Chapter 68
In the palm of Onoko Borna's hand stood Raizo, Amy, and Ryan, their gazes reflecting worry and anticipation. As Suero locked eyes with Raizo, all eyes converged on this decisive moment before the upcoming battle.
Amy stared at them with a sharp, angry look, while Ryan still carried that anxious, expectant expression. The rest of the characters watched the intense scene in bitter silence.
Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, Raizo sat down, leaning against Onoko Borna's finger with his eyes closed, and slowly raised his head toward the sky. Amy blinked in surprise and turned her gaze toward him. Down below, all eyes shifted silently toward Onoko.
Amy murmured in disbelief, her voice low but filled with confusion:
"Aren't you going to fight...?"
But he didn't respond. He remained silent, his head lifted toward the black sky as if seeking an answer only he could hear. Amy looked at him in worry, her eyes clouded with uncertainty. Then, Raizo broke the silence, his voice weary and resigned as he addressed Suero below:
"Suero... please, go!"
Amy's eyes widened in shock at his words. Meanwhile, Suero raised his eyes toward the floating airships, ignoring the stares of those around him.
Before anyone could fully grasp what was happening, blue sparks began to dance around Suero's body, their glow reflecting off the shattered stones of the ruined stage. Then, in an instant, he launched himself skyward toward the airships without a hint of hesitation. Similarly, Nicola moved, carrying Hyona, while Sbyam followed close behind, all of them ascending into the sky.
Amy looked back and forth between Raizo and Suero, watching him soar away, her thoughts clashing violently in her mind:
"Is he really leaving... after everything he did?!"
She looked around her — at the battlefield turned to rubble, the destroyed houses, the scattered corpses. She saw Leo and Maria lying fallen in the middle of the fight, their bodies drenched in blood, their expressions defeated. Then her eyes landed on the corpse of Lady Katya... and with it, painful memories rushed into her mind:
— The death of Elder Arkadius...
— The death of Emre...
— The death of Samuel...
The names echoed in her head like screams. Her features hardened, her eyes blazing with fury. The spark of vengeance ignited within them, and a burning tear of rage slid silently down her cheek, falling onto Borna's palm.
Suddenly, without thinking, she stepped forward — then leapt from the height of Onoko Yamato's hand, landing hard on the ground. As her feet hit the earth, she gasped, her breath sharp and rapid, her eyes burning with searing anger.
Ryan shouted in alarm:
"AMY...!"
He watched her walking with heavy steps, her fists clenched, emotions erupting like a volcano beneath the surface. He stood there, unsure — until a voice snapped him out of it:
"Ryan!"
He turned toward the sound to see Raizo still lying on Onoko's finger, but this time his tone was firmer as he said:
"Follow Amy... don't let her do something stupid or reckless!"
Ryan nodded quickly, without hesitation, then turned his eyes to Amy as she stormed ahead in anger. In the next moment, he leapt from Onoko's palm, landing lightly, and began chasing after her, trying to catch up before things spiraled out of control.
—
Inside One of the Airships
Moryo sat on a chair inside the airship, while Trainer Surichi leaned silently against the wall. Laura, Mr. Oda, and Rita sat on the floor, a heavy, tense silence blanketing the room. Suddenly, the quiet was broken by the sound of Suero's footsteps landing on the floor of the airship. He stepped inside, drawing everyone's attention. Behind him followed Nicola, Sbyam, and Hyona, who casually tossed her rifle to the ground without a care.
But before Suero could even register the atmosphere, Moryo's foot slammed into him with a powerful kick, sending him flying into the airship wall. Nicola almost moved to defend him, but Sbyam's hand reached for his shoulder, stopping him calmly. Nicola glared at him furiously, but Sbyam murmured in a quiet voice:
"Let the commander speak to his subordinate."
Nicola froze in place, though the anger on his face did not fade.
As for Suero, he leaned against the wall, lifting his head as his eyes locked with Moryo's. Moryo stood before him, staring with intensity before muttering quietly:
"What are you doing, Suero? Are you trying to prove you're some kind of hero?"
Suero's gaze deepened as he stared at Moryo, prompting the latter to mutter bitterly:
"That look...!"
Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories of past battles—when Suero fought Hambo, and when he stood against Beth. He returned to the present, gazing into Suero's eyes, which now blazed with fury, and continued with a voice laced with both seriousness and bitterness:
"That look! Do you see me as your enemy now?!"
Suero closed his eyes for a moment, as Moryo went on, his eyes filled with pain and anger:
"You always said your goal was to protect people... But I saw the war you ignited here! You killed civilians… you killed women and children!"
Suero remained silent, until he opened his eyes again—this time, their intensity had turned into a cold, unyielding sharpness. Moryo glanced at him for a moment before walking back and sitting on his chair, raising his head to stare at the ceiling of the airship. The others stayed where they were, tension still thick in the air. Silence settled once more, but it was no peaceful quiet—it was a silence heavy with unease and tightly restrained emotions.
---
Outside
Amy walked with heavy steps, her eyes boiling with hatred and bitterness. She stared up at the airships floating in the sky as her mind stormed with thoughts:
"HE KILLED THEM…! HE…"
A tear rolled down her cheek. She suddenly stopped, raising her head to the sky, staring at the airship Suero had boarded. Her voice came out in a low whisper, charged with seething fury:
"He killed my people! You won't get away with this, you damned... you..."
She clutched her chest, then suddenly, she screamed—a powerful cry that shook the entire area, her veins bulging with explosive rage:
"You won't leave until I've made you pay for what you've done, you damnneeeed—SUERO RASHID!!"
Her scream echoed through the space, her breath heavy with fury. Ryan, who had been watching from behind, felt a surge of concern as he saw her state. But before he could even move, the ground beneath her feet cracked open, and she shot into the sky with tremendous force, heading toward the hovering airships. Ryan stared at her in utter disbelief, muttering:
"She flew...? How... how did she do that?!"
---
Inside the Airship
Trainer Surichi had bound Suero's hands before pushing him into a closed Cabin. He was followed by Moryo, Sbyam, Laura, and Mr. Oda, while Hyona, Rita, and Nicola remained outside, sitting with evident anticipation.
Inside the Cabin, Suero sat on the floor, while the others took their seats on chairs, staring at him in a heavy silence charged with tension. Eventually, Suero broke the silence, speaking coldly:
"So, what is it you want to know?"
Moryo looked at him sharply, then responded seriously:
"You sent us multiple messages regarding the attack plan on Arcadia. You even devised a strategy to fill the skies with airships, to confuse the enemy and prevent them from identifying which one carried our command. And the only airship that holds our leadership is this one!"
Silence fell for a moment, and everyone stared into Suero's eyes, before he finally lowered his gaze to the ground and said calmly:
"Ah, yes. I planned all of that to kill Elder Arkadius and declare war."
Sbyam asked, focusing intently:
"But how did you manage to force one of the World Sages to appear in public?!"
Suero's eyes remained fixed on the ground, expressionless, as he replied coldly:
"I had Hyona and Nicola join Arcadia's military forces. Hyona managed to rise to a high rank, becoming close to the Sages—they fully trusted her. She was the one who told them I was still alive, even though they believed I had died after the annihilation they carried out in Kaisima."
Laura interjected with a question:
"But how did they find out that you had acquired the power of Obliteration?!"
Suero lifted his head and looked at her coldly as he answered:
"That was also Hyona's doing. I planned everything with her, but fortunately, the Sages didn't question how she knew. And when fear struck them, they decided to announce it to the world. I took the opportunity… and eliminated one of them."
Moryo recalled the scene on the battlefield and asked seriously:
"And that girl? The one you attacked there? Who was she?"
Suero lowered his gaze again, recalling the image of Maria and the face of Ryan, before muttering coldly:
"She was nothing but a tool to extract information. I had Nicola dispose of her temporarily in the arena so she wouldn't complicate things for us, but she managed to survive."
Moryo stared at him sharply, then spoke in a firm tone:
"We still don't know your true intentions, Suero. That's why, once we arrive in Kaisima, we'll detain you until we fully understand what you're planning!"
Suero raised his eyes, meeting Moryo's gaze calmly and coldly, while the others continued to watch the scene with anxious anticipation.
—
Aboard the Airship – Outside the Cabin
Hyona, Nicola, and Rita sat in silence, until Rita turned to them with a childlike, curious gaze and said:
"You two have changed a lot!"
Nicola and Hyona looked at her with surprise before Hyona raised her eyebrows, questioning:
"Why?!"
Rita answered with a thoughtful tone:
"Four years ago, when Suero revealed to us the truth about Kaisima, the monsters, and the world… you both followed him, while Laura and I stayed behind to carry out the plan he entrusted to us. But… you've changed so much!"
Nicola lowered his gaze to the ground, his voice firm as he spoke:
"Because all that time… we lived, ate, and slept among the enemy."
Hyona sighed in frustration, then stood up and said:
"I'm tired of these endless conflicts and wars… if it weren't for my trust in Suero, I wouldn't still be fighting!"
She looked at them as they remained seated while silence filled the airship. Everyone sat on the floor except Hyona, who stood deep in thought. After a moment, she asked curiously:
"By the way… where did all these airships come from? We heard about Kaisima's annihilation, so how did you afford all this?"
Nicola looked toward Rita, who replied with disbelief in her voice:
"Because of Sbyam Brius!"
Nicola's eyes widened in shock as he repeated the name:
"Sbyam Brius?!"
Rita nodded:
"Yes! After Mr. Oda protected us with his Technique, and we witnessed Kaisima's annihilation, we found out that Sbyam Brius had amassed a great fortune from his missions as a former sorcerer. We used his money to buy all these airships."
Nicola raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of a gunshot!
The bullet pierced through Hyona's back from behind!
Nicola and Rita's eyes widened in horror. Rita quickly turned to see Amy, who had picked up the rifle Hyona had previously discarded—her face filled with hatred and rage.
Hyona looked on in shock, her body swaying before collapsing. Rita rushed to catch her before she fell, embracing her tightly. She placed her hands over the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. When she lifted her hand, it was stained with Hyona's blood. Her eyes widened, and she gently laid Hyona down as Nicola stared at Amy with explosive fury before roaring:
"What have you done, you bitch?!"
In a flash, he lunged at her and kicked her hard in the face, sending Amy crashing into the wall. He didn't give her a moment to react and delivered another brutal kick, slamming her into the opposite wall, blood covering her face.
Despite the pain, Amy wiped the blood from her nose with her sleeve, then raised her head silently, glaring at Nicola with eyes burning with hatred… and he returned the same look.
Rita, panicking, spoke up:
"HEY, Nicola! This isn't the time! We need to find somethingto stop the bleeding!"
Nicola glanced at her, worry in his voice:
"You know I don't even know if we have any bandages, right?!"
Rita clutched her head in terror as Hyona weakly murmured:
"No… we didn't bring any bandages here."
Nicola's eyes widened in shock before he screamed:
"You brought all these damn airships, but no bandages—and you knew we were heading into a war zone?!"
Rita froze in fear, until Hyona's trembling voice interrupted:
"Nicola… listen to me…"
He quickly dropped to his knees beside her, his voice trembling:
"Hyona…?!"
She continued, her voice faint and broken:
"Please… tell Suero this…"
Nicola looked at her, deeply worried:
"What do you mean?!"
Hyona, her face pale and her eyes barely open, whispered:
"The pain… the rage… the loss… none of it is your end… it's your beginning."
Nicola and Rita stared at her, stunned, as she continued with difficulty:
"Remember the sacrifices of your friends and your family… don't let our deaths be just another sorrow… let them be the spark that ignites your fire. The world will not give you your right… you must take it by force. Show no mercy, no hesitation, no retreat… because retreat means we died for nothing. Prove to us… we were right to save you. Please, tell him everything."
Nicola and Rita listened in stunned silence as Hyona's eyes slowly closed, a peaceful smile resting on her face.
And then… she was gone.
Nicola stared at her for a moment before his voice erupted in a shattered scream:
"HYONAAAAAAA!"
His cry echoed through the airship, a mournful resonance bouncing off the metallic walls.
---
Inside the Cabin
Everyone heard Nicola's scream, and Lara muttered anxiously:
"What happened to them?!"
Before the door to the Cabin suddenly opened.
Nicola stood there, like a statue, his face frozen, with a single tear frozen on his cheek.
Everyone looked at the newcomer before Lara muttered in worry:
"Nicola?!"
Nicola spoke in a hollow voice, addressing Suero:
"She's dead..."
Everyone remained frozen, as Nicola continued:
"Hyona... she's dead!"
Everyone's eyes widened in shock, while Suero remained calmly staring at the ground, showing no expression.
As for Moryo, he muttered in disbelief:
"What...?!"
End of chapter.