CHAPTER 9: ESCAPE (2) 

*Boom*

After Blu blew up the lab

{Command building} 

The whole building was in agitation. 

Men in white could be seen running in disarray, as they did not know what is happening as the lab exploded, 

Then came the commander, as he woke up from bed due to the explosion, making his way to reduce the panic. 

He asked one of the [men in white] who was trying to stop the chaos. 

"What's going on?"

The [men in white] responded, 

"Sorry Commander, we are all under attack". 

Worried over the situation, he said. 

"How are we under attack?"

Swift to respond, the [men in white] said

"I don't know, all we can say is the professor's lab exploded". 

In surprise, he shouted out. 

"What?! It exploded". 

"Yes sir". 

The Commander kept asking. 

"How did that happen?" 

"Where's the professor?"

Confused over the questions being given, he could only respond in a gloomy way shaking his head. 

"We don't know". 

The Commander was left to ponder about the issue. 

— This situation is illogical, because there is no way this was an attack from the klaurs if it was why wasn't the walls being attacked and why only attack the lab... 

An idea came to the Commander. 

— what if this isn't an attack from the klaurs, but someone but who... The test subjects... I better check them. 

After a short while of thinking, he said. 

"Am heading off to check the situation at the test subject's building. 

Gather everyone outside, and report more of the situation through the comms". 

He then responded with a nod, saying. 

"Ok sir", 

*Swoosh*

The Commander then vanished without a trace, as he used the mana in his body to accelerate his movements as he headed to the test subjects building. 

While running, the Commander was optimistic. 

— I hope this isn't what I think it is, this whole thing can be explained if it is them... 

On arrival, he searched through the whole building, from door to door. 

As he couldn't identify anyone as the building, he wondered. 

— Where are they? where are the test subjects? 

Of course, the Commander knew that if he did not find them, he would be in trouble as he would be the main culprit. As a royal knight that couldn't fulfill his duties. 

*Boom*

Another explosion took off at command center, 

The commander in worries shouted. 

What?! 

Angered by the explosion, he said 

— It seems like I underestimated them, 

But if I find them, they are all dead. 

As the Commander was almost to take off to check out the situation of the command center, he paused for a brief moment then said.

"Come out from where you are, Cerberuse", 

Then slowly came Cerberuse emerging from his side, as the Commander said, 

Shifting his gaze to him, he said. 

"What were you thinking, 

Following me with an invisibility cloak?"

With a weird grin on his face, he said. 

"Keke... I just wanted to observe what the humble commander was up to, closely", 

Ignoring his grinning face, the Commander gazed away. 

"You know well, your tricks don't work on me, so why do it", 

Cerberuse then came closer as he said. 

"Well, it was just fun watching you, so I couldn't give it up", 

"Give it up you say, 

Do you want to die that badly?", 

He said with an intense glare. 

Startled by the Commander, he then moved back a bit. 

"No no...", 

The commander then stopped glaring, as he said. 

"Better", 

After a short pause, Cerberuse then asked. 

"... So what are you going to do? The test subjects are all missing, and if you don't find them, her majesty would be coming for our heads, of course that includes your and your precious Lena's own", 

Enraged by Cerberuse's words, the commander held his neck with a threatening face. 

He then held his sword close to Cerberuse's face, 

"Don't you dare mention her name like tha...",

*Boom*

Another explosion happened, this time it was at the storage building. 

In response to the attack, the commander then releases Cerberuse, dropping him into the snow, and pulls out a [comm]. 

Sending a message to those at the command building. 

"This is the Commander speaking, 

What's the stats?", 

The [men in white] picked up the message, then responded. 

"This is command center, 

The lab, command center and storage building are all on fire sir". 

The commander then shouted. 

"What?!"

Worried over the situation, he responded. 

"Though there are no causalities, we are unable to provide any service due to lack of control of the situation". 

*Sigh*

The Commander, following a sigh, responded. 

"The test subjects are all missing, can you look for them". 

With a salute, he said. 

"Yes sir... But we are urgently in need of your service, sir, 

We are all currently outside, waiting for your command sir", 

"Ok, I would be there". 

Hw then hanged up the call, shifting his gaze to Cerberuse. 

"Tsk!...

I have a job for you, Cerberuse, and that's to stay out of my way", 

Cerberuse in response said. 

"Ok Commander, but don't forget that you're still a knight", 

The commander knew he was a knight of the Eliana kingdom, but his ignorance grew. 

*Swoosh*

He ran to the rest who were outside the command center. 

On cite, the [men in white] were all chattering as they were in panic, 

As the Commander arrived, he walked slowly toward them as he said. 

"Everyone, quiet down, 

I know you are all in panic over the attack, but please calm down". 

After hearing the commander's voice, they all calmed down. 

Afterwards came one of the [men in white] from afar heading to meet the commander, 

He was short of breath as his words couldn't be conveyed to the Commander, as he could only hear his breathings. 

"Commander.... Hah! Hah!...". 

The Commander looked worried as he asked. 

"What's the matter". 

After catching his breath for a while, he said. 

"We have a problem sir, the test subjects are escaping". 

Letting out a short loud voice, he said. 

"What?!", 

Shocked by the Commander response, he said. 

"They have all been spotted at the gate", 

'It seems like we underestimated their potential on escaping, 

But, this is where it all ends' 

As the commander's face was grinning, he said 

"Bring out the MS-45", 

The unpleasant grin the Commander gave forced the [men in white] to respond back

"Sir that weapon is not for use". 

The commander then gazed strongly at him while saying. 

"I said bring the weapon". 

He was then forced to say. 

"Ok sir". 

The [men in white] ran back to bring the weapon

***

'MS-45, this is one of the lost weapons from the Great War, it was used to shoot down enemies in long ranges, its structure is one of those [guns] that was used before in the ancient times, and it is truly a masterpiece of war, 

I had the professor fixed it, but it only has a shot of 1 each day, 

1 shot as enough firepower to strike down a building, 

Which is perfect enough to kill them all'

***

The [men in white] then arrived with the weapon in an enclosed box. 

The Commander then opened the box and carried the weapon. 

After fixing the weapon, he then aimed the weapon toward the gate. 

Aimed at the gate, it then said. 

'Target lock'. 

As the commander spotted the vehicle, he said. 

— It seems like they are all planning to escape, but they underestimated us

The weapon then glowed as it said

'Mana, analyzing'. 

The commander was in doubt as he pondered. 

— That's weird they haven't moved from that spot, 

What are they planning now?

'Ready for fire'. 

— Well that doesn't matter. 

The Commander then fired the weapon. 

*shh*

A red flash of light flew over as it went straight for the vehicle. 

Reaching the vehicle, it then blowed it to smitten. 

As the commander noticed, he said. 

— Nice looks like it worked, 

Let's head down and see what's there. 

The Commander then headed to the gate to view the explosion. 

After the attack, Blu and Aria were blown away by the impact of the explosion, 

As Blu was unconscious, he then recalled all what he did. 

***

'Where did I go wrong? 

Why is it that what I seek always end up bad? 

I knew that escaping from this place was impossible, but rather. 

I wanted to escape, 

I didn't want to become a weapon for someone to use, I didn't want to be a slave of someone's ideals. 

I wanted to pave my own path, not walking those of others, I wanted to see the world outside this place. 

I knew it was childish of me to escape when it was impossible, but I wanted to challenge the impossible, 

I wanted freedom. 

I knew that—this plan was never going to work. 

Now they are all dead, all because of me

Why is it all what I seek came with a price, and that was always death, 

Why?'

***

"Blu, Blu...", 

Blu then heard Aria's voice as she shouted. 

"Haaaahh...", 

Blu woke up from the blast that sent them both flying, as he witnessed Aria crying, 

As Aria was crying, she said. 

"Blu.. I thought you were dead". 

Blu then comforted Aria as he said. 

"Don't cry... See I'm, already ok". 

He then patted Aria on the head. 

Observing as Blu's hands were shaking, Aria asked. 

"Are you sure". 

"Yes..."

He said with an uncomfortable grin, 

Blu then stood up as he pondered, while scratching his head. 

"So what happened?"

"The vehicle blew up...". 

A shock then ran through his head as he reviewed, 

— That's right, we were heading to the vehicle, then I spotted a red light. 

With a low voice, he said. 

"Red light?"

Blu turned behind him in fear of where the red light came from. 

With his gaze behind, he could identify a figure coming close towards their direction, as he cleaned his eyes to see who it was

It was the Commander, 

As Blu noticed this, he swiftly picked up Aria's hand and started running, but they couldn't run staunchly due to the blast of the red light, 

Blu then shouted. 

"Aria hurry up", 

Confused by the situation, as she couldn't understand what is happening, she asked. 

"Why are we running?"

Blu ignoring her question said. 

"Just forget asking and just run, or else we are going to die". 

He then pondered. 

— This is trouble, big trouble. Why do I have to face the Commander now with no weapon? 

Ahhh... This is the worse timing, 

He's not someone I can fight because he's like a fathomless OP character 

Moving at the top of their speed on the thick snow, Blu looked back, only to find another red light heading way as an arc,

He shouted at the top of his voice

"Aria down". 

As they all went diving down into the snow, they saw a flash of red light aiming straight at their head,

As Blu sought out for the commander, 

"Huh?! Where is the commander", 

Instantly, they all felt a bad vibe as they looked backwards in the hazy snow. 

There he was the commander, glaring at them intensely,  

"Well, well, if it isn't the defect, 

You really did a splendid job with the whole explosion, 

You have my thanks", 

With the intense aura the commander gave, Blu could move but await in fear of dying, 

Blu then clenched his fist with the resolve to respond back, 

"I-I am not a defect... My name is Blu", 

"Haha ha... not bad from a defect", 

he said with a huge grin, 

"To resist my kill intent, 

Seems like I really have to finish you here", 

Blu was troubled as he couldn't do anything yet again, so he asked. 

"What do you want from us?" 

"All we ever wanted was to see the world outside the walls", 

The Commander then smiled. 

"Hah?! The world outside the walls?", 

Following a huge laugh, he said. 

"Haaahha! So all you wanted was to see the world outside the world, 

Let me tell a little fact, 

There is no World outside these walls, 

All you witnessed in those books you read was the world before the Great catastrophe", 

Shocked by the Commander words. He could only doubt his words as a sign of relieve. 

"What? That's a lie", 

The Commander then replied. 

"Lie you think this is a lie, where do you think all those klaur came from, 

Why is it that there is only snow and it never drys up?

The world you knew was dead centuries ago". 

Blu was petrified as he could only ponder. 

— No, that can't be, my dreams of how my second life should be, this is just unfair,

Why am I reincarnated in this hell?

"It seems like I would have to teach you how this world works", 

Before Blu could react to the movement of the commander, the commander carried Aria, who couldn't move due to his aura, 

As he held her facing toward Blu, he said, 

"It seems like you treasure your friends a lot...", 

Drawing his sword close to her neck, 

"But...". 

As Blu glanced at Aria, he noticed her smiling, in a weird way. 

Once again, Blu was shocked as another one of his family was going to be killed in front of him, he shouted. 

"Please stop, please don't, I would do anything you say please don't kill her", 

"Lesson 1: If you keep friends, they become your weakness and die". 

The Commander then sliced off her neck, as her head fell running down toward Blu, 

On sight of her severed head, 

"Nooo...", he said, screamed at the top of his voice with tears running from his eyes. 

Blu dropped to his knees as he acquiesced his fate. Then recalled all the people he couldn't save, but just watch as they died. 

***

'Why did I fail to save anyone'. 

***

The commander then stepped close to Blu, as he said

"Lesson 2: If you are weak, your fate is to die", 

As the Commander rose up his sword to deliver a strike on Blu's neck, 

***

'So, I see it was because I wasn't powerful enough to...'. 

***

Blu then said with a low voice. 

— I wish I had the power to protect them all...

*Shine*

Then came a bright flash of light.