Flamington shot forward like a rocket, his descent aimed directly at the heart of the crater. Koketsu's white eyes tracked the captain's movement. "This one is far stronger than the old man," he observed coolly. "I hate to run from a fight, but we're leaving".
With a flick of his fingers, Koketsu began weaving thin, ethereal threads in a rapid circular motion. A portal rippled into existence, black and swirling with shadows. As the gateway opened, the gravity field binding Satoro finally snapped. The old man collapsed to the ground, gasping as his magical energy began to slowly stabilize.
"CONSIDER YOURSELVES LUCKY," Koketsu called out, stepping backward into the void. "NEXT TIME, YOU WON'T LIVE TO TELL".
Izanami lingered for a moment, his gaze lingering on the survivors with a bloodthirsty promise. "I gotta say, it was quite a night," he hissed. "I'll be coming for you, old man... Princess... and you... Hero!"
Kiego stood over Lily, his eyes glowing a fierce, blinding yellow. The grief for Namizo had hardened into a cold, sharp rage. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID!" he roared, his voice echoing through the woods. "I'LL KILL EVERY LAST MONSTER!"
Izanami looked Kiego in the eyes and smiled—a terrifying, jagged expression. Then, he stepped into the portal and vanished. A large ball of blue flame from Flamington's arrival slammed into the earth exactly where they had stood a second before, but it was too late. The monsters were gone.
"SHIT!" Flamington barked, his boots skidding in the dirt.
"They're gone," Satoro said quietly, leaning on his hammer for support. Flamington whirled around, his face flushed with anger. "WHY DID YOU LET THEM GET AWAY?"
Satoro looked at his broken arm and then at the commander. "What should I have done, Von?"
"YOU'RE WEAK, RAIKA!" Flamington spat, his voice dripping with condescension.
Satoro's eyes narrowed, but a small, tired smirk played on his lips. "Then you're too slow".
"WHAT!" Flamington stepped forward, his aura flaring. "DON'T ACT LIKE IT'S MY FAULT!"
"It's your fault," Von hissed, his eyes cold as he surveyed the ruins. "If you hadn't been lying down, they wouldn't have escaped."
Satoro's head snapped up, his voice trembling with a decade of repressed pain. "AND IF YOU HAD GOTTEN HERE ON TIME, I WOULDN'T HAVE LOST A SOUL—AND MY VILLAGE!"
The clearing fell into a suffocating silence. Even the wind seemed to stop. Von stared at Satoro, his jaw tight, but he didn't push further.
"Did they make it out safe?" Von asked eventually, his voice lower.
"Yes," Satoro exhaled, the fire leaving his eyes. "They made it to Tokino."
"How many deaths are we talking about?"
"Namizo... about fifteen villagers... and ten defenders." Satoro looked away, his voice hollow. Von looked at the scorched earth. "They destroyed Shibawa."
"No," Satoro interrupted, his voice steady and haunting. "I destroyed Shibawa."
"YOU destroyed your own village?" Von asked, shock finally breaking through his stoic mask. Kiego, who had been listening from the sidelines, stepped forward, his eyes wide. "YOU destroyed Shibawa?"
"SHUT UP, KID!" Von snapped.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, KIEGO!" Satoro barked in unison.
Kiego flinched, shrinking back. "...Sorry."
"It was the only way to wipe out the monsters," Satoro muttered, more to himself than to Von. The two of them continued to argue, their voices becoming a low, rhythmic hum of tactical disagreements and blame. Kiego sat by Lily's side, his head nodding as exhaustion finally began to win. He was nearly asleep when he heard a faint, raspy voice.
"K... Kiego?"
Kiego's eyes snapped open. Lily was looking at him, her eyes clouded but present as she lied in his arms.
"LILY!" Kiego beamed with excitement and relief, as his exhaustion vanished. "HEY! Lily's awake!"
Satoro stopped mid-sentence and ran toward her, his face softening instantly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Lily," he whispered, the weight of the night finally lifting just a little. Lily blinked, her vision slowly clearing. As the world stopped spinning, she realized she was being cradled securely in Kiego's arms. Her cheeks instantly flared a deep, burning red. In a fit of panicked embarrassment, she let out a piercing scream that sent Kiego jumping back in surprise. He lost his footing and tumbled onto his back, leaving Lily to scramble up and take her place beside Satoro.
"What was that for?" Kiego groaned from the dirt.
Satoro ignored the boy, looking at his granddaughter with deep concern. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
"No... I'm fine," Lily replied, her voice still shaky as she looked around the scarred clearing. "Where's the vampire? Did I pass out?"
Flamington—now addressed by his peers as Von—stepped forward, his expression cold and unimpressed. "He left while you were sleeping during a fight," he remarked dryly. "Did you get enough rest?"
Lily lowered her head, her voice thick with shame. "I apologize... but the enemy was powerful".
"YOU'RE AN A-CLASS!" Von's voice thundered, cutting through her apology like a blade. "HOW DARE YOU DISGRACE THAT NAME!"
Satoro's aura flickered with defensive lightning as he stepped between them. "WATCH WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO, VON!"
Von didn't flinch. "You got something to say, Raika?"
"MAY I REMIND YOU THAT I KILLED THE 'SHARPSHOOTER'?" Satoro hissed, his eyes narrowed in a lethal glare. Von let out a short, hollow laugh. "YOU ARE OLD, RAIKA! You're strong, but you've lost your edge. We both know that".
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the group as Satoro glared at the younger captain, his fists clenched.
"If it wasn't for them," Kiego's voice broke through the tension, quiet but firm as he stood up from the ground, "more people could have died".
"I'm sorry," Flamington said, his voice cold as he turned his attention away from Satoro. "Who exactly are you?"
Kiego straightened his back, meeting the Captain's gaze. "Ryuji Kiego, sir."
Flamington's eyes narrowed. "Weren't you taught not to speak when your elders are talking?"
"Sorry, sir," Kiego replied, not backing down. "I just thought they deserved a thank you."
A heavy silence followed. Flamington stepped toward Kiego, stopping only when he was inches from the boy's face. He loomed over him, his eyes beginning to pulse with an intimidating blue glow. Kiego felt the pressure of the Captain's aura, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he channeled the lingering heat of LUMINOUS, allowing his own eyes to flare a bright, defiant yellow.
Von stared into that yellow light for a long moment before his aura flickered out. "How come I haven't seen you in Defenders High?"
"I just awakened, sir," Kiego answered.
"Do you want to be a defender?"
"Yes, sir," Kiego said without a moment's hesitation.
Von walked past Kiego, taking a few steps toward his waiting griffin before stopping. He turned his head slightly, glancing back over his shoulder. "You are welcome to Defenders' High."
Kiego's jaw dropped. "Huh... really? I mean—THANK YOU, SIR! IT'S AN HONOR! I WON'T DISAPPOINT!"
In a burst of formal gratitude, Kiego dropped into a deep, respectful bow. Behind him, Lily let out a long sigh and smacked her hand against her face in exasperation. Satoro stood nearby, his face reddening with a mix of embarrassment and genuine annoyance. He had spent the whole night bleeding for the kid, yet Von was the one getting the royal treatment. It was official: he was definitely pissed that Kiego was being more respectful to Von than to him. The Imperial Defenders under Von's command offered healing potions to the survivors. As they drank the bitter, glowing liquid, Kiego and Satoro felt their deeper wounds begin to knit together, the dull ache of the night's battle slowly fading.
"We have to seal the hole," Von stated, his eyes scanning the horizon for remaining threats.
"Von, we are low on magical energy," Satoro argued, his voice raspy from exhaustion. "We can't handle any more monsters that might come out of that rift".
"WE?" Von scoffed, turning to face him. "You guys are going back. You've done enough". His gaze shifted to the three survivors from Satoro's unit who stood nearby. "Who are you guys?"
"Sensu O'dai," the first replied.
"Rinka Megiri," said the second.
"Niko Tsugauchi," finished the third.
Von nodded curtly. "Go along with them. And see to it that you give Namizo a befitting burial".
"YES, SIR!" they shouted in unison.
"It's less than ten minutes until the sun comes up," Von noted, looking toward the faint glow on the horizon. "The monster invasion is over... Goodbye, Raika". He turned his back and marched toward his squad without looking back. Satoro let out a long, weary breath and whistled. His griffin descended from the canopy, landing heavily beside them. Satoro and his three defenders climbed onto the massive beast while Kiego and Lily approached her own mount. They took to the air, leaving the charred remains of Shibawa behind. Kiego sat behind Lily, placing his hands cautiously around her waist to steady himself as they climbed higher into the cool morning air. Lily's face flushed a soft pink, but she didn't pull away. Below them, the world was a blur of dark trees and silver moonlight as they flew toward the distant, glowing spires of the Imperial City.
"Thanks for standing up for me in front of the Captain," Lily whispered, her voice barely audible over the rushing wind.
Kiego tightened his grip on her waist, ensuring she felt his support. "Well... he was wrong about you".
Lily didn't respond, but he could see the tips of her ears turn a bright, embarrassed red. "Thanks," she finally murmured.
"You're welcome".
As they flew higher, the first rays of the sun began to bleed over the horizon, painting the clouds in shades of gold and violet. It was a beautiful spectacle—a peaceful dawn that felt earned after the nightmare they had endured. Satoro, flying alongside them on his own griffin, looked over with a mischievous glint in his eye. "We are going to Defenders' High, aren't we, Kiego?"
"YEAH!" Kiego shouted back, his voice full of excitement.
"Good!" Satoro let out a booming, boisterous laugh. "I can't wait to see Von's face when he finds out I'm joining the Imperial Defenders again! HAHAHAHA!"
Lily's head snapped toward her grandfather in shock. "You're joining the Imperial Defenders again?"
"Yeah... there's a lot I want to know more about..." Satoro's laughter trailed off, and his eyes drifted to the horizon as he became lost in thought.
"Grandpa?" Lily asked, sensing the shift in his mood.
Satoro shook himself out of the reverie and flashed a tired smile. "I'm fine, I'm just tired, that's all!"
They flew over the town of Tokino, looking down to see the villagers they had saved. Satoro waved down at them, and the people below—recognizing their saviors—waved back with vigor. He was deeply relieved to see them going about their duties peacefully in their new home, and glad that the town elder had welcomed them so warmly. With the village safe and their futures set, the group flew further toward the capital, leaving the ghosts of Shibawa behind. The flight lasted only another forty or fifty minutes before the horizon began to transform. Emerging from the morning mist like a waking giant, the Imperial City revealed itself in all its glory. It was a breathtaking sight. A massive, imposing wall of thick brick stood guard around the perimeter, weathered by time but appearing utterly unshakeable. Beyond the fortifications lay rows of beautiful houses and lush green forests, all intersected by sparkling inland rivers that caught the gold of the rising sun. At the very heart of it all, perched atop a steep, prominent hill, sat a magnificent castle that seemed to watch over the entire realm. Satoro pulled his griffin closer to Lily's, a look of pride returning to his worn face as he gestured toward the spires. "Isn't she beautiful?"
Kiego stared down at the sprawling metropolis, his heart racing with a mixture of awe and nervous energy. He had spent his whole life in a small village; he had never seen anything this grand.
"Get ready, Kiego," Satoro called out over the wind, his voice firm and full of promise. "YOU'RE ABOUT TO BECOME ONE HELL OF A DEFENDER!"