Mercury's Military Headquarters...
Arnik sat alone on a bench in the hallway just outside the primary hangar. His black suit was fully zipped up, polished, and combat-ready—but his mind wasn't. His hands rested on his knees, eyes locked to the floor like it held some kind of answer.
"What am I even fighting for…?" he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his snow-white hair. Sweat clung to his temples. Not from the heat—but from the weight pressing on his chest.
Boots approached softly—too soft for a soldier.
Aika stood nearby, silent at first. She tilted her head as she observed him, for once wide awake—her usual sleepy haze nowhere to be seen. She slowly sat beside him, folding her legs to the side.
"You look like someone carrying the whole planet," she said lightly.
Arnik didn't glance her way. "...You don't have to call me Captain."
"I know," she said with a small smile. "Just thought it'd bug you a little."
He gave the smallest exhale—neither a sigh nor a chuckle. "Still sharp-tongued, huh?"
Her smile faded slightly. "Seriously though… something's bothering you."
Arnik leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I just… I don't know why I'm fighting anymore."
Aika's gaze softened. "You're fighting to stop Lionel… aren't you?"
"That's not it," he muttered. "Or… not just that. I mean—yeah, I know he's a monster. I should fight him. But…" He closed his eyes tightly. "Is that all I am? The chosen one? A weapon meant to end him?"
The silence between them thickened.
Aika stared ahead at the empty corridor. "I think… I understand."
He turned to her.
She was looking down, her hands clenched in her lap.
"I fight because I want to protect everyone… because I don't want to lose anyone else. But…" She took a deep breath. "It's hard. Harder than I thought. Every day feels heavier. I keep wondering if I'll make it to tomorrow."
Arnik nodded slowly. "But at least you have a reason. I don't even know if I do."
She looked at him, eyes steady. "Do you really need a reason to do what's right?"
He didn't answer right away.
"If you're the only one who can defeat Lionel," she continued, "then maybe it is selfish for us to hope you'll do it. But you're human. You have your own wants. Your own pain. And I… I don't see you as a fighter."
He looked at her in surprise.
"I see you as someone who just… wants to live in peace."
Arnik looked away. The hallway light caught his profile—his jaw clenched, his brows furrowed.
"I guess I still need time to figure it out," he whispered.
Aika gave a faint nod.
"Then I'll wait," she said softly. "We all will."
Arnik's voice came low, heavy like iron. "But fighting just leads to more and more death… Every battle just takes something. If winning means sacrificing others… then what's the point?"
Aika didn't hesitate. Her smile was small, but warm. "Then maybe… fight to save."
He turned to her slowly.
Her words lingered in the air like the soft hum of a violin string. Something clicked—like a key turning in a locked door. His thoughts rushed back.
Lumis's voice echoed from memory, sharp and noble.
"You want to fight demons? Then don't become one.""Fight with honor. Fight with purpose. Fight like a hero."
Arnik's eyes widened.
"...I get it now," he whispered.
Without thinking, he reached forward and wrapped his arms around Aika, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you... Thank you so much," he said, his voice trembling—not from weakness, but from clarity.
Aika froze, her eyes wide as her face turned pink. "Wha—! I-I mean… I don't know what I said but…!" she stammered, gently patting his back with both hands,.
"I'm glad I helped," she mumbled, smiling faintly as her heart thumped in her chest.
Nemizora passed by, offering Aika a gentle smile.
She gave him only a faint one in return.
"You don't seem to spend much time with your father," Arnik said casually.
Aika glanced sideways. "You're one to talk."
Arnik scratched the back of his head. "Fair."
Aika's voice dropped as she looked at the ground. "I don't know how to explain it. When I saw him again, I was so happy, but now… he just feels like a stranger."
Arnik nodded slowly. "I get it. I feel the same."
Aika gave a small, dry laugh. "Guess we both have daddy issues."
"Heh. Guess so."
.....
Meanwhile, deep in the Mercury defense base's war room, the air was tense and quiet. Multiple screens glowed with troop movement reports, signal maps, and satellite pings. Andrew stood with both hands on the table, eyes focused on a large holographic map. Takashima stood beside him, arms crossed.
"It's been five months," Andrew said flatly. "Five months and Lionel hasn't moved a muscle."
"It's like Mars all over again," Takashima muttered. "Waiting. Watching."
Andrew's fingers tapped against the table. "Or maybe we weakened him more than we realized."
Takashima shook his head. "Hardly. The demon machines are the issue now. They're stronger than our men, and they don't stay dead. We destroy a body, their soul transfers into another one."
Andrew's jaw tightened. "Then we'll just keep fighting."
Before the thought could settle, the intercom chimed.
"Sir," came Koji's voice.
Andrew leaned toward the mic. "Go ahead."
"We just intercepted a distress signal."
Andrew's tone turned bored. "Send a scout team. I don't need to waste my time unless—"
"It's from an Angel Squad member."
Everything stopped.
Andrew's eyes snapped open. "Send it through."
Static buzzed. Then a voice—raspy, familiar, and filled with urgency.
"This is an SOS. I repeat—this is an SOS!"
Andrew froze. So did Takashima.
"My ID is 305. Name… Markus Sentryon. Soldier. Angel Squad."
"If anyone hears this… we need extraction! The core we used to send this message won't last more than two weeks! After that—!"
Static cut it off.
Andrew's face was pale, but his hands moved fast. He sent an immediate ping to Angel Squad and every instructor.
Moments later, Arnik, Kai, Rose, and Aika all arrived at the war room. The door hissed open as they rushed in together.
"What's going on?" Kai asked, pushing up his glasses. "You called all of us?"
Andrew didn't even look up. "Just listen."
He tapped the control panel again. The message played.
Markus's voice rang through the room.
The moment it ended, Aika dropped to her knees, her hands trembling. "He's… alive… Markus is alive…"
"But how…" Rose whispered, eyes wide.
Kai opened his mouth to say something, but Arnik slammed both hands down on the table, making everyone jump.
"What are we waiting for?! We need to go! Now!"
A long silence filled the room.
Then—
CLAP!
Crowne stepped forward with a wide grin. "Well then! Let's not waste any more time! Chop chop! Let's go find that kid!"
Takashima immediately stepped in. "Wait. This could be a trap. We can't rush into this. Lionel could've found Markus's body and used it to bait us."
"That's bull," Crowne snapped.
Takashima narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"
Crowne pointed straight at Andrew and Vayne. "You both know what I'm talking about. That kid is the son of Alexander. You've seen what Alexander could do—Markus surviving all this time isn't just likely. It's destiny."
Andrew and Vayne exchanged silent glances. The memory of Alexander's raw, divine power—unmatched, unforgettable—was burned into their minds.
Crowne smirked. "Just say the word."
Andrew exhaled slowly. Then finally spoke.
"…Crowne. Vayne. I'm authorizing a cruiser. You'll take Angel Squad and investigate the signal."
He narrowed his eyes. "But if it's a trap… get out of there. I won't lose any more of you."
Crowne turned on his heel without hesitation, marching toward the launch bay. "Let's go, Angel Squad!"
The squad followed closely, their boots echoing through the steel halls.
Behind them, Miu, Blitz, and Takashima were fuming.
"This is reckless!" Miu snapped. "You're sending them into a death trap!"
"This will end in disaster!" Blitz shouted.
Andrew looked back at them calmly. "It could be. But if there's even a chance Markus is alive… it's a risk worth taking."
Vayne trailed behind and caught up with Crowne, his expression calm, composed—but there was something burning behind his eyes.
As the hangar doors opened, rows of engineers and techs moved into position, preparing the cruiser. Angel Squad stood by the loading ramp, helmets under their arms.
Rose leaned closer to Kai, her voice low. "You think it's really him?"
Kai's eyes didn't waver. "It's possible."
Crowne raised his voice, echoing through the entire hangar.
"Angel Squad! Ready yourselves for departure!
We're going to find that boy!"
Nemizora stood alone at the far end of the corridor, the echo of bootsteps and shouts fading into the hangar's mechanical roars. He watched them—Angel Squad, the teachers, Vayne, Crowne—all heading toward the cruiser with fire in their eyes.
He didn't follow.
He just stood there… silent.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist.
"…Impossible…" he whispered.
The shadows around him seemed to thicken. His eyes, normally calm, trembled with something—fear? Anger? Unease?
No one had noticed his expression.
Not yet.
He turned, his long coat sweeping across the polished floor like a whisper of warning. His footsteps echoed through the hallway as he made his way deeper into the base—toward the restricted sectors.
"…If he's alive… if he's really alive… then I have no choice."
A low exhale left his lips.
"I best prepare."