"...Why not?"

Nisha could not help but furrow her eyebrows as she looked at the fat boy lying on the ground lifelessly. Although the young boy seemed like a deranged evil spawn, it still left a bad aftertaste in her mouth to see a young boy die violently like that.

​​

"...Why not?" Van slightly shrugged his shoulder as he repeated his words, "He tried to stab y--"

"D... Donald… my… son," before Van could finish his words, his voice was drowned by the sorrowful whisper that started to echo throughout the huge hall.

"N… no," President Hyden whimpered, "Why… why my son? You… you could have just taken whatever you wanted..."

"..." Nisha could not help but bite her lip as President Hyden's whispers pierced her ears like a dagger. She truly was not expecting that a young boy would be the first collateral to their usurpation.

Nisha's thoughts were then disrupted as the old woman, Sasha, tried to escape to the door during the confusion. But alas, before she could do so, Nisha blocked her path. The old woman tried to resist, but was not a match for Nisha and was easily subdued to the floor.

Nisha took her knife and placed it on her neck, but before she could slice off her neck, Latanya stopped her, "Don't, we need her."

"..." Nisha only tightened her grip on the old woman as she placed all of her weight on her neck, but still careful enough not to choke her. This is what the old Prisoners and the Locals from the Village were so afraid of?

Although they went for an assassination, Nisha still thought that they would put up more of a fight. The guards weren't able to even do anything as Van mowed them down…

...or could it be that it was Van that was too strong?

That may be it… but even without that, they infiltrated the place too easily. Perhaps Latanya was right, with the low number of monsters due to the exponentially growing population, it would seem that there weren't enough Crystals to go around.

"H… huk…"

But still, even if these people did oppress the minority in the Village, to see a father cry for his child was… quite an anticlimactic way to close the curtain of their long history. It almost felt like they were the villains here, or maybe they always have been.

"I… I will kill all of you!"

President Hyden then slowly stood up, placing the body of his dead son gently on the ground.

"I will order the death of each and every last one--" President Hyden quickly stopped his words as soon as his eyes landed on Latanya, and without even a word, he rushed towards her. But instead of attacking, he kneeled on the floor.

"You… you're a healer, right!?" He pleaded, even placing his forehead on Latanya's feet,

"Please… please heal my child!"

"..." Latanya looked at President Hyden straight in the eyes as she said,

"...No."

"Y… You!" A thunderous noise instantly echoed through the room, completely filling the already bright hall with even brighter light.

Van slightly squinted his eyes as it slowly released a gold spark, similar to the crisp light that was emerging from President Hyden's arms. However, before Van could do anything, President Hyden's arms started to turn into mud, slowly deteriorating as it left a heavy stench in the air.

And then, he dropped to the ground as his legs became noodles; but still, his eyes did not leave Latanya even for a second as death rushed to take him away.

"..."

"You… you killed the President!" Sasha's stuttered screams reverberated throughout the hall as she watched as their President melted right in front of her.

"You have a problem with that?" Latanya slowly approached Sasha, who was still being pinned on the floor, "I want to kill you right now for killing my men… but we won't have any witnesses if I turn you into porridge…

...Take me to the President's office!"

Although Sasha's eyes were still filled with hesitation, she had no choice but to nod her head in submission in the end. That was their law, after all.

It was ironic that their President, who wanted to change the law of succession into that of a monarchy, died before he could pass it on. He was so near, but alas, it would seem the fates have other plans for their City.

"P… please, let me go and I will escort you there."

Latanya nodded towards Nisha, gesturing to her to let Sasha free. They were still on guard, but it would seem that Sasha truly had no intention of escaping as her steps were calm.

As soon as they exited the hall, a dozen guards were waiting for them. When the guards saw that their highest-ranked general, Sasha, walked out of the hall without the President and the rest of the guards, they all looked at each other in confusion. But as soon as they saw Van, whose whole body was covered in blood, they quickly raised their weapons.

"Stand down!"

"W… what?"

"The President is dead! The seat has been claimed by another!"

"W… what!?"

Once again, the guards all looked at each other as they slowly lowered their weapons. Sasha continued to walk and Latanya and the group followed her once more, but this time, they were followed by guards.

Nisha had her hands on her waist, ready to draw her daggers at any time… but it would seem they really had no plan of attacking them.

'...Seriously?' Nisha thought, 'They won't even try to engage us to avenge their President?'

And Nisha was right, more and more people started to follow them, but not even one tried to stop them. She thought that they were going to ambush them, but she was shocked to see that the guards started sheathing and even dropping their weapons in the hallway.

"..."

Soon, even men who were wearing a uniform that was adorned in jewels started following them, most probably men of high position. They started whispering with each other, asking Sasha about the situation.

It took almost a quarter of an hour before they reached a huge and spacious room, with the view of the entire City sitting on the window.

Sasha then gestured for Latanya, Nisha, and Van to stand near the desk.

"..."

They were completely trapped in a corner… but they could always just jump through the window if something went wrong, Nisha thought as she started looking for alternative escape routes. Her search, however, was quickly disrupted by a loud voice.

"Hear ye, Hear ye!"

Sasha started shouting as she looked at the numerous people behind them, "We have a new President! Claiming the seat by killing our former President, now departed, former President Joseph Hyden!"

Hearing Sasha's words, Nisha's jaw could not help but slightly open, 'Seriously?' She once again thought, 'It really was that easy?'

Van, on the other hand, was just flicking his fingers in the air, clicking his tongue in disappointment as he looked at the Souls he had recently collected.

Latanya took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. This City killed her comrades, and now this will be where their sons and daughters will rise. She remembered how they cornered them, almost a hundred of them.

She and her men only wanted to share their discovery, that another world was out there. They wanted to tell them that if they needed their help in uncovering the secrets of the Gate, they were willing to lay their lives for them, to strike first. Because maybe, just maybe...

...Their children would have better lives on the other side.

But finally, she now has a chance to do it, the death of her men would no longer be in vain as they will have a chance to go outside.

There were lots of things to do, but finally, she has taken a step towards their new beginning.

General Sasha then saluted, followed by the men adorned in fine clothes. And soon, everyone that followed them, even those that were outside of the room, were all saluting.

Latanya let go of her breath, opening her eyes which were filled with hope and enthusiasm as she scanned the people in front of her. But then, she noticed that something was wrong.

"!!!"

The bodies, the heads, and the eyes of the people…

...They were all pointing towards Van.

"..."

"..."

"...Oh."