"Commander, are you alright? Bring the emergency device immediately!"

The soldiers activated the devices in their hands; the machines created healing shields surrounding Sota and Haruto. Haruto opened his eyes in a semi-conscious state, but Sota’s condition was worse; he needed urgent treatment.

Haruto: "What’s happening? Where am I?"

Mizuru: "Harutoooo!"

Haruto: "No, it can't be... why did you bring her?"

Soldier: "Sir, Lieutenant Mizuru insisted very strongly."

Mizuru: "Oh, has my sweet Haruto been wounded?"

Haruto stood up, and the soldiers helped him toward the vehicle by supporting him under his arms.

Mizuru: "Hey Haruto, who did this to you? I’m truly curious. You’re curious too, aren't you, Tiran? They really battered your Commander, Sota."

Tiran: "No, I don't even care. If Commander Sota was defeated, it is his own weakness."

Mizuru: "Hey, is things bad between you and your commander? I think your inner—"

Tiran: "No, there's no need. And besides, things are not bad between us."

Tiran’s ice-cold aura seemed to chill Mizuru from the inside out. Tiran went to the side of the wounded Sota lying on the ground and whispered:

"I will take my revenge on the one who did this to you, brother."

Soldiers lifted Sota on a stretcher and took him away in the emergency vehicle. The convoy left the area, leaving only a few soldiers and Mizuru behind to investigate the scene.

Mizuru: "Verdict! Eye of the Past!"

Suddenly, the scene turned back in time before Mizuru’s eyes. She saw Mazuki standing over Haruto, and after hearing the voice message from Haruto’s mother, Mazuki refrained from stabbing him and walked away. She saw him taking the path leading toward the forest. Mizuru quickly took one of the vehicles and drove toward the forest road. She knew Mazuki was wounded and couldn't have gone very far.

Mazuki, who was breaking tree branches and gathering dry wood from the ground, had been outside all night and was nearly freezing from the cold. Finally, he found a cabin where he could hide and get warm. He went inside and lit the stove. As he warmed up by the fire, he thought about the events of the night; he had escaped death by a hair’s breadth this time, but there was no guarantee he would survive the next time. Just then, a shadow passed by the cabin window. Mazuki saw the shadow and grew suspicious. He grabbed a piece of wood from beside the stove and slowly approached the door. The sound of footsteps outside drew closer to the door. The door slowly opened, and Mazuki rushed toward it, screaming.

Mazuki: "AAAAAAUGH!"

Man Outside: "AAAAAAUGH! Why are you screaming? Who are you? Are you a thief?"

Mazuki: "Who are you? You scared me!"

Johan: "My name is Johan. And who are you?"

Mazuki: "I’m Mazuki. Who are you and why are you trying to enter here?"

Johan: "This is my house! Who are you and why are you in my house?"

Mazuki: "It’s a long story, Johan. Come on, get inside."

Mazuki told Johan the story of what had happened to him.

Mazuki: "And that’s how it happened. Finally, I found this cabin."

Johan: "Hmm, it really was a heavy night. What does Apex want from you, anyway?"

Mazuki: "To be honest, I don't exactly know either, but I think they want this star necklace."

Johan: "What’s so special about this necklace? Why is Apex after it?"

Mazuki: "This is no ordinary necklace. It contains an extraordinary power within it. Neither can I explain it to you, nor could you understand it."

As Mazuki and Johan were chatting, a small bell tied to a rope above the window began to ring. Mazuki jumped up with a sudden reaction.

Mazuki: "What’s that? What’s going on?"

Johan: "Calm down, calm down. It’s my hunting trap. You're lucky, it looks like something fell into it."

Mazuki and Johan left the cabin and went to the trap. They were stunned by what they saw. Mizuru had fallen into Johan’s hunting trap and was hanging from a tree.

Mizuru: "Dammit! How did I fall into a trap like this?"

Johan: "Hey, who are you? What are you doing with my trap?"

Mizuru: "Is this your trap? You idiot! Who sets a trap here?"

Johan: "What's it to you? I set it wherever I want. My forest, my rules."

Mazuki: "Hey, what’s going on? Who are you?"

Mazuki suddenly noticed the Apex Order uniform on Mizuru.

Mazuki: "You're an Apex Order employee, I see."

Mizuru: "Mazuki Orahata... I was looking for you on the ground, and I found you in the sky."

Mazuki: "I’m not surprised. Right now the whole Apex Order is looking for me; what does it matter if you are too?"

Mizuru: "Hmm, you talk a good game. Surely Commander Haruto was defeated by this big mouth of yours."

Mazuki: "Commander Haruto? How is that commander I battered last night doing? He didn't look too good the last time I saw him."

Mizuru: "You piece of trash!"

While Mizuru and Mazuki were arguing, Johan cut the rope of the trap, and Mizuru fell on top of Mazuki with a scream. Lying on the ground, Mizuru turned bright red and tried to strangle Mazuki with her hands.

Mizuru: "You pervert!"

Mazuki: "L-le-let gooooo—"

Mizuru: "You pervert! Are you trying to take advantage of me?"

Mazuki: "You idiot, you’re the one who fell on me!"

Mizuru let go of Mazuki’s throat and stood up, brushing off her clothes. Mazuki also stood up. At that moment, Mizuru held a knife to Mazuki’s throat. Seeing this, Johan tried to help Mazuki, but Mazuki signaled Johan with his hand to stay where he was.

Mazuki: "Is this how you thank someone who saved your life?"

Mizuru: "You seem to be very good at saving lives and forgiving."

Mazuki: "What do you mean?"

Mizuru suddenly tucked the knife back into her belt.

Mizuru: "I’m saying I’ve given up on the idea of you killing Commander Haruto."

Mazuki: "What? You mean you’re not going to kill me?"

Mizuru: "Just like you said, all of Apex is after you. Someone will kill you eventually, but that person won't be me."

Mazuki: "Why?"

Mizuru: "A life for a life. You spared Haruto’s life, and I am sparing yours. I only came this far to thank you."

Mazuki: "To thank me?"

After hearing Mizuru’s words, Mazuki realized that not all of Apex was a pile of murderers; he realized some still had humanity left inside them.

Mizuru: "Yes, thanks. That’s enough chatting. It’s cold out here; are you going to leave a girl like me in this cold?"

Mazuki: "Fine, come on in."

Johan whispered into Mazuki’s ear:

"Look Mazuki, are you sure?"

Mazuki: "Don't worry, she has no combat power right indi. She can't do anything."

Johan: "It didn't look that way a moment ago. Anyway, whatever, come on."

Mazuki, Johan, and Mizuru went into the cabin. Johan brewed some hot tea. Soon after, a heavy rain began outside.

Johan: "Mazuki, are you sure about keeping this girl with us?"

Mazuki: "I’m not sure, but we’ll see soon enough."

Mizuru: "Hey, what are you whispering about?"

Mazuki: "Nothing. Let's just drink our tea."

After some time passed, the rain stopped.

Mizuru: "I'd better be going now."

Mazuki went to Johan’s side, told him his plan in a whisper, and they went outside.

Mizuru: "Thanks for everything, Mazuki."

Mazuki: "It was nothing. But tell your captain not to cross my path again."

Mizuru: "Our next meeting won't be this soft, Mazuki."

Mazuki: "We'll see."

Mazuki: "Oh, by the way... after the fight there last night, while I was coming along the forest path, I think I lost a necklace."

Mizuru: "What necklace?"

Mazuki: "A necklace with a star symbol. If you find it on your way back, please get it to me."

Mizuru: "Hmm, so you're making excuses to see me."

Mazuki: "Will you stop talking nonsense? When you find the necklace, I will find you. You don't need to look for me."

At this, Johan whispered in Mazuki’s ear:

"It seems you are losing the battle of love to the enemy you defeated on the battlefield."

After Johan finished his sentence, Mazuki slapped him lightly with the back of his hand. Mizuru smiled, walked onto the path through the trees, got into her vehicle, and left.

Johan: "Do you think she believed the necklace story?"

Mazuki: "We’ll see if she believes it or not."

As Mizuru drove away from Johan’s cabin, she talked to herself:

"Mazuki Orahata... you are a strange one."

Hearing the news, Ren ran to the team. The team was having breakfast and watching a documentary on TV.

Shon: "If I were that lion, I’d grab the hyena by the throat and rip its head off."

Ren: "Father! Father!"

Gin: "What is it? Why are you out of breath?"

Ren: "Did you hear the news?"

Gin: "What news? What’s going on?"

Ren took the remote and changed the channel to a news station. The news was broadcasting about the fight from last night.

News Anchor: "Today, around 4-5 AM, an operation involving the Apex Order was carried out in the town of Kiro. The operation was conducted at the home of Mazuki Orahata, who is suspected of being a member of the Raven group that opposes the government. Although the Apex Order has not made an official statement, many soldiers were killed or wounded, and two commanders from the special Elite 7 group were seriously injured. The wounded commanders are Minamoto Sota, commander of the 7th division, and Kurogane Haruto, commander of the 6th division. Their condition is currently stable, and the criminal has still not been caught."

Gin: "Dammit!"

Ren: "Father, let me go and see what happened."

Gin: "No. If they see you there, they’ll be suspicious. Eleni, you go."

Eleni: "At your command, Boss."

Gin: "If you find Mazuki or any clue about him, inform us."

Eleni: "Of course."

Night falls. It is late hours in Kiro. Eleni had climbed onto the roof of a house and was scouting the area. First, she saw a sniper on the roof of the adjacent building. The sniper was watching the front of the house and would report to headquarters in any suspicious situation. At that exact moment, Eleni appeared like a shadow behind the sniper and broke the sniper’s neck in a blink of an eye. In this way, she silently brought death to the snipers on the other buildings. Meanwhile, back at the headquarters, Ren was asking his father why he had made such a decision.

Ren: "Father, what was your goal in sending Eleni? It’s her first mission; what if she gets into trouble?"

Gin laughed slowly.

"Eleni is a former special forces commander."

Ren: "Meaning?"

Gin: "Yes, she worked for Apex for a while, but then she saw Apex’s true face and left to join us. So, in short, don't worry Ren. This isn't Eleni’s first fight."

Eleni had cleared all the soldiers and was investigating the area. But she found something strange: small power particles, but these particles did not belong to Vayen power. She took a sample of the particles, and at that moment, she felt something behind her. She turned around instantly, but she saw nothing. Right then, something struck the back of Eleni’s neck with speed and knocked her out. They threw water on Eleni’s face to wake her up.

"Wow, look who we have here. Former senior soldier Eleni Yakovka."

When Eleni opened her eyes, she was in the backyard of Mazuki’s house, her hands tied to a pole. In front of her were familiar faces from Apex.

Eleni: "Rookie Kuroiwa. It’s been a long time."

Kuroiwa: "Rookie? I’m now a 1st-degree senior soldier after the lieutenant of the 7th division."

Eleni: "I’m happy for you... ROOKIE."

Kuroiwa punched Eleni in anger.

Kuroiwa: "Bitch! Let's see if you can talk like that when they come to take you. Let's get you nice and ready before they arrive."

The soldiers began to beat Eleni. Kuroiwa laughed as he watched.

"Hey, look how proper it is to raise a hand to a woman."

Kuroiwa suddenly looked toward where the voice came from. The soldiers stopped. Eleni looked toward the voice in a semi-conscious state. On the roof, a man stood with the moonlight behind him; the bandages wrapped around his head and arm were fluttering in the wind. The man jumped from the roof into the backyard and slowly stepped out of the darkness toward Kuroiwa.

Kuroiwa: "Who the hell are you? Soldiers, kill him!"

Just as the soldiers were about to attack, the man drew a white katana within seconds and cut them down.

"Raising a hand to a woman is very wrong behavior, Kuroiwa."

Kuroiwa: "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

The man’s face came into the light; his white hair waved in the wind, and his deep blue eyes were as deep as an ocean.

Mazuki: "My name is Mazuki Orahata, and I will destroy Apex to avenge my family."

Mazuki moved with sudden speed and appeared behind Kuroiwa. Blood gushed from Kuroiwa’s throat, and he fell to the ground. Eleni watched in admiration, semi-conscious.

Mazuki: "Come on, Eleni. Let's go home."