Colonel Méduse had just been caught red-handed choking Major Alfa. Chronos observed them without uttering a single word.
Méduse released her grip on Alfa, stammering:
« Ah… uh… General… you uh… I… he had… well. »
General Chronos removed his helmet slowly. He was Caucasian, with short-cropped hair and a neat, trimmed beard.
« Colonel, explain to me exactly what is happening here. »
Méduse snapped to attention, then explained herself:
« My General, Major Alfa here present made some highly aggravating remarks. In the heat of the moment, I found no alternative but to resort to physical force. »
The General's gaze slid over to Alfa. He appeared entirely composed, almost indifferent to the unfolding drama.
« Major, what are these remarks the Colonel is complaining about? » Chronos demanded.
Major Alfa, adopting a thoroughly casual tone, explained while gesturing toward Méduse with his left hand:
« Well, my General, all I said to my beloved Colonel was, and I quote: "Compared to my field capabilities, compared to her, I am vastly superior. Furthermore, I am a man; a woman will never be better than me—no, it's impossible." And to wrap it up, I clumsily added that "if she's sitting in that chair, it's purely out of favoritism or pity." And that's precisely when she tried to throttle me. That's the breakdown. »
As Alfa finished his sentence, his eyes locked onto Charly. Spotting him, he let out an internal sigh of pure irritation.
"Ah, great. He's here too?" he thought.
Chronos looked back at Méduse, sensing the raw frustration radiating from her gaze. He turned his attention back to Alfa, asking:
« Alfa, was what you said intentionally targeted? »
« At first, it was just banter, but my tongue slipped and I said something that clearly crossed the line. And for that, I offer my apologies », Alfa replied, averting his eyes.
Chronos turned to face Méduse.
« I am not reprimanding you; I fully understand your frustration. But tell him directly what is bothering you so he can actually learn from it. »
Méduse remained silent for a moment, staring at Chronos. But right beside them, a silent war of glares was unfolding between Alfa and Charly. Alfa's face visibly tensed up just looking at Charly, while the old lion observed him with a much calmer, measured expression. Méduse spoke up a second later.
« My General, I am already accustomed to Alfa's hurtful words. But what I absolutely cannot tolerate is someone daring to claim that I reached this rank through luck or pity. I have been training since I was fourteen years old. I have poured my mind, body, and soul into my drills, and to hear someone trivialize my hard work… that… that drives me insane. That is all, my Colonel. »
Charly opened his mouth to interject, but Alfa cut him to the chase:
« My apologies, General. I swear on my honor and my rank as a major that this will never happen again. The day such words leave my mouth again, may I be demoted straight down to corporal. Truly, I am sorry. »
Chronos could see that Alfa was genuinely remorseful, so he addressed Méduse once more.
« Méduse, do you accept his apology? »
« Yes, General. I can see he is sincerely sorry. Besides, he's like a brother to me; I can't stay angry forever. »
The frustration had faded from her face. Voicing her thoughts seemed to have lifted a weight from her shoulders. Chronos let out a faint smile upon hearing those words:
« Ah, you two have done nothing but bicker since the day I met you. But well, it never lasts, and it has never escalated into a tragedy. »
Alfa abruptly raised his hand:
« General, I apologize, but Marshal Mac tasked me with overseeing the ammunition shipment arriving at the facility at 4:15 PM, and it's already 4:10 PM. I should head out if you will permit me. »
Chronos saw no objection to the request:
« Permission granted. You may go. Méduse will brief you on the entirety of our discussion. »
Alfa delivered a crisp military salute to Méduse, then to Chronos, and finally to Charly. He immediately turned to exit, brushing past Charly without even taking the time to look at him. Charly tapped his shoulder to signal him to stop, but Alfa half-heartedly batted his hand away, muttering under his breath:
« Get off me. »
He walked out, helmet in hand. He clearly harbored a deep-seated resentment toward Charly for a very specific reason.
Charly watched him walk away until the door slid shut, cutting off his line of sight. He turned back around as if nothing had happened. Chronos stepped toward his desk, inviting Charly and Méduse to take a seat. Both sat down, and Chronos settled in behind his desk.
While Chronos was organizing files into his drawer, Méduse spoke up in a low voice, addressing Charly:
« Uh, Monsieur Charly? »
Charly looked over at her, responding:
« Yes? »
Méduse bowed her head in a sign of deep respect, saying:
« It is a true honor to sit beside a living legend like you. »
Charly gestured for her to raise her head.
« Thank you, but the honor is entirely mine. I am fortunate enough to see in my lifetime the person who shattered my own record for the youngest promotion to this rank. You might not realize it yet, but you are already a legend. »
Those words struck a deep chord within Méduse. Having an absolute icon tell you that you are a future legend, completely unfiltered, was no small matter.
Charly slid the briefcase across the table, pushing it closer to Chronos. Chronos turned it toward himself, unlatched it, and inspected the contents inside.
« What is it? » Méduse asked, her curiosity piqued.
Charly looked astonished by the question.
« What? She doesn't know what's inside the briefcase? »
« No, it was classified under maximum defense secrecy. Even I was completely unaware of its contents until Marshal Mac informed me right before I deployed to retrieve you », Chronos answered, inspecting the object more closely.
He turned the open case toward Méduse, revealing the interior.
« Colonel Méduse, I present to you… the ELIONICE. »
Meanwhile, at the DHA Headquarters:
In front of the estate that served as a front for the DH ARMY, Mathias was sitting on a chair beneath the shadow of a large tree, staring out at the imposing mountains that rose high enough to graze the clouds. He was wearing a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants. He smiled, taking a long breath in before exhaling even more slowly.
« Ah, life. There are times when being rich and having millions can't buy you the most beautiful things on earth. Sometimes all you need is a chair, to be breathing, and to have eyes. Like I always say: "Money corrupts the human, but nature delivers mankind. The grand lady." »
The door to the house swung open. Adriana stepped out, wheeling Horace in a wheelchair. His left arm was encased in a thick plaster cast. His face looked completely drained, as though he had no strength left. Adriana pushed him forward slowly, carefully navigating around the larger rocks to avoid jolting him.
« Yo, Mathias! »
Mathias snapped his head back, shouting:
« Yeah, what do you want? »
« Take him off my hands. He won't stop whimpering in agony and it's driving me insane. If I hear him say "it hurts" one more time, I swear to God I'm going to punch him », Adriana snapped, wheeling him over.
Horace, his voice frail, rasped as he weakly lifted his head:
« If you had just given me some pain medication, I wouldn't be bothering you. »
Adriana, adjusting his position in the chair, laughed mockingly:
« Oh, absolutely not. Painkillers actively suppress the natural cellular regeneration of Sigmas. »
« But it hurts like hell! » he growled, straining his neck.
Irritated, Adriana slapped the back of his head, yelling:
« Oh, shut up already. Quit acting like an animal! »
Horace immediately shut his mouth. He simply stared straight ahead, though internally, he was screaming "Help me, save me!"
Adriana parked him right next to Mathias. Mathias checked the time on his watch, a thought crossing his mind:
« Adriana, the boss and the others aren't back yet? It's already 4:30 PM. »
« He texted me. They didn't find Douglas. According to the locals over there, he won't be back around until 6:00 PM. So they're going to be delayed. Right, I'm heading back in. If you guys need me, I'll be inside playing Rival Stars. » With those words, she marched straight back toward the house without pausing for a single second.
Horace looked at Mathias, then turned his gaze toward the very mountains Mathias had been admiring. The two of them sat for more than two minutes without exchanging a single syllable. They took in the sweeping landscape as if it were the last time they would ever witness it—though, fortunately, it wasn't.
Horace broke the silence:
« Mathias, thank you for saving my life. »
Mathias looked over at him, then shrugged:
« Nah, don't worry about it, don't thank me. » His gaze drifted back toward the mountain peak as he continued: « If you could do it for me, you would. So don't feel grateful, and don't even think for a second that you owe me anything. For me, the ultimate reward is simply knowing that you're breathing. That's all. »
Horace listened to him speak. At that exact moment, he truly understood that Mathias—and likely the other members of the DHA—didn't do this for fame, a clean image, or some moral high ground. All they cared about was protecting others, even if it meant putting their own lives on the line.
« Alright, fair enough. I'll stop thinking I owe you a debt. But I do have a question. You are mind-blowingly fast—you literally outrun an STGV. That is phenomenal. Does that make you the strongest member of the DHA? »
Hearing this, Mathias suddenly burst into a hearty laugh. Horace stared at him, completely baffled by the sudden outburst of amusement.
Mathias caught his breath, exhaling with a chuckle:
« No, I am definitely not the strongest. If anything, I'd consider myself one of the weakest. »