Within the mountain research facility, Selena regarded the doctor coldly as he displayed mounting frustration with her defiant responses. She fired a round at him, only for him to ruthlessly sacrifice his assistant, using him as a human shield. Rather than being alarmed, the doctor scrutinized the lingering effects of Selena's ammunition with scientific curiosity.
"Intriguing," he murmured with mild dissatisfaction. "Yet you refuse to employ your renowned lightning field. How fascinating it would be to observe its effects firsthand."
With a sinister smirk, Dr. Zanahi activated a mechanism, causing the ground to quake as numerous husks surged forth, aggressively charging Selena. Although notably more formidable than previous foes, they posed little actual threat initially, dispatched effortlessly by Selena's precise combat techniques. Yet their relentless numbers forced her into constant defensive maneuvers.
Zanahi documented his observations meticulously, prompting an irritated Selena to snap, "Is this some twisted amusement for you?"
"Far from it," he answered dispassionately. "This constitutes essential research. Testing these creations against an adversary of your caliber is invaluable. However, a mere 10% enhancement proves insufficient. Release their limiters."
Upon his command, the husks intensified dramatically, their bodies igniting with reckless energy as they sacrificed their own vitality to match Selena's strength, compelling her to invoke body-enhancement magic to sustain her defense. Recognizing the strategy, Selena began to precisely sever the limbs of her attackers, forcing them to bleed out rapidly and end their lives sooner as they burned through their life force.
Several husks adapted swiftly, manifesting unexpected magical abilities. One displayed steel arms that shimmered with a metallic gleam, striking with immense force. Selena swiftly amputated its metallic arms, neutralizing the threat immediately. Another infused wind magic into its limbs, its fingers sharpening into razor-edged weapons. Selena quickly severed its wind-infused limbs as well, rendering it harmless. A third husk opened its grotesque mouth, firing searing fireballs that exploded dangerously close. Selena closed the distance swiftly, cutting off its head before it could unleash another fiery assault.
"Still inadequate," Dr. Zanahi observed dispassionately. "Engage explosive protocol."
In an instant, the nearest husks detonated violently, propelling Selena forcefully against the wall and leaving her momentarily stunned. Despite acute pain, Selena rapidly recovered, her eyes burning with anger. She quickly realized the husks' regenerative capabilities were nearly infinite, provided their mana-infused blood remained contained. Decapitation and dismemberment were futile unless significant blood loss occurred, aggravating Selena's growing irritation as she methodically battled the persistent foes.
Wary of fully displaying her power under the doctor's scrutiny, Selena refrained from obliterating their bodies outright—a solution she knew would immediately end the struggle. Previously, she had employed ice mist to obscure her capabilities, but the proximity of the observant doctor left her hesitant.
After a prolonged confrontation, Selena subdued the relentless husks, leaving the doctor clearly unsatisfied. "Your methods were disappointingly conventional," he remarked critically.
Before he could further comment, Selena swiftly drew her black blade, severing his arm in a precise, ruthless motion. The doctor screamed, collapsing to the ground in agony as Selena stood over him, her sword poised menacingly.
"Perhaps now you'll grasp the situation," Selena declared icily. "I'm through indulging your perverse experiments."
The Doctor grinned madly, even as one of his limbs was severed by Selena's strike. Without missing a beat, he reached down, grabbed the fallen arm, and with a wet snap, reattached it as if it were nothing more than a clay doll.
At first, the flesh writhed and bubbled violently, muscles spasming as they tried to reconnect. The smell of scorched blood filled the air. Tendons snapped like wet cords, and the skin boiled, melting into place like molten wax.
Then, with a faint pulse of sickly blue light, a healing magic skill activated. A low, arcane hum vibrated through the hall as the grotesque damage smoothed over, the limb fusing perfectly back into the Doctor's body without even a scar remaining. The transition from horror to surgical precision was unnerving, as if his body was less a man's and more a thing forced into a human shape.
"You're not a very kind girl... no matter what you say," he sneered, flexing the reattached arm with a crack of popping joints. "But this was enough. I've gotten a better read on my foe. Until we meet again."
Selena's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her body flashed—Flash Step—appearing right in front of him with a sharp crack of displaced air.
"Who said I was letting you leave?" she growled, voice low and filled with fury.
Before she could strike, a mass of hybrid demons surged between them, appearing out of thin air. Their twisted figures, bodies thick with dense, armored flesh, steel-reinforced limbs, and shimmering magical barriers, blocked her path. These new hybrids weren't trying to kill her outright—they moved only to defend, becoming an unbreakable wall between her and the Doctor.
Selena clenched her clawed hand tight, electricity crackling at her fingertips, and lashed out—Claw Trip Slash—a savage, three-hit combo aimed to tear through them.
Many of them were ripped to shreds, as if they were paper. Screams of pain could be heard from a few of them, but others absorbed the blows without flinching, throwing their own bodies forward like human shields. Flesh split. Metal groaned. Yet even wounded, many refused to fall, buying Doctor Zanahi precious seconds.
"Until next time, Selena! Hahaha!" Doctor Zanahi's laughter echoed behind the wall of bodies as he retreated deeper into the lab.
A sharp, jarring klaxon alarm blared through the facility. Lights overhead began flashing blood-red, bathing the corridor in a sickening glow.
All around her, the vats began to bubble and hiss. All of a sudden, a multitude of life signs started to flare up on her senses. All around her, fluid spilled onto the floor as the dormant experiments—the half-formed husks—started to stir.
Selena's breath caught in her throat as the horrors emerged.
The first wave was familiar—twisted husks like those she'd fought before: warped bodies, their humanity long since bled away. But the next group made her blood run cold. These were different. Worse. Some were freshly transformed, their bodies still caught in the nightmarish transition between human and monster. Spindly limbs twitched in unnatural spasms, claws screeching against the metal floor with every jerking movement.
And then she saw them.
The children.
Small, malformed figures with broken symmetry and hollow eyes. Their voices tore through the air—howls that had once been cries, distorted beyond recognition. One lunged at her, jaw unhinged in an inhuman scream. Another followed, dragging a twisted leg behind it, arms flailing with more instinct than intention.
Selena froze. Her blade trembled in her hand, suspended mid-swing.
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. Some of these children were still aware. She could see it—the pleading in their eyes, the faint flickers of consciousness lingering in the last ones to rise. One boy's face was still fully human, contorted in silent agony. He reached for her weakly, his clawed hand twitching like it didn't belong to him.
They weren't all gone.
The sobs were what broke her.
Amid the howls and screeches, she could hear them—soft, fragile sobs—like frightened whimpers from children who didn't understand why they were in pain, or why they were attacking. The noise rose around her in a broken, tragic chorus of stolen voices.
She moved.
Not to kill—but to save.
Selena danced through the wave, her blade flashing—but never fatal when she saw a spark of humanity. She struck to disable, to knock out, to preserve any shred of a soul she could reach. She took the blows meant for the few she still had hope for. Her Diamond Skin flared to life, magical shielding turning her skin to shimmering, translucent armor—deflecting claws, resisting bites, slowing the flow of blood. But it wasn't perfect. Not with how many there were. Not with how long she delayed.
The cost was immediate.
A claw raked down her ribs. Another caught her shoulder and spun her around. Blood seeped down her side, warm and unwelcome, as her barrier faltered under the relentless barrage. But still she didn't fall back. She couldn't.
There were four.
Four she could still reach—three adults and one child. Their eyes were clearer. Their movements more restrained. They staggered, confused, clutching their heads or weeping openly even as their warped bodies turned on her. She didn't dodge. She endured. A blow struck her back, cracking the plate of her armor. Another swiped her leg, dragging a line of crimson down her thigh. She gritted her teeth and took it—just long enough to get close, to knock them unconscious with the flat of her blade or a well-placed strike.
Just four.
The rest… they were too far gone.
Many tried to speak—garbled, choking sounds escaping shredded throats. But their eyes were blank. Some even laughed, a sick mimicry of joy as they threw themselves at her. Others cut their own limbs just to swing them like weapons, or exploded in mindless fury, their mutated bodies tearing themselves apart with no concern for their own survival.
She had to kill them.
There was no choice. Mercy could only go so far. And as she began to cut through them with precision and sorrow, she did so with a quiet prayer—I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner.
The last of them collapsed with a shriek and a shudder. Selena stood in the center of the blood-slick corridor, panting, blood dripping from her armor and pooling beneath her boots. Her arm hung limp at her side. Her leg throbbed with every heartbeat. The barrier of her Diamond Skin flickered, cracked like shattered glass, before finally fading away.
Her eyes lingered on the four unconscious forms she had managed to save.
It wasn't enough.
But it was something.
And as long as she still breathed, she'd carry them out herself if she had to.
Even if her body gave out before the end.
Selena dropped to one knee, pressing a hand to her side as the last of the husks collapsed. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, each one dragging pain through her ribs. Blood dripped from her fingertips. Her body screamed at her to rest, but her eyes never left the four still forms she had spared.
They were breathing.
Barely.
She didn't know how much time they had—or if saving them had truly made a difference—but she had to believe it did. She needed that hope. Even if it tore her apart in the process.
A loud clang echoed through the facility.
Her head snapped up, instincts sharpening. From across the blood-slick floor, beyond the piles of twisted flesh and broken steel, a distant archway shimmered to life. Faint runes etched into the stone began to glow, and a translucent, violet-tinted barrier formed across the passage—one she hadn't noticed until it sealed.
Her eyes narrowed.
She knew that sound.
It was the sound of a teleportation circle activating—one hidden deep within the lab's foundation. An escape path no husk could have used.
Zanahi.
Gritting her teeth, Selena forced herself to her feet, staggering forward and nearly slipping in the blood. She made it to the warded corridor just in time to see the remnants of the teleportation sigils flaring on the ground—concentric rings glowing brighter and brighter as the spell reached its final stage.
In the center of the circle, a figure in a tattered white coat turned back. Just briefly. Just long enough for her to see the mask still covering the lower half of his face, and the glint of madness in his eyes.
Doctor Zanahi didn't run.
He walked, as if mocking her with every calm step.
He raised one hand in a small, condescending wave—and vanished in a flash of arcane light.
Selena staggered, stunned by how close she'd been. A growl rose in her throat. Sparks of lightning danced along her arms, chakra and magic flaring with the weight of fury and failure. She'd come so far. She'd uncovered the truth. She'd bled for it.
And he escaped.
She stood there, trembling—wounded, exhausted, soaked in blood that wasn't all hers—and let herself feel it. The rage. The helplessness. The agony of not being able to save everyone.
And then she clenched her jaw, raising her head.
"No more."
Her voice was low. Firm. A vow forged from pain and purpose.
"I don't care how far you run, Zanahi. I'll find you."
Her eyes gleamed with lightning, cutting through the red glow of the emergency lights.
"And when I do—this ends. Your madness, your experiments, your god-complex... all of it."
She turned away from the barrier, limping back toward the barely-conscious survivors, her blood trailing behind her.
I couldn't save them all today. But I will make sure no one else suffers the way they did.
Even if it broke her.
Selena didn't waste a second as she returned to get the survivors out of this lab. She ran with them out of the lab and into a clearing in the forest. After making sure that the survivors were safe, she spun on her heel and dashed back into the forest, retracing her steps toward where the nightmare had first begun—the abandoned warehouse that had hidden the entrance to the tunnel.
The earth cracked beneath her rapid strides. Trees blurred past as she pushed her body harder, lightning crackling faintly around her boots as she accelerated with short bursts of chakra-enhanced speed. Every muscle screamed for her to stop, but she refused.
'I have to finish this.'
It didn't take long. The warehouse came into view—a crumbling, forgotten shell on the edge of the mountain side. The false floor inside was already shattered from her earlier assault, exposing the gaping black maw of the tunnel below.
Selena didn't slow.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, she clapped her gloved hands together—transmutation arrays flaring bright—and slammed them into the earth. Alchemical energy surged outward like a ripple across a pond. The support pillars around the tunnel mouth cracked instantly, massive veins of weakness racing through the stone and soil.
But she wasn't done.
Selena turned toward the exposed mountainside above the warehouse, her breath visible in the air as she raised one hand high. Cold radiated from her body in waves, moisture pulled from the air and the stone itself. With a sharp downward motion, a colossal ice spike erupted from the cliffside—jagged and brutal—impaling the rocky face and spreading frost like a plague. Crystalline tendrils webbed outward from the spike, locking the entire side of the mountain in a sheet of glacial ice. The temperature plummeted as the ancient stone cracked and groaned, unable to withstand the sudden freeze. The upper structure of the warehouse shuddered violently under the pressure of mounting ice.
The ground lurched violently.
Selena pivoted without hesitation and sprinted back toward the lab, her gloves and boots flashing with every step. Each strike against the soil transmuted it further, sending fractures deeper and deeper, creating a chain reaction of collapsing tunnels behind her.
Rocks and ice rained down.
Dust choked the air.
The warehouse above groaned, then buckled inward, collapsing into the earth with a thunderous crash.
Selena didn't dare look back.
She burst through the shattered remains of the underground lab entrance just as her towering ice wall—her beacon to the surface—gave out under the pressure. It cracked with a thunderous snap and then imploded inward, sucked down into the forming sinkhole like a dying star collapsing on itself.
The earth surged around her, the ground buckling and snapping like a living beast. Walls of dirt and rock shot upward in jagged bursts, sealing the destruction beneath layers of stone and frost. The final, deafening rumble drowned out everything else.
And then—silence.
Selena staggered to a halt in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by uneven mounds of frozen soil and broken roots. Not a trace remained of the lab, the warehouse, or the tunnels.
It was as if none of it had ever existed.
She stood there for a moment, chest heaving, eyes scanning the ruins with a hard, hollow look.
Good.
Selena turned her back on the grave she had made, snow swirling around her as she returned to the survivors.
There was still work to do.
The battle was far from over.
Selena stood quietly for a moment, staring at the four unconscious bodies she had laid out near the broken edge of the forest clearing. Three adults. One child.
How did I even manage to save them? she wondered, exhaustion gnawing at her bones. Her body ached from battle, from running, from transmuting the earth itself—but somehow, somehow, these four still breathed.
Before she could sink deeper into the thought, a low rumble echoed through the trees. Tires crunching over frozen dirt.
Selena tensed instinctively—only to relax a heartbeat later as she recognized the familiar armored vehicle thundering toward her. Hajime's Humvee.
She raised her hand and waved weakly. The Humvee screeched to a halt a few yards away, kicking up a cloud of dust and frost.
The doors flew open before the vehicle had even fully stopped.
Tio was the first one out, rushing toward Selena without hesitation. But right behind her, a small figure tumbled out of the Humvee's back seat—Myu, blinking owlishly at the strange scene before her. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, her small hands clutching Hajime's coat sleeve as she stared at the unconscious bodies, then at Selena—covered in grime and streaks of strange blue blood.
"Selena...?" Myu asked uncertainly, her voice small and confused.
Despite everything—despite the ache in her heart—Selena smiled gently and lifted a hand, waving at her.
Myu's face brightened instantly, her confusion forgotten for a moment as she waved back enthusiastically, little fingers wiggling.
Before Selena could say anything, Yue appeared at Myu's side. She crouched down, speaking to the little girl in a soft but firm voice.
"Inside," Yue murmured, giving Myu a gentle nudge toward the Humvee. "Stay there, Myu. It's not safe here."
Myu hesitated, her small face crumpling slightly—but then she nodded obediently and scrambled back into the vehicle. Yue closed the door behind her with a soft click, her expression hardening again as she turned back to the clearing.
Tio finally reached Selena fully, her golden eyes wide with worry as she took in Selena's battered, bloodied state.
Selena shifted slightly, brushing some of the dirt off her cloak with a faint, stubborn smile.
"I'm fine, Tio," she muttered. "Really. It looks worse than it—"
Tio didn't even let her finish.
Without a word, she placed a firm hand on Selena's shoulder, the other already glowing with healing magic. The soft warmth of the spell sank into Selena's battered body, sealing cuts and soothing bruises.
"You always say that," Tio snapped quietly, her voice tight with anger—not the playful kind she usually wielded, but sharp, raw anger born of deep concern. "And you are always wrong."
Selena blinked, caught off guard, but the look in Tio's eyes made her fall silent.
This wasn't a scolding.
This wasn't teasing.
Tio had been truly scared for her.
Selena swallowed back the words she had been about to say, simply nodding slightly as the healing magic eased the worst of her wounds.
Behind them, Hajime, Yue, and Shea climbed out quickly, their relief at seeing Selena alive vanishing into hard tension when they spotted the unconscious survivors laid out on the frozen ground.
"What happened?" Hajime demanded, his voice sharper than steel.
Selena straightened slowly, every muscle protesting the motion. She wiped the back of her glove across her mouth, smearing dirt and dried blood from her skin, and stepped forward to meet them.
Her voice came out steady, but every word she spoke felt heavier than stone.
"I found the source of the husks," she said grimly. "They're not just magical constructs... they're people. Humans. Taken alive. Modified. Corrupted."
A terrible silence fell across the clearing.
Selena continued, her hands tightening unconsciously into fists at her sides.
"The lab... it was worse than anything I'd imagined. Rows of vats—each one filled with bodies. Some fully changed. Others still... still halfway. You could see their faces through the glass. Some were awake. Some were screaming. Most were just... empty."
She swallowed hard.
"And the madman, Doctor Zanahi—he's modified himself too. He's part demon, part monster now. I hurt him, but he got away."
Yue's crimson eyes narrowed into sharp slits, her normally serene face carved with grimness. Her hands trembled slightly where they clutched the hem of her cloak.
Shea's face paled, her rabbit ears drooping low. She gripped the edge of the Humvee as if needing the support, blinking hard to force back tears.
Even Tio, normally calm even in chaos, stood stiff, her shoulders rigid, her breathing shallow. Her hands curled into tight fists at her sides.
But it was Hajime's reaction that struck Selena most deeply.
For the first time since she had met him, real, unfiltered disgust twisted Hajime's features. His jaw tightened, his mechanical arm flexing at his side with a sharp whir of gears. His golden eyes, usually so detached and cold when facing cruelty, now burned with pure, raw anger.
He might not have cared much for strangers.
He might have accepted brutal measures when survival demanded it.
But this—this was something even he couldn't excuse.
"They used people..." Hajime growled low, almost under his breath. His voice shook with restrained rage. "Turned them into weapons... like toys for their experiments."
Selena nodded once, quietly.
"And not just adults," she added, voice even quieter. "Children too. I... I saw a little girl husk try to attack me. She was still crying as she moved. Still aware... trapped in that thing."
The clearing felt colder than the frost around them.
After a long, painful moment, Yue finally knelt down beside the unconscious survivors. Her delicate hands moved carefully, inspecting them with slow precision.
"They are still human," Yue said softly, her voice filled with steel. "Damaged... but not beyond saving."
Tio knelt beside her, placing a hand on the small child's forehead with surprising gentleness. "With time, healing magic... maybe even purification spells..." she murmured. "They may still have a future."
Shea dropped to her knees next, pulling out medical supplies from their packs without needing to be asked. "Then let's save them," she said fiercely, her voice thick with barely restrained emotion. "They deserve a chance."
Selena didn't speak.
Instead, she crouched quietly beside them, her cloak brushing the frost-laced ground, feeling the tightness in her chest spread like a vice.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
There were more labs. More victims. More monsters hiding behind human faces.
But here, right now—seeing Hajime, Yue, Tio, and Shea working silently, determinedly beside her—Selena felt something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a long time.
Maybe... just maybe... she wasn't fighting alone anymore.
While Tio finished healing Selena's surface wounds, Yue knelt down beside the unconscious survivors, her eyes sharp and focused. Tio soon joined her, and together the two women carefully inspected each person—checking vitals, skin condition, and mana flow.
Selena watched as Yue hovered her fingers over a woman's arm where faint clawed nails had begun to form. "The changes are localized," Yue murmured. "They haven't spread beyond isolated areas."
"That's lucky," Tio added quietly. "It means they might not be too far gone... not yet."
Without hesitation, Yue summoned a blade of pure mana and cleanly sliced the corrupted section off—swift, surgical. Blood welled briefly, but she was already casting healing magic before it could stain the snow.
"One at a time," Yue said firmly. "Cut out the mutated tissue before the transformation settles deeper. If we're fast and precise, we can purge it."
Tio nodded grimly and moved to the next person.
While they got to work, Selena turned toward the Humvee and made her way to the side door, where Myu was peeking through the frosted window.
When she saw Selena approaching, Myu opened the door and hopped down with a big smile. "Hi!" she chirped. "You must be Selena!"
Selena blinked, slightly surprised by the brightness in the girl's voice. "…Yes. That's me."
"You're really pretty!" Myu said without hesitation, tilting her head with childlike honesty.
Selena couldn't help it—her heart melted a little. She crouched down and gently scooped the girl up in her arms, hugging her close.
"And you," Selena smiled, "must be Hajime's child."
"Hahaha, yes!" Myu giggled, throwing her arms around Selena's neck. "He's my daddy!"
"HEYYYY!" Hajime's voice cracked from across the clearing.
Selena turned slightly to see him flustered, his face twitching with a rare expression of panic.
Shea burst out laughing. "Hajime! I didn't know you were a dad already!"
"Yup!" Myu beamed proudly. "Daddy Hajime!"
"N-no, don't say that! Call me big brother!" Hajime sputtered, waving his hands in a useless attempt to stop the flood.
"You… don't like me?" Myu asked suddenly, her bottom lip wobbling as she looked up at him with the deadliest puppy-dog eyes any child had ever weaponized.
Selena froze, hiding her grin behind Myu's shoulder.
Hajime sighed in defeat, his whole body deflating. "…Fine. Call me whatever you want."
"YAAAAY!" Myu cheered, throwing her arms into the air like she'd just conquered a kingdom.
Selena turned and gave Hajime a slow, smug look. She wiggled her eyebrows with all the subtlety of a teasing older sister.
He glared at her like he wanted to teleport her into a volcano.
Yue and Tio returned from the survivors, brushing snow from their gloves. Their expressions were tired, but not hopeless.
"We managed to heal them," Yue reported, her voice even but heavy. "The physical damage, at least. We removed all visible mutations and sealed the wounds. None of them woke, but they'll live."
Tio crossed her arms, her gaze drifting to the six figures lying peacefully on the forest floor. "But their minds…" she said softly, "that's another story."
"They seem aware," Yue added, frowning faintly. "Even unconscious, some of them stirred at our touch. I believe they know they've been freed… but it's like they're still waiting. As if they don't believe it yet."
"It's sad," Tio murmured, her voice quieter than usual. "They lie there almost like the dead... no struggle left. Just silence."
Selena looked over at the four people again. Their bodies were healed, yes. But their stillness spoke volumes. They had survived—yet what they'd lived through would haunt them far longer than wounds ever could.
She held Myu a little closer, gently brushing the girl's hair with her fingers.
And for a moment, she allowed herself a breath of peace.
Once Yue and Tio confirmed the survivors were stable, Selena helped begin loading them into the Humvee. The back seats were adjusted, folded, and rearranged with practiced precision. Three survivors were laid across the seats on one side, and the other one gently placed on the opposite row. Selena made sure to place the child between two of the more stable adults, wrapped in spare cloaks for warmth.
Myu sat quietly in the passenger seat, her legs swinging a little. She watched the process with wide eyes full of questions.
"Why are they all so quiet?" she finally asked, voice soft and uncertain. "Are they sleeping?"
Hajime glanced at her from where he was securing the last belt. His voice was calm, but heavy. "They were captured… like you were, Myu. But for a lot longer."
Myu turned to look at the survivors again, her brow furrowed in innocent thought. Then she nodded, a small smile forming as she placed both her hands on her knees.
"Don't worry," she said clearly, her voice ringing with pure, childlike certainty. "You're safe now. My daddy and his friends are really strong."
It wasn't just the words—but the truth behind them. So sincere, so unshakably honest.
And in that moment, something shifted.
One of the survivors stirred.
Then another.
The stillness in their eyes cracked. The fog in their expressions faded.
And as if a dam had broken, one by one, tears began to spill from their eyes. Silent sobs became choked cries. Hands clutched at sleeves. Lips murmured thank yous—quiet at first, then louder. The adults began whispering words of gratitude, not just to the group… but all of them turned to look at Selena.
Selena, who stood at the side of the Humvee, frozen, her hand still on the edge of the door.
Their eyes met hers.
And it tore something open inside her.
'Why them?' she thought. 'Why only these four?'
Of all the husks she had seen… all the twisted faces, the children who wailed with monstrous voices… she had picked only those she believed had a chance. The ones she could maybe save in time. But the others—so many others—she had cut down without mercy. For survival. For the mission. For the greater good.
'If only we had true Restoration magic…' she thought bitterly. 'Or even monster-aligned healing… something. Anything.'
Instead, she'd been forced to choose.
And she had killed so many.
'How many families did I destroy—fighting for Ur?' The thought hit her hard, spiraling inward.
Before she could fall into herself again, a warm hand settled firmly on her thigh.
Tio.
Selena looked down to find Tio seated beside her, her expression calm but knowing. She squeezed gently, and when Selena met her eyes, Tio gave a reassuring smile.
A silent message: "You did what you could."
But more than that—"I see it. I see the weight you carry. And I'm still here."
Selena exhaled shakily and gave the smallest nod.
Hajime stepped forward, voice snapping back into focus. "We should head back to the Adventurers' Guild," he said, adjusting his coat. "Drop the survivors off, give our report."
"The kingdom's going to be on high alert after this," Tio added. "Especially once word of the kidnappings spreads."
"If they don't try to hide the truth first," Hajime muttered darkly.
Shea blinked, confused. "Why would they do that?"
Yue answered softly, her voice like cold steel. "Think about it, Shea. What would people do if they found out innocent civilians—children—were being taken, turned into monsters? It would cause panic. Riots. Fear. And with the war against the demons looming, they can't afford mass hysteria."
Selena frowned, shaking her head to clear the sinking feeling creeping back in. "They've had four years to prepare. To get this far..."
"That's the scariest part," Hajime agreed. "But I wouldn't worry too much just yet. From the look of that lab, they only just cracked the process. Those husks were unstable. Incomplete."
"Hopefully they haven't figured out how to improve them," Tio added.
"Or mass-produce them," Yue murmured.
Myu, caught in the middle of the fast-moving conversation, tilted her head. "You're all talking too fast…"
Selena turned back to her with a gentle smile and stroked the girl's hair. "Sorry, Myu. Here, let me tell you something better." She crouched beside her and whispered, "You remember Tom? The man who helped you escape the first time? I saved him."
"YAAA!" Myu beamed. "That man was really nice! I saw when they caught him... he told me to swim away."
Hajime blinked, pausing in his motion to start the Humvee. "Tom?" he asked, tone suddenly more serious—protective dad mode activated. "What do you mean?"
Myu nodded confidently. "The first time the bad people caught me, he helped me run! He showed me the way to the river. Then when they found us, he got caught… and he pushed me in the water so I could escape."
Hajime's eyes softened slightly. He let out a quiet sigh, settling back in the driver's seat. "…Guess I won't have to beat him up after all."
"No one said you had to in the first place," Yue, Shea, Tio, and Selena said in perfect sync.
Hajime blinked, then grunted. "Tch."
Myu giggled, wrapping her arms around Selena again, and the Humvee rumbled to life as they began the journey back.
Despite the chaos they'd caused just hours earlier, no one stopped them at the city gates.
News traveled fast in the underworld, and faster still when the threat came wrapped in divine lightning and heavy firepower. Everyone had heard the tale: The Dual Smasher—Hajime and Selena—had crippled one of the city's strongest mafia crews in a single afternoon.
So when their Humvee rumbled through the merchant quarter toward the central Adventurers' Guild, no one so much as raised a question.
The guild doors opened without resistance.
Inside, adventurers, staff, and officials turned with mixed awe and wariness as Hajime and his team stepped in, the weight of four survivors in their arms and a mountain of silent judgment following behind.
The survivors still looked half-dazed, their minds struggling to accept that this wasn't a dream. If Selena had to guess, some of them still feared they'd wake up back in the vats.
Hajime didn't hesitate. "We need medics, now."
The guild staff scrambled to obey. The moment his voice rang out, the front desk attendant all but tripped over themselves, issuing orders. It wasn't just urgency—it was respect. Everyone knew by now that this wasn't just any party.
The Gold-Rank Party.
Hajime's Party.
Moments later, Guildmaster Ilwa himself appeared at the top of the stairs, his face taut with fatigue. His secretary, Dou, followed close behind, his clipboard clutched in hand.
"Come with us," Ilwa said immediately. "Guildmaster's office. All of you."
It was the second time they'd been summoned in less than a day.
And this time, Ilwa looked even worse for wear—his face drawn, eyes bloodshot, the lines around his mouth aged by years in the span of hours. He sat slowly behind his desk, as if even that effort was a burden. Selena felt a stab of guilt in her chest. 'And I'm about to add more to his shoulders.'
Hajime stood tall before the desk, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"I'll get straight to the point," he began. "Your city had a human trafficking ring operating under its nose for years. They even managed to kidnap Myu, right out from under your protection. And when they realized we were here to stop them, they tried to turn the tables. Declared war on us."
Ilwa's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.
"We ended that war," Hajime continued coolly. "Fast."
Then his tone turned heavier.
"But what we found underneath that warehouse wasn't just slavers. They were selling people to demons—and worse, those demons were turning them into weapons. The husks we've been fighting? They're not monsters. They're people. Transformed by force."
Dou's clipboard slipped slightly in his grip.
Hajime gestured to the unconscious survivors they'd brought. "These four were the only ones within our ability to save. The rest… they were too far gone. Beyond what any of us could do."
Ilwa's face went pale. Dou's mouth moved, but no sound came out.
Selena stepped forward, her voice quiet but steady. "I saw them being put into vats—suspended in some kind of enchanted solution. The lab was covered in complex magic seals and runes. It looked like a transformation process… gradual, maybe five weeks long." She paused. "But I'm not sure if they've managed to accelerate it yet."
Hajime nodded. "Before we left, Selena collapsed the lab and sealed off the tunnel system beneath your city. No one's coming back through that path."
Ilwa let out a long, heavy sigh, rubbing his face with both hands. "That's… one thing I don't have to worry about."
He looked at the party, eyes filled with a strange mixture of awe and dread. "Two days. That's all you've been here. Two days, and already you've saved this city—just like you did in Ur. If we don't catch the conspirators soon, there's no telling how deep this goes."
Hajime folded his arms. "If this city had fallen before the war starts, it would've crippled humanity's defenses. You'd be famous… for the wrong reasons."
"Yes," Ilwa agreed bitterly. "To think our own people were being harvested to build soldiers… we've been a step behind this entire time."
He bowed low, voice full of sincerity. "Hajime, Yue, Shea, Selena… on behalf of this city, thank you."
Dou followed suit, bowing without hesitation.
Hajime waved it off. "Don't thank us. They made themselves our enemies. We just did what we always do."
He smirked faintly. "But if you want things to run smoothly for the next few weeks… use my name."
Ilwa blinked. "Pardon?"
Hajime's smirk widened, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Tell everyone I'm your personal attack dog. That I'll hunt down anyone who steps out of line."
Dou looked visibly uncomfortable, but Ilwa leaned back and laughed, the sound dry but genuine.
"Oho… that might just work. Long enough for my forces to regain control of the territory the mafia lost." He looked Hajime in the eye. "You don't mind?"
"I don't care," Hajime shrugged. "Just don't abuse it."
Ilwa nodded. "You've changed."
"Yeah," Hajime admitted. "Things happen."
Ilwa's expression softened. "I'm glad they made you a little more kind to strangers."
"Don't get used to it," Hajime grunted.
Then, as the room began to ease, Hajime turned serious again. "About Myu… I'll be taking her home. If that's alright with you?"
Ilwa blinked, then smiled faintly. "No, no. In fact—let me make it official. A personal request by the Guild." He opened a drawer and handed Hajime a sealed letter of request, complete with insignia.
"Thanks, Ilwa," Hajime said.
Ilwa looked down at his hands, then out the window. "Honestly… after seeing your strength firsthand, there's not much I could do to stop you even if I wanted to."
Hajime chuckled. "It's fine. I'll use that strength when it matters most. My class synergy demands it. Gotta make everything count."
As the conversation eased, a small voice piped up behind them.
"…I don't have to go again, do I?"
Everyone turned. Myu had hugged Hajime's arm tightly, her eyes wide and frightened.
"No," Hajime said softly, his voice dropping into something gentle and warm. "I'll take you home."
"Promise?" she asked, peering up into his face.
Hajime smiled.
"Of course. Who the hell do you think I am?"
"That's easy," Myu giggled, squeezing his arm. "You're my daddy!"
Ilwa and Dou stood there in silence, watching the hardened warrior being pulled into a bear-hug by a giggling child.
And after the day they'd had—the blood, the fear, the conspiracies in the shadows—seeing that child's warmth brought something human back into the room.
Even the two oldest men in the guild let their eyes soften.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Selena's mask shattered completely.
All at once, the carefully held composure, the iron facade she'd worn through battle and negotiation, crumbled. A wave of nausea surged up from deep inside, twisting her gut with sudden violence.
She barely made it to the bathroom in time, falling to her knees as she retched violently into the basin. There was nothing left in her stomach—just water, bile, and the hollow echo of the suffering she'd witnessed.
Behind her, footsteps hurried across the wooden floor.
Gentle hands carefully gathered Selena's hair, holding it away from her face. Tio knelt down, her warmth radiating like an anchor in a storm as she rubbed Selena's back softly, coaxing her to let it all out.
"It's alright, Selena," Tio whispered gently. "Don't fight it. Just let it go."
Selena's body shook, her breath ragged. She felt weak, pathetic—but Tio's presence never wavered, calm and patient beside her.
"You put up such a strong front for everyone," Tio murmured softly. "But you've been holding all of this inside… not just from today. All those husks you had to kill back in Ur, the ones too far gone to save…"
Tears blurred Selena's vision. She wiped her mouth shakily, voice trembling, barely audible.
"I must look like a mess…"
She expected reassurance, perhaps gentle teasing—but instead, Tio leaned forward and placed a soft, tender kiss on Selena's forehead.
"I'd be far more worried if you didn't react like this," Tio whispered firmly, pulling Selena gently into her arms. "Killing should never come easily, Selena. Monsters are one thing—but people… people should always hurt."
Selena's breathing steadied slowly, her head leaning into Tio's shoulder. Warm arms enveloped her, the steady rhythm of Tio's heartbeat grounding her in something real, something safe.
"I'm right here with you, Selena," Tio said quietly, tightening her embrace. "Always."
They remained like that for a long moment—just breathing, just existing in each other's warmth—until finally, Selena's trembling eased. Tio's fingers gently combed through her hair, careful and comforting.
"Now," Tio said softly, lifting Selena's chin gently, meeting her gaze with warmth, "how about we get you something to eat and some proper sleep?"
Selena managed a faint smile, even as exhaustion seeped into every muscle. "Alright, Tio. But...I don't think I can face going downstairs again."
Tio chuckled lightly, eyes brightening with quiet amusement. "Fufu~ no need to worry about that. I ordered dinner before we even came upstairs. It should be here right about—"
KNOCK KNOCK.
"Dinner's here!" called a cheerful voice from outside their door.
Tio gave Selena another reassuring smile. "Perfect timing. Go sit on the bed—I'll be right back."
Dinner was simple, quiet, and warm.
They sat close to one another, legs crossed on the floor, sharing food from the same tray between them. The lantern light flickered gently, casting a soft amber glow across their faces. For a while, the only sounds were the soft clinks of cutlery and the occasional sigh of comfort as the warmth of the meal settled into tired bodies.
Selena sat cross-legged, swirling her cup of water idly while watching Tio from across the table.
"So," she asked, trying for casual, "I know it's only been a day, but what do you think of the party so far?"
Tio raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Already fishing for my impressions? What a forward woman you are."
Selena chuckled. "You're not exactly subtle with your opinions either."
"Touché," Tio said with a small grin, setting her own water cup down. "Well then. Let's see... Hajime is clearly the spine of the group—deadly calm, utterly ruthless when needed, but only when it's about protecting those close to him. I think I like that about him."
Selena nodded quietly.
"Yue…" Tio's voice softened slightly. "She's composed. Quiet. But sharp—razor sharp under the surface. She sees everything even when she says little."
Selena laughed lightly. "She's still way more composed than I am. I've got a long way to go before I can pull off the 'icy queen' thing without cracking."
"But you're definitely sharper than people give you credit for," Tio added with a knowing look. "You notice a lot more than you let on."
Selena smirked a little, her gaze lowering. "Thanks… I think."
"And of course," Tio continued, leaning on one elbow with playful ease, "Hajime does seem to be collecting quite the little harem. I'll admit, I might've let myself fall into that orbit if fate hadn't introduced me to someone far more captivating."
She winked.
Selena blinked.
Goosebumps prickled up her arms again. She looked down at her cup of water, but the words Tio had just said echoed louder than anything else in the room.
Because she knew. She knew what was supposed to happen.
Tio was supposed to fall for Hajime. That's how the story was supposed to go. That was the path fate had drawn—and Selena had changed it.
Her smile faltered slightly.
And Tio, perceptive as ever, noticed.
But instead of teasing, her gaze softened.
"I like the way things turned out," she said gently.
Selena looked up, startled.
"I like being here. With you."
The warmth in Tio's voice was simple. Honest. And it reached right past Selena's defenses.
Selena lifted her water cup slightly and clinked it against Tio's with a small smile. "To our strange little party of misfits."
Tio's golden eyes gleamed. "To all the futures we stole back."
Selena sipped, then hesitated, setting her cup down slowly.
"…And what about me?" she asked, not meeting Tio's eyes at first.
Her voice was soft—but it carried weight.
"I mean… what do you think of me, Tio?"
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it was heavy—like the quiet before a storm.
Tio sat up straighter, her expression turning more serious. She reached across the table, gently touching Selena's hand.
"You're like flint," Tio said softly. "Hard. Cold, sometimes. But only because of how much fire is inside you. You've been struck again and again, but you never broke—you sparked."
Selena looked up slowly, meeting her eyes.
"You're not polished like Yue. You don't wear your pain like a crown. You carry it like a sword—close, silent, heavy. And even though I know it weighs you down, you still stand."
Tio smiled faintly.
"And to me, that's beautiful."
Selena swallowed, her throat tightening. Her voice nearly failed her.
"…I'm glad I asked."
Tio gave her hand a soft squeeze. "I'm glad you did too."
Selena was quiet for a moment, her fingers still loosely entwined with Tio's.
Then she looked down, exhaled slowly, and said in a low voice, almost like a confession:
"You know… it's strange. From the moment we met, I felt like I already knew you."
Tio blinked.
Selena didn't look up, but her tone was calm, measured—just ambiguous enough.
"Like I saw something in you. Deep. Like I was standing in your soul for a moment. And in that moment… I knew you carried just as much weight on your shoulders as I do."
The flicker of knowing in Tio's eyes returned.
Selena went on, her voice softer now.
"Your people… they've been hiding, waiting, surviving. And I get the feeling that won't last much longer. When the time comes, Tio…" she looked up at last, meeting her gaze, "I hope I see you at the front. Leading them. Taking your pound of flesh—everything you rightly deserve."
There was no judgment in her tone.
Only quiet respect.
Tio's breath hitched for a half second, and then she smiled. Not her usual teasing grin—something smaller, more sincere.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "You never stop surprising me, Selena. Every time I think I've caught up to who you are… you reveal another layer."
She chuckled lightly. "You're a mystery wrapped in steel and lightning. But I think I rather enjoy unraveling you."
Selena's blush crept up again, but this time, she didn't look away.
"…Just don't dig too deep," she said with a weak laugh. "You might not like everything you find."
Tio's golden eyes glimmered.
"I already do."
Selena raised her palm, pressing it firmly to the handle as she began inscribing a new transmutation array—thin, glowing lines of magic carved gently into the surface. It was delicate work, slow and draining, every line of the spell circle reacting to her will and mana flow. She focused entirely, each breath steady, each movement precise.
No shortcuts. No innate class synergy. Just raw, hard-earned skill.
By the time she finished, the array pulsed once, softly, and faded. Her mana vanished with it.
Selena sheathed the blade and rose to her feet, fatigue weighing on every step. She crossed to the bed and slipped in beside Tio, the blankets warm and inviting after such a long day.
Tio shifted slightly, wrapping an arm gently around Selena's waist.
"So… are you going to tell me what that was all about?" she murmured, her voice half-muffled in the pillow.
Selena exhaled, eyes closed. "Training," she said quietly. "I don't have a synergistic job class. If I want to improve, I've got to do it manually. No shortcuts."
"Really?" Tio murmured, a sleepy huff slipping out. "If that's what you're going with..."
She tightened her hold slightly, pulling Selena close. Selena let herself be held. She didn't resist.
And though her thoughts still churned, they slowly began to fade under Tio's warmth. Her breath slowed. Her muscles softened.
Sleep came.
But long after Selena's breathing fell into the rhythm of slumber, Tio remained still—her eyes closed, her body relaxed.
At least, that's how it looked.
Only when she was certain Selena had drifted off did Tio's golden eyes slide half open, just a sliver.
She watched the woman in her arms silently, her gaze soft, unreadable.
She hadn't missed the new array.
She hadn't missed the way Selena's hands trembled after it was done.
But she said nothing.
Because she trusted Selena would tell her—when she was ready.
So instead, Tio simply held her tighter and closed her eyes again.
And until morning came, she never truly slept.