After losing consciousness, Priad would find himself standing in an empty white space again. Like before, he couldn't speak, open his eyes, nor does he have any of his clothes on him. All he could do was stand there. Until he heard a footstep in the distance, coming closer and closer to him. Once it got closer, it stopped.
"So, this is my new vessel. As usual, Yami does not disappoint"
It was a woman. Someone who sounds older and wise.
"Still, there is something odd about this vessel. You are different than the others. I wonder why?"
Priad could feel the woman's hand touch his face from his right. He then opens his eyes, but he does not see the woman or the empty white space. What he saw was a library and a young teenage girl, sitting on a sofa and reading a book. Priad approached the girl, yet strangely, it wasn't by his own choice. It's like what he is witnessing right now was not his own actions, but the actions of another person. The girl then looks towards him while raising her eyebrow.
"What are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be training with the others?"
Priad spoke up, but his voice is different. He sounded younger "I'm currently on a break right now. Though Professor Narukami has asked me to get some books for her"
"Oh, what kind of books does my sister want you to get?"
The name Narukami sounded familiar to him. There is no doubt about who he is talking to right now. This girl is Faith Narukami.
"She didn't give me the specific titles, but she told me to grab any books related to human bodies"
"Related to human bodies. Hmm"
Young Faith stood up and began looking through the large shelves behind her. Priad followed her from behind and accompany her in searching for the books. Once they reach the biology section, she began grabbing a couple of books which turns into a huge stack. After that, she gave the books to Priad.
"Here you go. Should be everything that my sister wanted"
"Thank you miss Narukami"
"You're welcome"
Faith walked back towards the sofa and sat there again, continuing to read her book. Meanwhile, Priad began to leave the library, but before he left the library, he caught a glimpse of what Faith was reading. He saw the title, but he didn't know what it was about. Being curious, he put the books on top of an empty table and walked towards Faith.
"Miss Narukami. What book are you reading right now?"
Faith looks at him and raises her eyebrow "This? It's a fantasy novel called, The Little Sister. It's a story about a little girl who lost her parents, but was then adopted by a kind lady and became her sister. It's a good story. You should give it a read"
"And what kind of topic are you researching from this book?"
She raised her eyebrow "Huh, I'm not researching anything. I'm just reading this for fun"
"For...Fun?"
"Yeah, for fun. What do you do for fun?"
"I...Did nothing"
"Really, nothing at all to pass the time when you're free?"
"Well, I always clean up my weapons and armor while also preparing for the next session of training"
She scratches her hair while sighing "Don't you know anything about fun?"
"No. What exactly is 'fun'?"
"It's activities that you do to be happy. It doesn't always have to be useful or have meaning. It's what makes life worth it"
"I still don't understand"
Faith smiled and moved aside. Then she pats a spot next to her "Here, read this with me"
Priad nodded and sat next to Faith. She then put the book between them, as they both started reading through the story. While they were reading, Faith would occasionally talk to him about her experience with her sister, and Priad happily listened to all of them as he felt like he was learning something new from Faith. Something that no amount of training will ever teach him about.
"Say, do you have a name?"
"My designated number is 117"
"No, your name. Something to call you with that doesn't involve numbers"
Priad thought for a moment before shaking his head with an answer "No, I'm afraid not"
Faith smiled "Then I guess I'll have to give you a name. Priad should sound great"
"What does Priad mean?"
"It's um...I don't know actually. It just popped in my mind. But you're free to choose another name"
"Alright. Until then, I will keep this name" He gave a gentle smile "It's a great name, just like you said"
Faith's face reddened as she blushed at his comment. She immediately looks at the book in order to hide her blushing "L...Let's continue reading for now"
"Right. I do wonder how the story is going to go"
Several hours then passed. As the two were still happily talking with each other, the door to the library slid open. An adult woman wearing a trench coat and a hat enters the room. That woman is Mia Narukami, Faith's sister. Her very presence was menacing for the two of them, as she didn't appear to be in a good mood. Her right hand was also inside her trench coat the whole time. Mia then stopped in front of them, which caused Priad to instinctively stand up and salute her.
Yet even after saluting her, she didn't salute back. Instead, she looked at the pile of books that Priad had left on the table.
"117. I asked you to deliver me those books, yet you took 3 hours to do a simple task as that"
"Apologies, Professor Narukami. I will bring it to your office right now!"
"Don't bother. Training started an hour ago. If you're going to be incompetent in doing a simple task like this, then at least save yourself by making up in training. Go!"
"Yes ma'am!"Priad immediately runs outside the library, heading off towards the training ground. Even though he knows that the instructor will not be happy with his late arrival, he is still enthusiastic with all the knowledge that he has learned thanks to his time with Faith.
Suddenly, the mysterious woman spoke up again
"Hehe, how interesting. So the girl, Faith, is precious to you. Yet that still doesn't explain the uniqueness that you have. Perhaps if I...Oh"
The voice paused for a few moments. Priad stopped running, as he just remembered that none of what he was seeing was real. However, he was also curious about the sudden pause of the mysterious voice.
"It appears my plan will have to be expedited"
Before Priad could ask what the voice meant, he suddenly felt weak. He falls to his knees and his breathing suddenly becomes harder. His eyes began to lose focus and consciousness as well.
"I'm sorry, but for the greater good, I have to do this. I have to take over your body"
Priad wanted to scream or find a way to stop the voice. Suddenly, inside his chest, a bright purple glow emerged. It felt like his chest was about to explode. Unable to withstand it, he finally fell unconscious, closing his eyes slowly. However, it didn't end there. He could hear the voice even when he was unconscious.
"Impossible. This can't be"
And that was the last he heard of her before everything finally stops.
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Back in the cavern. Faith was flown away, crashing towards the wall. Her body then falls down to the ground. Her body was weak and beaten up. Her clothes were ripped, and she now has cut wounds all over her body. Her cape was also destroyed by the fighting. The soldier she was fighting against, then stepped forward. He was an Armenthian, wearing knightly armor with an unknown noble insignia on his chest, and he appeared to be the captain of the other soldiers that were with him.
"You put up quite a fight. Under normal circumstances, I would have given you a swift and honorable death. But His Majesty has other plans for you. Restrain her!"
Some of his men then ran towards Faith and tied her hands behind her back with ropes. However during the process, Faith still fought with what strength she had to break free, but she was pinned to the ground by the soldiers. At last, her struggle was in vain, as they had successfully bound her arms and legs.
The men then take both Faith and Yami out of the cave and away from here. The captain then looked towards Priad, who was still pinned to the wall by Faith's Nano drones. Some of the men would fire their rifles at him, which was then followed by several soldiers thrusting their halberds at Priad. All of them had no effect in damaging him at all thanks to both the Nano drones that were crushing his body, and his soldier armor.
"Nothing's getting through my lord. We can't penetrate...Whatever those things that are crushing him"
"Yet it seems that those things are crushing his body. Well, no matter. Whether it crushes him or he breaks free, we'll be ready to kill him"
Moments later, the Nano drones that were crushing Priad fell to the ground, releasing him and causing him to fall to the ground. The soldiers wasted no time. Their riflemen immediately began firing towards Priad.
Mere seconds before any of their bullets could reach Priad, a purple lightning strikes at him from above, and he suddenly disappears. The soldiers all looked around, trying to find out where he was now.
"What the hell, where did he go?"
"Did he cloak himself?"
They remained vigilant as every one of them used their hearing and senses to see if Priad was still there. After some time, they were certain that Priad was no longer inside with them as none of them were able to sense or hear him.
"He's gone. Find him!"
"Yes my lord"
His men began running out of the caves and began to search for Priad. The captain was the last one to leave the cave. Outside of the caves, the troopers that were guarding the entrance have all been killed, as well as the rebels and the troopers below. He then joins the rest of his men and continues his search for Priad.
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The last thing Priad remembered was that he woke up inside the cave and that he was surrounded by a group of unknown soldiers who were all firing at him. Then suddenly, he felt like lightning just stroked, and the next thing he knew, he woke up here, next to a tree and inside the forest once again. Far behind him is the cliff that he had just fought in. He could see more of the unknown soldiers patrolling outside, and took a closer look by zooming in his goggles, he was able to identify that they were not with the rebels.
Wasting no time, Priad immediately ran away from the scene. Armenthians are known to have enhanced hearing and senses. It's only a matter of time before they could pick up Priad's scent and trail, so he must get as far away as possible.
Along the way, he encounters Alpha who is wounded and leaning on a big rock. His leg appears to be shot, and he has slash marks on his armor. Alpha then aimed his rifle at Priad.
"Easy Alpha, it's me"
The trooper lowered his rifle and sighed. Priad then got closer and took a closer look at his wound.
"What happened back there?"
He grabbed some bandages from his pocket and began patching Alpha up with them.
"It's the Armenthian royal guards. They joined the battle sometime after you went in. It was thanks to 10...I mean Echo, that we managed to retreat before we were caught in the ambush" Alpha sighs "Only 6 of us made it out, unfortunately. I told them to regroup with Shinaka's unit and leave me behind. I'm a liability now"
Screams of the Armenthian soldiers could then be heard from there. Alpha then looks at Priad.
"Go. I'll hold them off" Alpha slowly stood up and began walking towards the source of the noise. But then Priad stops him when he puts his hand on Alpha's shoulder.
"It's been an honor Alpha"
Alpha nodded "Likewise Priad"
Then he continued to walk towards the enemy, limping his legs and readying his rifle for his final stand. Priad then ran again, away from that place. Not looking back toward Alpha, but for some reason, he felt a little hesitation with this decision. It was a feeling that he had forgotten. The feeling of abandoning his own comrades in order to complete the mission. With that in mind, he kept on going.