"MAGNOLIA!"
Luna shouts to Magnolia, was is fast asleep. Startled, Magnolia jumps out of the medical bed at blinding speed.
"Did you just pass out?"
Kibo asks, noting that Magnolia was awake mere moments ago.
"I don't see why he would. All of his wounds have already healed."
Magnolia gets up to check his wounds. However, as he rises, he stumbles and nearly falls to the ground. He would have hit the floor if Poison hadn't come to his aid.
"Yo, you good?"
"I—yeah. Yeah, I'm good."
Magnolia replies as he pulls away from Poison's support and walks out of the room on his own. Eyes staring at him on his way out, he notices General Saijew approaching in a hurry.
"There you are, Magnolia. I see you're up and moving."
The general says in a tone that makes it clear he's here for a reason.
"What do you want?"
The boy asks, his voice edged with urgency.
"It seems you've forgotten who's in charge. But I'll let it slide... for now."
The general steps closer to Magnolia.
"Lord Pharaoh and I need to speak with you about your fight with Baron."
"Now?"
"Do not question the Pharaoh, boy."
General Saijew states sternly, grabbing Magnolia aggressively and pulling him into the room where the Pharaoh awaits. He nearly throws Magnolia to the ground, eliciting a grunt of pain.
"Ah, there you are"
The Pharaoh greets him while seated on his throne. Rising, he walks toward Magnolia.
"You're looking much better since Saijew brought you here. All your wounds have healed. You should thank the man boy."
"Just get to the point already."
"Persistent, aren't you? Very well. Since you insist, I want you and General Saijew to tell me everything—what happened before and during Baron's attack."
Magnolia begins, recounting how his unit infiltrated the enemy base, disposing of every foe they encountered. He mentions encountering two unchancy posthumous's and giving orders for the team to split up. Then, his team was ambushed by Baron after they defeated Selena, Baron's accomplice.
"After Emma and I joined forces to take down Selena, Baron showed up. He attacked us all in a rage and injured all but Emma."
Magnolia says, his voice heavy with the memory. General Saijew then speaks, recounting his own perspective.
After they finish explaining, Sous, Abraham, Kibo, and Valentina enter the room. They kneel before the Pharaoh
"We're here as you commanded."
Sous informs the Pharaoh as they rise to their feet.
"Sire, why are they here?"
"These children are here to inspect the aftermath of the base. You wouldn't mind opening a portal for them, now would you?"
The Pharaoh asks, fixing Saijew with a sharp, demanding gaze.
"Of course not."
Saijew replies, activating his artifact to create a portal to the now-destroyed base.
The children step through the portal and begin searching the ruins. After some time, the Pharaoh signals that he has gathered all the information he needs and departs. Saijew, however, pulls Magnolia aside.
"We're not wasting time. If you want any chance at survival, you need to be better. Follow me."
Saijew led Magnolia out of the chamber and into the training area. The space was barren but functional, with padded mats, dummies, and open ground for combat practice.
"Get ready. No powers—just you and your fists. If you can't use your contract, you're nothing but dead weight."
"Let's do this."
The training began with Saijew launching a flurry of punches and kicks, each one calculated to test Magnolia's reflexes. Magnolia blocked and countered where he could, but his movements were slower than usual.
"Keep up! You're moving like you're underwater."
Magnolia pushed through, sweat dripping from his brow as he dodged a strike and retaliated with a quick jab. Saijew caught his arm mid-swing and twisted it, forcing him to the ground.
"Again. Get up!"
Magnolia groaned but pushed himself back to his feet. They continued for hours, the sound of fists striking flesh and heavy breathing filling the room. Magnolia's movements became increasingly sluggish, his steps uneven. Finally, during a series of rapid exchanges, Magnolia stumbled backward, dropping to his knees and gasping for air.
"Magnolia, What's wrong with you?"
Magnolia clutched his chest, struggling to catch his breath.
"It's nothing. Just… give me a second."
"You're gasping like a fish out of water. Let me see your chest."
"No. I'm fine—"
"That's an order. Show me."
Reluctantly, Magnolia pulled down the neckline of his shirt, revealing the jagged lightning bolt-shaped indent across his chest. The mark pulsed faintly, its edges glowing with residual energy that seemed to sap his strength with every beat.
"Just as I thought. That's not just a scar. Baron didn't just injure you—he left something behind."
"I've been healing—"
"Healing? You call this healing? You've been dragging yourself through this entire session. No wonder you're a mess."
"Saijew stepped back, arms crossed, and gestured for Magnolia to try again"
"Show me your power. If you've got anything left, now's the time."
Magnolia raised a trembling hand, summoning his contract. A weak flicker of flame appeared in his palm before sputtering out completely, the energy fading as quickly as it formed.
"Pathetic. If you can't rely on your contract, then you'll fight like a soldier. No more excuses. Get back up."
Magnolia wiped the sweat from his face and struggled to stand, determination burning in his eyes despite his exhaustion.
"Let's keep going."
"That's more like it."
The session resumed, with Saijew focusing on refining Magnolia's movements, emphasizing endurance and precision to compensate for his lack of power. The General's relentless pace pushed Magnolia to his limits, but he refused to quit, his resolve hardening with every strike.
…
Meanwhile, in the ruins of the base, the children wander cautiously through the wreckage, searching for any remaining clues.
"This place feels… off."
Stay alert. We don't know if anyone else is here.
As they continue, the air grows heavy, and the shadows around them seem to move unnaturally. Suddenly, a man and woman emerge from behind the ruins.
"This cruelty, such a sick Pharaoh."
"I wonder how much they've endured."
The two said, showing pity for the children among them. The pain strikes them yet again by seeing these younglings.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Does it matter to you? I'll release you of your suffering."
"All of you, that is."
Valerie adds on, her loving nature blossoms.
…
Back at the training area, Magnolia collapses to the ground, his body bruised and exhausted. Saijew towers over him.
"Again. Get up."
"I can't…"
"You will. Baron won't give you a break. Neither will I. Now fight!"
Magnolia groans but pushes himself up, his determination slowly igniting as Saijew's relentless training forces him to adapt.
An hour later, the grueling sounds of fists meeting flesh and shouts of exertion filled the air as Magnolia trained under General Saijew's relentless eye. Sweat soaked Magnolia's shirt as he stumbled back from another sparring session.
"How… long are we going to do this?"
"Until you stop asking. Again."
Saijew's tone left no room for argument. Magnolia pushed himself up, his body aching but his determination stronger than ever. After what felt like an eternity, Saijew finally called for a break.
"Take five minutes. Then we move out."
Magnolia collapsed onto a bench, guzzling water and wiping the sweat from his face. Before the break was over, Saijew returned with another figure—Poison.
Poison's presence was striking. A slim but agile frame, his sharp features were offset by deep, piercing eyes that seemed to glint with an unsettling, toxic energy. His hair, jet-blackish green, framed his face like coiled shadows. Poison's abilities, stemming from his contract with the Egyptian goddess Serket, gave him mastery over toxin—his very touch could bring either death or incapacitation.
"Heard you've been slacking, Magnolia. Guess it's my turn to see what you've got."
"You'll have your chance later. We're moving."
Poison side eyes the general before Saijew activated his artifact, summoning a shimmering portal.
"Let's go."
The trio stepped through the portal and emerged at the ruins of the base. The air was thick with the remnants destruction and the area was completely empty of the children once here.
"What the hell happened here?"
Saijew's sharp eyes scanned the area, quickly piecing together the scene.
"It's been compromised. The children are gone."
Saijew activated the earpiece connected to the Pharaoh. Magnolia looks over, seeing the general tap his ear he remembers a scene so eerily similar. Thinking to himself he shrugs off the thought, focusing on what is now.
"Sire, we have a situation. The base was compromised. The children are missing."
The Pharaoh's voice crackled through the earpiece, calm yet commanding.
"Understood. I'll dispatch the rest of the children to your location. I'll leave a few behind as lookouts. Find them and eliminate whoever is responsible."
"Yes, my lord."
As Saijew ended the transmission, Magnolia continued surveying the area, his hands clenched into fists. Poison crouched beside a broken beam, examining the damage thinking to himself before speaking out.
"Whoever did this they're strong, I don't have sight of any attacks but still."
Suddenly, a shadow shifted behind them. Sous emerged from the darkness, his movements sharp and predatory. His demeanor was gone, replaced by the cold, cruel presence of something else.
"You're too late."
Before anyone could respond, Sous lunged at Poison, his strikes precise and unrelenting. Poison dodged the first attack, his reflexes quick as venom coursed through his veins, a testament to his contract with Serket.
"You're feisty. Let's see how long you last."
Poison countered with a series of fluid movements, his fingers glowing faintly green as they exuded a poisonous aura. He parried Sous's attacks, forcing him to backstep.
"Magnolia, stay back. Poison can handle him."
Saijew's command was sharp, but Magnolia couldn't help but watch in awe as Poison and Sous clashed. Poison's agile movements were like a serpent's strike, while Sous's attacks were brutal and unrelenting, whatever happened to him, it gave him a terrifying edge.
"Is that all you've got? I expected more from someone so angry."
Sous didn't respond verbally. Instead, he unleashed a surge of energy, his strikes becoming even faster and more vicious. Poison narrowly avoided a blow aimed at his throat, retaliating with a swipe that left a faint green streak across Sous's arm.
"Gotcha."
Sous faltered for a moment, his breathing growing heavier as the toxin began to take effect. But instead of retreating, he grinned—a twisted, malicious expression.
"You think a little poison can stop me?"
Poison's smirk faded slightly, his gaze narrowing. Saijew stepped forward, his speed-based abilities from his contract was ready to intervene.
"Enough. Magnolia, you and I will handle this together if he doesn't stop now. Poison, take this portal return to back to the others. I'll keep it open as long as I need to. You're going to have to split up looking for the ones taken."
"Sigh, yes sir."
Poison says as he goes through the portal just barely meeting the mixup of winners and losers embarking to return.