The gunshot that struck Kaien still echoed as the government troops emerged from the haze.
Though their gas masks and heavy armor covered every inch of their bodies, an aura of cold ruthlessness radiated from them.
Cindra froze, staring at Kaien—bleeding and collapsing in her arms. Her mind went blank for a second, then her teeth clenched tight. Rage boiled over.
Like a beast driven mad, she screamed and charged forward, blades gripped tight in both hands, aiming straight at the soldiers.
But… her body had already reached its limit. Covered in deep wounds, exhausted, Cindra was no longer the warrior she once was.
BANG!
A bullet tore through her stomach. Her body spun back violently, slamming into a wooden crate nearby. Blood splattered across the ground.
One soldier sneered.
"Isn't this the pair that used to work under Aigris? Just gutter rats from the slums… Do they even realize this is a battlefield?"
Another soldier asked coldly,
"What should we do with them now?"
"For now, tie them up. Dump them in some corner. Let fate decide if they live or die."
The squad seemed to agree as they pulled out their restraints—until the commander raised his hand.
"Wait. Stop."
"What is it, Captain?" a soldier asked.
The man stood silent for a moment, then a twisted grin crept across his face.
"They're nothing but sewer rats. Why waste time hauling them back? Orders are clear: we need to move fast, no turning back. Better to just… kill them here and be done with it."
Silence. Then a voice echoed:
"…Yeah. You're right."
The rifles rose, barrels glinting in the firelight, all aimed at Kaien and Cindra.
And then—
A shadow stepped out of the smoke. A figure, katana in hand.
Though half-conscious, Kaien could hear a voice. Cold. Distant. A voice that did not belong to the soldiers.
"You dogs of the government… always preaching about justice. And yet here you are, pointing your guns at children. Tell me—don't your mouths burn from such lies?"
"Who's there?!" the commander barked.
But before he could react, the blade flashed.
In an instant, the squad was cut down. All of them. Bodies staggered, collapsing to the ground as blood fanned across the cracked pavement.
The commander's eyes widened. He glanced down at the gash tearing across his chest—his final breath catching in disbelief—before his body fell among the others.
The shadow moved closer. Slowly, his figure became clear.
He turned toward the two young warriors lying broken on the ground. His voice was low but resolute:
"Young ones… I don't know your story. But I do know this—you must not die here. Not in this graveyard of a rotten government."