Those bitten will eventually turn to become one of those horrifying monsters. That was a lesson they had learned the hard way... Rushing towards the injury tent Laura was first on the scene, what she saw was enough to make her stomach turn.

The healer was on the floor and so were his intestines, atop of him were two tanks and a ranger, no former tanks and ranger. There was not an ounce of humanity in those emerald green eyes as they teared through his flesh, his eyes long lost focus but still barely holding on to dear life.

Across the tent, similar dead bodies of what was once injured soldiers were spread across the floor. It seemed that some turned and surprise attacked the rest. Swiftly beheading the monsters, Laura squatted down neat the mage, blood seeping from his mouth as his eyes regained their clarity for a second. He looked at her as tears mixed with blood streamed down from his eyes.

His hand grabbed her by the arm with such strength as he stuttered.

"I-I don't want to die...p-please don't let me die, i'm scared..." choking on his on blood his eyes eventually dimmed as life escaped from his body.

Laura felt pain in her chest, another young soul dead. Was it her fault? Maybe she could have saved him if she was stronger? He was so terrified, one can only wonder what those last moments must have been like, being eating alive...

"Laura!" Lana came rushing followed by Allen and Collin in tow, looking at the scene around them it was easy to understand what had happened. Standing up she lightly muttered "Burn all the dead, or they will rise again..."

************

The commotion only served to unnerve everyone else, with heavy hearts the army moved their dead over to one place near what was once the injury tent as one of the mages summoned a great fire to burn down all the corpses.

The smell of burnt flesh and blood lingered in everyone's noses, as they stood in silence paying their respects to the dead. This wasn't the type of funeral those brave man and woman deserved but it was the only one they could afford.

They stood there quietly watching as the fire ate away what was once their companions, what was once people with hopes and dreams, people with families, people that wanted to live... Yet their lives taken away from them while they still stood here alive.

That was the hardest part after each battle, a part none could claim to have gotten used to, it always made one wonder, would the next one be them?

Allen's shout brought everyone's attention back

"MEN! FORM A LINE!"

Following their instincts, everyone stood to attention, forming a line as the leaders looked at them.

Collin followed speaking after everyone was in place "I'm sure all of you understand the meaning of this, those that had been bitten would eventually turn to become one of those monsters, they would loose their humanity and become nothing more then mindless monsters in the flesh of former warriors..." taking a deep breath he spoke once again this time loudly and clearly.

"I ask this now, those that had been bitten STEP FORWARD!"

The implication those words meant was clear to everyone that heard them, those that had been bitten were essentially as good as dead. A suffocating silence reigned over the army as everyone held their breath.

It did not take long before two man and one woman stepped forward from the ranks, their gazes were sharp as if they had made up their minds, one of the men was a young man the other a middle aged one with grey hair both were tanks while the woman was a ranger.

As soon as they stepped forward, a young man from the crowd jumped forward screaming "NO NO NO FATHER NOO!! It can't be!" As he rushed forward towards the middle aged man who turned to look at him and gave him a soft loving smile.

"Father please tell me this isn't true! Not you! This can't be happening!" The father slowly patted his son's hair his eyes moistened as he drew him to a tight hug. His son struggled out of his embrace as he cried loudly, his howls seemed to pierce straight towards the hearts of those present.

The leaders gazes were dark, no sane commander would ever want to be put in such a situation. Forced to sacrifice the life of a few for the rest to survive. The other bitten young man seemed to have made his resolve as his gaze turned towards the Laura he softly smiled "Please don't forget about us my name is Reeve Ricket!" With that he unsheathed his giant claymore an plunged it deep towards his heart.

Laura felt her heart break as the young man, no as Reeve's body collapsed lifeless, the young woman was shaking in fear as she looked towards the army behind her, whenever her gaze fell at someone they seemed to avoid her, was it out of pity? She did not know, all she knew was that she was afraid, she had survived all the way up until the 100th floor. All the way till now, her wish was simple only to see her sister again, but now it seemed her journey had come to an end.

She howled in rage and defeat, she refused why? Why?? Why was life so unfair?? She asked Ysion, why? She asked him when he took her sister away, but now it seemed he was about to take her as well...

Screaming she unsheathed her dagger and howled her name in a final act of defiance "MY NAME IS THEFFANIA ADALIE!" With that she plunged it deep into her heart, as she collapsed towards the ground and darkness started to overtake her, she seemed to have seen the figure of the person she longed to see, the person long lost to her. "I'm coming to see you sister..." she lightly muttered as her eyes slowly lost focus.

The army, was quiet as the only sound present was that of the howling of a child screaming for his father, his dad lightly pushed him away and seemed to mutter something in his ears before he unsheathed his claymore "MY NAME IS VICAR GEFFROI!" And plunged it towards his heart, his son stood there with a broken expression on his face as his father kept staring at him while lightly smiling all the way till the end...