nodded. "Of course she is. And by the way, Mina... Leonidas found the swordsman's legs... but the Ferruginoso chewed on them a bit," Jacob shrugged.

"Oh, I see... Hmm, I think it's too late, Jacob. We can bring them, but we won't be able to save them. Hurry and put them in the vehicle's cold storage compartment, we're leaving." Mina finished securing the last pieces of equipment in the vehicle; Inola was already inside, and Leonidas was at the wheel. The long transport featured two compartments: a front cabin designed for five occupants, and a rear cabin outfitted with equipment and seats for medical care, where Nesta and Rhea were traveling. Rax and Luan were still struggling to process what had just happened.

"Alright, let's move! Leave the Ferruginoso; the ranger team is already on their way to transport it to the southern reserve." Mina urged Ithil to get in; everyone was on board. Magaska, perched on top, held onto the roof using her hair. Ithil climbed in and took the passenger seat. Massive basaltic side shields that folded down from the platform glowed a vibrant orange. The levitators absorbed the vehicle's weight, granting it agility and speed.

"How long from here to the academy?" Mina asked, calculating the dosages to administer during the trip. "By Multicontinental, it's roughly sixteen hours. In the Guisarme, it'll be about four. Just let's avoid hitting any wildlife; the mess would be catastrophic," Jacob smiled grimly, patting the side of the vehicle. "Don't worry, Brother Jacob, Leonidas will be extra careful," Leonidas gave a thumbs-up and accelerated, demonstrating an unexpected mastery at the wheel.

Ithil stared at young Rax. His mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't form. His gaze fixed on Rax's amputated legs; after staring for a while, he looked down at his own missing hand. The gleaming metallic black still disgusted him; he felt like it smelled of blood. "Ithil... are you alright? You've been staring fixedly at the swordsman for over half an hour. The boy himself has already noticed," Inola cut into Ithil's thoughts. "That makes two," Ithil muttered blankly. "Yeah... we couldn't prevent what happened to the other group either. The fist-warrior girl and her squad..." "Lucernia!" Ithil said aloud. Mina noticed the conversation, as did Jacob and Leonidas, though Leonidas chose to remain focused on the road.

"Huh...?" Inola paused for a moment. "Her name is Lucernia. She has the exact same injuries as this boy, Rax," Ithil looked back down at his arm. "I don't know... lately, I feel like we've been failing... a lot..." Staring at his gold medal, it suddenly felt incredibly heavy—so heavy he could barely lift it; his metallic arm could scarcely bear the weight. With a sharp, high-pitched ringing in his ears, his vision began to blur.

"Ithil... ITHIL! Look at me! Are you with us? Are you still here? We're right here!" Inola cupped both of his cheeks with her hands, tapping them gently to lift his face. Mina rushed over. "He's having a bad reaction to the prosthetic again. Inola, clear out!" Mina interrupted, pushing Inola aside to inject Ithil, who promptly fell asleep from the sedative. "Mmmh, Ithil is exhausted. This will let him rest," Mina returned to monitoring Rhea and Nesta, both still unconscious. Ithil drifted off.

"We all are, Sister Mina. We spent the last two weeks tracking that Ferruginoso," Leonidas noted, also feeling the toll of the mission. "T-Two weeks?" Rax asked aloud. "Yeah... the Ferruginoso that attacked you had three teams tracking it... ever since the incident with the fist-warrior," Jacob stood up to swap out the vehicle's quartz core. "Two weeks and three teams..." The concept was mind-boggling to Rax; in fact, it felt a bit insulting. "No offense, but... what took you so long?" Rax laughed bitterly.

"What?! Do you have any idea how hard Ithil worked to find that Ferruginoso?!" Inola stood up, infuriated. "YES, AND LOOK! RHEA MIGHT DIE, AND NESTA AND I ARE FINISHED! WHAT CAN YOUR FABULOUS LEADER DO ABOUT THAT?!" Rax shouted, pure cynicism laced into every word. "Petty and miserable... that's how you sound," Luan said to Rax, devoid of any sympathy. "Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you should feel lucky they're even alive. We can fight in other ways, but you're so obsessed with being a high rank that you never listened to Rhea. NOT ONE DAMN TIME!" Luan tore off his gray cape and hurled it at Rax, then stood up, attempting to strike him with his Klauvra.

"Wait!" Mina stood up to restrain him, but stopped. Luan froze mid-strike, while Rax wept beneath the gray cape. "And now the one crying inside the cape is you... hehehe... HAHAHAHA! What a damn life... hic." Luan tossed his Klauvra aside and sat down next to Rax, pulling him into an embrace. Both of them wept for a long while.