Everyone was still in shock from the recent incident. Some couldn't even recover. The situation was getting worse. A few soldiers tried to run, but Hikari, Daisuke, Fubuki, Rin, and Amaya stopped them. There was no place to run—if they left HQ, the monsters would kill them.
Everyone kept wondering: how could they all have the same dream? The death of the soldier made them even more scared. They were filled with guilt because of that dream, a guilt they couldn't understand. Some even started beating themselves out of remorse, but the leaders stopped them.
Everyone was stressed—even Ming, Akiko, Sofia, Luca, and the others. Except Kenzo. He didn't show any expression at all.
No one trained that day. Instead, they buried the soldier's body behind the building, in the graveyard where many others had been laid to rest. Everyone attended the funeral, standing with their hands behind their backs and heads lowered, giving a respectful salute—a tribute.
After the funeral, they returned to the training ground—not to train, but because they had nowhere else to go. Hikari ordered the other trainers to let everyone rest and recover from the incident.
Ming leaned against a tree. Luca sat on a bench beside Kenzo. Akiko leaned against the building wall. Sofia sat on another bench with Ash and the old lady. Everyone was deep in thought, but the question on all their minds was the same:
"Is this the beginning of a new nightmare?"
Suddenly, a loud knock echoed at the main gate. Everyone turned toward it. The soldiers in charge of the gate peeked through the viewing hole to see who was outside, then turned to Hikari.
"Sir, it's a guy—around 25 years old. He looks normal. Not a monster. Should we open the gate?"
Hikari nodded, and the gates were opened.
A young man stepped in. He looked around 25 or 26 years old. His hair was purple with a bit of green mixed in, and his sharp green eyes shimmered with glinting flecks. His hair was medium length—neither short nor too long—and fell over his face in soft, slightly messy waves. He wore a white shirt and a thin black blazer, a few buttons left open. A silly smile played on his lips.
In his hand, he held a knife—its blade stained with blood.
Everyone stared at him suspiciously.
Hikari stepped forward. "Who are you?"
Rin glared at the man while the others waited tensely for his answer.
The man replied, "Hey! My name is Soru Kyo. Just call me Soru. I'm a survivor—I came here because this place seemed safe."
His sly smile never left his face, irritating Rin, Ming, Luca, Akiko, and even Sofia. Kenzo, as always, ignored him—but Soru noticed. He walked right over, threw an arm around Kenzo's shoulder, and said, "I don't like being ignored."
Kenzo glared at him.
Hikari raised an eyebrow. "So, you're here for safety? Hmm... Then you'll train with us. Agreed?"
Soru nodded confidently.
Hikari's eyes briefly focused on the bloody knife. It wasn't too shocking—people fought to survive—but Soru's carefree tone and expression were suspicious.
So Hikari asked, "Why are you so carefree?"
Soru replied without hesitation, "Because I'm strong enough to protect myself!"
Hikari raised his eyebrows, slightly impressed. He nodded and turned to Rin.
"Rin, show him his room. Take him to the one next to yours, on the second floor."
Rin rolled his eyes. He didn't like the idea of Soru staying right next to his room, but out of respect for Hikari's decision, he said nothing and nodded.
Soru smiled confidently as he followed Rin. As they passed Akiko, she rolled her eyes at him. Soru flicked her forehead playfully and kept walking. Akiko glared at him.
Sofia looked worried. She held Ash's hand protectively, and the little boy stared at Soru in confusion. Sofia herself seemed confused. Ming and Luca sighed, and Kenzo, as usual, ignored everything. Hikari simply watched.
Amaya, Daisuke, and Fubuki exchanged glances with Hikari as if questioning whether this had been a good decision. Hikari gave a silent nod in return—his way of saying, "Yes."
—
On the other side of HQ, Rin and Soru reached the room.
"This is your room. There's a uniform in the wardrobe. You'll get your sword tomorrow," Rin said.
Soru nodded confidently and gave a playful salute.
Rin frowned. "Don't cause noise. That's a warning."
With that, Rin shut the door and left.
Soru smiled to himself, then flopped comfortably onto the bed. "Hmm. It's entertaining how irritated they get just because of me. This is getting interesting…"
—
Everyone else was still dealing with the shock of the soldier's death, and now a new problem had arrived—to irritate them further.
Ming quietly wondered, What if he's dangerous?
—
The next day at the training ground, Soru received his sword. He held it carelessly, his uniform wrinkled and two buttons still undone. His hair wasn't messy, but it still fell in front of his eyes.
He was placed in the team being trained by Hikari.
During the session, Hikari noticed how good Soru was. He was clearly impressed—but also curious.
Where did he learn to fight like that? Where did he come from? And why didn't he seem afraid like the others?
When Soru saw the Thunder Sword, he was surprised—but not shocked. Most people reacted with awe or fear the first time they saw it. That bothered Hikari.
Soru swung the sword smoothly, without hesitation. Even during training, his silly smile never disappeared. It irritated everyone—Ming, Luca, Rin, Akiko, and Amaya.
Only Sofia, Kenzo, Hikari, Daisuke, and Fubuki reacted differently. Sofia looked more worried about the others' reactions than about Soru himself. Kenzo didn't care. Hikari remained impressed—but cautious. Daisuke and Fubuki trusted Hikari and ignored Soru's strange behavior.
—
By 8 PM, it was dinnertime.
In the cafeteria, Ming, Sofia, Hikari, Ash, Rin, and Amaya sat at one table. Behind them, Luca, Akiko, Kenzo, Fubuki, Daisuke, and the old lady sat at another.
Soru arrived and sat down beside Sofia—not intentionally, but because it was the only seat left. Still, everyone glared at him. Sofia was innocent, and most of them felt protective of her.
Soru noticed the tension and laughed. Then he stood up and sat beside Ming instead. Hikari noticed the awkward atmosphere but ignored it until it grew worse.
Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, stop glaring and eat your dinner."
Everyone began eating, though the tension remained.
Sofia wasn't eating much. She had brought very little food and was lost in thought—thinking about the soldier's death and her nightmare. She snapped back to reality when Soru suddenly placed an apple from his plate onto hers.
She looked at him, surprised. "Y-y-you don't have to give me your apple…"
This time, Soru smiled kindly—not slyly—and said, "I noticed you're not eating much. I don't know why, but skipping meals isn't a good habit."
Sofia was caught off guard. She never expected kindness from him.
The others rolled their eyes, but Hikari smiled. Rin didn't glare this time—he stayed silent. Ming and Luca watched curiously. Kenzo ignored everything. Akiko thought it was fake kindness and rolled her eyes. Amaya, Daisuke, Fubuki, and the old lady smiled kindly. Ash looked around, confused by everyone's reactions.
Then Soru said, "You remind me of my sister. Her name was Hina. She was about your age."
Sofia didn't understand. She opened her mouth to respond, but Soru stopped her.
"Eat it—or I'll stop eating too. And if I die of hunger, it'll be your fault," he said dramatically.
Sofia hesitated, then nodded and ate the apple.
Soru smiled and continued eating. Hikari smiled too. But the others still didn't trust him. His sudden arrival, bloody knife, and sly smile unsettled them.
They couldn't stop wondering—
Who was he?
Where did he come from?
And could they trust him at all?
End of Chapter 14