Special Thanks to Xenophos24 for their help with the chapter.
I don't own Arknights or Type-Moon content.

Ursus Empire's city of Chernobog / April 20th year 1094 / 2:00 PM / Cloudy

City life can be a pain sometimes, having to deal with the annoying crowds coming and going even during the weekend. Sonya grumbled as she pushed through the people trying to enter the bus she was exiting, a few curses dying at the tip of her tongue and settling for an angry glare.

Shaking her head, the young teen decided against making a fuss so close to her destination. Walking through the streets, Sonya's contenance got better when she arrived at the mansion, a ferocious smirk appearing on her face. Nodding to the duo standing watch by the gate, ignoring the exasperated sighs they let out.

"You're really persistent, kid. I'll give you that."

"Zip it. Is Ivan here?"

"Sure is. Don't make too big of a commotion if you don't want to be kicked out like last time."

"Whatever."

The student shrugged and moved on, placing her hands in her pockets as she nodded to the smiling gardener nearby. Sonya casually entered the building and promptly followed her usual path through the halls without a care for the curious glances the staff sent her way.

No one stopped her as she walked up the stairs and went through the hallway leading to Ivan's room. Opening the door rather violently, Sonya grumbled when she found it empty.

"Where the hell is he?"

Deciding to wait for him, the teen shut the door behind her before moving to sit on the expensive looking couch, her bag laying beside her, and laying her feet on the table. Observing the room, the middle schooler let out a loud whistle as she took in the lavish additions to the abode since her last visit. Her gaze halted at the large painting in the center of the wall facing the big desk the Sarkaz usually sat at, featuring a family of four composed of two adults and their two children.

An Ursus man stood in the center, his lithe figure, clad in a regal suit of balck and crimson, carried an air of authority despite the friendly grin on his face as he held his wife and eldest son close.

The only woman in the painting was a stunningly beautiful Lupo with obsidian hair matching her lovely dress decorated with golden lines, her loving eyes gazing forward with a content smile with her youngest, a child of about four, sitting on her lap.

The eldest child stood between his parents, eyes looking strangely mature for a seven-year old boy, his stance not at all as childish as she saw from different photos her parents showed her of when she was his age.

Sonya stood up and moved closer to the painting, frowning as she tried to figure why someone like Ivan would spend money on a painting featuring Ursus nobles of all people, even if they were former nobles. Most of what she knew about the Akhmatov family was through hearsay from the residents of the manor, but to see the figurehead treat them in such high regard spoke much more than any praises the others here sung for them.

Lost in her thoughts, Sonya could only yelp in surprise when a hand grabbed her by her shirt and effortlessly picked her up. The little Ursus didn't flinch under Ivan's stern glare, stubbornly refusing to back down as she flailed about angrily.

"Let me down and fight me, bastard!"

"I thought I told you not to be more careful around the manor. Are your parents aware of you being out here?"

Ivan casually let go of the girl and leaned back to avoid the incoming right hook aiming for his face. Finally freed, Sonya wasted no time leaping into action with a kick targeting the Sarkaz's midsection. Her attack failed as expected when Ivan caught her foot with ease, his forearm blocking the second kick coming for his face before grabbing it and forcing the girl to stand on her arms.

"Had enough?"

"Like hell I do, I'm kicking your ass one way or another!"

Shaking his head with a smile, Ivan let go of Sonya's legs before he back stepped away before she could attack again. Placing his hands in his pockets, Ivan approached the painting and silently gazed at it. The young girl grumbled silently as she stood up once again, silently observing him for a few brief moments before she moved to sit on the couch.

"I didn't think you were the type to have paintings for nobles."

Ivan didn't deign to answer her remark, only giving her a smile. Sonya frowned at the Sarkaz's lack of response, huffing almost childishly as she crossed her arms while Ivan sat down. Just as she was about to inquire further, the door to the office opened and the familiar graceful figure of Rose entered the room.

Sonya instinctively put her feet off the table, intimately aware of the last time she annoyed the deceptively gentle woman. Smiling at the little girl, Rose gracefully gave a delicate bow in greeting.

"Miss Sonya, it is a pleasure to see you again. Although I was unaware of your visit."

"Eh, yeah…hello miss Rose."

Sonya subtly gave panicked glances Ivan's way, only to silently curse him once the Sarkaz showed greater interest in his newspaper than her calls for aid. If the Feline detected Sonya's silent pleas, she didn't show it, content with smiling towards the young girl.

The shivers running down Sonya's back didn't fill her with confidence either.

"Forgive me for asking, but are your parents aware you are here?"

"...I told them I'm going outside."

Her answer was weak and she knew it. Rose hummed before she turned her eyes to Ivan, a shiver running down the latter's spine as he coughed awkwardly before placing the newspaper between him and Rose's admonishing gaze.

Rose's exasperated sigh did little to diminish the pristine aura she exuded, a stern look overtaking her lovely visage as she beckoned Sonya.

"Please come with me, I will see you out of the manor and assign someone to accompany you to the station. I am greatly disappointed by your recklessness, young lady."

Sonya flinched, awkwardly scratching her head as she tried to meet Rose's stare. Grumbling under her breath, the girl silently put her hands in her pockets and followed the older Feline with no protest.

Ivan watched her leave with a fair amount of amusement, idly noting how easily his teacher can take control of the usually unruly brat. He held no doubts any other person would get a black eye and a plethora of bruises for even looking at Sonya in the same capacity.

The last Savra who tried is still recovering in the clinic, after all. Reading the latest news, Ivan quickly focused on the latest updates on the Reunion movement and the number of pro-infected protests occurring in Ursus. Once finished with his reading, the Sarkaz sighed and pulled his locket from his coat, gently tracing the intricate lines of its surface before opening it.

Ivan sat in complete silence, a certain melancholy filling his heart at the sight of the picture inside. His sadness did not persist, the infectious smiles of the people in the picture making him chuckle before he closed the locket. Observing the painting in front of him, Ivan couldn't help but find it wholly inadequate.

'I need to find a better painter.'

Standing up, Ivan decided to check up on Neon in order to find an artist to commission. Although he was stopped in his tracks as Rose stood at the entrance, her demeanor was calm and collected as always.

"I hope you haven't forgotten, sir Ivan, today's your literature lesson. I do hope you have revised our latest lesson."

"I certainly haven't forgotten, ma'am."

Smiling wryly, Ivan turned his attention to the young Ursus heading their way. Intrigued by his presence, Ivan approached him.

"Alex, what brings you here?"

"I come bearing news, it seems Baron Andrei you were keeping track of was convicted yesterday. Count Boris is livid too, we had to deal with some less than friendly military police squads harassing the infected in the blocs of our territory. Neon said she'd handle it, but I thought it would be better to let you know."

Alex nodded cordially to the two, his demeanor as serious and somber as ever. Ever since Ivan saved him after his imprisonment, the young man was eager to further their cause and more importantly get back at the authorities who made his life hell and separated him from his sibling.

Rose remained silent even as her gaze subtly shifted to Ivan for a brief moment, a rather mischievous smirk appearing on her face. For his part, Ivan's face remained neutral as nodded silently before dismissing Alex. Once the two of them entered the room, Ivan wordlessly proceeded to open a drawer before pulling out a bottle of vintage wine under Rose's amused eyes.

"I assume you have found a means to circumvent the Count in order to act so brazenly?"

"Naturally, otherwise he wouldn't be just sending military police in here and we both know it. We can thank poor Andrei for keeping some very interesting secrets about Boris hidden in his office. The moment he decides to be clever, he'll have his allies racing to be the first to stab him in the back to take his spot."

Filling two glasses, Ivan cordially handed the Feline a glass. Before she could partake, Rose decided to ask one final question.

"And what of the Baron?"

Ivan took a sip of his glass, idly approving of the fine taste it held. Gazing at the wine as he gently twirled his glass, a cold glint briefly flashed in his eyes.

"There is only one fate for those who betrayed Ed. I shall personally take care of him tonight."

The two made a toast, before finishing their respective glasses and going back to work.

The next day would start with the disturbing news of the death of the convicted nobleman in Chernobog's jail.

Ursus Empire's western heartlands / April 22nd year 1094 / 11:00 AM / Sunny

FrostNova, much like many of her friends and family, were not having a good day. Gritting her teeth as she was slammed to the ground for what felt like the tenth time today, Yelena rolled away from the cane aiming for her stomach before she was saved from a kick by Talulah as the Draco pushed them out of Agnessa's way before Mudrock tried to stop the woman from pursuing them, only to be sent crashing against a tree.

Placing her foot on the ground, the lady turned to the charging Wendigo, her fist fearlessly smashing against his shield and stopping his charge dead in its tracks, their collision strong enough to push the others back before the two combatants were forced apart by the resulting shockwave, their feet leaving a deep trail in the ground with Patriot's shield sporting a noticeable dent.

Talulah and Yelena could only flinch at the display, a disturbing apprehension building up inside them as they began to reconsider their participation in this "group exercise" as Agnessa called it. Their guest proposed to test their best to see what they're made of, a suggestion which intrigued all of them given the high regard in which Buldrokkas'tee hailed her abilities.

Judging by the looks of the many people groaning in pain on the ground, it's safe to say many of them are regretting their choice considerably. Many of the yetis were down for the count, helped out of the combat zone by their defeated fellows as Mephisto tried his best to command the rest of them while Alina took care of the newly injured. Faust sat in the corner in the back nursing his head, having been the first to be knocked unconscious after he almost scored a blow against the matron.

Getting back to the fight, Yelena and Talulah joined Patriot as the trio stood together in front of Agnessa. Whistling playfully, the woman twirled her cane before she let out a long sigh as her posture relaxed.

"I believe this is enough, you still have duties awaiting you."

Yelena could see her father visibly deflating in relief as his grip on his spear finally relaxed for the first time after what felt like forever. She couldn't blame him since Talulah all but leaned on her sword after she stabbed it into the ground, her adrenaline finally running out.

"Your power. remains as strong. as ever. Dame."

Agnessa chuckled as she retrieved her overcoat from Ofnir, the young Vouivre looking anxious as he approached her before promptly retreating the moment she took hold of her coat. The old Draco found his behavior adorable.

"You are all very impressive as well, and would only grow more formidable with time and experience. The future of the infected is safe in your hands, so long as you retain this same spirit you showed me today."

The young fighters subconsciously straightened their backs, her words making some of them smile despite the sorry state they were in. Yelena shook her head at her siblings' embarrassment, yet still appreciative of the elder's kindness. Few people knew how little praise the Yetis received despite their best efforts, trudging through one battlefield after another.

Sitting down near her tired comrades, Yelena groaned as she felt her back ache against the hard tree bark, already preparing for the bruising she's going to have to deal with during the coming days. A hand gently landed on her shoulders, causing the Cautus to turn to see Agnessa sitting beside her. Yelena's eyes widened as she felt her discomfort and pain disappear, noting the knowing smile her grandmother was giving her.

"Thank you for healing me."

"Think nothing of it, my child. It's the least I can do for my adorable granddaughter."

Agnessa sat next to Yelena with a wide smile on her face as she pulled the young rabbit into an affectionate embrace, despite the latter's protests. Once Yelena finally surrendered, Agnessa gently stroked her ears as she observed the people around them.

"You know, little Yelena, your siblings said I would have lost if your big brother was here. Why isn't he here?"

FrostNova grew silent as she gave her siblings a harsh glare, even though they didn't notice it. She sighed and shook her head.

"He's traveling right now for personal reasons, he won't be back until the end of next year. My siblings should know better than to say such things, I'll have to discipline them later."

"Leave them be, Yelena. As old as they look, they still have some level of immaturity. Don't be too harsh on them."

"This is unacceptable, our brother already has enough burdens on his shoulders. The more we stop relying so much on him, the happier he'll be."

Her brother has suffered enough.

Yelena stood up and walked over to her gathered siblings while Agnessa watched as the rabbit unleashed a tirade of strict chastisement on her brothers and sisters without mercy. In no time, the old Draco was made witness to the Yetis silently sitting in front of their still-irritated eldest sister, their anxiousness palpable to even the most dense of people.

Not like Agnessa was opposed to such a move, moving to stand up and leave the Cautus to her work. The Draco approved of Yelena's actions, her preemptive efforts to keep the people from placing all their hopes on a singular figure instead of working together to advance collectively to their goals.

She could clearly remember many a moment where seemingly domineering structures and movements were pitifully brought to heel by the first few obstacles the figurehead failed to surmount, the followers swallowed by despair as a result.

Her stay so far had been refreshing and reassuring, much of her previous worries laid to rest the more she interacted with the people around here. Walking back to the camp, Agnessa noted the three mercenaries moving her way, the man in the group holding his sword tightly while the lady next to him failed to contain her anxiousness as she passed by.

The third one intrigued her slightly, her open observation of the Draco and complete lack of subtlety a polar opposite of her comrades' professionalism. Agnessa stopped just after passing the trio, deciding to give them a piece of advice.

"Listen well, Sarkaz."

The warriors stilled then and there, the unnatural pressure bearing down on them causing even the smiling one to turn serious. None of the three dared turn around, their instincts screaming at them to remain rooted in their place without making any movements.

"You are rootless people, your homeland lies in shambles, turned into efficient killers by the endless battlefields you survived. Knowing all of this, this movement has decided to accept you and work together with you rather than use you as tools."

Agnessa's gaze fell upon them, a dark glint flashing in her crimson eyes.

"You may rightfully doubt their sincerity, but eventually you will be faced with a choice. For your sake, I hope you decide wisely on which side you want to be on. Having said that, if you dare stain your blade with the blood of those dear to me, no king, no emperor, no god or demon would forestall my judgment upon you."

The sound of Agnessa's footsteps rang loud and clear in the three's ears, despite the increasing distance between them. Hoederer placed his hand on his chest, a frown appearing on his face as calmed his pounding heart.

"Wow~, I had no idea the lady was this scary."

"You couldn't understate it if you tried."

W gave a challenging smirk to the very annoyed Ines, the woman rubbing her eyes as the pain from her failed attempt to analyze the lady's shadow receded.

"Do you want to bet~? I'll have you know I can be very expressive."

"Why you little."

Watching the two ladies arguing, Hoederer felt his fears disappear. Walking onwards, the mercenary could admit their relationship with the movement was much better than any client they had to deal with in the past.

More than anything, spending time with people around them who weren't so keen on sending them as cannon fodder felt different. A lot of his warriors were very content to keep working for a partner who actively saved their hides during many skirmishes they dealt with.

It was hard for Sarkaz to trust others, but even Ines was convinced the Reunion movement was a trustworthy partner. He would dare say they were growing attached.

The lady's words remained at the forefront of his mind, even as the three of them came up to the place the squad leaders were at. His eyes calmly observed the scene of the armored Sarkaz and the Wendigo sitting along with everyone else as they laughed together, feeling his grip on his sword tightening.

Talulah waved at them, beckoning them to join them, an invitation W eagerly accepted as she pulled him and Ines much to the latter's vocal complaints. Silently he sat down next to everyone else, watching the annoyed Ines trying to keep W's antics in check as their whimsical explosive expert began teasing the leader of the movement. Hoederer blinked as one of the Yetis, Viktor if he remembered correctly, handed him some of his food, awkwardly he took it with a grateful nod, his eyes staring at the food absentmindedly.

A choice, huh?

For the first time in his life, Hoederer didn't know what to do.

Barren Lands 50 kms from Syracuse's northern borders / April 28th year 1094 / 11:00 PM / Cloudy

They were so fucked.

Trapped in the middle of the godforsaken barren lands, probably far away from any form of help, a woman screamed to the heavens as she smacked the hood of the they were using. Evidently, the car answered back with cold silence much to the redhead's mounting fury.

Meanwhile, her sole companion was munching on her cookies without a care in the world. The furious lady could feel her veins popping with each crunchy sound her associate made as she leisurely chewed on her treats. Glaring at her, the blue haired lady gestured to the bag of cookies with an innocent smile on her face.

"You want some?"

"We are stranded in the middle of fucking nowhere, and you're eating cookies?"

Her companion didn't so much as flinch under her glare, daring to act hurt as she hugged the bag close as she pouted.

"What did cookies ever do to you?"

…Maybe blowing her up won't be so bad after all.

"Why you-"

Suddenly, her friend abruptly turned around, her eyes set south as her staff trembled minutely. Puzzled by the immediate change in attitude, the redhead held back the curses she was about to unleash.

"What is it?"

Her companion didn't answer immediately, humming thoughtfully before she began walking away.

"I think our friend found us a solution."

She didn't understand what her associate meant, but with no alternative, the woman simply grumbled as she hoisted her equipment and followed after her. A short walk later, the two spotted a fire in the distance and the redhead immediately verified the presence of a single Ursus man with her gun's scope. He looked very ordinary all things considered, wearing a a black shirt, gloves, leggings and boots as he rested against his impressive bike, a white overcoat hanging on its seat. Her eyes narrowed once she spotted the black sword next to him before turning to her companion...

...only to see her gone already, halfway to the stranger no less.

For the briefest of moments, she felt extremely tempted to drink herself to an early grave the moment they get to any bar. Her salary and insurance looked less and less adequate with each brain cell she fried in irritation these days dealing with this shit.

Edward hummed as he casually tended to the fire before shifting his attention back to the meat he was roasting. His journey was uneventful and quick so far thanks to the bike, and he was very thankful for it.

Leaning back against his vehicle, Edward placed his hands behind his head and looked at the sky. His thoughts briefly wandered to his brother, wondering how life has treated him all these years. He doubted their uncle would let any harm befall him, but he found his worries far from assuaged regardless.

For now though, he was looking forward to getting out of the wastes and reaching a settlement to restock his supplies and much more importantly, a long hot bath. It's been far too long since he enjoyed basic necessities.

Edward's musings were cut short when his bounded field alerted him to two approaching intruders. His body tensed as he reinforced it in anticipation, hand reaching to the hilt of the scimitar next to him as he took note of the sound of footsteps approaching in front of him.

"Peace be upon those who seek shelter in this place."

"Then I'm afraid we'll impose on you."

Out of the shadows, a blue haired young woman walked closer, the sight of her peculiar traits causing Edward's eyes to widen in surprise once he spotted the dark halo and wings. The magus's eyes narrowed when he noticed the unnatural Sarkaz horns and tail, before he observed the staves she had.

'I sense a powerful entity sealed within those staves, Edward. Proceed with caution.'

Sensing his caution, the fallen raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, a carefree smile on her face.

"I assure you, I mean you no harm."

"Forgive me if I doubt your statement when your comrade is still hiding herself in the darkness behind you."

The fallen casually chuckled, waving her hands as she tried to deescalate the situation. The magus didn't miss the way the sniper in the back tensed once he revealed his knowledge of her position through his reinforced vision.

"She's just paranoid. I told her we should introduce ourselves sincerely. Our vehicle broke down and we saw your campfire as we wandered around for help. We would be grateful if you could allow us to stay."

For a few brief moments, neither of the two spoke a word as they stared at each other. Letting out a deep sigh, Edward slowly placed his scimitar next to him before shifting his gaze from the Sankta to the redhead sniper, the girl putting her own weapon down before approaching.

Delighted, the blue-haired caster decided to approach and sit down near him, soon joined by her annoyed companion. Edward flinched once the staves grew close, a stinging sensation in his brain disappearing just as quickly as it came as his vision blurred for a brief moment.

'The staves appear to have the ability to warp one's sense of time upon close proximity. Quite interesting, but I have dealt with its effects.'

'Thank you, Eden.'

"What's your name, stranger?"

Turning his attention to the new guests, Edward smiled as he took the beast's meat he was roasting before cutting it equally for the three of them, passing a part to the fallen one.

"It's Edward, what about you guys?"

Giving a rather mischievous smile to her silent comrade, the fallen Sankta answered.

"My name is Mostima, as for my friend, you can call her Apocalyptic Heavenly Chains-"

"Fiammetta."

Cutting her companion forcefully, Fiammetta glared at Mostima with the heat of a thousand suns. The magus could swear her feathers were one bad remark away from bursting into flames, especially when her stomach reacted to the food.

The Liberi ignored everything around her as she stared at the fires in sudden silence, accepting the food with only a few curses muttered under her breath.

Edward could feel the amusement oozing from Mostima, even as she held back a chuckle as her friend devoured her food to vent her frustrations.

"Eat slowly, there's more if you want."

The sniper stilled, giving Edward a side glare when she took notice of the smile on his face. Her bad temper and mannerisms reminded him of some of Shirou's associates, making him chuckle. Mostima watched him with an indiscernible smile, her eyes briefly glancing to the trembling lock as she ate her fill.

The three of them ate in silence, content with each other's company in the midst of the vast barren lands.

Omake : Wild 'Tales' of Eden : To Chase a Flame 2 : Before a Celestial Dragon?

Agnessa groaned as she stretched her arms lazily, feeling the kinks in her back receding. The old Draco was currently watching over the kids in the camp along with Alina, the Elafia busying herself with some pages she had been reading ever since the break started.

Growing curious, Agnessa leaned closer and observed the text written on the pages.

"What are you reading, little Alina?"

"It is the continuation of one of the stories Edward told the children after classes. He left me with enough material to keep them entertained while he was away, but was adamant I revised them for content which might be too much for them."

"It sounds very interesting. Allow me to help you."

Alina nodded gratefully before inching closer to the older woman, the young Elafia patiently explaining what she could about the parts she already read and the basic premise of the story. Agnessa found the details and the worldbuilding to be impressive, soon taking a personal interest in the story herself.

Humming in thought, the two resumed their reading in earnest.

Grand Line, Sabaody Archipelago…

Walking through the streets, Ace found himself lost in thought as he contemplated the big progress he made in his journey. Already he is at the doorstep of the New World, and one step closer to making a name for himself and ever closer to reaching the strongest person in the world.

He shook his head at the thought of facing Edward Newgate even though he remained unable to hold his own against most of his crewmates. Ace's gaze shifted to his companion, only able to guess what the masked man was thinking.

After reaching the island, Kevin proposed for the crew to separate into teams of two to cover as much ground as possible and to better understand its current state before meeting back at the ship by sunset. It was a pretty standard approach the crew used for all islands they stopped at.

It wasn't his first time teaming up with Kalpas, even if he felt annoyed by how the Flame Chaser treated him like an immature boy. He once wished to fight him, but was strictly forbidden from doing so by Kevin. Although he protested, he was rebuffed by all of the Flame Chasers much to his surprise.

Kalpas does not spar, he does not fight. Kalpas kills.

Given Elysia's own insistence on the matter, Ace decided to let it go. However, he remained curious of the fighter's own prowess regardless. Not like frying a sea king or two tells him much, given his friends' high regard for Kalpas.

Noticing the man stopping suddenly, Ace frowned and followed his line of sight. The two saw the people doing their best to hide while those too far away from cover bowed their heads to the ground while a man in shackles crawled their way, an elderly lady in a weird white suit sitting on top of him with her entourage of armed guards. Kalpas let out a disinterested grunt, before moving on in a different direction while completely ignoring how Ace was barely containing the boiling anger in his chest.

A Celestial Dragon…

Before Ace could follow his associate, his eyes widened when he spotted a ball bouncing in front of the noble as a young girl foolishly stopped to pick it up. The crawling slave stopped, the Celestial Dragon quickly growing annoyed with the sight before her, her annoyance turning into anger once a boy not much older than the brat stood protectively in front of her.

"Brother?"

"Stay behind me, Ina."

All the people nearby, including the noble's bodyguards, could only pale in horror, shutting their eyes as the Celestial Dragon wordlessly pulled her golden pistol. Ace's muscles tensed as he ran towards the kids, painful memories of Sabo pushing him forward.

"Oi! Stop-!"

The sound of the gunshot rang in his ears, a chill running down his spine when he noticed Kalpas already standing in front of the kids. Kalpas opened his closed hand, the bullet already turned into a puddle of iron in his hand.

"You dare stand before a Celestial Dragon, commoner?"

Heat forced the people around them to rub their eyes, the humidity in the air disappearing as Kalpas began his slow approach.

"Before a Celestial Dragon?"

None dared to move as the ground under Kalpas's feet was burned black under his power. The Celestial Dragon shot again and again, yet none of her bullets proved more than an itch for the Flame Chaser. The bodyguards made to interfere, only to back away when a wall of flames blocked their path as Ace stood in front of the kids.

Standing right in front of the noble, Kalpas leaned forward until his mask punctured the bubble surrounding her head. The sheer heat he released had the woman screaming as her eyes burned in pain.

"You stand before Kalpas."

Kalpas's fist was merciless, even as ice appeared out of nowhere to form a barrier between his attack and his prey. The barrier broke like cheap glass under his might, his flames burning the noble woman's head into a charred stump as the big tree looming over them was set on fire.

The Flame Chaser watched apathetically as the headless corpse fell limply to the ground while the clothes caught fire, the slave already unconscious under the tremendous heat.

Staring straight ahead, Kalpas ignored Ace as the latter moved to join him whilst the people around them scrambled to run as far away as they could. Watching the tall figure making his way towards them, Ace did his best to hide his apprehension as the admiral casually fixed his sleeping mask.

"My, I didn't think this escort mission would turn into such a pain."

Eyes narrowing at the Celestial Dragon's corpse, the admiral sighed as his arm turned to ice. The fact the man was so indifferent to the noble's death went unnoticed by everyone.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go now, otherwise I'm going to have an annoying reprimand to deal with."

Ice rapidly covered the ground and the buildings in the vicinity at blinding speed, threatening to turn the island into a tundra. Flames covered Kalpas's fists as he advanced fearlessly, a charred waste left in his wake as his fist met the admiral's. Ace crossed his forearms as the shockwaves threatened to send him flying back, the young pirate immediately moving to cover the children hugging each other still.

"Stay behind me!"

Steam filled the area as the two fighters' blows met, Kalpas's relentless assault remaining ceaseless even as he took one attack after another without so much as a flinch.

"Good! Struggle more! Try your best to survive!"

Watching the masked man laughing maniacally as he easily fought off the admiral and briefly glancing towards the corpse of the Celestial Dragon, Ace began to understand why the rest of the Flame Chasers were so adamant on him avoiding confrontation with Kalpas.

"It appears we're not the only ones to have caused trouble."

Aponia's soothing voice caused Ace to turn around, the nun kneeling next to the kids with her motherly smile. His eyes took notice of Kevin's approaching figure, the obvious question of what happened going unspoken.

"What do you mean?"

"Some of us took exception to the auction house, we dealt with it accordingly."

Sakura's voice was emotionless as she analyzed the admiral with a critical eye. Ace didn't know how to feel as his friends casually observed the very destructive battle going on, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about his own weakness.

Pardofelis patted his shoulder with an understanding smile, driving the flame man down even more.

On that day, Ace swore to train even harder to catch up to his crewmates. It would only be a few days later when Kalpas's bounty exploded to a stunning nine hundred million berries for killing a world noble and successfully pushing back a marine admiral.

Safe to say, Ace knew all too well he had a very long road ahead of him. Now if only he could avoid waking up in Mobius's lab every time he dozed off.

AN : It's been quite a while. Just wanted to let you all know that updates are going to take even more time in the future. Master's degree hit worse than any wrecking ball known to man. For reference, this prologue was supposed to be released during Guiding Ahead...yeah, that's how it goes when you're flooded with assignments on a weekly basis while struggling with crippling self-doubt and other mental illness. I'll also be alternating between Eden Candidate and The Wise King, meaning that yes, the next update would be for Wise King.

In the mentime, I will also be reviewing previous chapters to edit them and especially to update the evolution of Edward's blood originium levels which I exploded beyond the levels I had in my head.

Anyways, I figured this would be as good a milestone as any to answer some questions:

-Alfonso, aka the Mad King and Elder of Kazdel, mentioned in the last chapter, is not in fact a Nightzmora. His power is no less terryfying than the Nightzmoras' Khagans though, as demonstrated by what he accomplished.

-The class card install does not in fact affect Edward's infection. Usage of arts during the install is the same as using it outside the install, the only major difference would be how much he could resist the adverse effects of the acute Originium reaction thanks to the extra endurance. But in no way does it affect affect the illness itself.

I will not be going over the comments about Kaschey and the change of events. I am sure those who read the story up until now with a certain level of attention have established that Edward's not the only anomaly in here, and I will not make further comments about it.

(I will however be thankful for reminders about any timeline infos still as I am in no way a Lore master for Arknights, and thus will mess up in more ways than I can count trying to make heads or tails of the mess it is.)

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the progression so far, so please do review. Reading reviews helps more than you think, even if doesn't have any criticism.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day and stay safe.