Retreat

Chapter 19

The ground rumbled beneath my feet again.

I could here groans and thuds from the area where the battle was ensuing.

"I was too late?" I asked Adelfo.

"Hades is on the battlefront, though he's powerless. He uses soldiers as shields and as his own personal weapons."

My chest tightened.

Hades has become the person I abhor.

"I thought we would this war with no casualties?" Althaia looked worried.

I don't blame her, she has lived in the military base for some time and she has known the soldiers out there not as soldiers but as ordinary people.

"Hitagi is using her shield to push back some of the soldiers, but the others that pass through are being dealt with by Vilde, she tries her best not to fatally wound them." Adelfo answered.

I ran towards the battlefield, it was true.

Some of the priests with healing powers are helping the Japanese and the Epineans to recover from fatal wounds, some I see healing the military side as well.

I have to get to Hades and convince him to stop the fight.

I ran and ran until I reached the crater, the result of the explosion earlier.

Hitagi's shield had cracks all over, the capitol police are using their powers to force their way to our side.

Doxa was continuously using her powers to create a wall of flames to stop them as well.

A group of soldiers caught my eye, they weren't joining the fight.

They just stood far from the battle sight and were shouting at some of their comrades.

I was still in their uniform, I passed through the chaos and ran as fast as I could.

"THEY'RE OUTNUMBERED!"

"STOP! DON'T FIGHT!"

"DON'T RISK YOURSELVES!"

"STOP FIGHTING!"

They noticed we were outnumbered, we didn't even reach the number we predicted.

We probably have less than two hundred men on our side.

While Hades had thousands.

*Siren wailing*

Everyone stopped.

"RETREAT!"

Hades' army ran back towards their base, I saw Hades among the crowd, I ran towards him, shoving the soldiers while I ran pass them.

"Hades, wait! What's happening?"

"You're okay?!"

My heart skipped a beat, his eyes, I remember those eyes!

He was concerned!

He smacked my hand away from him, "Be thankful I didn't report you for treason."

I grabbed his arm again.

"Stop pretending, I know you're still you. My cute little twin brother."

I was caught off guard, in normal circumstances, I could've avoided an attack as reflex, but with Hades in front of me, an attack would never be anticipated.

His hand grasped my neck tightly that I could feel my throat closing.

My breathing slowed until I felt I was drowning.

"S-s-stop, Had-Hades, n-n-no-nooo." I groaned.

A memory like vision, the same thing I saw with Charles, I looked into Hades' eyes and I could see a memory like vision through him.

I held Hades' shoulder and pushed him with all the strength I have left.

Thorns as big as as arrows flew over our heads faster than the speed of bullets fired from a gun.

I could feel the ground tremble under me, I stood while coughing heavily, I held Hades' hand and ran towards the Japanese base.

Vines burst out from the earth, I could hear soldiers chasing us.

I saw Magus in my vision, he saw Hades choking me and attacked out of anger.

If I didn't push Hades, thorns stabbed his back all the way through his chest.

The soldiers probably thought the thorns were meant for me.

Vilde appeared and incapacitated some of the soldiers who were chasing us.

"WHY DID YOU BRING HIM HERE?!!" Doxa screamed.

I could see the Japanese people helping Hitagi with her shield, shield type users were manifesting their powers too to stop them from coming to our side.

Clouds formed in the center of the crater, and rain poured like a faucet turned all the way.

But the capitol police still found their way through our defense.

"I saw Magus kill him, I couldn't let Magus become a killer, and have Hades' blood in his hands."

"It's fine, we could still have him as a prisoner of war."

Hades laughed.

"Do you think I'd be grateful, Persephone? Do you think I'd thank you for saving my life?"

My throat still hurt from his grasped earlier, he was really trying to kill me.

I looked at him from head to toe, I kicked behind his leg and he fell on his knees, I held his head in between my hands and struck the middle of his face with my knee.

"Don't test me."

He fell to the ground and moaned in pain.

"Persephone has strong knees." Adelfo joked.

…

Althaia went to the UF's base for information about the retreat.

We brought Hades to the infirmary tent, he's nose bled for awhile after the knee strike I did.

The Japanese nurse approached me, "He has a concussion and his nose is broken."

"And he tried to kill me, so we're even."

Doxa was judging me, "You really have a bad temper."

"He almost choked me to death, a broken a nose isn't enough as payback."

"Why did you ran over there? What if you got caught? You're the High Priestess, you'd be killed for treason!"

"I had an inkling for why they retreated, my bluff against Malvado, it didn't work. He didn't care if he died, he almost killed me but Mom, her presence made Malvado resist his power---"

I couldn't finish, Adelfo appeared out of breath, "Doxa, the United Front requests an audience with President Makoto."

President Makoto was back at Epineo, Adelfo's teleport borrowed power has already reached its limit.

"You know I can't, Adelfo. Our circumstances now aren't according to plan." She was looking at me.

"The warring ru--"

"L-le-let…me… talk to them."

Hades sat up while moaning in pain.

The nurse tried to push him back down but he insisted to sit, "Use an earpiece to talk to me, if you want to stick with the warring rules, POWs can be a way to communicate to the opposing side."

"Bullshit, you know that doesn't benefit us. I know that you're confident we can't kill you if you do something stupid." I rebutted.

"My cute grandson, why are you even suggesting this?"

Hades' eyes widened, he realized too late that the Doxa we were talking to was our grandma.

Doxa laughed, "Surprised to see your old wrinkly grandma as young as your mother huh?"

Mom, guild suddenly rushed through my body.

I still haven't told them.

"Althaia's back!" Someone shouted from outside.

Oh no, she's gonna tell them about the retreat!

I ran outside, Althaia was running towards our tent.

"Wait, Althaia. Stop."

I was right about the retreat, the look on her eyes, she knows about my mom's death.

"We have to release Hades, they won't fight anymore. Malvado himself called for the retreat."

"Don't tell them why, Althaia. We have to let the Japanese and the Epineans leave before telling them, I don't want innocent people to get involved in this. Doxa, she won't take the news lightly."

"What news I won't take lightly?"

…

"They won't fight anymore, Doxa. That's great news!"

I exaggerated a bit to hide the previous mood.

I looked at Althaia, she nodded.

"Why would I take this lightly, that's amazing news!"

We heard screams coming from somewhere in the base.

Vilde and the others appeared from the tents and ran towards the noise.

I came along with them.

"THE TEMPLE, THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN BOMBED!"