Bermuda

The new recruit Leonardo had been searching for lay face down on the ground, eyes tightly shut. The ringing in his ears from the recent explosion left him dizzy and disoriented.

He struggled to cling to consciousness and barely managed to open his eyes. Using trembling arms to support his upper body, he pushed himself halfway upright.

Feeling the wind blowing harder than before, he wiped the dirt from his face with his sleeve and stared ahead with slightly clearer eyes.

Less than a meter away, the steep cliff had completely collapsed, the wind whistling through the gap.

"Ah, ahhh!"

With the sheer drop looming right in front of him, his arms and legs moved instinctively in a desperate bid to survive.

As he crawled backward, loose rock tumbled from the broken cliff’s edge, and the echoes of falling debris amplified his terror. Shaking from confusion, the recruit tried to recall what had just happened.

He was sure this place had been a cave halfway up the mountain, where he had been holding the outsider they’d arrested. Then, when the outsider attempted to escape, he had thrown something—causing a massive explosion that blew apart the cave’s interior.

He stood on legs trembling like those of a newborn foal, leaned a hand against the wall, and looked around.

The floor had completely collapsed, but the cave’s ceiling had only partially caved in. Its remaining structure seemed to be the only reason he hadn’t been crushed to death.

However, if the unstable cliff gave way again while he passed under that precarious ceiling to get out... he didn’t even want to ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) imagine the result.

He fumbled at his waist for the radio to call for help, but it wasn’t there. Bewildered, he looked down at his belt—when a man’s voice came from behind.

"Looking for this?"

Startled, he turned to see the outsider he had been wrestling with earlier grinning and waving the radio.

The man was just as much a mess from the explosion. The recruit, seething with resentment toward the one who had caused all this, charged forward to snatch the radio back.

"Give that back!"

"Can’t do that."

Though small in build, the man was as nimble as a thief, making him unexpectedly hard to catch. Worse, he occasionally pretended to toss the radio over the cliff, forcing the recruit to stop short each time.

Having learned the recruit’s habits, the man teased him for a while, then suddenly hurled the radio to the ground and began stomping on it.

"Wh–what are you doing!"

The recruit shoved him aside in one motion and picked up the radio. But the lit sensor was already shattered. Holding it in both hands, his face twisted in frustration, he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Now, in addition to unauthorized entry into state property, you’ll be punished even more severely for obstruction of official duties!"

"Yes, yes, go ahead. Oh my, how scary. Can you even arrest me without handcuffs?"

The man mocked his tone with an indifferent expression. The recruit glared, his face bright red as he panted in anger.

"The platoon is already nearby to support me! Don’t even think about running away."

"How many times have you said that? Aren’t they all busy being tied up by one Monster?"

"...They’ll be here soon!"

The man brushed the words aside and rummaged in the bag slung across his front. The recruit drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at him as soon as his hand went inside—but hesitated when the man pulled out a blue mineral.

Earlier, that very thing had caused the explosion. The man smirked at the fear plain on the recruit’s face.

"If I was afraid of some Council underling, would I have come here?"

"Y-you’re not going to throw that again, are you?"

"That depends on you."

"If you do, the cave will really collapse this time. We might both die. Just calm down..."

The recruit tried to placate him, but then a growling sound came from outside the cave.

They both turned their heads in unison—two Dermocas were crawling upside down, claws hooked into the ceiling.

These same creatures had chased them earlier, driving them in here in a daze. Neither had imagined they would follow so deep. Both froze.

Before leaving for this subjugation, the recruit had been told countless times by his seniors: If you see a Dermocas, don’t fight—run. So he grabbed the outsider by the collar and shouted in his face:

"Run away!!"

"Wai—wait. Cough—"

Practically dragging the man, he bolted deeper into the cave. As if on cue, the two upside-down Dermocas thrust their claws forward and leapt after them.

The recruit ran for his life, tears spilling at the sound of the monsters’ roars. He couldn’t understand why they were chasing him so relentlessly.

He zigzagged wildly, turning corner after corner to gain even a little distance—but soon hit a dead end.

The monsters slowed, as if savoring the moment, then approached with howls. Turning to face them, the recruit saw their torn maws spread wide, almost laughing now that he was trapped. Tears welled in his eyes.

Why did I apply to the 1st Battalion?

He should have taken a nice desk job at headquarters. Instead, he had endured hardship for the sake of wealth and glory—only to meet this end.

Beside him, the outsider coughed hard, then finally caught his breath and shouted with narrowed eyes.

"Dude! Are you trying to kill me? Can the Council even treat citizens like this—"

"This is all because of you, mister!"

The recruit snapped back, then suddenly broke into sobs, rubbing at his red eyes.

The man stared, surprised—first by the volume of the outburst, then by the fact that a Council member was crying in front of Monsters. Just what kind of guy is this?

The recruit, thinking he was about to die, could barely think straight. He just wanted to see his mother.

With the radio destroyed, he couldn’t call for backup. He had never fought large Monsters alone before—he had neither the experience nor the courage.

And these were Dermocas—Monsters he had been specifically told to avoid. But there was nowhere to run.

As he stood dazed, clutching his head, the blue mineral in the man’s hand caught his eye.

Noticing his wild gaze, the man tried to hide it behind his back, but the recruit snatched it faster than ever before and hurled it at the Dermocas with all his strength.

Thud—

He curled into a ball, raised a barrier, and squeezed his eyes shut—but the only sound was the mineral bouncing off the Dermocas’ hard head and falling to the ground. No explosion.

He had been ready to die in the blast, but instead it was as if he had just thrown a rock—and provoked them further. He cracked an eye open and asked, bewildered:

"Why isn’t this exploding?"

"...You idiot. You think it goes off just by throwing it?"

"Then you throw it, mister!"

"I’m not a mister! And do you know how expensive this is?!"

The recruit grabbed for the bag of minerals, trying to shove it forward, but the man hugged it tight and resisted.

Kyaaaak—!

The sight of their bickering seemed to infuriate the Dermocas even more. With a shriek, they charged. The recruit reflexively drew his sword and stepped in front of the man.

No matter how much this man was a target for arrest, in a crisis the Council’s code demanded he stand at the forefront.

Admirable as his courage was, the problem was that he had his eyes screwed shut and his sword arm was trembling.

"Hey, you idiot! Look ahead!"

The man shouted from behind, feeling the same fear but growing exasperated.

Reluctantly—loath to lose valuable goods—he pulled a mineral from the bag and prepared to throw it at the Dermocas...

Kieeek—!

The monsters, now right in front of them with jaws agape, suddenly gave a strange twist and collapsed.

The recruit, expecting death, opened his eyes slowly. For a split second he wondered if he had some hidden talent for swordsmanship.

In front of him, one Dermocas lay dead. The other had its wrinkled back pierced clean through and was flailing in agony. A man wielding a blazing fire sword kicked the stiffening body aside and wrenched the blade free.

Green liquid splattered the cave wall, eating through it with a sharp sizzle. The recruit’s legs gave out and he collapsed in relief.

The one who had felled the two Dermocas in an instant shook the acid from his sword, then strode forward, black cloak and golden hair flowing.

"Are you okay?"

In that moment, the recruit thought he saw a halo behind him. In the dim cave, the flames floating around him blazed all the brighter, making his golden hair and eyes seem to shine.

To the recruit, he looked like the most admirable person in the world. Tears streaming, he called out:

"Mr. Blaine—! Wahhhh..."