The battlefield smelled of smoke, scorched steel, and faint blood.
The fight with Nemeo was over, but the echoes of its chaos still clung to the air like a ghost refusing to leave.
“Pack it up!” one of the senior agents barked.
His voice cut across the camp, sharp but tired.
Interpol’s men and women moved quickly despite their injuries.
Some had bandages across their foreheads, others limped as they carried crates of salvaged tech from the facility.
The children, eyes wide with lingering fear, clung to one another in silence.
Each was carefully paired with an agent to ensure no one was left alone.
Until their parents could be found—or their homes identified—they would remain under Interpol’s protection.
Blue stood near the edge of camp, feathers rippling under the soft wind, his massive frame casting a long shadow.
Every few seconds, he gave a low rumbling growl, like he was warning the world to stay away.
The kids stared at him with awe and terror in equal measure.
Touya sat on a crate close by, jacket half-off, the exhaustion of battle etched into his posture.
Amy was beside him again, refusing to budge.
“You should rest with the other children,” Touya said quietly, his gaze fixed on the campfire.
Amy shook her head stubbornly.
“Not until you do.”
That earned him a faint smirk.
For someone so young, she had fire in her veins.
Touya leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head.
“Suit yourself.”
Nearby, Tom watched the scene in silence.
The other agents celebrated in hushed tones, a mixture of relief and disbelief.
They treated wounds, shared small jokes to ease the tension, but their eyes kept drifting toward Touya and the beast he now commanded.
It wasn’t fear—it was recognition.
The kind you gave to someone who had stepped into a new realm.
Even among veterans, whispers rose.
“Did you see him face Nemeo head-on…?”
“He nearly killed himself doing it.”
“Still, the kid didn’t flinch.
That’s not normal courage.”
Touya pretended not to hear them.
His attention was elsewhere—on Blue, on Amy, on the children who’d lost their homes.
On the weight he hadn’t asked for but now carried anyway.
The night grew quieter as more of the camp was dismantled.
Only the crackling of the fire and the distant hoot of an owl filled the silence.
And in that stillness, Tom finally spoke, voice low enough only Touya could hear.
“Enjoy this calm while it lasts.
We move back to the European base in two days.
Headquarters will be expecting us.”
Touya glanced at him briefly, then back at the fire.
“Yeah.”
The crackle of flames was the only reply after that.
The Interpol camp was alive with movement — tents collapsing, crates being loaded, children being herded carefully into secure transports until their families could be found.
Some recruits joked to cover up exhaustion, others moved like shadows, haunted by what they had seen.
But Amy refused to leave Touya’s side.
She stuck close to him like his shadow, gripping the sleeve of his coat with both hands.
Touya crouched down, resting a hand gently on her head.
“Amy… you’ll be safe.
Just stay with Tom until your parents come for you, alright?” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Her big eyes trembled.
“…You promise?”
“I promise.” Touya gave a small smile.
Blue knelt, iron-feathered wings brushing the earth.
Touya climbed onto its back, and in one sweep they were gone, soaring into the sky.
They landed in the same alley where Touya had fought the General weeks ago.
The ground still bore the scars of that clash.
Waiting there was Kyle.
His sharp eyes followed Blue as it landed, wings folding like blades.
For a second he was speechless… then he smirked.
“So this is the beast they whispered about,” Kyle said, chuckling.
“Figures you’d be the one riding it, Touya.
Damn… I was chasing after this thing too.
Guess it picked you over me.”
Touya hopped down.
“Blue made its choice.”
Kyle walked closer, his boots crunching against the rubble.
Instead of bitterness, there was amusement in his tone.
“Heh.
Not surprised.
After all, if it’s gonna follow anyone… it’d be you.”
Blue’s glowing eyes locked onto Kyle.
The beast lowered its head slightly, almost like it was sizing him up.
Kyle didn’t flinch.
Instead, he reached out, brushing his fingers against Blue’s iron mane.
Sparks pricked his hand, and he hissed at the heat—then grinned wider.
“Not bad.
You’re stronger than I thought,” he murmured.
Then, glancing at Touya: “Looks like we’re allies now.
Don’t worry, partner—if you’re his, then I’ll protect you too.”
Touya smirked faintly.
“Good.
Starting tomorrow, your training begins.”
Kyle arched a brow.
“…Mine?”
“Yeah.
In three weeks, I start mine.
But you—” Touya’s gaze sharpened.
“You start tomorrow.
You’re my right hand, Kyle.
You can’t afford to lag behind.”
Kyle chuckled.
“Tch.
Bossy as ever.
Just don’t complain when I catch up faster than you expect.”
Blue gave a low rumble that almost sounded like laughter.
Touya mounted back onto its back.
“Tomorrow then.
Be ready.”
Kyle watched as Blue leapt skyward, carrying Touya into the night.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, smirking.
“Damn… Touya, you’re full of surprises.
If it’s you, then I’ll follow—even to the throne itself.”
By dawn, the Interpol camp was nearly stripped bare.
Tents folded, crates stacked, and tired agents shuffled about, double-checking lists and securing evidence.
The rescued children huddled together, some still crying, others whispering about home.
Until their parents were found, they’d remain under Interpol’s care.
Touya returned with Blue, descending quietly on the edge of camp.
Amy bolted toward him the moment she saw him, clinging to his coat again.
“You left without saying anything,” she pouted, cheeks puffing.
Touya exhaled, patting her head.
“I had business.
I’m back now.”
Tom strolled past, cigarette dangling, smirking.
“Kid, you’ve got her glued to you like gum on a shoe.
Better get used to it.”
The agents laughed.
The tension of the raid still lingered, but moments like this chipped it away.
Even those with fresh bandages cracked a smile.
For the next two days, the base buzzed with movement.
Reports filed, weapons polished, wounds treated.
And in the center of it all, Touya stood—never quite blending in, always being watched.
He could feel it.
The rookies whispered about his fight with Nemeo.
The veterans whispered about Blue.
And Kyle, though not present in the camp, was a looming shadow in everyone’s mind.
On the second evening, as boxes were being sealed and the convoy readied for transport back to Interpol’s European headquarters, the air shifted.
Two armed security guards entered the base.
Their presence alone was enough to hush the room.
Behind them, a man stepped forward.
The moment his face came into view, silence rippled through the hall like a shockwave.
It was the President of the United States.
Every agent froze, disbelief written across their faces.
A few dropped what they were carrying.
Tom’s cigarette slipped from his lips.
“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Even Blue, sensing the tension, growled low.
Touya’s eyes narrowed, watching the man with the weight of someone who had just shifted the entire game.
The President scanned the room slowly, his presence sharp, commanding, undeniable.
And then he spoke.
“Interpol… Kojiro Touya.” His voice carried like thunder.
“We need to talk.”
The camp held its breath.