In the hall, the Bergian forces stood tall and proud, facing off against the Eagles.

  “Well, we don’t usually welcome guests at this hour…” Rai rose to his feet, wiping away the last of his tears. “You should all leave.”

  “It’s rude to ask guests to leave, Mr. Flame,” Mira stepped forward, her aura flaring. “Especially when we're just getting started.”

  “I hope you understand, Flame Emperor,” Izak said coldly, his terrifying blue aura spreading through the room, making the ground tremble. “We didn’t come here to leave.”

  “Tch.” Smoker stayed seated, lighting a cigarette. “Then it’s settled. We wipe them out, right, Rai?”

  “You’re right,” Rai replied, stepping back. “But… I want you all to handle this without me.”

  “Huh? Why?” Garron asked, confused.

  “Their strength is nothing compared to what we’ll face in the future. We’re enemies of the whole world now. The threats ahead will be far worse than this.” Rai climbed up onto the window ledge. “If you can’t take them down without me… then we might as well give up our dream of changing the world and just die!”

  “I get it… no need to be so dramatic!” Garron took his stance, preparing to fight.

  “I hope you haven’t forgotten me, Izak!” Lioren’s reddish aura pulsed as he activated his gravity ability.

  “I’ll never forget the man who pushed me to my limits!” Izak replied, drawing his twin swords.

  Suddenly, the roof shattered as Lioren shot up into the sky by reducing the pull of gravity on himself. Izak followed close behind.

  Once again, the sky was lit with beams of red and blue light—clashing, darting, teasing each other in midair. They were evenly matched in both power and speed.

  Meanwhile, back in the hall, Saera’s ice powers blasted Malrik through the wall, sending him flying across the fields. She followed without hesitation.

  Faeron, calm and composed, summoned monstrous wild beasts with his aura. They snarled at Garron, eager to devour.

  Garron quickly activated his new puppets with his aura threads.

  “I should commend you,” Faeron said with a smug grin. “Most would tremble before my beasts. But I suppose that’s expected from an S-ranker. Still—now I’ll show you what it means to face an Elite!”

  “Let’s see which wins—your beasts or my puppets!” Garron chuckled, though his eyes were tense.

  “But weren’t you once defeated by an A-ranker?” Faeron sneered. “You think you can beat me? Faeron—the Royal Guard of Bergia?!”

  With that, his beasts charged in under his control.

  Garron’s new puppets were far better than the ones he’d used before—but they still couldn’t match a royal guard. In the blink of an eye, the beasts tore them apart and pounced on Garron. He screamed in pain as they sank their teeth into him—helpless before their power.

  “I didn’t want to do this, Garron,” Faeron said coldly, arms crossed. “But your death will only make my beasts stronger. This was the only outcome.”

  “Garron!” Smoker yelled, concern and seriousness lacing his voice—even as he fought his own battle.

  “I leave the rest… to you,” Garron whispered, his gaze drifting toward the sky. “Lioren…”

  In that moment, everyone in the hall felt it—Garron of the Silken Roads, chief staff of the Eagles, former guild master… had fallen on the battlefield.

  “A true warrior is someone who knows he’s going to fall, but still stands tall and fights with everything he has,” Smoker said proudly. “You’ve become a true warrior, Garron.”

  “Such noble words!” Kael roared as he burst into the hall, fists swinging with crushing force.

  Ever since the day the generals discovered Smoker’s betrayal, they had prepared themselves for this moment—to face him head-on.

  “He’s already dead, Chief. Pay attention, or you’ll join him,” Mira growled. Her body shifted—fur sprouting, claws sharpening—as she transformed into a fearsome wolf.

  Taren stood near a pillar, silently tracking Smoker’s movements, waiting for the perfect shot.

  But Smoker had the upper hand. His light ability made him too fast—he was light. Lasers and bullets fired from his bare hands. Blinding streaks of light sliced through the air, impossible to follow.

  Taren tried firing, but the lasers deflected his bullets. Kael and Mira kept pressing from the front. Mira’s claws slashed through the air, tearing his clothes and arms. Kael’s fists landed powerful hits that shook the ground.

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  But even with all that, the lasers were too much. One of them struck Mira directly in her left eye.

  “Mira!” Taren shouted, eyes wide with panic.

  She fell to her knees, clutching her face. Her breathing grew shaky.

  “Say, why did you betray us, Chief…?” she asked, her voice low and broken. “You were the only one I considered my pal. We were called the ‘cold duo’… I admired you.”

  “Mira… I had my reasons.” Smoker pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and exhaled smoke. “Rina never wanted me to fight, but if I want to change the system—I have to. My enemy isn’t you. It’s the system. Get out of my way, and I won’t hurt you. Stay in it… and I have no choice.”

  “I see… Everyone’s got their reasons. But that doesn’t mean we can just agree.” Mira stood up, covering her injured eye with a cloth, wiping her tears. “Sad, isn’t it?” she said, staring at the dark sky.

  The fight continued. Though wounded, the generals fought back. But Smoker’s attacks felt… hesitant. His lasers didn’t carry the intent to kill.

  “You mocking us, Smoker?!” Kael shouted, holding his broken arm. “That’s an insult!”

  “Don’t underestimate us, Chief,” Mira said softly. Her hatred faded—but her spirit still burned.

  “This world’s truly pathetic,” Smoker muttered as he dodged another blow. “The five elements made us enemies… even after all the time we spent together. I don’t want to kill you.”

  “The world is hell, you say?” Mira looked at the sky again. “Yeah… it is. Because it’s making me fight you.”

  “That’s why I stand with Rai—to change it. So that…” Smoker’s voice cracked, heavy with emotion. “So that when she wakes up, she finds a gentle world. Like heaven.”

  Mira’s eyes widened. “That… that dream of yours… I want to help you!”

  “Mira? Don’t tell me…” Taren’s voice shook. His gun was still aimed. “You’re going to side with him?”

  “I wouldn’t recommend that,” Kael warned. “The empire won’t spare your family in Bergia…”

  “They’re already dead,” Mira said quietly.

  “What…?” Kael stared at her, stunned.

  “A mysterious army—maybe from Sylphar—raided my village. I got the letter yesterday.” Mira’s hands trembled as she spoke, tears falling. “I just wanted to see them again… even once.”

  She dropped to the ground, crying into her arms. “It’s all… because of those damned five elements… I can’t take it anymore.”

  “That’s why you stayed in your room all day yesterday…” Taren’s voice was low and filled with sorrow.

  “I was going to surprise them next week… bring sweets for my little brother…”

  She choked, her voice breaking. “But they’re all gone!”

  Her scream tore through the hall, filled with raw agony.

  Then, slowly, she stood—firm and resolute.

  “I want to fight for you, Chief,” she said.

  “You’re going to betray us?!” Kael roared. His fists clenched. “For this pathetic man who lied to his wife and let his daughter die?! He’s committed more sins than anyone—how will he ever make up for them?!”

  He turned to Smoker. “Say something!”

  Smoker remained silent. His eyes never left Mira.

  “…I’m used to being called pathetic,” he said softly. “It’s nothing new.”

  He laughed—but it was hollow, empty.

  Mira faced Kael and Taren.

  “I’ve had more connection with him these past two years than with either of you. I believed in his dream—to end the tyranny of the five elements.” Her voice turned cold. “If that means betraying you… then I will.”

  “Tch…” Taren clicked his tongue, tears welling up. He fired—straight at her.

  A laser intercepted mid-air, deflecting the bullets. Smoker stood still, hand raised.

  “…Are you sure?” he asked, voice low. “This path isn’t salvation. It’s vengeance wearing a mask of hope.”

  Mira’s eyes burned.

  “Even vengeance… is better than silence.”

  “…Hmph.” Smoker looked away, smirking faintly. “Fine by me.”

  “Mira,” Taren said, trembling as he reloaded, “Back at the meeting… you were laughing with us. We were planning strategies, and now you’re—”

  “Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean I was okay,” Mira snapped.

  She turned back to Smoker, shouting through the rising wind, “If he had been there, he would've noticed something was wrong!”

  Kael snapped.

  “So… you plan to fight us now?!” he yelled, charging forward.

  “And you…” Mira growled, eyes narrowing, “You plan to keep licking the boots of the empire, Kael—”

  There was a tense pause.

  Then she turned to Smoker again.

  “Why don’t you just kill them, Chief?!”

  Smoker’s gaze shifted toward the charging general.

  “Kael has a lovely girlfriend, Lyra, waiting for him…” he said softly, voice heavy with something more than sorrow.

  Kael froze mid-step.

  Smoker’s eyes met his, filled with a strange mix of pain and peace.

  “The conflict is between us. But killing you would make her cry. And I’ve never liked making people cry who aren’t even my enemies…”

  He slid his trembling hands into his pockets — not to reach for a cigarette this time, but to hide his shaking fingers.

  “You promised her, didn’t you?” he added. “That next time you meet her… you’ll marry her.”

  “Th-That’s right…” Kael mumbled. A faint blush rose to his cheeks, but his body refused to move.

  “I heard,” Smoker smirked faintly, “that the ‘hot-headed general’ never even raises his voice when she’s around.”

  Kael looked away, biting his lip.

  “She must be waiting for you,” Smoker continued. “Believing in you. Praying you’ll come back. Do you really want to be the reason her prayers go unanswered?”

  Kael slowly lowered his fists. “...Mhm. You’re right.”

  Smoker’s eyes moved to Taren now.

  “And you… your loved ones are in Bergia, right? They must be waiting, too.”

  Taren blinked, caught off guard. “Yeah… they are. But why are you bringing this up?”

  “Killing you here would do nothing but create more pain,” Smoker said. His voice was calm, yet undeniably heavy. “I’ve already added too many names to the list of people I’ve hurt.”

  He stepped forward slightly.

  “I’ve got an offer.”

  Kael and Taren looked up, unsure.

  “If you both resign from the army right now… go back to Bergia. Find new lives. Be there for the people who love you…” Smoker paused. “Then I won’t fight you. I won’t chase you. This battle will end here — for you.”

  Taren looked conflicted. “You’re asking us to be cowards.”

  “No,” Smoker replied, eyes narrowing. “You people don’t have any reason to fight, I’m asking you to stop this meaningless fighting.”

  Mira stood beside him, expression unreadable. “This is your last chance,” she added. “Don’t waste it.”

  Kael looked down at his hands, the same hands he’d used to kill, to protect, to command. “Lyra always said… war turns people into ghosts.”

  Smoker nodded. “Then come back to life. Before this war turns you both into nothing.”

  Taren lowered his pistol. “Damn you, Chief… why do you always say the right thing at the worst times?”

  “Because I was once too late,” Smoker replied. “I don’t want anyone else to be.”

  The two generals started to realise that his words did have some meaning. They already knew how the military ruined Smoker’s life, and his words made them retreat immediately. They went straight back to Velmora to pack their luggage and head back to start everything over.

  There on the battlefield, Smoker watched them go.

  “Chief!” Mira shouted as a blade pierced through Smoker’s back, catching him off guard.

  Next Week in Chapter 7 - No One Heard Her Cry

  The dried blood crusted on her face grew wet again as tears slipped down her cheeks, the bitter realisation crashing over her:

  she would die here, unable to avenge her parents.