"Finally home..."
Rohan walked into a beautiful only for him to be sent crashing down by the force of three children tackling him.
"Big bro Rahan!"
"You're back you're back you're back!"
"We missed you!"
"Tell us some stories of your adventures."
This was the orphanage that Rohan and Rada Khan grew up in as kids alongside Rhea and the Enders clan.
They could hear the chuckles of Rohan which seemingly turned into laughter as they got up and allowed him to sit down.
Rohan is someone who rarely smiles let alone laugh.
But he always finds himself feeling carefree and joyful whenever he's around the little kids.
He hugged them all tightly and made their way to the playground.
As he watches how some of the kids were playing and running around under the crescent moon, he smiled. A smile devoid of pain, a smile that showcased the love he has for all the children of the orphanage.
"I'm back, everyone." He doesn't smile much, but the smile on his face right now was pure and blissful in every way. It was almost enough to erase the worries that are overwhelming his mind at the moment.
His smile disappeared and was replaced with a sharp look of determination.
'Bro- no, Rada Khan, I swear I will stop you.'
Just then...
BOOM!
A loud explosion occurred and smoke filled the sky over the direction of the Castle.
"Everyone! Get inside now!" He drew up his sword and dashes towards the direction of the Castle.
"It's begun."
One week later, Ace and co have received a transmission from Kondo that Rohan Khan had taken over and were now on the outskirts of the District.
The crew descended from their ark and looked upon the City.
The once bustling and jovial City looked more like a Deadman's land. The crops and grasses around the fields were dead and withered, so were the trees.
"This is horrible..."
"Khan! What have you done?"
Vorus remained silent throughout their trip and was eager to arrive.
The moment they got down, he dashed towards the entrance.
"Vorus! Wait!"
"He's going to get us caught, demon spawn, do something!"
"I'm sorry big guy... Bind!"
"Ack! Let go of me!"
The fury in Vorus's voice was evident from the aura around him reinforced with the crackling of electricity.
Ace approached the large man and patted his head like he was some pet.
"Calm down, please... Khan has crossed a line and we will make him pay for that but as a team. I know you're hurting, but you have to stand down for now so we can come up with a plan."
"Yeah, first we all need to get some disguises." Reginal walked towards them holding a couple of cloaks.
"Let's hide our faces with these, and Vo, we're all in this together."
They all put on their cloaks and stealthy infiltrated the City.
Reginald had used his relics ability to turn into a guard that they knocked out and acted as if they were prisoners and thus were able to make it into the center region of the District.
"This is the location shown on the GPS used to trace Cain's call."
"Look at all these people."
They looked around the area and to their disgust, they were met with the sights of the citizens of Kondo.
Some were injured, others were thinned out from starvation and look as if they could fall over and die at any moment.
These included the guards of the District as well.
The crew was disgusted at this sight. None in anguish as Vorus.
He balled up his fists as he couldn't control the excessive shaking.
"If only I was around."
"Vo..."
Ace looked upon his friend with worrying eyes.
Vorus had always been a cheerful companion and a fierce warrior on the battlefield. To see him in such a depressing state ached the heart of his captain and in turn, frustrated him.
Vorus's rage was mostly directed at himself due to self-guilt.
Ace's rage was directed at one man alone.
'Khan...'
They made their way inside the prison of the District, with Reginald still acting as a guard bringing a couple of convicts in.
They reached the prison yard where a lot of guards serving Rada Khan were present.
Although no guards paid attention to them as they were busy tossing stones at three figures that were hanged in the middle of the yard.
To get a better view, they got closer and to their dismay, they were met with the sight of three familiar faces.
Cain, Vidal, and Ruth, or better yet... Their dead bodies were hanged in the middle of the prison yard.
Their expressions showed what they were all thinking.
Maggie and Conroy struggled not to throw up.
On the other hand, Ace, Reginald, and Vorus all froze up as three guards approached Reginald.
"Enjoying the sight I see?"
"Haha! These three loonies thought that they had a chance against Emperor Khan. They, just like all the other Districts commander were decimated and hanged as a lesson to anyone that dares to defy him."
Upon hearing the last part, Conroy grabbed his head and screamed really loud, with tears gushing from his eyes.
"L-lady Serena!"
"That woman from Regrah? She was beheaded by the masked mercenary."
Prior to their arrival, they had tried to reach out to the other districts but couldn't get through. They figured that a signal jammer was placed but now things have gotten clearer.
Rada Khan had not just invaded Kondo in a week. He had invaded and dethroned the entire Regime of Ernia.
The news of Serena's death dealt a massive blow to Conroy.
Anger, guilt, frustration, despair, disgust... So many emotions surged through the hearts of the Aegises.
They were still gathering their thoughts amidst the annoying laughter of the guards.
"Heyyy whoever knocks out a tooth from one of them wins a hundred gold coins."
As the guards got ready to launch another wave of stones.
"Captain..." Vorus's voice was different. It wasn't simply a voice drenched with malice. It was calm and yet dark at the same time.
"Conroy!"
Conroy, still bawling, got back up and fired three arrows in the direction of the trio cutting the ropes that were tied to their neck just before the stones could hit them.
Before the bodies reach the floor, Vorus dashed to their side at an incredible pace and grabbed them before impact.
"Cain... Vidal... Ruth." Tears gushing down his eyes, he hugged the soulless body of the trio.
The guards witnessed everything and pulled out their weapons and surrounded them all.
"Great, what now?"
To answer Reginald, Ace lets out his aura. It was different this time.
Thicker and darker fueled by the sheer rage that has taken over him.
His chaotic aura started to fill the area and the guards started to shake in fear, some of them foamed in their mouths right after they passed out.
"Now..."
Ace's face mimicked that of Vorus, a facial expression that can only be described by one word... Death.
"They all pay."