The next day, people continue their training, including Livio. Meanwhile, Dimitri and Levente are out shopping for shoes, looking genuinely happy.
Two nights before the mission, Livio's friends gather in a field, forming a circle.
"Hey, has anybody seen Mr. Mogambo and Oliver?"
Nitin scans the field, looking in different directions.
"No, I wonder what they're up to," Nicola says, standing up.
"Don't worry. They'll be here soon. We'll just wait," Ethan replies, lying on the field, gazing at the beautiful night sky.
"Hey, guys, sorry we're late!"
Mr. Mogambo and Oliver arrive, each carrying a large bucket.
"What's in those?"
Khalid points at the buckets.
They place the buckets in the center of the circle before taking their seats, completing the formation.
"That was tough—it drained all my energy," Mr. Mogambo says, stretching his legs forward.
"What's inside the buckets?"
Matteo approaches and taps one of them.
"These are cabbage rolls. Let's eat together. Don't worry, we made more than enough for everyone," Oliver says, stretching his arms for relief.
"We had to beg the general for permission to use the kitchen. Then he insisted on tasting the food first. After his approval, we came straight here," Mr. Mogambo adds, pulling his legs back.
Everyone begins to reach for the cabbage rolls, but suddenly, a loud voice stops them.
"Wait!" Leo shouts at the top of his lungs.
"Before we eat, let's make a toast. We'll all come back here again, no matter what."
Leo extends a finger toward the center of the circle.
Livio chuckles, some laugh, and others smile.
They all mimic Leo's gesture.
"For a better reunion," Viktor declares.
Together, everyone echoes, "For a better reunion!"
They then begin eating, enjoying the food. From the king's palace, someone watches them from the rooftop, his bare eyes fixed on the group below.
"Eat, enjoy…..... do whatever you can. Hahaha!"
The figure laughs ominously before vanishing.
Finally, the day of the mission arrives. Everyone is calm but focused. Each branch member is stationed in different areas.
In the supply branch:
"Here you go! All of you are required to wear the shoes we've provided. These are direct orders from the general!" Dimitri shouts, ensuring everyone hears him.
"Are these shoes special? Why did they give us these? Ugh, no time for questions," Livio mutters, slipping on his pair.
Dimitri and Levente watch Livio with eerie smiles.
Inside the royal palace, a girl sits, consuming a blue substance from bottle after bottle, finishing hundreds in no time. The king watches her with a sinister grin.
"Now, begin crafting those armors for our army," the king commands before vanishing into thin air.
The girl emits a blinding light, illuminating the entire castle.
The scene shifts to Livio and his troop's room.
As they prepare, a soldier arrives and tosses armors onto the floor.
"Put these on before heading out," the soldier instructs.
Upon touching the armor, a screen appears in front of each of them.
[Screen: Press 'Yes' to activate your armor.]
"I think we have to press 'Yes,'" Khalid says, pressing the button.
A bright white light from the screen spreads across their bodies. The intensity forces everyone to close their eyes.
When they open them, they find themselves covered from neck to toe in white armor designed with fish-scale patterns, fitting their bodies perfectly.
"Wow, it completely covered my clothes. It feels like I'm only wearing the armor!" Livio exclaims, examining himself.
"Amazing! This fits perfectly!" someone shouts in excitement.
"It's so light! And it reduces damage by twenty percent," another replies.
"Hey, Livio, what do you think of the armor?" Timo approaches.
"Amazing. I'm genuinely impressed," Livio responds.
Livio activates his Pbv while keeping the armor on. "It doesn't interfere with powers or gadgets. That's a relief."
"What are you thinking about?" Khalid asks, placing a hand on Livio's shoulder.
"Oh, nothing. You seem excited," Livio replies, turning to face him.
"I'm nervous and scared. I don't know what's going to happen," Khalid admits, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"It'll be fine. At least, I'm praying for that. We're not fighting on the front lines, so don't worry."
Livio pats Khalid's shoulder reassuringly.
"Don't forget your helmets," a voice message from the screen reminds them.
They don their helmets—Spartan-style with a strand of hair matching their armor's color emerging from the top.
In Nicolas's group, their black armor is tailored for physical combat.
Meanwhile, the aerial branch receives green armor and pointed lances designed to channel their Pbv into high-intensity beams capable of melting rocks. Leo, Livan, Travis, and Saul belong to this branch.
The aerial unit is also given Velocirians—massive bird-like creatures with dark blue feathers, glowing eyes, crystal-clear wings, sharp metallic claws, and spiky-scaled tails. They can generate magnetic fields to disrupt machines and shield themselves with protective spheres.
All the soldiers gather before deployment.
"Attention, troops!" a commanding figure in golden armor announces.
"I will lead you to the battlefield. Aerial troops will first monitor the area from above. Physical units will engage the enemy on the ground. Some of you will lose your lives, but such sacrifices are necessary for our kingdom. When the time is right, the king and his four commanders will join the battle."
The general then puts on his helmet.
"Is the aerial unit only for monitoring?" Saul asks, raising his hand.
"No. Your role is to engage any enemy air units. If there are none, your task is to defend your comrades from above at all costs," the general responds firmly.
He continues, "Empty your inventories. You may carry only four items, but for this mission, keep them empty. Anyone caught disobeying will face severe punishment!"
Livio opens his inventory, staring sadly at the escape stone.
"Sigh. Please, God, let everything go well," he murmurs, reluctantly removing the stone.
The wind ripples through the grass as the troops advance to their destination—a vast, barren field before a cave.
"What is that?" Livio panics, hearing a sinister laugh echoing from the cave.