Shinji sat beside Lio when a sudden wave of unease washed over him. For some reason, his chest felt heavy with worry.
"I wonder... Was uncle Vuri fine...?"
Lio looked at him, his eyes filled with concern, but as usual, he remained silent.
Outside, Akidou, Omelet, and Alba were heading toward the military district. They chatted and laughed loudly, their voices echoing along the streets of Heavenfield. Suddenly, a drunk old man stumbled across their path and bumped straight into Akidou. The man didn't apologize; he just muttered something under his breath, took a long swig from his bottle, and staggered away.
"What a weird old man."
Alba immediately placed a hand on Akidou's shoulder and shook his head.
"Don't say that. He is a venerable man. We should show him respect."
Akidou looked confused but stayed quiet as the group continued walking. Alba, the eldest of the three, began to explain:
"That man is named Bersen. He's known as the 'Wandering Sentinel of Heavenfield.' He wanders through every level of this place, from the deepest depths to the highest peaks, though no one pays him much mind. He has a unique ability... and they say his strength is on par with a Commander."
Akidou and Omelet widened their eyes in shock.
Elsewhere, Bersen continued his drunken stroll. With his ragged clothes and messy hair, he looked like a harmless vagabond, though a long sword hung at his hip. Suddenly, a group of children spotted him and shrieked:
"A monster! Run! It's a monster!"
The word "monster" made Bersen freeze. His bottle slipped from his hand, rolling across the ground.
"A monster? Where?"
The old man rushed toward the children to help, unaware that it was a prank. The kids were hiding in the shadows, waiting for him to lunge forward so they could pull a tripwire.
Back at Military District 01, Akidou, Omelet, and Alba stepped inside. They saw Tachi Tsukigami, but he was no longer the friendly man from before. His face was cold, and his lingering anger was obvious. He didn't even offer a greeting.
Meanwhile, at the mess hall, Shinji felt restless sitting in one spot. He stood up, signaled to Lio, and the two began to leave. Just then, they ran into Akidou's group. The trio shared some great news—all three of them had been assigned to Squad 1.
The atmosphere turned joyful. They were all relieved that they would be able to fight alongside each other after all. They gathered in the mess hall, sitting in a circle to share their stories.
First is Alba.
"I come from Idally, a country in the West."
Next is Akidou.
"And I'm from Kaban, in the East."
All eyes turned to Shinji. he was silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"To be honest... I don't remember anything about my past. I only know that I've been living here for a while."
The group was puzzled. Alba frowned, deep in thought.
"That's strange. I've been here a long time, and I've never run into you."
Shinji continues.
"I met someone incredibly kind. He took me in and gave me a place to stay. But I'm worried... some bad people hurt him. I don't even know if he's okay right now."
The mood grew somber. Akidou reached out and gripped Shinji's shoulder firmly.
"Don't worry! If you want, we'll help you to find him."
Finally, everyone turned their attention to Omelet, curious about his origin. Omelet spoke up, his wings fluttering slightly.
Omelet: "I am a Spirit. Before this, I lived in the Greenpath Forest, in the South."
The name made Akidou and Alba freeze in shock. Only Shinji looked confused.
"Greenpath? I've heard stories about it... but I never knew if it was actually real."
The group leaned in, eager to hear more from Omelet about that legendary and mysterious place