Going back to Wintergrass Village.

"Where're the other kids?"

*Why I didn't notice this immediately?*

The only minor here is the one I save back then in the village. Did all the children except him die? Or there's only one in the first place? There's no way these adults let the kids die.

"Well...", an old man spoke.

"Well, what?"

"W-We hide them."

"What?!"

"T-There's an underground in the village."

"Underground?"

"Y-Yes."

His voice is still trembling.

"We use it to stock our crops there and other important things to survive."

"Why did you just leave them there?"

"Hiro, calm down...", Vinna said.

"S-Sorry."

"W-We thought we can't survive that's why."

"I see, you didn't trust?", Cedric said.

"N-No, it just, we were scared."

"I see."

Cedric looks at me.

"What now?"

*Why is he asking me?*

"Well... we still need to come back there whether the kids there or not."

"What?!"

"Listen, we still need to reclaim the village. Even though there are so many died already, the number of villagers is still high. They need a place where they going to stay, and their village is the only available place."

"That's good then. We going back."

"Wait!"

"There's something more you want to tell?"

"Yes, old man, how long the kids would survive in the underground?"

"Well... there's still a huge number of crops there. I think they would survive for more than weeks."

"Okay, Cedric. We should rest for now."

"No! we're going to save them now."

"Huh?"

"Even though they can survive for long, they're still kids. What's happening now might become trauma to them."

"I know..."

I'm planning to save them tomorrow. If the children weren't there in the first place, we might have conducted a plan to reclaim the village smoothly.

"Okay, guys! Let's prepare for another battle."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"It's okay Hiro, we'll be fine.", Vinna said after patting my shoulder.

Cedric, his men, and even us are already tired. Some of us already died and can't fight. The Outsiders would expect us to come back.

What's worst is if they find out about the underground.

__________________________________________

We're back in the village. We were hiding behind the trees while observing the village.

There are so many Outsiders than before.

"They expecting us to come back huh."

"What now?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You're the one who wants to save the kids now."

To be honest. I can't think of a plan right now. With a huge number of Outsiders, we might not able to save the kids or even survive these Outsiders.

"Okay, I got a plan.", Cedric said.

"Hey, Ernesta."

"What's up Hiro?"

"Say something!"

"Ehhh... well good luck to us?"

"Ugh..."

"Let's charge at the same time."

"What kind of plan is that? This is not a suicide mission."

Well, his plan is the most effective. We also have Ernesta on our side.

All of us walk through the entrance and ready ourselves.

"Okay, let's kill them all."

Base on the villagers, every house has a door that is connected to the underground. The underground is just wide as the village. That means, we only need one door to rescue the children.

"Cedric, we only need to clear one house. You don't have to go any further in the village."

"Alright."

We went to the nearest house that we saw.

Ernesta, Darius, and I went inside while the others protecting the house.

All of the thing inside the house is a mess. The furniture and other stuff are broken and scattered all over the place. Thankfully there's no trace of blood that might scare the children.

"Let's go."

We walk further inside the house. We didn't see a door or anything that might be a way to go to the underground.

"Darius. Ernesta. Let's find the door."

"Yeah."

"Yes."

Darius went to the other room and Ernesta search behind the huge cabinet.

"Nothing here."

"Here too."

"Where is it?"

*Wait! It's an underground... that means...*

I look at the floor and saw a wide floor mat under the dining table.

I move the table then slightly take off the floor mat on the floor. We saw a huge square shape door. There's a rope connected to it. I pull the rope and the door open. Inside the door, there's a stair going down the underground.

"I think this is it."

"Yeah."

"Cmon! Let's go down."

Three of us went down the stairs.

We spotted immediately the children whose sitting and laying down on the ground.

"Don't be afraid! Big sis Ernesta will come to save all of you!", Ernesta said cheerfully.

"Y-Your going to save us?"

"We can go outside now?"

"Is my mom alright?"

"Now, now, I can't answer that right away. Let's go first."

We help the children to go upstairs one by one.

Darius cast a barrier on the children before we go outside.

I don't know what happen to the others outside. They're already exhausted and wounded.

*I wish they okay.*

As we went outside, we saw them still fighting the Outsiders.

"Woah!", Ernesta surprised.

Same as me.

I didn't see anyone of them died. All of them are fired up.

"Woah, you're already here."

"Yeah, let's get away from here."

We group up and Darius cast a bigger barrier.

I saw many Outsiders died including some giant centipede.

*They really defeat those Outsiders?*

"Let's go!"

We successfully rescue the children and no one died.

"Things out going smoothly, right Hiro?"

"Yeah. Maybe you're correct about rescuing the children now. I can't believe no one died."

"Of course, don't underestimate us."

"Ah... no"

I don't actually underestimate them. I'm just worried.

"All we have to do is to go back safely to the orphanage."

________________________________________________________________________________________

".....ah", I sighed.

It's been several hours since the A-1 dispatch to rescue the villager in Wintergrass Village.

I want to help them but I can't. It's forbidden for a commander to leave the HQ unless you have permission and a substitute.

The A-2 now is also in the big mission. That means their commander, Steve, can't leave also in their HQ.

Why.

*Why I have this kind of feeling.*

I want to leave and follow them.

I feel anxious for some reason.

I already asked for permission but since I don't have a substitute, I can't still go outside.

*There's something wrong is going on.*

________________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the dark cave. I was sitting on the chair while my feet resting on the table.

There's an old man also sitting. He's humming which killing my ears.

Only two of us here. Zod must be wandering around while the other one might be outside killing whatever he saw on his way to kill time.

The old man stops humming and grins instead.

"What are you grinning there?", I asked.

"Nothing."

"Hmmm..."

"My plans are going well."

"Going well huh. Even though that guy named Blade died? Your plan always failed now."

"I know, I still have to collect information about them. But now, things are already set!"

He stands up and raises his both arms.

"What a creep."

*Already set huh. I have a bad feeling about this.*

He's looking above. I can clearly see the smile on his face.

*Those smile... it means death.*

________________________________________________________________________________________

"I wonder if they able to save the children."

"Yeah."

I heard the conversation of the adults. They are the villager from Wintergrass Village.

There's only one person who's not an adult among them.

A boy who's about the same age as me.

I stare at him. He notices me staring at him, he was surprised and look down immediately.

"Hmmm..."

"Rein, you should go to your room.", Sister Evangeline said.

"Hey, sister."

"Yeah?"

"Can I play with that boy?", I asked.

I pointed my finger to the boy who's looking down.

"Well... I guess. It might be better to reduce his trauma."

"Yey!"

I run towards the boy.

"Hey, boy."

"..."

He's ignoring.

"Hey!!!"

"..."

*Pissed off!*

"Don't ignore me! Jeez!"

"S-Sorry..."

"Ahhh.", I sighed.

This boy and Lulu have some similarities at one point.

"Come here."

"W-Where are we going?"

"To my room."

"...Huh?!"

"What? Don't shout."

"Ugh..."

*Why he's acting like Mister Hiro right now.*

I hold his arms and pull him to my room.

"W-Wait hold on."

"Don't be shy. There are so many children here. You can play with them however you like."

"Other children?"

"Yup. That's why, don't be sad, okay?"

I show him my room and my collection.

I was planning to play with him but he ended up sleeping.

"Jeez..."

I let him sleep in my room and go outside to avoid disturbing him.

I went back to the place where I met him.

I saw Sister Evangeline talking to the adults.

"Can they really rescue them?"

"Most of them are wounded and tired."

"They should listen to the glasses boy. They need rest."

*Glasses boy? Maybe they talk about Mister Hiro.*

"Now, now. They know what they doing. I know they can rescue the children and get back here.", Sister Evangeline said.

"But!"

"Wait!"

I couldn't bear it.

"Rein. You should go to your-"

"Mister Hiro and the others will come back alive."

"Why are you so sure about that little girl?"

The old man is mocking me.

"Huh? You don't have any faith in the one who saves you?"

"Well, that's!"

"If you can't trust them, then they just wasting time on you."

"..."

"Also, Mister Hiro is a genius! He can think of a plan that will save the children!"

They become speechless except for Sister Evangeline.

"Rein, you shouldn't talk to them like. Come here."

Sister Evangeline bring me to my room.

The boy is still sleeping.

"Rein."

"Sister, why do they like that?"

"Well your still a kid for you to understand that."

"But!"

"Rein."

Sister Voice is still calm. I know she's not mad at me and understood what I feel.

"S-Sorry..."

"It's okay, but, good job."

"Eh?"

"You make them understand that they need to put trust in Hiro and the others."

"R-Really?"

"Yes. But right now, you should stay with other children and wait for Hiro and the others to come back. Okay?"

"Yes!"

"Shhh."

"Opps."

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hurry"

We're climbing on slope ground. We taking it slowly since there are kids on us.

The ground is rocky and slippery which makes it harder to climb. We're actually planning to use Ernesta's thread to climb faster but there's no tree to hold in on. Thread is so thin that it can cut through flesh if you give it a force.

This is a shortcut going to the orphanage but we didn't use this at first since the elders wouldn't able to.

Cedric is worried that the Outsiders might chase us that's why we're using this.

We climb the children first. Cedric and his men guarding the ground below while we're in the upper one.

It didn't take so long before we manage to climb them all.

"Cedric. Climb now!", I shouted.

"Woah!"

Leo climb first.

"Be careful."

"Sorry!"

He almost fell but he manage to climb unharmed.

"Cedric! Come on!"

While looking at them, I notice black smoke.

"What was that?"

"Huh?"

*I have a bad feeling about this*

"All of you, hurry up."

The black smoke is going towards them so fast.

The others climb hurriedly.

"Hey, what are you doing?", Cedric shouted.

I saw one of his men touching the black smoke.

The smoke runs towards his arm going up to his head and mouth. After that, the man suddenly looks up.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The man didn't speak.

"Hey!"

One of Cedric's men shaking him up.

"Get away from him!", Cedric shouted.

The man finally looks at him. After that, he grabs his sword and thrusts it towards the man's chest.

"What the?"

"Oi!"

*What's going on?*

"Cedric, climb!"

"I can't leave my men like this. All of you, go first."

"Tsk. Stop being stubborn!"

The smoke spread faster.

Everyone that it touches being unusual. They attack anyone except for those who are already infected.

*A virus? No, it might be an Outsider.*

I look around but I didn't saw anything Outsider.

"What the hell is this?"

Cedric is already caught by the smoke.

"You idiot!"

Most of them below are already captured by the smoke.

The others start attacking each other.

Not too long all of them already like a walking corpses.

Their skin begone to change color. It looks gray and their eyes become darker all over.

They start climbing on the slope.

"What are we gonna do now?"

*Darn it. What I'm gonna do? Darn it. Darn it. Darn it. Darn it. Darn it!*

"Hiro."

"Leo."

"Y-Yes?"

"Give me... your bomb."