Echoes of Deception

Back Then: The Unraveling

The first cracks in their trust had been subtle—too subtle.

Emjay Nerin had always been cautious, always watching, but even he had failed to see the betrayal brewing beneath the surface. It had started with small things: missing supplies, compromised safe houses, enemies who always seemed one step ahead. At first, they chalked it up to bad luck, to the sheer unpredictability of war. But then, Yano voiced the unthinkable.

"Someone's betraying us. And we don't know who."

The words had sent a chill through the room, heavier than the cold night air pressing in from the shattered windows. The team had gone silent, glancing at one another, searching for some tell, some sign of guilt. But none came.

Kai Renshiro leaned against the wall, adjusting his glasses. "This isn't paranoia," he said, his sharp mind already piecing things together. "Every move we make, they already know. It's not coincidence. It's calculated."

Kazuki Kaori, ever the silent guardian, sat in the corner, his rifle across his lap. His golden eyes flickered in the dim light. "Then we find the leak. Before it's too late."

They had set traps. False plans, misinformation, bait to see who would take it. And then it happened—an enemy ambush that lined up perfectly with a route they had deliberately sabotaged. The proof was undeniable.

Someone had sold them out.

The Confrontation: The First Signs of War

It had all led to this—the night Emjay's world began to fall apart.

Their hideout had been breached, the air thick with smoke and the stench of blood. His team fought hard, but the enemy was too prepared, too precise. They had been led into a slaughter.

And at the head of the enemy's forces stood their leader—the traitor.

The one who had stood beside Emjay for years. The one who had built this team with him. The one who had sworn loyalty, only to shatter it in the end.

Their former leader.

"It's over, Emjay," the traitor had said, voice laced with cold certainty. "You were never meant to win."

But the war had not ended that night. The traitor had let them live—why, they didn't know. Perhaps to toy with them, to let them struggle before the final blow. Perhaps because there was still something to gain.

Or perhaps because not all betrayals were so simple.

Back to the Present: Awakening in Battle

The traitor was alive. And worse, they had built their own empire.

Kazuki Kaori leaned against the wall, his breathing heavy. His golden eyes held a flicker of something more now—something dangerous. The battle had drained him, pushed him past his limits. He gritted his teeth. "They're regrouping. They're not done yet."

Leon Aurelian stood beside him, his body tense. He never complained. He never did. "Then we move first. We're not giving them the chance."

Kai adjusted his glasses, blood dripping from a fresh cut on his cheek. "We'll need to be smart about this. They know how we operate. And with our luck, they're already watching us."

Lexa Voss crossed her arms, her sharp demeanor unreadable. "So what's the plan, Emjay?"

Before he could answer, the ground trembled beneath them. A shockwave ripped through the ruins, sending debris flying. From the smoke emerged their enemy, and at the head of their force stood a figure.

"I came for you, Emjay. It's me, Aiziro, a member of your fellow traitor."

"Fall back!" Emjay ordered, but it was too late.

Aiziro lunged, faster than a bullet, his fist aiming straight for Kazuki. Kazuki barely managed to dodge, his body flickering—then splitting.

A second Kazuki appeared beside him, a perfect duplicate, moving in sync. The air around them rippled as his ability activated, the effort carving deep exhaustion into his face. "I can only hold this for so long," he muttered, then he started attacking Aiziro from both sides, one side is himself and another his copy, but Aiziro managed to dodge them both and sank through the smoke,

Suddenly another attack came from above. Leon reacted instantly, vanishing in a blur before appearing behind the enemy, slashing with his blade. But teleportation wasn't infinite—it burned some of his energy. "Damn it," he hissed, barely keeping himself upright. Aiziro didn`t seem like he was affected by the slash, then pushed Leon away,

Kai's eyes darted between the chaos. His mind worked faster than anyone else's, analyzing, predicting. He reached into his coat, Then he ran around the enemy with an incredible speed. The air around them crackled from how fast he was. "I'll keep him occupied. Just don't let me run out of energy, or we're all dead."

Kai landed many hits on him butt Aiziro managed to catch Kai and stopped him from running, Then he threw him against a wall but kai reacted fast and landed on the wall with his feet, in spite of that, his glasses almost broke,

Lexa rolled her shoulders, a dark mist seeping from her fingertips. "Time to remind them why they should fear us."

Aiziro pressed a device on his wrist, his voice sharp. "Lillie and Elijah, come. I need support."

Within moments, Lillie and Elijah stormed in, their weapons drawn. Lillie moved swiftly, twin daggers glinting in the dim light as she closed the gap between her and Emjay's group. Alexer followed, wielding a heavy war hammer, the weight of it making the ground quake with every step.Before the reinforcements could do any damage, a new presence emerged on the battlefield. Nana, Crimson, and Bleaf rushed in, coming to Emjay's side.Bleaf engaged Elijah, their weapons clashing. Bleaf's smirk widened. "You know, I have an iron arm." As soon as the words left his lips, his left arm transformed into solid iron. He swung hard, forcing Elijah to dodge quickly. But his breath grew heavier—the bigger the lie, the more energy it drained from him. "Let's see how long you can last."Lillie swung a reinforced baton, catching Leon's blade mid-strike with a loud clang. She gritted her teeth as Leon teleported behind her, slashing again, forcing her to spin and block with practiced precision.Crimson locked eyes with Aiziro, gripping his weapon tightly. "You won't get past me."Aiziro and Crimson's fight erupted with violent strikes, neither willing to give an inch.Aiziro's blows clashed with Crimson's twin daggers, the two moving too fast for the untrained eye to follow. "You're strong," Aiziro admitted, ducking under a slice. "But let's see if you can keep up!"Lillie pressed her communication device. "Esami and Alexer—we need backup!"Esami and Alexer arrived moments later, immediately engaging in battle. Esami charged toward Kai, swinging her twin blades. Kai's movements blurred as he dodged, but Esami anticipated his rhythm, forcing him back. "Fast, but predictable," she muttered, barely missing his counterattack.

Meanwhile, Alexer positioned himself at a distance, setting up his sniper rifle. His eyes locked onto the battlefield, scanning for an opening. The moment he saw an enemy vulnerable, he fired precise shots, forcing them to stay on the move.

Crimson and Aiziro clashed violently, their weapons ringing through the battlefield. "You're stubborn," Aiziro spat, narrowly dodging a horizontal slash. "You're reckless," Crimson retorted, lunging forward with relentless force.

The fight raged on, both sides taking heavy hits. Kai's speed was slowing, Leon's teleportation was getting sluggish, and Crimson's strikes were losing strength. Bleaf staggered as his iron arm faded back to normal, exhaustion written across his face.

"We need to fall back!" Leon shouted, then said ''There is too much pressure on us right now''

Reluctantly, the team obeyed, retreating through the ruined battlefield. The enemy didn't chase. They had sent their message loud and clear: This war was far from over.

Leon grabbed Emjay's arm and teleporting him a short distance away. The others followed, retreating toward their base, their bodies battered and bruised.

Returning to BaseBack at their base, Emjay's team collapsed from exhaustion. Their wounds were severe, and they needed help fast.

Yano knelt beside Leon first, placing a glowing hand over his worst injury. "Hold still," she murmured. Her power seeped into his wounds, slowly knitting the torn flesh back together. But as the wound closed, pain shot through her body, a faint bruise forming on her arm.

Leon's eyes narrowed. "It's taking your own strength, isn't it?"

Yano smiled weakly. "I can handle it. Just don't go dying on me."

One by one, she healed the others, each time taking on 10% of their pain. By the end, she was barely standing, sweat dripping down her forehead.

"That's enough for now," Emjay said firmly. "You've done more than enough."

Yano exhaled and nodded, sinking into a chair. The team was battered, but alive. They had survived—this time.

But they all knew the next battle would be even worse.