As I jumped out of the spacecraft, the void of space around me cracked with silence and fury. I landed in the very heart of the swarm—a sea of Alcrians. Their blue-tinted skin shimmered under the moon's pale light, and their glowing eyes turned to me with murderous intent.
Tens... no, hundreds of them.
They came from all sides, shrieking in a tongue unknown, bullets and energy blasts raining down like a storm. But I didn't flinch. My blade hummed in my hand—the photon blade, forged to cut through anything. And in that moment, it wasn't just a weapon. It was my purpose.
I slashed.
Slashed.
Pierced their hearts, severed their heads, tore their limbs apart. I moved like the wind—no, like vengeance given form. For the first time in my life, I wasn't fighting because I was trained to. I was fighting to protect.
To protect someone who cried for a servant. To protect someone who tore her own clothes to save a soldier. To protect someone who reminded me that humanity still existed.
A surge of power exploded within me. Every strike grew heavier, every movement swifter. I was unstoppable.
And with every fallen Alcrian, I realized something… It's not the six families I need to destroy. It's the hatred they sowed in our hearts. The way they twisted humanity into something ugly.
As I cut through another wave, clarity struck me like lightning.
I know now what I must protect.
And what I must destroy.
---
Inside the spacecraft, panic surged.
"Come on, Powell! Hurry up!"Austin barked. "We can't hold out much longer! Judas is out there ALONE!"
Isabella, drained from pouring every ounce of her energy into healing Griffith, collapsed beside him.
Griffith stirred, eyes fluttering open. "What's happening? Where's Judas? Why are we all here?"
Austin, his face pale, responded, "He's out there... holding them off. Alone."
Griffith sat upright, a deep frown crossing his face. "We can't let him take the risk alone. Let me go out there. I'll fight too!"
"Why are you yelling like a fool?" Sai muttered.
"Yeah, just look outside," Claire added, her voice filled with disbelief.
Griffith turned his gaze to the window. His breath caught.
"What... what is this?"
"Unbelievable," Austin whispered, stepping beside him.
Through the glass, they saw it—Judas standing in a field of fallen Alcrians, their blue blood pooling beneath him. His blade still glowing, his stance firm.
He had done it.
Alone.
"He's a one-man army," Claire murmured, a rare smile gracing her face.
As I approached the spacecraft, soaked in the blood of enemies, Austin quickly opened the door. The air inside was tense, still.
Everyone rushed toward me.
"Are you okay?" Griffith asked, his face filled with concern.
"Yeah. Everything's fine," I said calmly, almost too calmly.
Then, suddenly, Isabella—eyes filled with tears—threw her arms around me.
"As the captain of our team," she whispered, trembling, "I order you to never—NEVER—take a risk like that again."
I smiled. "Yes, Captain. But if you hold me any longer, your dress is going to be ruined by all this blood."
Isabella blinked, flushed, and took a step back.
"Everything's ready," Powell announced. "We can depart for Earth now."
Austin slid into the pilot seat and engaged the engines.
---
Back at the camp, the atmosphere was not celebratory.
A man from the Williams family—draped in authority and fury—stormed into the command center and grabbed Redhawk by the collar.
"How DARE you?!" he roared. "Sending a child of our house on a suicide mission like this?!"
"I only followed orders," Redhawk replied coolly.
"If anything had happened to her, we of the Williams family would've burned this camp to the ground."
But just as the tension reached its peak, a soft voice interrupted.
"I'm fine," Isabella said, stepping into the room.
The man turned, stunned. Behind her, the rest of us entered, each of us still bearing signs of the battle.
Redhawk smirked. "See? They're alive, sir."
The Williams man gave Isabella a piercing look, then turned and left without another word. Isabella's legs trembled.
I stepped between them, shielding her with my body, unshaken.
Redhawk approached with his signature harsh grin. "Mission successful. You've earned it."
He handed us a transfer confirmation. "A bonus in your accounts. Enjoy your day off."
We were too exhausted to cheer, but the joy was evident on every face. Victory. Survival.
Hope.
I turned to Isabella. "Hey, Captain," I called, softer than usual.
"Yes, Judas?" she replied, her tone equally soft.
"What about our promise?"
She blinked, then turned to everyone with a radiant smile. "Tonight—we party!"
Her smile was like the sun.
We were bruised, bloody, and broken—but we were alive.
And we were a team.
A real one.