"We have been invited into a surprise party," is what the commander said but I don't remember normal people making parties inside a desert with just the participants, there is no sign of other people here.
"Waiting for what is coming makes your heart pound, doesn't it?"
As usual, our commander is very calm despite the situation.
The hearts of the four of us aside from commander are also pounding but for a different reason, unfortunately, this place is believed to be the hide-out of the Emperor Organization, an evil syndicate that has been active and prominent in the underworld for years that even the main battle-unit of SDC could not defeat.
Are we going to be fine?
"Don't worry Arnold, we have become much stronger in the past month. We are now rank-A after all."
Orion assured me with a smile, but that smile did not last long as the desert becomes a sea of flames in an instant.
Compared to this intense fire, my fire is nothing but a small flame, and so is my life.
I am being devoured by flames.
Alongside me are Orion, Eric, and Miss Emma.
My eyes are then blinded by a white light and as I opened it once again, the once burning soil has been changed into hardened and cold one.
The four of us also have our clothes burned but our bodies seemed unharmed.
It seems that the ground is remade using a very powerful ice-ability but it is definitely not Orion, and if there is any other person here, it is… our commander!
"Fire is basically energy moving in high speed, converting those energy into light is nothing but a child's play for you, as expected of the 'me'. You even saved your 'friends?' from certain death."
The man who appeared out of nothing wore a mask but has removed it as he slowly approaches the commander.
His eyes and face are almost the same as the commander, only that he is taller and more masculine, his hair is also short and is combed backwards.
Even the way he speaks is the same, just who is this person that arrived.
"Is this the surprise that you made for me, you are quite boring huh. 'I' can do more than this."
The other person that looked like the commander made a suspicious grin, along with it he raised his right hand that made the wind blow hard and cold with snow and ice.
It does not take long before our vision has been completely surrounded by white.
"As I said, this is too boring."
With a wave of his hand, the ice all melt into water and fell before the sand.
The commander controlled the heat that will be transferred to the snow and ice so no fog will result from the collusion.
In the instance that our vision came back, a gigantic castle has already appeared.
It is adorned by glassy black stone and atop its walls are thousands of people ready to fire at us with mechanical guns that are probably manufactured by Lindon.
"Well, now this is pretty cute."
The captain is still unfazed despite the numbers of the enemy.
I once looked again on the castle walls and I could see nothing like the people I once see up there, could it be that they flee or that is just an illusion or a mirage made by the mysterious man.
"They all died huh, you really have no mercy. Not even their dusts are left to burry."
"Eh!"
I could not hide my shocked expression hearing that the commander has dealt with, in other words massacre, all the people in the castle without leaving any trail of their existence.
The man in front of the commander have heard my voice and before I knew it, he is standing behind me touching my shoulder.
"It seems that even your allies are scared of you now.
Well, I can't fault them for that, after all, you are nothing but a mass murderer.
A non-human monster."
"I can't believe I'm hearing that from you. If I am a monster then what are you?!"
The captain's opponent has been infuriated with his statement.
He unleashed a wave of ice that froze the surroundings but as we are protected by the commander's light, we are not affected in the least.
The scale of this battle can be considered the same as a war between two armies, no, it is far greater than that.
The commander might be the strongest person I know but the enemy today is not much weaker than him.
It is evident since the always happy-go-lucky commander has been maintaining multiple barriers surrounding us from all sides.
"Just because you get some power you have become arrogant. I will show you what it means…"
As the commander walks away the barriers', blinding light is gathering in his hands, twisting and twirling and at last shaped into a pure white great sword.
It is around two yards long and about a foot and a half wide.
The commander handles the sword while in flight, gripping it strongly with his left hand, but as he may be fine by it, the surroundings are not.
Tens, if not hundreds of meters around him, the soil has melted and craters of magma are formed.
"…to be strong for real."
I lost sight of the commander but at the same instance, we heard a large explosion that destroyed more than half of the barriers the commander erected.
Flying above the explosion is the commander who seems to be lost in thought, he then appeared in front of us with his weapon lost but without injury.
"Let's go home for now."
Said the commander but then fainted.