This is one of the reasons why Astral Users are so valuable for any country, organization, or group. Still, that same reason is also why they were so feared back then. A single S-rank Astral User can change the tide of a battle in an instant and completely alter the outcome of a war. One of those people was Masamoto, a living legend, and a true monster.

He can create and manipulate lightning, a basic but extremely powerful and dangerous element. His Astral capacity was outrageous, and he alone could power up an entire town for days without rest. He can summon lightning from the sky, create thunderbolts that can pierce through steel, and even create a small-scale tornado of electricity.

Of course, there is a limit, even for him, a limit for everything. His control wasn't perfect, and his generated lightning would often spread indiscriminately, and his storms would sometimes cause destruction. But an armor explicitly created for him solved all of that.

An armor that can store his excess energy, an armor that can create a static shield and an armor that can direct his attacks with precision and control. An armor that can turn him into a walking weapon of mass destruction. That is his armor, his pride, and the symbol of his power.

This bulky armor is almost impossible to function since the energy required to power it up is astronomical, and it also needs a ridiculously long time to charge up. However, that is no problem for Masamoto, who can generate, store, and produce almost limitless amounts of electricity.

He looked at Moonlight, analyzing her and deciding on how he should fight her. From the previous battle's report, nobody has ever managed to scratch her. She had an insane speed and reflex that made her almost impervious to attacks, and her durability was also absurd.

"Scared? Don't worry, I'll make this quick." Masamoto taunted her.

Moonlight didn't reply, and her face was expressionless. She didn't say anything, and she didn't move.

"Fine, be like that, then." Masamoto charged forward, and the ground below him cracked. He swung his massive sword, creating a powerful lightning slash.

---

"What the actual frick?!" Eva screamed in her mind as she dodged the attack.

She had no freaking idea THE General Masamoto would be here! And what the hell is with that armor?! He looked like a sci-fi robot or something. Was that some kind of mecha?! Eva always wanted to try piloting a mecha.

Anyway, this was bad. She was not prepared for a fight like this at all. Eva had always been like this, impulsive and reckless. She thought her father would be the one leading this operation, not this freaking monster. But oh well, it's too late to regret it now. She was already here, and she would have to finish this.

Eva dodged another lightning slash, and the ground behind her was completely destroyed. This guy was insanely strong. She could feel the heat and the power of the slash even though she dodged it. It would probably be bad if she got hit by it.

"Come on, fight back!" Masamoto taunted her and swung his massive sword, creating more slashes.

Eva dodged again and again, and the slashes destroyed more and more of the forest. The smell of burnt wood filled the air, and the sound of thunder roared in the sky. This is getting ridiculous.

She dodged the lightning strike from the sky and landed beside Haruto, who only managed to stand up after being thrown away just by the impact. Fighting this would be fun, but she had a feeling that things would get very, very messy if she continued to drag this.

"Gather your men and break out. I'll handle him." Eva advised.

Haruto, who was still bewildered by what was happening, nodded his head. Maybe it was best to stick to the original plan and escape since the AGA forces were already disorganized and in shambles. Haruto screamed and ordered his men to regroup and start fleeing, and his men did as he said.

"Trying to run away, huh? You're dead meat." Masamoto prepared to charge towards the fleeing terrorist, but Eva stood in his way.

"I don't think so." Eva smiled, and her eyes glinted mischievously. Despite the predicament she was facing right now, she was having a blast.

"Fine, you first, then." Masamoto brandished his massive sword and charged toward Eva.

Eva jumped, avoiding the attack, and slashed her sword repeatedly toward Masamoto. However, her sword just sort of bounced off his armor, not leaving even a scratch. Masamoto didn't even bother to block her attacks, and he just let her hit his armor as he swung his own sword toward her.

"Shit!" Since Eva was still in the air, she couldn't dodge it. Eva immediately raised her sword to parry the attack, and the impact sent her flying backward.

Eva crashed into a tree, breaking the tree, and fell to the ground. She quickly regained her composure and stood up, her dress slightly burned and torn. Masamoto didn't give her any respite and charged toward her. Eva barely managed to dodge his attack, but the aftershock blew her away. She crashed into another tree, but this time, she managed to stay on her feet.

---

"All units retreat from the area. I repeat all units retreat from the area," Richard ordered through the comms.

Haruto's men were successful in breaking out from the encirclement, and the AGA forces were in shambles. He technically could order his men to chase after Haruto, but he won't. He'll make up some excuse later since his objective to cripple the 'Iniator' was already a success. All he needed to do right now was evacuate his and Masamoto men from the wrath of the battle and maybe dig for more information about Moonlight.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on infiltrating Moonlight's mind. However, something was blocking him, preventing him from connecting his power to her mind. Richard frowned; he didn't like what was implied if he couldn't connect to her mind. Sure, there is a way to block his power, but not a lot of people know about it, and certainly, no one here is capable of doing it.

The only really realistic way to block his power is to have an Astral Ability that also involves the uses of mind, like psychic or telepathy. On top of that, you also need a substantial Astral capacity to even have a chance of blocking his power and also trained extensively to do so. If this was his daughter, who had the same ability as him, he wouldn't be surprised if she was now able to block him after all of that training.

However, Moonlight's power doesn't even have the slightest connection to the mind, so there is no logical way for her to block him. Is her will just that strong, or is she just naturally immune to his power? If that's truly the case, is she even a human, or there's another unknown factor that he needs to discover? He's starting to get paranoid with all of this mess.

"What even are you? Who are you truly?" Richard whispered under his breath as he watched Moonlight fighting Masamoto on the monitor.

---

The main target has already escaped... Masamoto cursed inwardly. He can't chase after the terrorist since Moonlight is currently keeping him busy. Although the mission has already been compromised, he still can salvage it by taking down Moonlight.

But she is too slippery and annoying for him to land a hit. She dodges his attacks with ease, and she always manages to slip through his grasp. And what is that fighting style? She looks very inexperienced and clumsy with her movements, yet she manages to dodge and parry his attack effortlessly.

Masamoto was a seasoned warrior; he had seen his fair share of strange fighters, and he was an experienced tactician. He knew how to read his opponent's movement, predict their next action, and exploit their weakness. But Moonlight defies all of that. She is clumsy, unpredictable, and inconsistent.

There is no pattern or rhythm to her movement, yet she is able to keep up with him. Is this even a technique or a form of self-taught improvised combat? Masamoto can't help but be intrigued by Moonlight's fighting style.

"Fight me seriously!" Masamoto yelled and swung his massive sword downwards once again.

Moonlight dodged the attack, and the ground where the swing was directed at was destroyed. She slipped past the gap and attacked him from behind. He could feel her blade try to slice him repeatedly, but her sword was stopped by his armor's static shield again and again.

Masamoto spun around, trying to swat her away, but Moonlight jumped backward, evading his attack. She looked unfazed and still had that emotionless look on her face. This is starting to piss Masamoto off.

"Are you underestimating me?" Masamoto questioned.

"No. Let's finish this." Moonlight replied monotonously.

Her expression didn't change, but Masamoto could feel the killing intent emanating from her. Her blue eyes gleamed ominously as she brandished her sword. Her stance changed, and her breathing became steady. Masamoto felt his instincts telling him that he was in danger.

He generated more shields just to be prepared for whatever Moonlight was going to throw at him. They stare at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. The tension was thick, and the air was heavy. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Then, suddenly, Moonlight disappeared from his sight. Masamoto braced himself for whatever attack Moonlight was about to throw at him, but nothing happened. Perhaps she is trying to lower his guard down, so Masamoto decided not to move and still keep his guard up.

...

Masamoto waited, but still, nothing happened. Is she... trying to lure him into a false sense of security? He chuckled. He won't fall for such a cheap trick.

...

After waiting for almost a minute, Masamoto began to think that Moonlight may have fled...

"Fuck! I had been played!" Masamoto screamed internally and immediately tried to locate Moonlight.

He looked around, trying to see any trace or hints of her movement, but there was none. He cursed inwardly and gritted his teeth. He never felt this humiliated before. How could he, a veteran, fall for such a simple and cheap trick? He activated his radar but found nothing.

"General Masamoto, I found no trace of Moonlight anywhere in the vicinity. It is likely she had escaped." General Richard notified him through the comms.

"...Roger that," Masamoto replied, seething with anger.

---

Eva breathed a sigh of relief as she distanced herself from the situation. It had been nerve-wracking, and she wasn't sure her plan would work. While Eva had confidence in her fighting abilities, she knew they paled in comparison to General Masamoto's skills. She may be reckless, but she is not an idiot.

Overall, her primary objective of saving the 'Initiator' was successfully achieved. Additionally, she gained valuable experience from participating in a live battle where she wasn't just massacring a bunch of poor bastards.

Now for the fundamental objective, to recruit the 'Initiator.' Her father already taught her how to locate people through her mind, and she managed to pinpoint the location of Haruto since she was still in close proximity to him. She knows where he is going, and she will surprise him there.

There are still thirty minutes before class starts, so Eva has time to spare. She glanced at her ruined dress and sighed. She really liked this one. Oh well, it can't be helped since it was inevitable.

---

Haruto and his men managed to escape and regroup. There was no immediate pursuit from the AGA, and they managed to put a safe distance between them and the enemy. Haruto and his men were panting hard, tired from running.

He looked at his surroundings and saw his men battered and exhausted. The number of his men has also decreased significantly. He estimates the number to be only half of his original force.

"Shit." He cursed under his breath. But at least the women and children who can't fight are safe, so he can count it as a success.

"Sir, what now?" One of his men asked.

"We continue with the plan. Gather everyone and start moving out." Haruto ordered.

They can't stay here and rest here forever. The AGA would probably launch a search soon, and they need to be far from here before that happens. It was already a miracle that some of them even managed to escape, and he didn't want to push his luck further.

"Yessir." The man complied.

"You've done well." A woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere, scaring the living shit out of him and his men.

Haruto's eyes widened, and his men immediately aimed their guns at the mysterious woman. He recognized the woman, and it was Moonlight. Haruto calmed his beating heart and ordered his men to stand down.

"It's you again... What do you want?" Haruto questioned, suspicious of Moonlight's intention.

"Is this how you treat your benefactor after I saved you twice? How rude." Her expressionless face turned into a smile, and to be honest. It was creeping him out. She was beautiful, that was for sure. But something about her just screams danger.

Haruto looked at Moonlight suspiciously; he couldn't trust her. She was a mystery, and Haruto had no idea what her motive was. Even if he had no choice but to rely on her, he would still be wary of her.

"Join you?" Haruto narrowed his eyes. "A maniacal murderer like you? You have killed countless innocent civilians just to achieve whatever goal you are pursuing. I would never join someone like you..." Haruto rejected her outrightly.

Moonlight giggled, seemingly amused by his reaction. "Come on, don't be like that. I'm not such a bad person, and besides..." She paused, looking at him with those icy blue eyes. "I know what you truly want... I knew how to save Yuna Izayaki... your beloved wife." She whispered the last bit.

Haruto froze. His eyes widened, and his whole body shivered. "What...?" He croaked as everything felt hazy.

Moonlight smiled and gathered everyone's attention by clapping her hands. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen! As some of you might know, I am Moonlight, the notorious killer who has killed thousands of people just for the sake of my selfish desire." She declared, and the air got heavier.

"Or... that's what the media said anyway." She added. "Do you really believe everything you hear on the news? After they labeled every single one of you as a terrorist and a mass murderer? Come on, open your eyes. See the truth. This country is rotten to the core, and it must be purged to the roots!" She preached as her eyes glinted dangerously.

Haruto, who was still shaken by what Moonlight had revealed. Couldn't really concentrate on her speech. He only heard bits and pieces of it. Like how she's a savior and she would guide humanity to a better future. The usual stuff, he didn't care.

He just wanted Moonlight to tell him how to save Yuna, his wife. After years of searching and contemplation, he finally found hope. Haruto looked at Moonlight expectantly. His whole body trembled.

"So, what do you say, Haruto Izayaki? As their leader, will you join me?" Moonlight ended her speech and offered him her hand.

Haruto gulped and hesitated. His eyes flickered around, looking for an answer, looking for a way to save Yuna. Then, his eyes landed on the ring on his finger. He took a deep breath, and his mind was made up.

"I will join you..." Haruto accepted Moonlight's offer.

Moonlight smiled; her blue eyes glinted ominously, and her red lips curved upward. A sinister giggle escaped her mouth. She extended her arm and grabbed his right hand. "Welcome aboard, Haruto Izayaki..." Moonlight whispered.