"Fine, I will," Vahalla said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Dimensions. This may be the most powerful attack to exist. It's an advanced form of realms, allowing one to create a realm that's very small compared to the ones we discussed earlier. It's an instant way to form a realm. When a realm is less than 20 square kilometers, the power of the entire realm concentrates in that specific area, making it feel as if you have a part of the world entirely under your control. However, you cannot change the inside of a dimensional realm; it forms on its own according to your 'powers.' If you remember, earlier I formed a non-offensive dimension to unlock your soul's core, and now my Death Realm is part of your realm. Though I don't know about your realm, I guess you need to train," Vahalla explained.
"I will train and master 'Dimensions'," Shailya vowed, determination in his eyes.
Suddenly, the Death Realm began to shake. Vahalla dashed towards a massive tree within his realm, and Shailya quickly followed him.
Without wasting any time, Vahalla used the same hand sign as before and chanted, "Dimensions: Unlock."
In an instant, Vahalla and Shailya were back in the real world.
When they arrived, they saw missiles falling from above, and sirens blared all around. Despite the attack, the match between Mazhiro and Armeet continued fiercely. Both fighters were giving their all, dodging and striking with precision.
"Hey! Why are the sirens ringing?" Shailya asked, confused as to why the match was still ongoing despite the missile attack.
"You really don't know anything, do you? There's a transparent barrier around Marinabad that can deflect any attack—at least, it can deflect such low-level attacks. If the magnitude of the attack increases, Level Five security will activate. The final security level, Level Zero, has the potential to even crush a quadrupus, equivalent to a Fat Man bomb. You don't need to worry," Sukheer, standing right behind Shailya, explained.
"Marinabad sure is impressive," Shailya remarked, awed by the city's defenses.
"Agreed," Sukheer responded with a nod.
As Shailya absorbed the information, his determination to master the Dimensions grew even stronger. He knew that to protect Marinabad and fulfill his destiny, he had to become stronger than ever before.
With the fierce battle between Mazhiro and Armeet serving as a backdrop to the chaos outside, Shailya felt the weight of his responsibility pressing down on him. The journey ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was ready to face them head-on.
In the distance, the sounds of conflict grew louder, a stark reminder that the real battle was only just beginning. And in the shadows, unseen forces continued to plot, their eyes fixed on the unfolding events.
A minute later,
"Shailya, I can sense a strong being approaching; he is neither a human nor an animal," Vahalla warned, his voice urgent.
"I bet you are just out of your senses; you sense something strong, and it's not a human," Shailya replied skeptically.
"I get it," Vahalla said, his eyes narrowing in realization.
"What?" Shailya asked curiously.
"It is a divine being," Vahalla said.
"Like you?" Shailya asked.
"Yeah, but it has a different aura," Vahalla said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and concern.
"Where is it coming from?" Shailya asked.
"It is close—very close. I can sense it," Vahalla said, his eyes scanning the area.
"Yeah, but tell me the direction it's coming from," Shailya pressed.
"I cannot sense the direction exactly; it's like they are all over this place," Vahalla said.
"What do you mean?" Shailya asked, confused by the unusual answer.
"I mean, tha—Shailya!" Vahalla shouted suddenly.
"WHAT NOW??" Shailya demanded, his voice filled with frustration.
"Above us, they are above us," Vahalla said.
"What?" Shailya was bewildered.
"The beings I mentioned are above us," Vahalla clarified.
"I don't get it, and after all, there is a barrier above us," Shailya said, trying to comfort Vahalla.
"The human barrier has disappeared; I cannot sense anything above us."
"You must be mistaken," Shailya said.
SIRENS BLARED
"Hey, hey, hey! Why did the siren go off all of a sudden?" Vahalla asked, alarmed.
"It is because, because—" Shailya himself wasn't sure, so he rushed to ask Sukheer.
"Sukheer, why did the sirens go off?" Shailya asked amidst the growing panic.
"Because the damn barrier has been broken, and now run for your life!" Sukheer panicked, his voice filled with fear.
"Huh, but how can it be?" Shailya began to ask but was interrupted by Sukheer.
"Don't think about it now. You should run," Sukheer said urgently.
"But why would I run? I'm a military cadet," Shailya shouted defiantly.
"A cadet, you are a cadet, not a soldier," Sukheer tried to reason with Shailya.
"As a member of the military, I will stand by my nation's side and protect it, I swear," Shailya shouted.
"But," Sukheer began.
"But what? Are you afraid of fighting, huh?" Shailya challenged.
"I'm not," Sukheer said, trying to suppress Shailya's will to fight, knowing the enemy was far stronger than them.
"Why do you keep saying 'but'? Think for a second: today or tomorrow, we will have to fight on the front lines. After all, we all gathered in Marinabad to become soldiers, didn't we?" Shailya tried to motivate Sukheer.
"..." Sukheer was speechless.
"He isn't wrong. What am I even doing here? If I cannot fight, then why did I apply for it in the first place? I've come this far; I cannot back down now. I was never made for backing down. From kindergarten to military training, what am I afraid of? Fighting or losing? If I'm not even trying to fight, then how can I win? Isn't it just like losing? He is right; after all, I've waited this long; I need to rise in the sky. I'm not just here for my own good; I'm carrying the will of others too, and for them, I need to stand, fight, and win, or else it will all be for nothing. But the thing is, I can die here, and isn't that worse than winning? No, it isn't. If I die here, I will die with no regrets, but if I live without fighting, I'll regret it for my whole life. I will stand. Yes, I will fight. I'm going with you, Shailya," thoughts raced through Sukheer's mind.
"What are you thinking? Fight! Fight! Fight!" Shailya urged, trying to liberate Sukheer's spirit.
"I AM NOT BACKING DOWN!!!" Sukheer shouted, his resolve solidifying.
"You shan't. You will fight alongside me; together, we will win this battle. No matter the numbers," Shailya declared with a commanding voice.
"You will not fight alone, Sukheer, Shailya," Mazhiro said, stepping forward.
"Akatsumi!?" Shailya looked at Mazhiro, murmuring in surprise.
"Not me alone; we have our whole squad with us," Mazhiro said confidently.
"Which squad!? I never got into any," Sukheer said, bewildered.
"Our future Squad B," Mazhiro cheered them on.
"Wait a sec. Sainen, Shikawa, you too," Shailya said, looking around.
"We have the army too," Anata said, stepping forward.
"We decided, didn't we?" Mazhiro said, looking at Anata.
"Yeah, we decided if Armeet is here, we will need another person too," Shikawa said to Mazhiro.
"Then where the heck is that other person?" Mazhiro asked.
"Here she is, Miss Elva Adamus," Shikawa introduced.
"Hey, guys!" Elva greeted everyone with a smile.
"Wait, isn't she one of the Saptavansh too?" Shailya and Mazhiro whispered to each other.
"So we have a total of seven cadets in Squad B," Sukheer said.
"Who is the squad leader? And wait, we are missing our last member," Sukheer pointed out.
"Now that I see it, we are only seven," Sainen observed.
"So who is our final member, Anata Shikawa?" Mazhiro asked.
"Uhm, I didn't give it a thought," Anata admitted.
"Can I join your squad too?" an unknown voice called from the south.
"Who are you?" Anata asked.
"I'm Ayamo Baladin," the voice replied.
"Baladin? I've never heard of you," Sainen said.
"Uhm, I'm a fresh cadet here, and uhm, I'm from Ruskaiya," Ayamo said nervously.
"A Ruskian. Good, there is a lot of diversity here; we have Japanese, Ruskian, Malwai, and an Indo," Sainen said.
"Answer me! Who is the squad leader?" Sukheer demanded.
"Anata Shikawa, the captain of the first division, as well as Platoon Anthus, is also the leader of Squad B," Sainen said.
"Oh man, chill. I'm not the leader; Sainen is," Anata said.
"Not me," Sainen replied.
"Then who, Akatsumi?" Anata asked.
"Yeah, he's best at leading," Sainen agreed.
"So it's decided, Akatsumi will lead the squad," Anata said.
"Hurry, guys, we don't have time to debate this; there's constant bombing going on," Shailya reminded them.
"Yeah," everyone agreed in unison.
Shailya and the others ran to the west as the combat stage and everything around them were being destroyed. The Military Chief and Assistant Chief prioritized safety over fighting, guiding the Pannival to the shelter, and other cadets followed. The Malwai attack remained faceless; it was just speculated that Muvah was behind it, but no one had shown up yet.
"It's time for a showdown," Akatsumi cheered, rallying the group.
With their entry, the main group of the story had formed. The diverse and determined Squad B stood ready to face the challenges ahead, united in their mission to protect Marinabad and uphold their legacy.
All the members of Squad B were on the move, their footsteps echoing through the corridors of Marinabad. Vahalla, nestled within Shailya's soul core, concentrated intensely, trying to discern the nature of the beings approaching them.
"If my predictions are correct, then no one without 'Powers' or 'Iko' can defeat them," Vahalla pondered. "And so far, only Shailya and Anata Shikawa can wield their 'Powers' to any significant degree. I cannot help directly, as this goddamn spell binds me. Should I control Shailya's body? No, bad idea. What if the Rulers got that scroll from Rakkan's Palace and now know about 'Gunzo'? No, they can't. But what if they used 'Sanko' like me and coexisted with a soul from Prithvi? I must be overthinking; no one would coexist with the Rulers. But 'Contract'... Rulers can make a contract, as I did earlier. Although my intentions didn't bind Shailya to that contract, they can. They are evil. Oh Lord, what is going on? How will I save this planet? I need to create a realm with my strength and train Shailya to even fight higher beings. I cannot just sit here," Vahalla thought, grappling with his fears and uncertainties.
As Vahalla fought his thoughts, trying to devise a solution, Squad B continued their march towards the west. The sound of sirens and distant explosions filled the air, reminding them of the gravity of their mission.
[To be continued in Chapter 14]