"I am sorry... I failed to protect your families." Edmund’s voice was regretful as he stood in the presidential office.
Young Edward sat quietly, his thoughts maelstrom of feelings. He had always wanted to make a na for himself, stand at the top, and be the best of the best. When he was summoned to the battle room, he believed nothing could stop him from becoming humanity’s savior—the fad and powerful warrior.
He beca a savior, along with the few who survived the tournant.
But at what cost?
He had lost his friends—those who stood shoulder to shoulder with him, defying impossible odds. He had lost comrades who could have beco great figures in this world. But instead, they perished in that ruthless tournant, and he survived.
And when he finally returned ho, burdened by everything he had sacrificed, he was confronted with another tragedy.
His wife was killed in an explosion set up by the Rogues.
Rage consud him.
He and Coco eliminated an entire battalion of Rogues linked to the attack. He took down everyone who had assisted them. Yet, their fury had not diminished even after their blood had been shed.
"It’s not enough," Coco whispered, his voice hoarse and raging. "I want to kill so more. I want to erase them from existence."
"C-Coco," Edmund faltered. "The individuals who carried out the attack... they’re dead. You and Edward killed them. You even slaughtered those who may not have anything to do with it."
"So what?" Coco snapped, venom dripping from his voice. "You care more about those insects than your friends?"
Edmund fell silent.
Coco’s expression contorted with fury. "We bled for them! We sacrificed everything to protect them! And yet... how could you let our families down, Edmund?"
Edward finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "It wasn’t his fault." He exhaled sharply, his fingers clenching into fists. "He probably had no idea things would end up like this."
"Then whose fault is it?" Coco demanded. "Theirs, right? So why not just wipe them all out? Every single one of them."
Edward’s breath caught in his throat. "We... we can’t." He t Coco’s intense gaze. "Not every Rogue is our enemy. You know that." His voice softened. "Haven’t we lost enough?"
"We’ve suffered more than anyone else," Coco said, her voice icy. "I demand my revenge. Only then will they grasp the consequences of their actions."
Edmund’s expression darkened. "And then what? We know there will always be a new batch of Rogues just like the Rangers. Not everyone takes this responsibility seriously."
"Then we ensure they take it seriously." Coco’s tone was resolute. "We eliminate those who hide. We compel them to join our ranks. To survive that tournant, we must have everyone fighting, irrespective of their decision."
Silence stretched between them. They both understood. Coco’s thod was ruthless—monstrous.
But it beca necessary when considered through the lens of absolute rule and pure survival.
"You saw it, Edward," Coco continued, his voice thick with contempt. "Those weaklings made things worse for us in the battle room. Because of them, we lost our will to fight. Sohow we survived, but—" His breath hitched. "Fuck it. Just kill them all."
Edward shook his head slowly. "No. That’s final, Coco. We can’t take that path... even if it feels right."
Edmund nodded. "There would be an outrage. People detest being caged more than they fear death itself."
Coco let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "You bastards...why don’t you-"
Edward stayed still on the couch as Coco walked toward the exit, his footsteps slow and heavy.
Silence fell as he walked away.
---
Edward stood in the devastation, surrounded by the wreckage of Coco’s rampage. Smoke and dust lingered in the air, hanging with the sll of battle. His eyes stayed locked on the swirling purple aura of Coco’s armor.
Coco slowly drew in a breath and t his gaze.
"It’s Dad," Alex said, breaking the silence. "He’s finally arrived."
A wave of relief swept over the battlefield. The chaos paused briefly as everyone focused on the man who had arrived—the legend himself.
Alex’s heart raced in his chest. He had always wondered what would happen if his father ever confronted soone of equal strength—a battle between Generals. Now, he was about to witness it firsthand.
Nearby, Tyson exhaled sharply, tightening his grip as he assisted a wounded Ranger to his feet. "Took you long enough, Master," he muttered, his voice revealing a rare flicker of warmth despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs.
But underneath the relief, a bitter truth gnawed at him. If Master had been here from the beginning, they wouldn’t have suffered so much.
If only he possessed greater strength—if only he held the sa power as his master—he could have rescued more lives. He could have prevented this devastation from ever occurring.
A sound erupted from the Rangers—"General!"
They shouted together, their voices brimming with renewed strength. Even the lieutenant, who had fought with unwavering resolve, allowed himself a rare sigh of relief. The weight he had been carrying on his shoulders seed to dissolve into nothing.
Their General had arrived.
For the Rangers, his presence was more than simply a beacon of hope—it was the dawn following an unending winter night. He had always been a steadfast pillar and protector during their most challenging tis.
However, his arrival brought a different kind of certainty for the Rogues.
They had spent years dreading this day, whispering in hushed tones about the inevitable mont when they would have to confront him. They hated him. They feared him. And yet... now that he stood before them not as their enemy, but as their ally... they felt a sense of relief.
"C-Can he defeat our leader?" a rogue whispered, his voice trembling.
A nearby Ranger scoffed and smacked the Rogue’s helt. "How dare you doubt him? Our General is undefeated. If you keep thinking otherwise, I’ll bury you right back in that rubble."
"No, no! Good sir, I completely agree!" The Rogue forced a nervous grin. "He will surely defeat Coco. Now, if you would be so kind—could you pull out?"
The Ranger rolled his eyes, gripped the Rogue’s outstretched hand, and yanked him free. "Shaless dog."
anwhile, Blue stood frozen, gazing at Edward in silent admiration.
This man had tried countless tis to recruit him into the Rangers, the man who had seen sothing in him. Blue couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if he had followed Edward back then? What if he had chosen a different path?
Not far away, Seraphina cried as she tended to the wounded. Her hands shook as she worked, but for the first ti in what felt like an eternity, she wasn’t trembling from fear.
Her uncle was present. He was there to protect her.
He was here to safeguard her family, her ho—this very city.
The uncertainty that had haunted her heart and the fear she had been forced to carry—all of it lted away.
Now, she knew that everything would be okay.
Edward scanned the battlefield, his eyes searching through the chaos for familiar faces amidst the devastation.
His gaze fell on Alex and Tyson, both moving with unwavering determination—helping the injured and offering what little comfort they could to those who had suffered.
Then, he saw Seraphina.
His chest tightened.
The small girl he had known for years—the one he had once shielded from the world’s harshness—was no longer that child. She had grown up.
She stood amid the ruins, tending to the wounded without hesitation... Even among the Rogues. Even those who had aided the man who killed her father, she was helping them.
Edward had always known she was different—strong in ways that exceeded physical power. But witnessing it now, with his own eyes, felt entirely different.
A soft breath escaped him as he spoke in a voice intended just for the dead.
"Carver... you must be proud of her, right?"
Coco observed him, his expression inscrutable. "I did my part. Now it’s your turn, my friend."
Edward’s eyes darkened. A sharp edge lined his voice. "Don’t call ’Friend.’" His stance shifted slightly, muscles tensing beneath his armor. "You have no ties to . And soon, you won’t have any ties to this world either."
Silence descended on the battlefield briefly—a fragile, lengthy pause before the storm.
Then, the ground beneath Edward shattered as he propelled himself into the air, and Coco followed suit.
Their auras flared, raw energy crackling around their armored forms. Purple clashed with silver-black, surging like storms as they collided mid-air.
Their fists collided with a bone-jarring crack, sending shockwaves and tremors through the battlefield’s earth. The sheer impact unleashed a deafening boom that echoed through the ruins, scattering debris and shattering glass in a cacophony of destruction. The air was filled with the scent of dust and pulverized stone.
Those nearby shielded their eyes from the biting dust and the fierce wind that howled through the chaotic scene.
And in that instant, the battle for Elria entered the final stage!
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