Into the Storm

Tash!

     Thud-thud... Thud-thud... Grooaan–h…

     The sharp sound of a whip split through the morning air. The heavy footsteps of the mighty caravan-pulling creature and the slowly turning wooden wheels broke the silence of dawn. Beneath the glow of the steadily rising sun, the coachman suddenly pulled the reins to bring his caravan to a stop.

     "What's wrong, Coachman? Why are we stopping?" asked one of the caravan passengers, poking his head out through the window.

     "L-look at that... what's happened to the capital of Finchster?" the coachman said with trembling hands, pointing toward the distant horizon.

     The passenger's eyes widened, his face instantly turning pale. "Holy crap... Finchster is surrounded by a dark storm like that? Looks like Finchster is under attack by a Catalyst Approach!" he exclaimed in shock.

     "I think we'd better wait here for now. There's no point continuing our journey anyway," suggested the coachman with an old sigh. "And this... I feel sorry for my Bicorn too. It's already exhausted. As for whether we actually need to go to the capital, I do desperately need to get there to sell my merchandise. I hope all of you passengers don't mind the delay."

     "Ah, okay then. That's fine," the other three passengers replied resignedly, continuing to stare at the disaster unfolding over Finchster in the distance.

---

     The atmosphere inside the Sovereign Vanguard tactical room was extremely busy and filled with glowing lights. Everyone was moving around frantically, deploying every magical radar available to search for the whereabouts of Thunderbird, which had disappeared without a trace.

     "How is it, Mila? Have you found that creature's location yet?" asked General Azeer in his authoritative baritone voice.

     "Just a moment, General," Mila replied, her fingers moving rapidly across the control panel. "Lans! How's your side of the radar? Have you found it yet?"

     "Just a moment... Got it!" Lans answered while fiddling with his reflection-transmission system.

     Mila immediately turned around toward the luxurious meeting table. "Excuse me, General and Colonels. According to our magical radar, Thunderbird's presence is currently detected around the evacuation area, and there is a high possibility that the Elemental Monster will reappear there."

    "Okay, good work, Mila and Lans," Azeer replied with satisfaction. He then turned toward his line of senior officers. "Well? Do the three of you Colonels have any tactical suggestions? Considering that we had many troops killed and wounded yesterday," Azeer asked seriously.

     Colonel 1 Tanaka cleared his throat before straightening his posture. "In my opinion, to fight Thunderbird this time, we only need to send one hundred soldiers, General. Since there are already Valiant Knights and Academy Mages at the evacuation site, we can combine our forces with them to drive the monster away."

     "Okay, that's a good suggestion, Colonel One Tanaka," Azeer replied in agreement. "What about the two of you? Don't you both have the best young soldiers under your command? Lieutenant Will and Lieutenant Son, how about we send the two of them to lead these one hundred soldiers?" Azeer asked for their consideration.

     Colonel 2 Zeff immediately nodded firmly. "I strongly agree with your proposal, General Azeer. This could also be a good opportunity for the two of them. They are the best soldiers in Team Blade, which I lead, and Team Firing, which Komatsu leads. Let the two of them command this makeshift division."

     "According to my suggestion, the distribution of the one hundred soldiers who will be led by Will and Son should be arranged like this, General," Colonel 3 Komatsu interjected, presenting his tactical blueprint. "We should take only thirty-five soldiers from Team Blade, while deploying sixty-five soldiers from Team Firing."

     "Okay, thank you for your suggestions, Colonel Two Zeff and Colonel Three Komatsu. Please contact Lieutenant Will and Lieutenant Son immediately," the authoritative general said, bringing the meeting to its conclusion.

     "Yes, sir! Understood, General!" the two Colonels replied in unison while giving a firm military salute.

     Azeer turned back toward the operator's table. "Mila, can you make an announcement to the soldiers now? Tell one hundred soldiers to immediately gather on the field, and inform them of the details we discussed earlier."

     "Yes, General! Understood!" Mila replied promptly, immediately activating the voice reflector.

     The next second, an operator's voice echoed loudly throughout the entire military complex through the voice reflector.

"Attention to all available Sovereign Vanguard soldiers. Please immediately gather and prepare yourselves on the main field! We require only thirty-five sword users and sixty-five rifle users! Emergency status: Thunderbird, which disappeared yesterday, has the potential to appear at the civilian evacuation site. Mission details can be obtained directly from Lieutenant Will and Lieutenant Son, who will be leading this makeshift division!"

     "Tch... damn monster!" cursed one of the soldiers inside the barracks after hearing the announcement. "We waited for it from yesterday afternoon until all through the night, and that bastard was actually hiding!"

     "Don't let that damn monster escape this time! Come on, hurry up and gather on the field!" his companion replied while grabbing his weapon.

     Now, one hundred Sovereign Vanguard soldiers wearing full tactical armor had gathered and stood neatly in formation in the middle of the field, standing tall under the command of their two young leaders.

     Lieutenant Will stepped forward to the front of the formation, staring sharply at his one hundred soldiers. "All of you, the one hundred soldiers gathered here as this makeshift division! Now, are you ready to eradicate this Catalyst Approach threat? Thunderbird is the only remaining threat we need to eliminate!" Will shouted loudly.

"Ready, Lieutenant!" the Sovereign Vanguard soldiers answered in unison, their voices reverberating like thunder.

     Amid the fervor, a young soldier in the front row raised his hand with a worried expression. "But... how are we supposed to fight Thunderbird, Lieutenant? Yesterday, when it attacked our headquarters, that creature was too difficult to hit because whenever we were about to land a hit, it always merged with the thunderstorm it created itself, Lieutenant."

     Lieutenant Son, standing beside Will, immediately chuckled casually to ease the tension among his troops. "Ah, as for that, don't worry! If our attacks fail again this time, we'll combine our strength with the Valiant Knight faction and the Academy Mages who are already standing by there!" Son shouted with a broad smile, reigniting the flames of determination in his soldiers' hearts. "If you're ready, let's go now!"

     "Let's go, Lieutenant! Move out!" the Sovereign Vanguard soldiers shouted thunderously, then simultaneously marched away from the field, hurrying toward the evacuation site.

---

     The atmosphere at the evacuation site had begun to settle down. Some of the civilians who had previously been overwhelmed by panic were now much calmer beneath the protection of the Aegis Barrier dome, which shone firmly upward into the sky.

     "Hurry! Immediately provide medical treatment to the injured! Give them healing magic, and for the civilians who are unconscious, give them potions immediately!" ordered an experienced mage promptly.

     "Yes!" the members of the Academy's Healing Team answered in unison as they began actively treating the injured victims in the emergency barracks.

     At the boundary of the protective barrier, the Valiant Knights could be seen standing while leaning against their shields.

     “What will become of the Kingdom of Finchster if this thunderstorm doesn’t end? And what about Commander Bardal after yesterday’s battle at the town square? Should we go check on him?” one of the Valiant Knights wondered aloud.

     "Relax, bro," one of his companions replied, trying to calm the atmosphere.

     “It would be better if we continued following the commander’s instructions from yesterday, Senior, and stayed here on strict guard duty. Just in case something unexpected happens, like a monster targeting the evacuation area,” said a young Valiant Knight while adjusting the straps of his armor.

     As the civilians began to feel comfortable inside the shelter while waiting for the disaster threat to end.

     ZAPPP~DHAARRRRR!!!

     A single bolt of lightning struck the surface of the Aegis Barrier directly, causing the magical protective layer to shake violently and tremble.

     "KRAAA-GHAARRR!"

     The hoarse shriek thundered with tremendous force, powerful enough to crush the courage of anyone who heard it.

     "Wow, that's so cool!" said an innocent child, looking up at the flash of lightning in the sky without the slightest fear.

     "S-something damn it! What kind of creature is that now?!" an adult man shouted in panic.

     "What is it this time?!" a mother complained while tightly embracing and calming her child, who had begun crying in fear.

     "C-could it be... are we all going to die here?" an elderly man muttered with trembling lips.

     In an instant, mass panic erupted once again throughout the barracks, leaving everyone gripped by overwhelming fear.

     "Damn monster!" cursed one of the Academy Mages as he looked at the fine cracks appearing across the surface of the Aegis Barrier.

     "Come on, everyone, channel your Ether Energy back into it! Don't let the protection we worked so hard to create collapse!" ordered an elderly mage loudly.

     "Yes, understood, Master!" the young mages answered in unison as they began chanting defensive spells again with complete concentration.

     Meanwhile, the Valiant Knights were beginning to struggle against the hundreds of thousands of civilians who were becoming increasingly chaotic and panicked, desperately demanding to leave and flee the evacuation site immediately.

     "Let us leave this place!" shouted a young man loudly, inciting the crowd.

     "Everyone, stay calm and remain in position!" one of the Valiant Knights shouted while doing his utmost to hold back the line of civilians.

     "Yeah, that's right! We don't want to die stupidly by getting struck by something like that here!" the young man's companion shouted in agreement.

     After arguing for quite some time and becoming utterly exhausted, the Valiant Knights on duty finally ran out of patience. They were forced to allow the four young men who continued to rebel to leave the protected area.

     "You may leave. But remember, once you step beyond the Aegis Barrier's boundary, there will be no guarantee for your safety," one of the guarding knights remarked coldly.

     Precisely as the four arrogant young men stepped beyond the boundary of the Aegis Barrier's wall of light—

     ZAAPPP!!!

     A stray bolt of lightning from Thunderbird's attack shot directly toward their unfortunate bodies. Before they could even scream, the high-voltage electrical impact instantly killed all four of them, leaving their bodies horribly charred.

     The civilians who witnessed the horrifying scene immediately abandoned their intention of fleeing.

     "You all saw that, right? There is no guarantee for your lives out there," one of the Valiant Knights said wisely, trying to calm the panicked crowd. "Although there is always a possibility of danger inside this Aegis Barrier as well, don't worry. At the very least, staying inside here is much safer."

     "Yes, that's right! Leave everything to us and the Academy Mages. They are also fighting desperately right now to maintain this Aegis Barrier," his companion added while pointing toward the line of mages who were concentrating on their spellcasting.

     The line of civilians who had previously been gripped by mass panic began to calm down again, then slowly walked backward to return to their respective resting areas.

     "Please protect us and save us..." one of the civilians said quietly.

     "Yes, that's right! We're counting on all of you!" the other civilians shouted together with hope.

     "All right, leave everything to us," the wise Valiant Knight replied while firmly nodding.

     After the crowd of civilians dispersed and the situation returned to order, the knight let out a long sigh beneath his armor. "Phew... fortunately, the civilians listened. Ugh, what a hassle."

     “So, bro, what do you think? Do you still want to go find out how Commander Bardal is doing?” his companion asked while nudging his shoulder. "Just imagine what would've happened here if we'd ignored the commander's orders earlier, hahaha!"

     "Yeah, you're right, Joe. Come on, we have to stay fully alert!"

---

     Inside the main room of the sanatorium, Grith, Alain, and Silvi had gathered to discuss Greg's condition.

     "So, Silvi? How did Greg do yesterday?" Alain asked curiously.

      "And what happened afterward? Did his memories really return?" Grith pressed, also demanding clarity.

     Silvi let out a short sigh, remembering the terrifying events at the town square. "Yesterday was incredibly nerve-racking, Master, Professor. I thought Greg was going to die again for the second time after being struck so hard by the Salamandra Gigants' tail. But surprisingly, he got back up and managed to defeat it. According to his own account, he felt as though his body simply moved on its own. Perhaps that's the only thing left of him after the resurrection ritual."

     "Okay, thank you for the information, Silvi," Alain said while recording the data.

     "You're welcome, Professor."

     Grith immediately nudged his companion's arm while flashing a broad smile. "See? What did I tell you, Alain? No effort ever ends up being wasted, hahaha!" Grith interjected proudly.

     "You're right, Old Man," Alain replied with a resigned nod.

     "Good morning, Old Man, Professor, Silvi," Greg greeted as he had just stepped into the room, yawning softly. "So, what's my next step now? Do I need to go and deal with the last remaining monster threat?"

     Alain looked up at the hero. "Of course you can. But I want to ask you about the details of what happened yesterday, Greg. What did it feel like fighting the Salamandra Gigants directly yesterday?" Alain asked inquisitively.

     "Of course, Professor. In my opinion, that monster was absolutely terrifying. If you're asking whether I was scared, then yeah, obviously I was scared. The monster was freaking huge," Greg answered honestly. "But for some reason, this body suddenly moved on its own and defeated that monster so easily. Even though I'm suffering from amnesia myself."

     "It seems that the only thing remaining of you is your Muscle Memory, Greg. But that's not a problem. It's a very good start compared to having one hundred percent amnesia," Alain replied analytically.

     "Oh, I see, Professor. Then what should I do now?" Greg asked again.

     "For now, you can go observe the monster's movements at the civilian evacuation site. This is the latest information we've received from the Sovereign Vanguard. You can look around and assess the situation there while being accompanied by Silvi again," Grith explained, giving his instructions. "But before you leave, you need to replenish your energy first. Silvi, accompany Greg to breakfast now."

     "Yes, Master. Understood!" Silvi obediently replied. She then turned toward the hero. "Come on, Greg. Follow me to the dining room."

     "Okay, Silvi."

     After Greg and Silvi left, Grith immediately patted Alain's shoulder while laughing in satisfaction. "So, Alain? Are you satisfied now that our masterpiece apparently isn't as much of a failure as we thought, hahaha!"

     "Yeah, you're right, Old Man. There's still hope. Even if our masterpiece only has his Muscle Memory left, we don't need to work too hard on the rest anymore. We just need to sharpen Greg's abilities again from here on out," Alain replied with a sly grin.

     After the lengthy discussion between Grith and Alain in the main room of the sanatorium had finally concluded—

     "Ah, I'm finished, Silvi. So, what do we do next? How about we go to the evacuation site? Do we use that Gate magic you mentioned yesterday?" Greg asked curiously while straightening his clothes.

     "Of course, this time we won't be using Gate magic, because the situation isn't too urgent right now," Silvi replied with a smile. "I'll take you there on foot, passing through every corner of the royal capital directly."

     "Then let's go now, Silvi!" Greg said, stepping forward firmly.

     "Okay, Greg. Let's go!"

Chapter 6 — End

Copyright © 2026 [Rei Vo Lution] - Project Destiny's Corpse.

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Next on Destiny's Corpse (Teaser) :

Will Thunderbird's appearance at the evacuation site destroy the Aegis Barrier and wipe out the civilians, or do Lieutenant Will and Lieutenant Son have a tactic for dealing with the final remaining threat? And will our hero once again be shocked to discover that this monster is different this time—and what will our hero do?