After Cloe's words, cold and final, everyone understood that there was no mercy for the defiant. The soldiers carried the caretaker's body aside, then dragged Brun toward the execution grounds.
Everyone watched in anticipation. The massive man, scarred with both old and fresh wounds, was not expected to collapse before them, crying and begging for death as he shouted:
— Luck… please, just smile on me this once!
The executioner stepped forward heavily, grabbed Brun's head, and slammed it violently onto the stone floor.
— Be silent… and accept your fate.
A black flower was shoved into Brun's mouth, but he bit the executioner's fingers in a desperate attempt to resist. His fingers, hard as iron, were unaffected; the executioner responded with a violent choke, forcing him to swallow the flower.
A sharp scream erupted from Brun's throat, followed by his body curling in pain as he lost, in that moment, the one thing a man could pride himself on.
With bloodshot eyes, resigned to reality, he swallowed the second flower. Suddenly, a mysterious glow emanated from his body, and a new tattoo appeared on his shoulder—a mark of gaining another ability.
The scene repeated four times. Each time, Brun survived, gaining three new abilities. The executioner stopped, as the law required such cases to be reported to the commander, who would decide whether to continue the execution or study the new powers. If deemed useful, the individual would be enlisted as a "Criminal Soldier," restrained with monitoring bracelets and placed under strict supervision in a special battalion.
Moathan smiled coldly:
— Let's see if luck will favor him two more times… either survival or worse.
Kyle bit his fingers, unsure whether to hope for his survival… or his unknown fate.
Brun swallowed the next flower, muttering:
— Please, luck… just two more times, and everything to the Infernith.
But only a few moments were enough to shatter hope. His screams began, and his body glowed with a blinding light. The staff readied the catapult, yet luck—harsh as ever—was on his side this time; Brun died before transforming into an Infernith.
Brian laughed, wiping away a tear from sheer amusement:
Brian: "I lost the bet! All we had to do was check if he had any unique abilities before throwing him into an ordeal like this."
Moathan raised an eyebrow, his voice cold as a blade:
Moathan: "His power is death, which is why I do not care about him. Begin your preparations… everything starts at dawn tonight."
Brian stopped laughing, bending slightly as if weighing his words:
Brian: "So… it happens before dawn? Hahaha… thrilling."
Moathan smiled faintly:
Moathan: "That's what I like about you… alert."
Brian turned with confident steps, waving his hand:
Brian: "I must prepare, farewell."
Moathan: "Don't die out there."
After the execution, alarm sirens echoed throughout the Abyss Corps headquarters, red lights igniting in every corner, staining the walls the color of blood. The mechanical roar of alarms mixed with the soldiers' footsteps as they lined up in rigid rows, their breaths heavy with the weight of the coming mission, feet striking the ground in unison like a single heartbeat.
On the command platform, Chloe stood with steady steps, her eyes predator-like as she stared at them. Her black hair swayed with the gentle breeze from the open windows, her tense features revealing readiness to do whatever it took to maintain her authority:
Cloe (loudly): "Soldiers! An urgent mission awaits. In Zironth, hordes of monsters are moving. Our task: push them away from the city… or exterminate them. Everyone I name will leave with me immediately. We will be a battalion of 150 soldiers. The rest… continue protecting the other cities and executing your duties."
A voice rose from the back ranks, mixing fear and anger:
Soldier: "Isn't that too few?! This is a dangerous mission!"
Cloe paused, fixing him with a look that made the air thicken. Her fingers, wrapped around her sword hilt, trembled slightly with anger as she gestured for him to step forward. His face was pale, knees shaking, yet he bit his lip and moved forward, step by step… until her fist smashed his front teeth in one blow. He fell, blood mingling with saliva, as Chloe gripped her sword, raising it with the intent to decapitate him.
Suddenly, blue ice surged from the ground, snaking forward and pushing the soldier out of sword's reach, echoing with the cracking of rocks beneath her feet.
Cloe slowly turned, her eyes narrowing as if to devour her opponent:
Cloe: "What are you doing now, 09? Do you realize that opposing me… is like opposing the commander himself?"
09 stepped forward slowly, his voice calm and confident:
09: "He said nothing worth dying for. He only spoke what we all think."
Cloe froze for a moment, then growled in anger:
Cloe: "And who gave you the right to think?"
09: "Has the mission started? Have we left the headquarters? And isn't Moathan here?"
Her eyebrow rose, sparks flying from her eyes: "And what do you mean by that?"
09, unwavering in confidence, replied: "The mission hasn't begun… and Moathan is in his office, meaning he's the commander until we depart."
Cloe raised her sword to his neck:
Cloe: "No exceptions… if you stand against me performing my duty, go to hell."
She lunged like lightning, her sword cutting the air toward 09's neck with deadly intent. He did not move, steadfast as a rock, defying death itself.
At the last moment, her sword clashed with another… Moathan's own blade, which intercepted the strike.
Moathan (visibly surprised): "Did you really use that?"
Cloe (angrily confident): "I wasn't joking."
Moathan turned to 09 and slapped him hard into the wall, all soldiers responding with fear and respect:
Moathan: "She is the commander now, and these are orders. You will obey… we are short on soldiers and must exert our maximum effort to survive. You will work with the city corps; the battalion follows the Abyss Corps in Zironth. Stop complaining."
09 rose slowly, eyes filled with anger, as if staring at his father after a bitter fight. He tried to step away, but Chloe's voice cut his movement:
Cloe: "You will go as well; you have no right to leave."
09 (mocking): "Moments ago you were going to kill me, and now you need me?"
Cloe (firmly): "You're a soldier… this is your duty. Disobeying orders, death is better than survival."
Moathan intervened with composure: "We need every soldier… you cannot kill them over mere questions. Be more lenient."
Cloe (calm and confident): "You would have killed him if you were in my place."
Moathan (arrogantly): "If I were you… no one would dare ask a question in the first place. Your actions in the field enforce respect."
The soldiers lined up in long rows, hearts pounding like war drums. Some noticed blood on weapons and clothing from the previous execution, shivering. Hands sweated, eyes shifting between Chloe and Moathan, wondering who would survive and who would fall to the coming danger.
One whispered to another:
Soldier 1: "Don't you feel insane? A mission like this… and only 150 are going to Zironth… what about us?"
Another replied softly, trembling:
Soldier 2: "We have no choice… the commander ordered it, and Moathan is here. We just stay silent."
All eyes remained fixed on Chloe as she scanned the ranks, her gaze freezing blood in their veins. Even those accustomed to battle felt the weight of the moment, as if the entire place had become a sealed box, with no escape.
When 09 stepped forward, defying the tension, it became clear that courage wasn't exclusive to leaders. Some soldiers whispered to each other:
Soldier 3: "He… doesn't fear… anything."
The sounds of heavy footsteps and armor creaking intersected with the sirens' roar, filling the air with fear and tension. Even the silence between words heightened the anxiety, as if every command spoken by the leaders would determine their fate.
After Moathan intervened and prevented Chloe from killing 09, the soldiers felt a subtle shift in the power dynamic. Some exchanged glances, realizing that challenges would come not only from the monsters, but also from sudden decisions of the leaders.
Soldier 4 whispered to himself, voice trembling:
"We must prove ourselves… or we won't survive the day."
The distant city of Zironth appeared in their minds as the great, mysterious goal, where monsters gathered, and difficult missions demanded great sacrifice. Yet none could hide the shiver of the unknown.