NO TURN

Raijin shook the bloodied body. The Guardian's chin rested on his shoulder and his hands were falling loosely. And even the color of Kato's whole had died out, his chocolate hair had faded to gray as his body had coiled into a corpse. It might be something like this if a divine Guardian would bridge into the afterlife. The blessing on the soul would weep into death, slowly fading to just a clump of smoke.

Raijin hadn't known that losing someone who was once a friend, would hurt this much. He had wanted to settle everything with Kato, but not in this way that would leave him lost. Was he too focused on killing Surtr that he did not realize who was inside the giant? Or did he lose control over his power again? The answers that he sought to reach were only drifting ahead of him. But he is certain of one thing: he's terrified of himself and that fear was bringing him into a trapped space surrounded by nothing but darkness.

He never once desires to take the life of a person by his hands, all he wants is to end the war and be able to have the strength in protecting everyone.

His eyes that were once glinting in anger, were now staring at Kato's lifeless body. Tears dropped as his hands tried to wipe them away. Everything is unknown to him right now; he didn't know where to run to. Or even cry his eyes out. He wanted to despise and blame the lightning—yet he had known that this was all his fault. Raijin didn't want to lose someone anymore, yet this time, two people had slipped past his grasp. And both of them were taken by his selfish taunts. Thoughts continued to haunt him. That if only he had conquered his fear and stood up to protect his grandfather, if only he had known his boundaries and did not meddle on the frontlines. If only-

"I would've died if you weren't here. Stand up, what's your name?"

Raijin's eyes were red from crying, he looked up at the man who stood in front of him. His figure was blurry because of the tears in his eyes. Yet, he had seen a General's uniform. Every General's uniform was unique on its own and this man was in all-white. Golden laces and buttons lingered over them as the gloved hand of the man reached out to him.

"Ikazuchi Raijin" He muttered in between sobs. He searched for the remaining Generals, their focus was still directed toward the god.

Raijin carefully laid Kato on the ground and it was merely a worn out and weakened body of a young man. But the corpse was nowhere to be called as young, it was almost as if aging and tearing apart as minutes passed.

He glanced at Kato one last time, accepting the General's hand to stand. He wanted to show him a smile of thanks, yet he can't make himself do it.

"Ikazuchi..." The man's mouth curved into a mischievous grin. But Raijin did not notice it as his eyes were dazed staring at the battlefield. "I am the Second General, Hiraoka-"

"Boy! Run!"

Slowly turning his head to where the voice had come from, Raijin saw the Generals running in his direction. They struggled to reach him as they needed to dodge and block the debris falling from outside the protective barrier and others lying on the ground.

The man in front of Raijin blazed, his features changing from the flames that engulfed him. And his appearance became far from being one of the Generals. It's now Fajra, the god that the Generals were battling.

He had been deceived again.

"What-" Raijin's words were cut short when the god reached for the amulet that was hanging on his neck. He tried to stop his hands, but there was no strength left in him.

"That was the most disturbing of all the horrible things I've seen. You have no right to use my name and reputation, Fajra" Akaru spoke, looking at the god intently. Raijin's eyes widened as he saw him, but his surprise quickly faded when he realized that he was the real 2nd General.

The Generals surrounded him and Fajra. Their expressions were fierce, staring at the god. "Let's end this. Fight us," Said Akaru, his body still cladded in white armor.

The proud look on the god's face when they started the battle had vanished, replaced by an expression of frustration. The demand from the 2nd General was ignored when Fajra's hand landed on the boy.

Raijin's feet were above the ground and he struggled in breathing as the god's hand tightened on his neck, strangling him. He gasped for breath, gripping both of his hands on Fajra's wrist. He felt the ache on his head like something was squeezing him shut from the inside and was about to burst into pieces.

"Ack-" He cried, trying to free himself from the hold. But it was futile.

"Don't move or I'll burn him to death" Fajra threatened. His golden eyes glowed, glancing at the Generals who had made their stance in preparation for an attack.

It was difficult to breathe and the only thing Raijin could do was to swing his feet, hoping to free himself. He had tried to kick the god and yet he couldn't reach him. His whole was held up high and this was the time he had wished he'd been a bit taller than Fajra. Drool was starting to form on the side of his mouth and his eyelids were getting heavy. He remembered how he had done the same thing with Kato and he never knew that the feeling of something cutting your breath was this tormenting.

"Stay still!" The god shouted which made him shiver in fear.

There was no warning, flames surrounded the god's left hand that came close to the chushin, and the right still taking a hold of the helpless boy. Raijin's grip on Fajra's arm was brushed with just a single sway when the god pulled the necklace.

His eyes widened in surprise when an unbearable pain zipped into his whole body when the fire came in contact with the amulet. As if his soul was sucked outside of him. He shouted in torture, feeling his whole energy get depleted into crust. For a moment, he felt like he had been drowning in water and everything seemed to be stripped away from him.

Raijin's body fell to the ground creating a thud when the god released him from the strangle. Fajra smiled in triumph, "This is..." The chushin shone into his hand, staring at it with curious eyes. "Wonderful!" His expressions returned to life that seemed to enjoy the tremendous sight he was witnessing. The god glanced at the unconscious figure of Raijin, kicking him to the ground repeatedly while letting out a loud laugh. And his gaze came back peering at the chushin again, but his kicks didn't stop.

The other Generals stood and watched the boy in pain. They couldn't afford to charge an impulsive attack, for they might fear that Raijin would be caught up or Fajra might use him as a shield.

But the unsheathing of a sword was heard. "Stop that," Seratsuki said.

A quick slash of the blade emerged in front of the god, followed by a beam of light on his side. Yet, he wasn't stunned—a single command of the chushin's power was all it took to strike Seratsuki and Akaru, making them almost stumble onto their feet.

The two upper Generals retreated immediately, surprised by the sudden lightning. The attack was so powerful and fast that their eyes had only caught a glimpse of it. This was way different from how they had witnessed when the boy was battling the fire giant. It was now efficiently controlled, taking advantage of its destructiveness and speed.

"Mortals like you two are too dangerous to be left alive!"

Just as another flash of lightning came charging to them, General Kazahana summoned a glacial to block the attack before her ice crumbled into pieces after making contact with it. While General Lucien Voigt pulled Akaru and Seratsuki by his strings to keep them away from the impact.

Hermes and Nova were the one to divert Fajra's attention. Hermes' wind engulfed the god in slashes of air as Nova dispersed into position to get Raijin out of the way.

"Third and Second should not be the first ones to fall, you two are our only hope of winning this" Lucien said, disabling the strings that bound Akaru and Seratsuki.

"If that's the case, then let me use my zero zone" Seratsuki glanced at the 2nd General beside her who offered a hand to stand.

"Request denied, Sera" Akaru answered, brushing off the dust on his clothes. He immediately charged to support Hermes against the god. While Nova had laid Raijin into a safe place—signaling the 2nd General to give the boy a shield. Akaru glanced at Raijin, and in a snap of his finger, a sphere had engulfed the young man's unconscious body.

The wind of the 7th General, string threads of the 5th General, and the light prowess of the 2nd took the battlefield. Hermes' gales combined with Lucien's threads that surrounded Fajra. Akaru followed the wind and strings continuously launching beams of light at the god.

Once Nova had secured Raijin's safety, she dashed on Fajra—immediately launching a kick from above which took the god by surprise. Yet, the lightning had continued to occur in his whole, rapidly evading her attack.

General Kazahana and Noguchi's eyes met, they stared at each other in silence for a minute. They're the only ones who had not moved out to pursue Fajra again.

"What is it?" Seratsuki asked, holding her sword to prepare for joining the battle.

"It's nothing," Fuyumi replied, averting her gaze and raising her palms as the cold breeze of the air had picked up.

Upon hearing the response, Seratsuki had quickly charged at Fajra—fearlessly facing the god in countering his charges with the blade.

Even if exhaustion had hit them in the long battle, they offered every ounce of their energy in hopes of defeating Fajra. Midnight is starting to approach and they had wished nothing but to witness the ray of sunlight once again.

Gods are superior to mortals. But betting on the fact that they had to stand before their ideals and duty as an Anshiantiae is a different matter. For whatever it takes, as a soldier, the land would always come first.

Their breathing was hard, sweat was continuously dripping off on their face as sparks of clashing energy were seen through the area that it was hard to determine when will be the end of this assault.

---

"Errapel! Open up! Errapel!"

Heavy knocks were heard on Errapel's door as it flew open revealing a lady. She wore a military uniform hued in dark purple. Her hair was tucked in a bun and some strands of her blue-black hair (quite darker than her cousin) fell from her face. She held a stern look that one might know she was barging into a room to inquire that a person is under-arrested. But it didn't change the fact that she's pretty...if she would smile. I guess? Oh-

"What is it? And who are you?" Said Errapel, his brows creased in confusion looking at her.

"Jil Yozou, Sixth General's Adjutant," The woman said, pointing at her badge and nameplate.

The man followed her hand and his eyes landed somewhere. Errapel displayed a teasing smirk, averting his eyes from it and focusing on the ground.

"What?" Said Jil, her tone slightly increased.

"I am looking respectfully," Errapel whispered.

"Come again?" Jil said, but her puzzled expression immediately changed as if she remembered something important. "Where is he?" She asked.

Brushing off his expression, Errapel faced her. "Inside" He uttered.

The woman breached her way past him without thinking twice. She moved the curtains covering the hospital beds and her eyes landed on the man lying on the sheets. His body was worn out in burns and wounds that she had almost not recognized his face.

Jil was speechless. Her hand covered her mouth in surprise at the grievous condition of the 6th General. Reports had told her his state, yet she did not anticipate that it was this terrible. It made her weak that she struggled to look at her cousin closely.

"It's best if you'll keep your distance. I've tested things on him but it's no use I can't take him back" Errapel uttered, looking at a board of papers in his hands. There was no response from the Adjutant and the beeping of the heart rate monitor was the only thing heard. "If only that dude was here a method might be possible"

Turning her head to the man, Jil gave him a questioning look. "Who?" Nurses inside continued to do their work applying certain medications to the patient while others were busy recording and checking a change in the vital signs.

"Hermes Nephus, the Seventh General" Errapel said, fixing his lab coat and making his way through the patient as his hands scribbled through the notes. He signaled the nurses to excuse themselves for the meantime, to which they did.

For a moment Jil was perplexed but had, later on, understood his intentions. She wanted to request for the General after what Errapel had said. Yet, the decision might be a result of her irrational thinking that may lead the land in danger. The Generals are needed to defeat the god because they're the only ones who can have a chance against him.

"If one of the pillars in Riagi would be gone again, then I don't have an idea what would happen next. If only people were not dumb enough to issue an execution against the First then we-"

"The First General has nothing to do with this, Errapel," Jil said.

"You're right. But don't you think killing the strongest soldier is a mistake? Oh, I forgot. I should be asking this to the Third General, the one who took his life" Errapel met Jil's intense glance.

Jil did not reply to his words, trying to calm herself with his remarks. With a final look at the man, she made her way outside the room. Right now, the only thing she could do is continue assisting the facility until the results of the battle would be inlaid upon them.

---

Charges and swift exchanges of blows were still ongoing on the battlefield. Every second that passed took a toll on their body and their energy was starting to wear off. Fajra, who held the chushin in his hands had combined the power of lightning and his flames that gave the Generals a hard time in launching an immediate counter because of the debris from the explosions.

Forceful impacts landed everywhere that wreaked havoc in the area. The ground that they were standing on was filled in fissures and was as if pushed further from below. The strong wind that supported everyone served as a veil to protect them from the remaining debris that they couldn't keep out.

Hermes remained at their backs, controlling his powers and reading each one's movement to create a successful discharge. He served as their eyes in the battle. Fuyumi, Lucien, and Akaru supported the remaining Generals—if ever they needed to regain their momentum or buy time in launching a powerful attack.

While Seratsuki and Nova, who specializes in the offense, were the one who faced the god head-on. Their assaults were almost equally destructive. Following each other's pattern of attacks, they managed to synchronize their movements.

Nova leaped from above accumulating energy in her fists charging at the god. But Fajra had invaded the attack and the crash had created an enormous dent on the ground resembling a crater. Soil erupted from the ground that was carried by the wind. The god bellowed in laughter, mocking the 8th General's missed attack. Yet, it was the perfect moment.

Seratsuki glanced at Nova and the latter nodded. She dashed around, her sword glinted at the glacial blocks of General Kazahana. The frost slowly made its way to the god's feet and small shaped diamond icicles danced around the wind. They assembled themselves aiming at the god.

Akaru's light traveled in between Lucien's thread, glowing brightly. They flew above Fajra, prepared to catch him off guard.

On the signal, the glowing threads reached through the god encircling his wrist. Frost reached the god's feet, immobilizing his movements. Before Fajra could utter a word, Hermes made the wind blow furiously as if a destructive tornado were about to pass them. And Seratsuki took the chance to immediately determine the god's blind spot.

Fajra smiled at the pain when the ice of General Kazahana pierced him. The expression of amusement was on his face. "Give it up! You can't win against a god!" He said, breaking free from the restraints, and the ice melted from his body. "Didn't you think that I won't be seeing that?!"

Seratsuki's figure appeared behind him as her blade swiftly created a slash.

A small wound bled on the side of Fajra's cheeks by barely dodging the attack. The moment he was about to cast a flash of lightning to pierce Seratsuki, his eyes saw how everything around him had turned to crimson again. The skies were now stained as if bathing the whole earth in blood. This is it. The same thing he saw when he had battled the 3rd General—the death before his eyes.

"Huh?" Confusion rushed to the god when he couldn't feel his own body as the world turned upside down. Only to realize that his head had been cut off from his whole.

"Sanguis crimson waltz"

The voice of the Third General brought the god back into reality. And this time, the surroundings and his body returned to normal. The crimson tint was nowhere to be found and two Generals were charging toward him. Akaru and Nova. One from behind and one on the front.

Just as before Akaru and Nova could finish the discharge of their powers, Fajra shouted in agony. His voice echoed as blooms of hot magma surfaced below them, melting the glacial blocks and making the wind blow hot. The god's eyes glowed furiously, glancing at them.

Nova and Akaru's focus on him has been interrupted as they try to avoid the searing flames. "Nova! General Hiraoka and Noguchi! Stay away from there!" Hermes shouted, disabling the wind current. They immediately run inside the protective shield Akaru has created for the whole Anshiantum.

"What are you doing?! Let's go-" The 7th General said.

"The boy," Nova uttered, dashing towards Raijin and carrying him on her back. Seratsuki followed her, clearing their path filled with fallen debris.

"I have no time left," The god uttered. He made his way to a body protected with searing flames—the corpse of Kato. Fajra took the young man to his shoulders and with a final glance at the Generals and to Raijin who was now laying behind them, he was engulfed in a blaze disappearing into thin air.

He got away.

There was nothing but relief and frustration that the Generals had felt. And this time, their battle with the god was finally concluded by the meantime. Though for them, the fight that they had experienced was nowhere to be compared to the ones who died in honor.

May their souls rest in Lord Giansh's embrace.