“Please find a secure location and stay hidden.” “Amiya.” The crunch of rapid footsteps broke the brief lull in the chaos.
A Rhodes Island medical operator, clad in the organization’s standard tactical uniform, jogged into the clearing.
“Report!” she called out.
“All critically wounded personnel requiring emergency treatment have been stabilized and transferred.
Their vital signs are holding steady.
The lightly wounded have been bandaged and are ready to move out on your command.” She scanned the immediate area, her gaze catching on Ivan for a fleeting second.
A flicker of curiosity crossed her features before she turned her attention back to Dobermann and Amiya, awaiting further orders.
Instructor Dobermann’s expression remained taut.
Her sharp eyes swept over the scattered bodies of the Reunion Movement soldiers Ivan had effortlessly dismantled.
They lay haphazardly across the rubble.
She stepped forward, her heavy boots crunching against the shattered gravel, and crouched beside one of the fallen rioters.
Her gloved fingers brushed against a distinct, bruised indentation on the man’s neck.
His breathing was faint but perfectly rhythmic.
He hadn’t been bludgeoned near death; he had been neutralized with surgical precision.
She stood back up, her brow furrowing deeply.
“Move quickly,” she ordered, her voice cold and hard as iron.
“We need to evacuate this sector immediately before these rioters regain consciousness.” Dobermann’s intense scrutiny finally locked onto Ivan.
Her vigilance hadn’t waned a single fraction.
This young man possesses terrifying strength, and his combat instincts are far too refined for a civilian.
Amiya took a slow, deep breath, forcing down the lingering sorrow in her chest and rallying her spirits.
She turned to face Ivan, a gentle, earnest smile returning to her lips.
Her azure eyes met his.
“Then…
sir,” she began, carefully weighing her words.
“Where do you plan to go from here?
The city is incredibly dangerous right now.
If you don’t have a secure destination in mind, would you be willing to come with us to Rhodes Island?” “Absolutely not, Amiya!” Dobermann barked the objection, stepping directly between the young Cautus and Ivan.
She leaned forward into a defensive stance, her gaze cutting into Ivan like a drawn blade.
“Our absolute priority is securing the Doctor’s safety!
Bringing a complete stranger with an unknown background and an anomalous source of power into our ranks will only introduce unpredictable risks.
I will not allow it!” “But, Instructor Dobermann…” Amiya pleaded, her small face set with stubborn persistence.
“He just saved innocent lives, and he doesn’t seem like…” “Can I join Rhodes Island?” Ivan’s clear voice cut through the tense air, smoothly overriding Amiya’s defense.
He met Dobermann’s oppressive glare with an utterly relaxed expression, though his tone carried a genuine weight.
“I figure the combat prowess I just demonstrated should be of some use to you all, right?
Especially when it comes to protecting…” He paused, his gaze drifting past the Perro instructor.
“…important targets.” His eyes settled on the heavily hooded figure standing silently at the center of the formation—the Doctor.
Dobermann’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Just as she opened her mouth to issue a harsh refusal, a steady, slightly raspy voice echoed from the core of the vanguard.
The Doctor, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, took a deliberate step forward.
The heavy shadows of the oversized hood obscured any facial features, but the sheer calm in that voice commanded immediate attention.
The Doctor’s gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness of the visor, fixing entirely on Ivan.
“Our current formation lacks sufficient high-end vanguard power.
Facing the Reunion elites and the unknown variables ahead, securing an additional, highly capable combatant provides a necessary guarantee of survival.” The assessment was clinical, concise, and cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Dobermann whipped her head around, her expression twisting with stark disapproval.
“Doctor!
The risk is too immense!
We know absolutely nothing about his origins!
His abilities are—” “Dobermann,” a deep, resonant voice rumbled, steady as bedrock.
Ace stepped into the fray.
The towering defender placed a massive, calloused hand gently on Dobermann’s rigid shoulder, grounding her with his sheer presence.
A weathered, confident smile touched his scarred face, though his eyes remained sharp as they evaluated Ivan.
He leaned in, lowering his voice for the instructor.
“Ease up.
I will keep a close eye on the kid the entire time.
He won’t leave my sight.” Ace paused, his tone shifting to reflect absolute faith in their tactician.
“Besides, the Doctor’s judgment has never led us astray, has it?
Our job is to follow orders.” Dobermann looked from Ace’s unwavering gaze to the Doctor’s resolute posture.
Finally, she let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
Her tense shoulders slumped a fraction, betraying her internal struggle and reluctant compromise.
She snapped her attention back to Ivan, glaring daggers at him.
“Fine.
If the Doctor and Ace both vouch for this…
But you!” She thrust a gloved finger at Ivan, enunciating every syllable with lethal intent.
“Listen carefully.
From this second forward, you will strictly obey every command given.
You will not wander off.
You will take no unauthorized actions.
Every move you make will focus on the safety of the Doctor and Amiya.
If you step out of line, do not expect me to show any mercy.” Ivan flashed a bright, easygoing smile, radiating a distinct aura of youthful rebellion.
He deliberately dragged out his response, layering it with a hint of playful teasing.
“Don’t worry, Instructor Dobermann.
I read you loud and clear!” That slightly exaggerated, almost trollish assurance somehow managed to puncture the suffocating tension in the air.
Without thinking, he reached up, his fingers brushing against the pair of fluffy, warm bear ears resting atop his head.
The motion was entirely casual, yet it instantly drew the bewildered stares of several nearby Rhodes Island operators.
‘Man, this is seriously weird,’Ivan muttered internally.’I actually scored a pair of animal ears when I crossed over.
Have to admit, they feel pretty soft.’ He reined in his grin, straightening his posture as he addressed the group, specifically focusing on the Doctor and Amiya.
“My name is Ivan, and I am an Ursus.
I look forward to working with you all.” The declaration of being an Ursus civilian, violently clashing with the monstrous strength he had just displayed, created a bizarre contradiction.
It only made him appear that much more enigmatic under the heavy scrutiny of the Rhodes Island vanguard.
The Doctor offered a curt, acknowledging nod.
Amiya, however, beamed with genuine warmth, her long Cautus ears twitching happily.
“Mhm!
Welcome to the team, Ivan!
Please take care of us!” Ace clapped his massive hands together, the booming sound echoing off the ruined walls.
“Alright!
Social hour is over!
We stick to the predetermined extraction route.
Maintain formation and guard the core target!
Ivan, you’re with me.
Move out!” The vanguard surged into motion once more.
Ivan fell into step beside the towering defender, acutely aware of Dobermann’s hostile glare burning holes into his back.
Every so often, he caught Amiya throwing curious, bright-eyed glances his way as they marched deeper into the ruined city.