Late Night Arrival
Taizen and Mionara arrived back at the Beast Organization's headquarters in Delria well past midnight. Exhausted from the journey, they barely spoke as they dropped their bags and collapsed into their respective bunks, their minds swirling with images of the battlefield.
The Next Morning
A loud knock echoed through Taizen and Mionara's shared quarters as the sun barely peeked over the horizon. Taizen groaned, pulling the blanket over his head, while Mionara blinked sleepily at the door.
"Get up, you two!" Lino's familiar voice called from the other side. "Briefing room five. Thirty minutes. Don't make me come in there."
"Is it really morning already?" Taizen mumbled, his voice muffled.
Mionara rolled out of bed with a groan. "Guess we don't get a day off after all."
"Thirty minutes!" Lino barked again before his footsteps faded down the hallway.
In the Briefing Room
Freshly dressed and still adjusting their collars, Taizen and Mionara entered briefing room five. The atmosphere changed instantly as all eyes turned toward them. The rest of their pack—the tight-knit group they trained with daily—stared at them with an intensity they hadn't experienced before. It was as though they were looking at ghosts.
Rachel was the first to break the silence. She stood up and smiled warmly. "You two actually made it back. I'll be damned. Congratulations, you guys. That's no small feat."
Lino leaned against the table with a small nod. "She's right. I'll admit, I had my doubts." His expression softened slightly. "But you pulled through. Well done."
Taizen and Mionara exchanged a glance before Lino's tone grew more serious. "But… there's something you both need to know."
The room went quiet again, the air heavy.
"What is it?" Mionara asked cautiously.
Lino exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "This mission… it wasn't originally meant for you two."
"What?" Taizen frowned.
Rachel tilted her head, curious but silent.
"It was supposed to be assigned to one of the top three packs," Lino explained. "You know, the ones with more experience in full-scale war. But for some reason, one of the higher-ups specifically requested that you two handle it."
Mionara's brow furrowed. "Why would they do that?"
"I don't know," Lino admitted, his voice tinged with concern. "When I first heard, I was against it. I didn't think you were ready—not for something this big. But orders are orders. And to be honest…" He hesitated, then sighed. "I was worried about sending you out there. I didn't want to scare you two, but it felt like throwing you to the wolves."
Taizen straightened slightly, his face unreadable. "We survived. We completed the mission."
"That's what matters," Rachel said with a supportive nod.
"So…" she added after a moment, "what was it like out there? You know… on the battlefield."
The rest of the pack leaned in closer, their eyes filled with curiosity, respect, and unease.
Taizen and Mionara Recall the Battle
"It was chaos," Taizen started, his voice heavy. "The kind you don't see coming until you're in the middle of it. Soldiers screaming, gunfire everywhere, explosions…" He paused, searching for the right words.
Mionara picked up where he left off. "We lost so many people just getting to the other side of no man's land. The screams…" His voice trailed off as he clenched his fists. "There were moments when I thought we wouldn't make it."
"There was blood," Taizen added grimly. "Everywhere. People sacrificing themselves just to buy us a few more seconds. We watched people we fought beside go down, one by one. By the end of it, there were only seven of us left from our unit."
Rachel's expression darkened, but she didn't interrupt.
"It wasn't just the soldiers," Mionara said. "The Winko military… they had something else."
"What do you mean?" Lino asked sharply, his eyes narrowing.
"Mages," Mionara said, his voice barely above a whisper. "There were mages on the battlefield."
The room erupted into murmurs, but Lino slammed his palm on the table, silencing them.
"Mages?!" Lino's eyes were wide, his tone disbelieving. "What do you mean there were mages?"
Taizen took over, his tone steady but serious. "There were two of them. One controlled fire, the other controlled earth. They called themselves Ember and Ugawa. They said they were from the mage organization embedded in Winko."
Lino's face went pale, his usual confident demeanor shaken. "The mage organization…"
Rachel leaned forward, her voice low. "Do you think it's connected to the rumors about rogue mage groups aligning with nations?"
"I don't know," Lino admitted, but his voice was grim. "But if Winko has access to mages like that…"
"It changes everything," Taizen finished.
The room fell silent again, the weight of their words sinking in. Whatever lay ahead, it was clear that the battlefield was only going to grow more dangerous—and complicated.
Lino sighed, rubbing his temples as he looked at Taizen and Mionara. "I'll have to notify the higher-ups about this mage situation, no doubt about it. It's too big to ignore. But for now, you two—take a week off. Do whatever you want. You've earned it."
The two teens exchanged glances, their exhaustion temporarily giving way to excitement. A whole week off was practically unheard of.
"Thanks, Lino," Mionara said, and Taizen nodded in agreement.
Lino stood and headed for the door. "Rest up, but don't blow all that money in one place," he added with a smirk before leaving the room.
Back in their room, Taizen sprawled out on his bed, holding a wad of cash in his hand. "So, we're going out, right?" he asked, grinning at Mionara.
"Obviously," Mionara replied, already pulling on a fresh set of clothes.
They decided to head into the heart of Little Delria, the bustling city that sat like a jewel in the forested land of Delria. Even though the country was famed for its vast woodlands and pristine natural beauty, Little Delria was proof that civilization could thrive without abandoning its roots.
Towering skyscrapers reached into the heavens, their reflective windows catching glimmers of sunlight and reflecting back the green of the trees that surrounded them. Streets were lined with massive oaks and birches, their leaves shading the wide walkways where people bustled about their day. Parks and gardens punctuated the urban landscape, providing spaces where nature and modernity blended seamlessly. The hum of electric vehicles filled the air, mingling with the chirping of birds that nested in rooftop greenery. The city seemed alive in every sense—a perfect balance of human ingenuity and the untouched wilderness.
As Taizen and Mionara wandered through the streets, they took in the sights. Taizen stopped to admire a weapons store window, his eyes locked on a sleek katana model displayed behind reinforced glass. Mionara, on the other hand, grabbed a quick snack from a street vendor selling grilled skewers, tossing one to Taizen.
"Alright, what now?" Mionara asked, taking a bite of his skewer.
Before Taizen could answer, his eyes caught something—or rather, someone. Two girls, seemingly around their age, were standing outside a high-end boutique, smiling and chatting. One had wavy auburn hair tied in a loose ponytail, while the other had short, spiky black hair that framed her face. Their laughter was infectious, and when they noticed Taizen and Mionara looking their way, they exchanged a glance and smirked.
Taizen, ever the confident one, strode up to them. "You two ladies trying to come with us for a good time?" he asked, flashing a cocky grin.
The girls raised their eyebrows, giving Taizen and Mionara an appraising look. "Depends," the auburn-haired one said. "You two don't look like you're from around here."
"We're not," Taizen admitted, still grinning.
"Alright then," the black-haired girl said with a shrug. "Sure, why not?"
Taizen led the group to one of the fanciest restaurants in the city, a place that Mionara initially thought was way out of their budget. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, bathing the polished wood floors in warm, golden light. Waiters in crisp uniforms carried trays of exotic dishes to tables surrounded by finely dressed patrons.
The girls exchanged looks as they sat down at the table, clearly impressed. The auburn-haired girl leaned in and asked, "How can you even afford this? Aren't you the same age as us?"
Mionara smirked. "Yeah, we're 17, but we worked hard for this on our mission."
"Mission?" the black-haired girl asked, intrigued.
"Top secret," Taizen said with a wink, earning a laugh from both of them.
As the group enjoyed their meal, Mionara couldn't help but marvel at how far they'd come. A week off, a fat paycheck, and a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But in the back of his mind, the memory of the battlefield lingered. He shook it off, deciding to live in the moment—for now.