[Queens.]
The dragon team arrived in Queens, the once-bustling borough now transford into a desolate, ash-covered hunting ground. They bypassed the collapsed highways and headed straight towards Grace’s family house, following behind her as she led them through the air, navigating the familiar skyline that was now scarred by the apocalypse.
"Over there--"
Grace froze mid-air, her hand trembling violently as she stared at the ruins of the sprawling estate below. The iron-wrought periter was shredded like paper, and half of the luxurious, multi-story mansion was completely leveled into a pile of smoking rubble.
"Co on." Mirabella placed a hand on her shoulder, an anchor of cold reality, as the group slowly nodded, descending and landing softly on the debris-littered ground.
"This?" Grace moved her horrified gaze on the destroyed gate, then at the mansion, her heart pounding against her ribs as she searched for any sign of life amidst the destruction.
"This estate is huge... Who is your father, Grace?" Carl asked in surprise, moving his gaze around the massive courtyard, noting the remnants of high-end security systems and extravagant landscaping that had been trampled by monstrous feet.
"Mr Gabriel, that’s his na, but everyone knows him as Mr White."
"....?!"
Precious, and Carl, even Mirabella turned to her in surprise. The na carried imnse weight in the old world’s political hierarchy.
"Your father is Queens Borough President?!!"
The three asked in shock. To have the daughter of one of New York’s primary leaders fighting in the vanguard of the world integration was an unexpected twist of fate.
"Yeah, he’s such a kind person, please... Nothing should happen to him." She prayed, her voice cracking as the reality of her father’s vulnerable mortality set in against the backdrop of the relentless monster hordes.
"Co on, let’s check inside the remaining half. All of you should be on guard, there are monsters around." Mirabella said, walking ahead. Her eyes scanned the environnt.
’These monsters are only Lv20 to Lv50, they’re simply too weak. But that doesn’t an they won’t be powerful ones.’ She thought, dismissing the threats. She stopped in front of the destroyed front door, and moved a finger around the jagged, scorched holes in the reinforced concrete wall.
"These are firearms... Seems your father’s security fought the monsters. Your parents should have used the opportunity to escape." She said, her mind reconstructing the battle. The lack of high-level magical damage indicated a desperate, mundane last stand. With that deduction, she entered inside the shadowed building.
Grace and Carl following behind her, weapons drawn and senses heightened.
"I will keep watch." Hitachi said calmly, and backed the group, staring at the ruined city streets ahead. His crimson aura was suppressed, his legendary armor humming faintly in the silence. He was the perfect, immovable sentinel.
"I will stay with Young master Hitachi!" Aurelia quickly yelled, maybe too quickly, which caused the group outside to look at her with raised eyebrows.
"Umm... He can’t stay outside alone." She added, trying desperately to justify her sudden outburst as a tactical decision rather than a blatant excuse.
"I don’t mind staying alone." Hitachi cut her off, his voice chanical and devoid of any underlying emotion, not even looking back at the group.
"...?"
Hearing his cold words, Aurelia’s face instantly heated up; "Um... Mm... Uh... I want to stay." She stamred, abandoning all tactical pretense, her composure completely disintegrating under the weight of her own embarrassnt.
Austin stared at his twin, his eyes narrowing slightly as he read the obvious situation. And after so seconds, he shrugged. "Okay then, we will check inside." He said, walking inside to join the search.
The rest of the group following behind him, leaving the two alone outside in the desolate courtyard.
Aurelia swallowed hard, stealing a glance at Hitachi’s broad, armored back. ’What should I do now?’ She thought in confusion, her heart racing faster than it did during the battle at the cetery.
"They are monsters walking in the street." Hitachi suddenly threw his hand towards her, grabbed Aurelia’s wrist with surprising gentleness despite his gauntlets, and pulled her smoothly into the shadows of a ruined corner pillar.
"Shush." He shushed her, standing directly in front of her to shield her presence. Hitachi turned his head, his red eyes staring at the street.
The ground trembled faintly. The monsters were five Ogres, standing five ters tall. Each holding a massive, crude battleaxe, their skin thick like hardened leather.
"Lv200... Seems the Captain was right. The gateway guard will surely send monsters to hunt for us... She also said we should move discreetly, so the guard won’t escape." He whispered in a low, serious voice, entirely focused on the mission paraters. He was completely unaware whatever he was saying wasn’t even reaching Aurelia, whose face was bright red.
’I can scent him... He’s too close, wow, his scent so good. His chest, muscles... No!!’ She shook her head, violently trying to dislodge the intrusive thoughts.
’What are you thinking, Aurelia?!!! We’re in a dangerous place!! I wasn’t like this before?’ She slowly looked up at Hitachi’s side-profile, the sharp lines of his jaw.
’Was it because he saved ? Is this love at first sight?! No!! Although Young master Hitachi is handso, he will never look my way! I shouldn’t think about this! Yes, I shouldn’t.’ She kept on shaking her head in denial, and in her flustered state, she accidentally bumped into Hitachi’s solid chest plate.
"....?!"
Hitachi turned his gaze from the patrolling monsters, down to Aurelia, his brows raised in genuine, silent confusion.
"Um... Sorry, there was a bug." Aurelia lied instantly, panic seizing her vocal cords. She then looked down and turned to her hand, which Hitachi was still holding firmly against his side.
"Can you please, let go?" She asked in a frantic, barely audible whisper.
"Ahem." Hitachi cleared his throat, a rare crack in his stoic facade, and imdiately let go of her, stepping out slightly from the corner now that the heavy footsteps were fading down the block.
"They’re gone. Listen, no monster should set their eyes on us. We should be careful." He said calmly, imdiately reverting to his role as the disciplined noble warrior, ignoring the charged atmosphere entirely.
Aurelia exhaled deeply, holding her chest as if trying to physically slow her racing heartbeat. ’Gosh, that was close... I know I have had a crush on him from the start, but why can’t I control my emotions now! What is wrong with ?’ She thought with a deep, frustrated frown, annoyed at her sudden lack of professional assassin discipline.
Seeking a distraction, Aurelia turned her gaze to the side, and her breath hitched. Seeing Veronica standing there in the peripheral shadows, she froze, her eyes wide.
’This?! She has been here all along?! Did she see anything?!!!’ She thought in sheer shock. The mind-controlled Fourth World beast lady was standing as perfectly still as a statue, her white, hollow eyes staring straight ahead, the ultimate, silent witness to Aurelia’s embarrassing ltdown.
’No!! What am I saying?! What anything.’ She shook her head, trying to rationalize the situation.
’Maybe I should have gone inside with the rest.’ She turned her gaze back to Hitachi, who stood like a statue himself, completely ignoring her internal crisis and keeping watch over the ruins.
’Did he do sothing to ?’ She asked herself, wondering if the swordsman possessed so kind of passive, legendary class charm skill that was ssing with her head.
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