Rin was packing his things—he put a mini-knife in his pocket and placed an extra uniform in his bag.
On the other side, Ming and Luca were also packing. Luca placed an extra uniform in his medium-sized bag, and Ming did the same. Each of them took a water bottle. Meanwhile, Rin, still in his room, grabbed a rope and put it in his bag.
As Ming rummaged through his suitcase to see if there was anything useful, his eyes landed on a diary. It was the diary his brother had asked his sister-in-law to forgive him for before he passed away. They had almost forgotten about it, but now his curiosity was piqued. Just then, Luca called out to him, and he snapped out of his thoughts. "Mr. Ming, let's go."
Ming took the diary and placed it in his bag, then nodded at Luca. On the other side, Rin grabbed his bag and walked out of the room. He paused for a moment, then headed toward Sarah's room to say goodbye. When he arrived, he opened the door and saw her lying on the bed, motionless. He walked over, gently brushed her hair from her face, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"If you were in your right state, you'd argue with me about not going out into that dangerous forest," he whispered. Then he sighed and closed his eyes. He placed his forehead against Sarah's and whispered, "I promise, I will come back soon. Just wait for me."
He stayed like that for a minute, then sighed again. Straightening up, he looked at her one last time before leaving the room and walking into the hall.
A few minutes later, he arrived on the ground floor, where Ming and Luca had also gathered. All the trainers were there to say goodbye, including Hikari, Fubuki, Amaya, Daisuke, Kenzo, Sofia, Akiko, Ash, Soru, the Old Lady, and Sheto.
Amaya called out to Rin, "Rin!" She stepped forward and handed him a first-aid kit and snacks. "The first-aid kit will be useful, and here's some bread for the three of you. Take care." Rin nodded gratefully.
Hikari then spoke, "I believe in all three of you. Come back safely — we will be waiting."
Daisuke stepped forward, placed a hand on Rin's shoulder, looked at Rin, Ming, and Luca, then focused on Rin again. "Stay safe. Remember, we are warriors who live for—" He stopped and looked at Luca and Ming, then looked back at Rin and continued, "—to protect others, to protect our team, our comrades."
Rin nodded, then Fubuki also stepped forward, patted their shoulders cheerfully, and said, "Come back soon, my boys!" They nodded in response.
Kenzo stepped toward Luca. For a moment, he didn't say anything, then asked, "Luca, are you sure you want to go?" Luca nodded. Kenzo sighed and said, "Okay, I won't stop you." He thought for a moment, then hugged Luca tightly. "Take care and come back safely," he said. Luca wrapped his arm around Kenzo and replied, "I will come back, I promise, my brother."
Soru smiled at them, with a hint of respect in his eyes. Akiko stood next to the Old Lady, her expression serious, but with a hint of respect as well. In her heart, she thought, "I know you'll all come back, and we'll be waiting for you." The Old Lady looked at them with concern and silently prayed for their safety. "God, please keep them safe and protect them from all danger."
Sheto looked at Rin with hope that he would come back for his sister Sarah, and Rin noticed it. Then he stepped toward Sheto and placed his hand on Sheto's shoulder. "I will come back, but you have to promise me you'll take care of your sister until I return," Rin said. Sheto nodded, tears in his eyes, and Rin noticed it but said nothing. He turned back toward Ming and Luca and nodded to them — it was time to leave.
The three of them turned toward Hikari, Daisuke, Fubuki, and Amaya. When they nodded, Ming, Rin, and Luca took a deep breath. Ash looked at them with concern and curiosity. Then Rin, Ming, and Luca walked toward the gate.
Suddenly, they stopped as a voice called out, "Wait!" They turned around and saw Sofia running toward them, holding a small handmade handkerchief.
"I know it sounds silly, and Sir Rin, you are strict and get angry easily… kinda grumpy." Rin glared at her. Luca and Ming tried not to laugh, and Rin glared at them also before turning back toward Sofia. She continued, "But you helped everyone by making them strong. You care about your team, and you also helped me last time when my finger got injured, so I want to say… thank you. And this is for you."
She handed the handkerchief to Rin. He took it and noticed that "thank you" was written on the white fabric.
Then Sofia said, "Take care, all of you. I hope you come back safely." Rin and Ming nodded, and Luca smiled at her before they turned toward the gate.
Sofia, Hikari, Daisuke, Fubuki, Amaya, Soru, Kenzo, Akiko, the Old Lady, and Ash looked at them with understanding and respect. The three of them got closer to the gate, and the guards opened it. They took a deep breath They gripped their swords tightly and left. The others watched them with a silent goodbye.
Their new small journey had started, but they didn't know that danger was coming not only from the forest — it was coming toward HQ as well.
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End of the chapter 18