The sun began its slow ascent, casting its golden hue and amber on a new day. The air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the scent of dew-kissed earth—so pure one could almost taste it. Birds stirred to life, their melodic songs ringing through the trees like a chorus of gratitude for the dawn. The wind danced across the fields, brushing against the verdant-green grass, sending ripples through them like waves on a tranquil sea.
However, the beauty of a new day was tainted by the horrors of the previous night. Lamara Village suffered considerable damage overnight—its streets littered with corpses, and damaged houses like a battlefield. The battle was fierce, and many lost their homes and lives. The process of rebuilding would be a grueling task.
But despite this, the future was filled with hope that stretched across the horizon as far as the eye could see. The Art Users were no more, and the abnormal abundance of Demon Beasts in the area declined significantly. It was a hard-fought victory, but the newbie trio hardly felt satisfied.
They watched quietly as Instructor Brady exchanged the grim details of their findings with Chief Sawyer and the other villagers who had gathered to listen. Waves of anguish and disbelief rippled through the faces in the crowd. Chief Sawyer, wrapped in bandages and leaning on a worn cane, stood resolute despite his injuries. Thanks to Sindy's Regeneration Art, he had survived.
"I see…" Instructor Brady sighed, extinguishing his cigar wistfully. "So almost a dozen villagers were killed last night while we were away. On my team's behalf, I apologize for not handling the situation more carefully."
"No! No!" Chief Sawyer interjected, his voice struggling to stay steady. "This wasn't your fault, Instructor! Without you and your team, things would have been much worse! It couldn't be helped since there weren't more of you." he paused, took a deep breath, and lowered his gaze before continuing. "I'm far more troubled that those Art Users were responsible for the increase in Demon Beast activity. To think that they were capturing and releasing them here… They scammed us of our money, resources, and lives! It's truly unforgivable!"
"Things should slowly improve from now on." Instructor Brady reassured, resting his hand on the chief's shoulder. "Since it wasn't a new Spawn Point, there's hope. It would be best if you focused on rebuilding the village for now. Once I report to HQ, Alondo will see if he can send a few assassins here every few days to check your progress. We'll also see if we can allocate funds to assist you with repairs."
Chief Sawyer almost broke down in tears. The stress lines on his forehead tightened as he clasped Instructor Brady's hand—gratitude trembling in his voice. "Thank you so much! We're grateful for even the slightest assistance! I know being a hero isn't easy. You're always on the front lines dealing with terrorists and Demon Beasts, and many of you don't make it back home! We thank you for your service!"
The villagers applauded, stifling their sorrow to show their gratitude. Despite those who had fallen, the living owed their lives to the assassins.
With a final farewell, the six assassins turned around and began walking back to their parked aircraft at the far end of the village. Their mission was complete.
"So, mission complete?" Andrew asked, filling his lungs with a breath of fresh air.
"Yup. Our main mission was to eliminate the Demon Beasts in the area. Since their numbers have finally dwindled, we have nothing left to do here," Leo reassured.
"This mission was awesome!" Andrew exclaimed, turning toward his friends as he began strolling backward. "Nate, Sindy—you guys should have seen me when I was with the Instructor! I feel like I could solo the verse!"
"I just hope I can finally relax when we return to HQ. It would be a pain to be hit with another mission as soon as I got back," Instructor Brady dreaded, scratching his head in distress.
"Wait, another mission? Don't we get breaks?!" Sindy asked in shock.
"You'd be quite surprised!" Amanda replied with a half-suppressed laugh. "It happens lots of times. It's just that the Mind World is like ten times the size of Planet Earth and filled with Demon Beasts and a trillion other problems. So because of that, every hero works tirelessly due to how much we're needed. Some of us have ended up in hospitals due to exhaustion... sometimes worse. Plenty of fun, I know!" Amanda finished with a strong hint of sarcasm.
"That wasn't in the job description," Sindy murmured.
They then paused for a few seconds before looking at Nathan, who was strangely quiet. His eyes hung heavy, and his shoulders drooped with a sense of unease.
Seeing this, Amanda quickly wrapped her arm around him and pulled him close, forcing him to cuddle under her arm as they walked.
"Amanda?" He muttered softly with red hot cheeks, gazing at the angelic smile that curved across her soft lips. She also smelled incredibly charming, almost as if she worked in a perfume factory, which was strange since they just finished a brutal mission.
"What's that look on your face for?" She teased, gazing at him with her beautiful lavender eyes. "Let's see… We finished the mission, all our limbs are intact, and we're still breathing! It's not every day we get to return to HQ outside of body bags, you know!"
Nathan sighed, finally letting out his stress. "I know, but I wish I could do more for these people. What's going to happen to them once we leave? They'll continue to suffer just like before. It's like we're giving them a bandaid for a surgical wound."
"Aww! Look atchu being all caring!" She praised, pinching his cheeks like an older sister. "But there's not much we can do about it. Demon Beasts continuously spawn, so there's no permanent fix. Not to mention that heroes like us are needed everywhere, so we can't stay here forever. It's up to the villagers to fight for themselves. They should grow and train their own Art Users if they want to avoid a repeat of what happened last night. But our services are also free, so whenever Alondo gets the chance, I'm sure he'll send a few more assassins here."
It wasn't much, but it made Nathan a little more accepting of the situation. Seeing firsthand the harsh realities of the Mind World, he realized just how dire the standard of living was for most. People weren't just fighting to survive against constant threats—they were battling for the most basic necessities: food, water, and shelter.
A minute later, they arrived at the aircraft, their bodies shuddering at the thought of finally being able to relax. This was when they noticed Blake and Mika leaning against the cold metal armor of the aircraft. Their faces were prickled with boredom as if they had waited an eternity for the assassins to arrive.
"Blake?" Nathan called, his voice filled with uncertainty.
Blake crossed his arms and huffed, his lips pressing into a pout as he averted his gaze. "You all sure took your time getting here."
"Were you waiting for us?" Sindy asked.
"Wait, I get it! This is about wanting to join AA, isn't it?" Amanda teased with a sweet chuckle.
Blake and Mika nodded shyly in approval.
"Well, that's part of it…" Mika replied timidly, fickling with a loose thread from her messy white dress.
"If that's the case, you two need to keep working hard. You have the potential, so I have no doubts you can do it!" Amanda encouraged with a friendly wink. "I'll send in a recommendation for you two when we get back to HQ, so Alondo might be reaching out to see if you have what it takes!"
The siblings sparkled to life, their eyes glowing with excitement.
"Thank you so much, Amanda! You're the best!" Mika beamed.
"I promise we won't let this opportunity slip past us!" Blake added, doubling his fists with unparalleled joy.
A gentle curve drew across Amanda's lips as her violet eyes gazed at them with suffocating warmth. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you in AA soon then," she said sweetly with a gentle wave as she walked by to enter the aircraft—the others following closely.
The assassins then gave one final nod before they began boarding the aircraft. However, as Nathan walked by, Blake stopped him.
"Nathan!" Shouted Blake with a hint of reluctance.
"Hmm?" Nathan mused. "What is it?"
"Look, I want to apologize. I was a little harsh last night…" Blake said, casting a bashful gaze at his feet.
Nathan smiled knowingly, already sensing what Blake wanted to say. "It's fine. You don't have to sweat it. I don't hold it against you for the way you reacted."
"No! Man, this is such a pain!" Blake groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Listen, you saved my life last night. You did everything you could for me and Mika, and I appreciate that. So... thank you." He exhaled sharply, then fixed Nathan with a serious look. "But none of this changes that the Real World took my mother away from me, so we can't be friends or anything like that…"
Blake hesitated, then extended his hand. "But even if we can't be friends, I still respect you for what you did to help my village. I'll never forget that."
Nathan's smile softened as he clasped Blake's hand in a firm, accepting handshake.
"Mika and I are going to become heroes soon," he continued with a firm grip on Nathan's hand. "We won't need you to save the Mind World because we'll do that ourselves! So if you're not careful, we'll be saving even more lives than you soon!"
"I'll work hard to get my friends home safely, so I won't make it easy for you," Nathan said with a challenging and respectful gaze.
"It's on!"
They locked eyes, a fierce determination blazing between them—hearts ignited like twin furnaces. This marked the beginning of Nathan's journey and an opportunity for Blake to make his dream a reality.
After the siblings lost their mother, things became unbearably painful. Each day felt like walking barefoot on shards of glass—sharp and agonizing. However, meeting Nathan and the other assassins was a step towards healing.
They wanted to make their dreams come true. No, they had to. Blake tightened his grip on Nathan's hand, feeling unstoppable. He would achieve his dreams, no matter what it took.
Suddenly, a thunderous bang shattered the silence, followed by a high-pitched whistle. Blood splattered across Nathan's face as a bullet tore through the side of Blake's head.
Nathan stood frozen, arm still outstretched, his smile collapsing into shock as Blake's body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud.
Mika dropped beside her brother, screaming his name as the other assassins rushed outside, weapons drawn, eyes soaked with horror.
Slowly, Nathan turned his head. There, barely concealed among the trees, Jorge stood trembling—wounded, bloody, enraged, and clutching a smoking gun. His eyes seethed with frustration. He had missed his target.
"Huh..?" Nathan muttered, his voice barely audible with shock. His head spun, the world tilting around him. Reality felt like a cruel joke—something his mind failed to comprehend.
Wasting no time, Leo grabbed Nathan's katana from its sheathe and dashed toward Jorge—his eyes seething with rage. Jorge quickly fired two bullets, the shots echoing with a sickening bang. One, two… Leo deflected them with expert precision like an ancient samurai.
Then—WHOOSH!
With a mighty swing, he cut through the base of Jorge's neck, removing his head before he could even mutter a cry for mercy. His body tumbled to the ground, rustling the leaves of nearby shrubs with a heavy thud, casting a sea of blood into the air.
"I thought you said the Disaster Class crushed him!" Leo boomed, swinging himself around toward Amanda. "Why the hell was he still alive, Amanda?!!"
"I… I…" Amanda struggled to get the words out as astonishment seeped through her body like a sedative. "It did! We all saw it! I… I don't know how he survived! There's no way he could have survived that—" Amanda cut her sentence short as she came to a chilling realization—her lips quivering at the horrific thought. "Jorge… he must have used his Sand Art to soften the dirt into quicksand. That prevented him from being completely crushed…"
"What a shit show! You've got to be kidding me! We were this close to completing the mission without any major hiccups! THIS CLOSE!!" Leo argued, pinching his fingers with frustration.
Mika screamed at the top of her lungs, begging her brother to wake up. "Blake! Please, get up! Please!!!" She shook his lifeless body as tears clung to her trembling eyes, blurring her vision.
Andrew knelt beside her, his face tight with sorrow as he gently pulled her away. She thrashed in his grip, kicking and screaming, refusing to let go.
Sindy wasted no time, dropping to her knees and pressing her hands to Blake's chest, desperate to revive him. But as she looked into his vacant eyes, her hands faltered—the light in his eyes had already faded.
"It's too late... He… He died immediately..." She choked, barely getting the words out in an audible whisper. Her words felt heavy, depressing, final.
Mika's struggle ceased, her body going limp as she let out a heavy sob. She collapsed against Andrew's chest, wailing in a whirlpool of anguish.
Nathan stood motionless, his gaze distant and blank. Disbelief stabbed him in the ears—everything drowning in a faraway realm of painful silence.
"H-How could this happen? I don't get it…" Nathan trembled before looking over at Jorge's corpse. "Is it because I didn't— no… no…"
Nathan trembled as he stared at his hands. His eyes darted back and forth between Blake's corpse and his shaking fingers. He couldn't hold it in. He felt like exploding in anguish. His captive emotions fought a war for freedom.
"You'll regret not taking my head when you had the chance..!"
Jorge's words pressed against his chest, piercing his heart with unending guilt.
Instructor Brady slowly walked up behind Nathan before placing a steady hand on the back of Nathan's head and gently pulling him in, resting it against his chest. "Come on, kid. Let's get you inside. If you stay out here any longer, you'll destroy yourself," he then paused, turning his face toward Sindy and Andrew. "That goes for you two as well."
"Damn it! What do we do now? How did this happen?" Amanda dreaded, stooping and clutching her head.
"Leo!" Instructor Brady shouted. "You acted rashly! Why did you kill Jorge?"
"I…" Leo's eyes widened with realization. "Damn it! I lost control for a minute."
"That's unacceptable for an AS-Classed Assassin!" the Instructor snapped. "You could have disarmed him without killing him! Amanda, you're responsible for most of this. You failed to verify Jorge's death earlier, which resulted in this predicament. You should have searched for his corpse once the Disaster Class was dead! You'll have to take accountability and report this to the villagers."
Amanda covered her face with a trembling sigh before falling to her knees. How was she supposed to tell Chief Sawyer that his son had died due to her incompetence?
"Right... I… I'll take… responsibility..." she groaned, taking a shaky breath.
The assassins stood in stunned silence. The mission was over, but the weight of their mistake loomed over them like a storm cloud. Blake was dead. Jorge was dead.
It was a success, yet it felt like a devastating failure.
Regardless of the outcome, they had to leave. But none of them could shake the bitter truth—this mission had ended in tragedy.