Amara remained still, eyes wide and breath held, when she heard the sound of firm footsteps approaching. Ryu Tsukishiro — the White Moon Dragon — appeared before her like a silent specter. Calmly, he unlatched his rifle, slung it back on his strap, and began removing, one by one, the black creatures that were suffocating her.
Able to move again, Amara saw her body covered in the black blood of the Sombros and felt disgusted. She only realized what was happening when a strong hand grabbed her neck, forcing her to face those cold, slanted eyes.
Ryu seemed to be evaluating her, as if uncertain. Then he finally asked in a low, deep voice:
"Are you a Sombro?"
"N-no…" Amara stammered, struggling to breathe under the pressure of the firm hand on her neck.
"Ryu!" a firm voice cut through the silence. A woman with light blond hair, cut into an elegant bob, approached. She wore the same Hinoken uniform, proudly displaying the cobalt flame symbol. Her gaze was stern, arms crossed as if scolding the leader. "Can't you see she's human? She was about to be devoured by the Sombros."
Ryu suddenly let go of her neck, allowing air to return to her lungs. He straightened up, and still with his eyes fixed on Amara, stated:
"I only see black blood on her."
With that, he used his right hand to draw the legendary Hinoyaiba from the sheath on his back. The movement was calm and slow, making Amara shudder. The pain from her injuries prevented her from standing or making any move.
Ryu raised the sword, and just as he was about to strike, Amara tightly shut her eyes and recoiled, bracing for the fatal blow.
However…
She only felt a small, thin cut on her left arm. When she opened her eyes, she saw her red blood dripping from the nearly painless new wound.
"Human," declared the leader of the Hinoken as he returned the sword to his back.
He was so serious and calm; Amara had never met someone so cold before.
"Did you really have to do that?" The warrior walked up to them angrily. "The girl's already been through enough and now you pull this stunt?"
Amara clutched her wounded arm and felt her vision blur, as if she were about to faint. She remembered she was still losing a lot of blood, which terrified her.
The warrior approached gently and helped her stand up.
"We must be extra cautious while in an area infested with Sombros," Tsukishiro said calmly, turning his back to them and scanning the street for more Nefaris to exterminate.
The blonde helped Amara walk away from those hideous corpses. The wound in her abdomen hurt terribly, and she fought not to pass out.
"Don't mind him. I'm Emi Miyamoto, second-in-command of the Hinoken. I'll help you get to the shelter and receive proper medical care."
Amara could hardly believe it. Two of the legendary Hinoken leaders, right there in front of her. Her heart was racing and adrenaline still surged through her; she felt a mix of reverence and fascination.
"Are you the Steel Phoenix? The one who killed over two hundred Nefaris alone??"
"Yes, that's me." Emi laughed, but not arrogantly—she radiated kindness.
"Oh, my father…" Amara quickly remembered. "He's locked in our broken-down car. He can't walk, and I broke his wheelchair while I was fighting."
The rain had lessened, and she could see the warrior beside her more clearly.
"Don't worry, we'll get you and your father into our rescue vehicle. Once we reach the shelter, we'll arrange a new chair for him." Emi smiled, and Amara returned the gesture.
However, when she looked up at the sky, toward the bamboo forest, she noticed the helicopters weren't flying into the city but remained only in that area. Emi followed her gaze and explained the unspoken question on Amara's face:
"The helicopters won't fly over the city yet," Emi explained, following her gaze to the sky. "We need to ensure everyone is in the shelter before releasing the poison here."
"That's why we need to move fast," Ryu said harshly, reminding Amara that he was still there. "We need to contain these creatures before they reach other cities."
"Of course, let's go now," Emi replied and continued helping Amara. "You look seriously injured. We have a medic in the vehicle who can treat you before we get to the shelter."
"Thank you so much, but I'm a nurse too. I'll manage."
"You're in no condition to take care of yourself! Let the medic treat you."
"Okay, but…"
"But what?"
"It's just that I'm mixed—my father's from Aokai and my mother's from Khalawan… People don't usually treat me very well…"
"You don't need to worry, dear. I know very well what mixed people and foreigners go through in this country, but I guarantee you that no medical care will be denied to you. And at the shelter, every mixed person will be allowed in, even if we have to use force!" Emi declared with the authority of a queen.
"Thank you so much." Amara bowed her head in gratitude and respect.
As they walked toward her father's car, with Ryu several steps ahead and silent as a grave, Amara decided to call out to him timidly:
"Hey? Mr. Tsukishiro?" He stopped and turned his head toward her. "Thank you… for saving me just now. If it weren't for you, not only would I be dead, but my father too—he would definitely have been the next target."
"Don't thank me, girl," he said harshly again. "Killing Nefaris is my job. It had nothing to do with you."
Amara was left speechless by such rudeness.
"RYU!" Emi scolded loudly. "How rude!" She turned to Amara. "He's just in a bad mood because of everything going on, please forgive him."
Upon hearing that, Ryu strode toward them and stopped very close to Amara's face. She could feel his cold breath, and her heart stopped for a few seconds.
"One more thing, a tip for you… When someone draws a sword in front of you, don't shut your eyes and wait for death like a scared little girl… It's pathetic!"
And with those cruel words, he walked away without looking back.
Amara swallowed the lump in her throat. His harshness cut deeper than any blade, and in that moment, deep in her soul, Amara felt the birth of the purest, most profound hatred.