Somewhere southeast of the capital, far from Dawnchester, three hours after the incident at Dawnchester Hospital where Arima and Colonel Tamayo were; this time it was on a field above the park, inside an old abandoned barracks where Colonel Abigail had taken the young boy Hiruko at Colonel Tamayo's request.

*Having just opened his eyes and yawned upon waking up, he saw three well-armed military men standing in front of him.

- ‘Hey, wake up!’ Colonel Abigail said to him.

The young Hiruko looked at them for the first time, sensing that he was not among people he could trust, and did not say a word.

‘What, you can't speak? Don't we speak the same language? Zaruba told me that we all speak the same language,’ Colonel Abigail said to him a second time.

‘Who? Who are you?’ were the words that came out of Hiruko's mouth as he asked the three men standing in front of him.

- ‘It's our job to ask that question, and your job to answer it,’ replied Sergeant Casper, a tall man in his twenties with red eyes and blond hair cut in layers, suspiciously, warily and hostilely towards Hiruko.

- Abigail: ‘Ah, you see, you can speak our language after all.’

-HIRUKO: Hmm, my name is...

Hiruko first touched his trousers and noticed that something was missing, then realised that it was Colonel ABIGAIL standing in front of him who had it in his hands.

-: ‘What? Is this the book you're looking for?’ Colonel Abigail showed him his book while staring at Hiruko.

-: ‘Give it back to me!’ Hiruko insisted, showing the people around him that the book the colonel was holding in his hands was very valuable to him.

‘Ahhh, now we have your full attention, I presume,’ replied Colonel Abigail with a smile.

‘But I already told you, my name is HIRUKO.’

‘We know that, but you haven't told us WHAT you are,’ Casper clarified.

- ‘What am I? What are you talking about?’ Hiruko was surprised that they could not see him as a human being, but rather as a thing.

*Hiruko looked around the room he was in. He wanted to move, but he was unable to do so and remained motionless.

- ‘Why can't I move? What is this?’ Hiruko wondered after noticing that his limbs were bound.

- ‘It's a way for us to ask you again about your origins and for you to answer quickly,’ said Casper, playing with a coin in his hands.

- ‘But I'm Hiruko, who do you want me to be?’

- ‘Who? The beings we immobilise with our BOND BREAKERS are anything but normal humans. Are you a spy?’ Casper asked him.

- ‘No, I don't think so,’ replied Colonel Tamayo from behind Casper, instead of Hiruko.

- ‘Are you sure, Colonel?’ Because given his physical characteristics...

- ‘Don't worry, I know what I'm talking about! There's little chance that this kid is a spy for Inun.’

- ‘Him? I remember him. We met in the forest before I lost consciousness.’ " Hiruko recalled after seeing Colonel Tamayo talking to Casper .

-CASPER: I see you already knew each other and that you remember him .

-HIRUKO: Tell me why I'm here?

-CASPER: Because where else should you be right now?

-HIRUKO fell silent when he heard this pertinent question asked by Casper.

- ‘On the way, I heard you say that you could see the path and that you should follow it at all costs. Was that a message left by your accomplice?’ Zaruba asked him.

-HIRUKO: ‘I have to go.’

- ‘We lost two soldiers today, and you think that after all that, you're just going to walk away as if nothing happened?’ Zaruba let Hiruko know that his situation and his release were much more complex than they seemed.

-While playing with his stenklinge in his hands, feeling anger and resentment, ZARUBA NIKAN said to him ‘Listen, you may be an envoy from my kingdom, as the colonel thinks, and I don't care who you are or where you come from. I lost two of my most competent brothers today, with whom I shared a dream, and don't think that just because you're a kid I'm going to let it go.’

CASPER corrected Zaruba, saying, ‘ZARUBA, you're not helping us. We're not here to play the fragile card, and it's not dignified for a soldier of your calibre to show his emotions.’

- ‘Excuse me? I'm playing the weakling? Are you aware of the crap you're saying to me?’ Zaruba replied, getting up from his seat, wanting to do something crazy to his superior.

- ‘I am your senior and superior, so if you don't want to be punished and regret it, I order you to take back what you just said, NIKAN.’

- Zaruba replied insubordinately: "Fuck you, I'd like to see you in my place to see what happens. ‘

-ABIGAIL: Hey, ZARUBA, I sense anger in you, so please calm down.

- ’Boss, he has no idea what he's saying about my former comrades," said ZARUBA, holding his Slaker straight while approaching CASPER angrily.

- ‘ZARUBA! I order you to calm down immediately and stop trying to do this stupid thing that you're about to regret. It could cost you your career, and it's because I've always known you to be calm that I've let you be here with us,’ Colonel Abigail reminded him under Tamayo's gaze.

- ‘Sorry, boss, you're right, it's not like me to act this way. I'll calm down outside,’ apologised Zaruba, and was about to leave to calm down, when suddenly his colonel interrupted him

- ‘No, stay here. I need you in this room, and there's a reason I want you to be among us,’ insisted Abigail

- ‘And you will be punished for this insubordination towards your superior soldiers,’ Casper reminded him.

‘Hmm,’ groaned Zaruba at the announcement of his upcoming punishment by Casper.

‘Calm down, this is not the time for us all to lose our cool,’ he calmed them both down while calming the atmosphere in the room.

"And you refuse to tell us where you come from or what brings you here or there or this path that you seem to be the only one who can see.

Until now, I'm still wondering why IZUMO insisted that we take you, and ARIMA told me the same thing,‘ Tamayo wondered. ’What? That stubborn TENBATSU?

I'm surprised he didn't kill you himself.‘ Casper reacted, shocked by what he had just heard, knowing Arima's behaviour very well.

’No, CASPER. "

-Tamayo was lost in thought, thinking back on his entire life and his military experience, and just as he was about to make his decision, he remembered what had happened right after the explosion at the hospital.

*FLASHBACK ******* A few minutes after the explosion at the hospital *********

TAMYO stood frozen, watching the hospital in flames, having lost his subordinate Izumo, whom he felt very close to and even wanted to save, but at the last minute, everything collapsed like a house of cards.

‘Ahem... Chief, Chief, come on, we have to get out of here, it's too dangerous,’ Arima coughed, as the black smoke from the explosion and the toxic fumes had invaded his lungs, but he was not worried about his health and was still trying to save the colonel and get him to a safe place.

- ‘Impossible! IZUMO is gone too,’ whispered Colonel Tamayo in despair, continuing his monologue as he thought back on everything that had just happened, on all his loved ones he had just lost.

- ‘Come on, our bodies have already suffered too much from the fighting, the infection and the explosion, and if we add this smoke from the fire, I don't think even our mutated bodies will be enough. We have to get away.’ ‘ insisted Arima, and despite the colonel's inaction in response to his warnings, he picked up his colonel and carried him away, and together they moved away from the fire.

’Don't worry about NISHA and DR SOON, I got them away, and as for the intern, she managed to escape and has gone to call for help. ‘ Arima reassured him, showing signs of fatigue as his body was also reaching its limits. This could be seen from the blood coming from his mouth, the whites of his eyes turning reddish, and his breathing, which continued to weaken.

’Thank God they're safe and sound."

-ARIMA: "And I think the forensic team will be here any minute now, given the explosion that all this has caused. Fortunately, there weren't many victims. ‘

-: ’Hmm, yes, you're right.‘

-’The fire is going out. I hope the fire brigade is already here," said Arima.

* Immediately afterwards, a fireman came up to Arima and the colonel.

- ‘Greetings, Colonel. I hope you are well. I wanted to inform you that we have managed to control the fire, and the forensic team will need to see you, as you were in direct contact with the infected patient and the ADNACIELS military corps. One of the DAIMIO is here. They all need to see you,’ the firefighter informed him.

- ‘All right, thank you, sir. Arima, let's go,’ said Tamayo, supported by Arima, following the firefighter

- ‘Understood, Colonel. I'll come with you,’

- ‘But tell me, Colonel, did he say that one of the DAIMIO was at the scene?’ ‘ Arima asked, because he had only heard of the Daimio and the Adnaciels as formidable warriors, like a myth.

’Indeed, often when the problem directly affects the capital, they are quick to react, even if it means calling in the highest military hierarchy in the kingdom," Tamayo told him.

‘It's here, gentlemen, in this tent,’ the firefighter told them, adding, ‘But first, you must be inspected and analysed by the forensic team.’ The colonel and Arima had no objection and followed protocol.

As the forensic police analysed our two soldiers and realised that they were not infected, the colonel was reassured.

- ‘Apparently, you and the young man have been lucky. Apart from signs of fatigue and arcane magic overload, I can't detect any other strange signs,’ announced the forensic police doctor.

-ARIMA: ‘Um, what does that mean, Doctor? Can we go home?’

- ‘Yes, just take a few days off, and don't forget to stop by our clinic so I can write you a note for your sick leave,’ insisted the doctor.

-TAMAYO & ARIMA: ‘Okay, thank you very much, Doctor!’

*** Right after their examination by the doctor, one of the military guards came up to them. ***

- ‘Good morning, Colonel Tamayo. I'm glad to see you're in good shape,’ the guard said respectfully.

- ‘Um, take me to your superior instead,’ Colonel Tamayo replied suspiciously.

‘Our superior is waiting for you at the hospital entrance,’ replied the guard, still respectful and courteous.

They headed towards the entrance of the ruined hospital, and when they arrived at the door, they came into contact with the DAIMIO.