The war chamber fell strangely quiet after Kaien's explanation about Vijaya.
Not the tense silence from earlier.
This one felt heavier.
Because the more Kaien revealed, the more everyone inside the room understood how terrifying the situation truly was.
Ancient divine weapons.
Manifestations beyond reality.
A supernatural war approaching modern civilization.
And standing at the center of it all—
a teenage boy carrying memories from another lifetime.
The battlefield projections still flickered across the chamber showing Dominion forces retreating slowly under the Vesper offensive. Every minute more territories darkened across the tactical maps while reports of corrupted enemy soldiers continued increasing.
Time was running out.
Yet Kaien's expression remained thoughtful now.
Like something else bothered him more deeply than the battlefield itself.
Nyra noticed first.
"You're thinking about something."
Kaien quietly exhaled afterward before nodding slightly.
"There's another problem."
The room immediately focused again.
Orion frowned.
"What kind of problem?"
Kaien slowly looked down toward Vijaya resting in his hand.
Golden-black light faintly shimmered across the spear's surface while ancient markings pulsed softly beneath the chamber lights.
Then quietly—
"I retained all my memories."
Several researchers immediately started recording again afterward.
Kaien continued calmly.
"My combat instincts."
"My experience."
"My understanding of astras and warfare."
"All of it returned."
The room listened silently.
Then Kaien's grip around the spear tightened slightly.
"But this form of Vijaya changes everything."
Nyra tilted her head slightly afterward.
"How?"
Kaien lifted the spear slightly.
"With the bow…"
Fragments surfaced again.
Thousands of arrows covering the sky.
Astras raining destruction across battlefields.
"…I could fight entire armies from distance."
His expression darkened faintly.
"But now…"
He looked toward the spear carefully.
"…I fight at close range."
The room slowly understood.
One strategist frowned afterward.
"You mean direct frontline combat."
Kaien nodded once.
"With a spear, every battle becomes personal."
"Direct confrontation."
"Close-quarter warfare."
His eyes shifted toward the battlefield projections again.
"I can still fight overwhelming numbers."
"Vijaya has returned to me."
Golden energy flickered softly again afterward.
"And my body adapts faster every day."
Several officers visibly looked relieved hearing that.
Until Kaien continued.
"But I'm still incomplete."
The atmosphere shifted once more immediately.
Kaien quietly looked away afterward for half a second.
Then softly—
"In many ways."
Nyra and Lyss both stiffened slightly afterward.
Because deep down—
they already knew what he meant.
Kaien slowly looked toward them afterward.
And for the first time since entering the war chamber—
his composure cracked slightly.
"I still haven't gotten both of them back yet."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then Nyra's face immediately turned red afterward.
"…w-what?!"
Lyss nearly choked beside her.
The entire command room froze.
Several officers blinked in disbelief.
Magnus nearly looked horrified.
Seraphine visibly struggled not to react.
And Elias immediately covered part of his face with one hand like he already regretted existing today.
Kaien himself only realized how terrible that sounded after saying it aloud.
"…that came out wrong."
Nyra immediately looked away afterward in embarrassment.
"Obviously it came out wrong!"
Lyss hid part of her face too now while avoiding eye contact with literally everyone in the chamber.
Even Lucien Vale—
one of the coldest military commanders alive—
looked completely stunned for several seconds.
Then finally—
"…excuse me?"
Kaien quietly sighed afterward before correcting himself.
"I mean their souls."
That somehow only made the room more uncomfortable.
Nyra groaned immediately afterward.
"That is NOT helping!"
A few officers physically looked away now trying not to involve themselves in this conversation anymore.
Kaien pinched the bridge of his nose briefly afterward.
For someone carrying centuries of combat experience—
he was handling this terribly.
Finally he spoke more carefully.
"Their souls are connected to mine."
"There's resonance."
"Fragments."
The room slowly stabilized again afterward though the awkwardness absolutely remained.
Kaien continued quietly.
"I don't fully understand it yet."
"But every time we're near each other…"
Nyra and Lyss both instinctively looked toward him again.
"…my memories stabilize further."
Seraphine immediately focused intensely afterward.
"Emotional synchronization…"
"No," Kaien interrupted quietly.
"…soul synchronization."
That sentence disturbed the room again immediately.
Kaien ignored the reactions afterward though.
Because this part mattered.
"I think…"
He hesitated briefly.
"…their presence is helping restore parts of me that were lost between lives."
The twins froze slightly hearing that.
Not because it sounded romantic.
Because deep down—
they felt it too.
That strange warmth whenever they stayed near him.
That painful familiarity.
Fragments of emotions neither of them should logically possess.
Kaien quietly looked toward Orion afterward.
Then calmly—
"I'll fight."
The room became silent again immediately.
Kaien's voice sharpened slightly now.
"I'll fight the manifestations."
"I'll fight the Vesper corruption."
"I'll fight whatever comes."
No hesitation existed there.
Only certainty.
Then finally—
"…but the time between battles…"
His gaze shifted toward Nyra and Lyss again.
"…I need to spend it with both of them."
Dead silence.
The atmosphere instantly became unbelievably awkward again.
Several military officers genuinely looked like they wanted to disappear.
One strategist quietly whispered,
"…he really just said that in front of the entire command council…"
Nyra's face had become completely red now.
"You can't just say things like that so casually!"
Lyss looked equally embarrassed afterward while trying not to hide behind her sister.
Kaien blinked slightly.
"…why?"
That answer somehow made it worse.
Even Seraphine almost laughed accidentally before stopping herself.
Magnus looked physically exhausted now.
Lucien slowly closed his eyes afterward like he was trying very hard not to lose composure.
Then finally he spoke.
"…Kaien."
His voice carried unbelievable restraint.
"…you are asking permission from military high command to spend time with my nieces because their souls help stabilize your ancient reincarnated existence."
Kaien thought about it briefly afterward.
"…yes."
The room immediately became silent again.
Nyra covered her face completely afterward.
"I'm actually going to die from embarrassment."
Lyss softly muttered beside her,
"…I think I might too…"
Kaien genuinely looked confused now.
Because from his perspective—
this was an entirely practical conversation.
Unfortunately for everyone else present—
it absolutely did not sound practical.
Orion eventually coughed lightly afterward trying to restore order.
"…setting aside how unbelievably uncomfortable this conversation became…"
Several people immediately nodded in agreement.
"…if what you're saying is true…"
His expression sharpened slightly.
"…then maintaining your mental and spiritual stability may genuinely matter for future combat capability."
The researchers immediately agreed afterward.
"Continuous resonance monitoring could provide valuable insight."
"Psychological stabilization appears directly linked to memory recovery."
"His power fluctuations may depend on emotional synchronization with the twins."
Nyra immediately groaned louder afterward.
"Can everyone stop talking about us like some weird experiment?!"
Kaien quietly looked toward her afterward.
"…I wasn't trying to embarrass you."
Nyra froze slightly.
Then awkwardly looked away again afterward.
"…I know."
Lyss softly smiled beside her.
Because despite the embarrassment—
they understood what he actually meant.
He wasn't asking for romance.
Not directly anyway.
He was asking not to lose himself again.
And somehow—
their presence helped him stay whole.
The realization softened the atmosphere slightly afterward.
Then finally Lucien sighed heavily before speaking.
"…fine."
Everyone looked toward him immediately.
The Vice Commander rubbed his forehead briefly afterward before continuing tiredly.
"If being around them helps stabilize whatever ancient cosmic disaster you apparently are…"
Nyra immediately interrupted.
"UNCLE."
Lucien ignored her completely.
"…then I won't interfere."
Kaien quietly nodded afterward.
"…thank you."
Lucien immediately pointed toward him afterward though.
"But if you say anything like 'getting both of them back' in public again…"
Even Orion looked amused now.
"…I'm personally throwing you out of this tower."
For the first time since the supernatural war began—
small laughter spread quietly through the room.
Brief.
Awkward.
Human.
And Kaien—
despite carrying memories of endless death and battle—
found himself quietly smiling too.