The town square of Takkot, just like the usual activity in it, the square is flooded with civilians doing their businesses. Or so it seems. They are walking around aimlessly in circles with their heads looking down on the concrete surface. They've heard that every soldier received a certain order from the Hari, but they're oblivious as to what it was. Adding the fact that the soldiers are acting like usual, their anxiety grew with wonder...
What will happen any moment from now?
During that time, Agario and his men are present in the town square, doing a round of patrol as part of their morning shift.
"Nothing of note is happening." Said Agario as he continued to lead the way.
"Or maybe there is."
Everyone stopped on their tracks, following what Riko mouthed. And then, they followed the trajectory of Riko's arm directed at a certain street. There they saw a commotion that continuously attract more and more civilians.
"What's going on over there?"
"Who knows..."
Out of curiosity, they tried to listen to the people's shambled voices.
"It is her!"
"I thought she and the high commander Gilberto went for the capital yesterday?"
"No, I heard she killed two high commanders along with Gilberto. There were a few men in black asking about her whereabouts yesterday."
"Then she's being hunted?"
At that moment, Agario suggested:
"We have to get closer."
And so, they did. The commander and his squad skimmed through the path full of clamoring civilians. Until eventually...
"Oh, lola Esmeralda and Mila were right. You're all here."
The cause of the commotion stood rather confidently before them.
"Lyrica?!"
"Y-You... Why?"
Why? What is the girl, who killed two high commanders of Kruule before escaping the kingdom, doing back in Takkot? It can't be denied that Agario, Magdalo, Riko, and the others are hoping for Lyrica's return. However, they weren't expecting she would return after exactly one night.
"Wait, what happened to your face."
Out of the squad standing before Lyrica, Riko took notice of the reddish mark on the girl's right cheek.
"Ah, this? I had Mila hand over something to me..."
"Huh?"
***
Moving time in reverse, just not so long since Lyrica started getting everyone's attention while heading straight to the town square...
"Hey, everyone."
"Ate Lyrica? You're back?"
"Ate Lyrica!"
Lyrica surprised Riko's family with her return. And to her relief, Mila happened to be with them. She won't need to go through the trouble of going to her own residence.
"I heard you got the fabrics you requested."
"Yeah, they're a lot stronger and more durable than I expected. Thank you, Mila."
Meeting back with Nela, Rona, and the others, as well as showing her appreciation to Mila is not the only reason why Lyrica was there, at least not until she figured Mila was also there. She invited Mila to have a one-on-one conversation behind Riko's residence.
"When you asked me to make those fabrics, I already knew what you were planning with them. You also know why I agreed with your request, right?"
"Yeah."
Lyrica knew because she could feel it, it doesn't seem like Mila is trying to hide it at all—the oozing hatred and vengeance Mila is emanating. She first noticed it when Mila handed over Lyrica's clothes to her.
No amount of experience in devoiding one's emotions and thoughts could hide that overwhelming hatred and thirst for revenge. Mila blames Uruk for the death of his father, Karlo. Since then, she swore to herself that she will kill Uruk no matter what. She's been subtly feeding herself that thought until now.
"Then you should know that vengeance and hatred are negative emotions."
Lyrica knew if Mila continue to withhold those negative emotions, she's bound to become an Anino.
"I don't mind if you insist on seeking revenge, I would even help you achieve that goal if you want. But what do you do after that?"
Mila could imagine herself satisfying her vengeance before killing Uruk for good until she becomes an Anino herself. She could picture herself torturing Uruk using the very fabric of his clothes to cut his fingers and his limbs one by one, choke him, slowly tear him apart on the inside, and all other kinds of stuff she could do with her magic. She'll make sure he'll suffer slowly and painfully.
"I can do all that with my fabric manipulation magic. I don't care if I die or turn into an Anino after that."
"I see... So you already made up your mind. Did you tell Riko and the others about this?"
Mila could not utter a single word after that. That's when Lyrica knew...
"You didn't, huh. So you haven't considered what they'd feel once you do what you wanted to do."
"Stop it..." Mila pleaded. "I didn't want them to get involved, I mean, this is about my father."
"Speaking of your father, do you think this is what he would want you to become? Do you think he'd want to see you throwing your life away just like that?"
"Stop it!"
A resounding slap struck Lyrica's face.
"If I think about them now, I won't be able to do it..."
Mila fell on her knees as she slowly broke into tears.
"That is why you shouldn't make a decision that you will surely regret afterward. Because once you did, you can never reverse it."
"Huh?"
With that, Lyrica stretched her open hand to the crying girl.
"I said I would help you, didn't I? So how about this..."
Lyrica asked Mila. Her hatred, her vengeance, to give it all to Lyrica.
"Let me deal with Uruk on your behalf."
If you think about it, it was a rather strange offer. Lyrica and Mila barely knew each other. The conversation they were having right now is the fourth time they interacted with one another. So it got Mila asking:
"Why do you want to help me?"
"Riko once asked me what answer I wanted to hear..."
Lyrica wasn't sure what answer she wanted to hear at first, but eventually, she figured it out.
"It's all right."
Yes. It's all right. That was the answer she wanted to hear all this time. It's all right for her to move on with her regrets. It's all right for her to start anew.
"I've made up my mind."
Mila took Lyrica's hand.
"You've made up your mind?"
"From now on, I don't want to regret not doing what I could."
Lyrica gave the girl a firm answer.
"If I can help someone from making a wrong decision, or going down the wrong path, then I will help them." She added as she gently pulled Mila up. "So that's your answer."
"...I hate you," Said Mila as she gave Lyrica a weak punch along with Lyrica's own hand holding hers. "I hate how you sounded so cool when you said that."
And then, Mila whispered right into Lyrica's face, "If only you were a guy, you might have stolen my heart from Riko right at this moment."
"H-Huh...?" Lyrica fluttered her eyes, baffled after what Mila just said to her. 'What's with this woman?'
"Sadly, this is all I can give you."
The two released each other's grasp on one another.
"My hatred, my vengeance, I'll leave it all to you."
No words could describe the feeling of being redeemed Lyrica had at that moment. Though she couldn't do the exact same thing for her parents, Lyrica was able to make things right and saved someone from doing something she would surely regret afterward.
Soon after their one-on-one conversation, they both head back inside the house. And then, she asked them including Mila to tie their hands together using the fabric Mila herself created before asking them one more time to lock themselves along with Carla's family in the basement.
"Simply put, I caged them."
With a bewildered expression on everyone's faces, they all wondered, "Why would you do that?"
"It should've been obvious, but I guess I'll tell you." Lyrica's headphones materialized overhead. "I'm now your enemy."
"Huh?"
Clank! Clank!
The sound of metal hitting one another resonated behind Riko and the others. And before he could react, a long chain flew past Riko's shoulder and went straight for Lyrica's head.
Lyrica leaned her head on the side to dodge the chain, not knowing that keeping herself in that position would put her in trouble.
Clank!
"What?"
As if it had a life of its own, the chain wrapped itself on Lyrica's left arm.
"Lyrica!"
With enough strength, the chain pulled Lyrica high up in the sky before sending her back down to the ground, headfirst.
CRASH!! RUMBLE...!
The people's terrified screams echoed loudly.
"So it was you, the one who killed Gilberto."
The chain returned to the person behind Riko.
The insane look in his eyes as if they're about to pop out of their sack. His manic grin and his crooked teeth were covered in saliva dripping all over and from his mouth as if he was hungry, hungry for human blood. One small glance and everyone in that street knew he's someone you should avoid getting involved with.
One of the prisoners that Uruk released and put into the position of high commander, known for his ways of toying and killing victims that are far more ruthless and violent than Gilberto himself. The people of Kruule call him Jaka, The Insane.
"I've been itching to kill someone ever since Uruk stopped us from killing these peasants..."
The dust dispersed, revealing Lyrica whose head and face are dripping with blood.
"That hurt... Are you insane...?" Lyrica stood up struggling with the pain in her head.
"Let's play tag, shall we?" Jaka swung and whipped the ground with his chains that's coming out of the palm of his hands. "Of course, I will be it."