The three companies were like a solid barrier, but unlike forces of Crescent, they didn’t fall like pieces of paper.

The vanguard cut through the sea of beasts like a hot knife through butter. The soldiers moved so efficiently that there was barely anything left for Kieran and his team to nibble on.

They moved powerfully and with purpose, stepping over the body parts of the beasts that had replaced the ground underneath them.

It didn’t take long to reach the life signals they had detected, and the forces of Crescent played a huge role in that.

They had made sure to pick the side of the wall with the lowest beast density, which made it easier for them and the forces of Origin to push through.

"It’s Origin, follow through!!"

The two awakened instructors of the Crescent camp were the first to notice the oddity in the battle and how it like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Their minds clicked the moment they saw the swords of soldiers slice through the beasts not too far away from them.

Unfamiliar soldiers in this situation could only mean one thing. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Origin had heard their call.

And they had sent reinforcement.

Though late, it was better than being abandoned, especially now when they needed it the most.

If they had escaped this grueling flood of beasts, Origin was the only place they could head to, and most of them were guaranteed to die on the journey there, crossing the cruel plains of Plantet Kirshoff.

Even his life as an awakened wasn’t guaranteed. And that was the constant pressure of trying to outrun the beast army behind them.

The arrival of Origin’s men was divine. They didn’t need to exchange words as there was a tacit recognition between the two forces who immediately began to work together, their goal; to make it out alive.

The rescue soldiers wrapped around Crescent’s forces like they did around their commander, pushing back with the same momentum they had when approaching.

Kieran and his team were closer to the Crescent soldiers than the edge as they might have wanted.

Unfortunately, the choice wasn’t up to them. The soldiers gave them no choice, pushing them in with their positioning even without looking.

Although August had warned that he would have no hand in their mission and that their lives were in their hands, it appeared that the instructor still had some sense of reluctance this time, not sticking to his words entirely.

Or maybe this was just the whim of the soldiers. Them feeling that it was irrational to allow recruits to face this kind of danger right beside them.

They hadn’t earned that right yet, but Kieran couldn’t be fettered by such thoughts.

The tip of his scythe gleamed with the chilling light of death. His hands shifted along the shaft of the weapon, allowing him greater reach.

His movements were in sync with Derrick, who was using two laser guns. The recruit was one of many who fought bare handed, a choice he had come to settle with considering the nature of his abilities.

Still, that didn’t constrain him one bit. His dexterity with the two guns made him look like a cowboy performing a mesmerizing dance at high noon.

Only this time, there were laser beams being shot out of the guns instead of bullets. And scene of falling casings wasn’t there to complete the look.

Still, he and Kieran moved hand in hand, each one covering for the openings of the other.

Their synergy wasn’t as it once was, and each one was still trying to get used to the other, showing clearly how much they were lacking.

But they both gleamed from that, constantly adjusting and readjusting to increase their efficiency.

Slowly, as they approached the end of the beast army, a sense of understanding had been built between them, albeit small.

Richard, on the other hand, chose to stay away, working methodically like the rest of the soldiers.

He, too, wielded a gun, using his flame abilities sparingly and only in extremely tight situations.

Other’s would think them stupid, but this was the purpose of their presence there. To train their weaknesses.

It was easy to become dependent on their awakened abilities, more so for Kieran, who had just unlocked his recently.

Their objective was to refine their normal fighting skills and build synergy amongst themselves as a team, a mission that was almost successful, except Richard had chosen not to play along, doing things his own solitary way.

The company finally broke through the encirclement and pressed forward towards the ships while keeping the same momentum.

There were still a few beasts who tried to chase, but they were dealt with by the rear guard.

After crossing a certain distance, the beasts stopped chasing and returned back to the encirclement around the now fallen Crescent.

’They’re under orders’

Kieran looked back at Crescent, which was now overrun with beasts. Any chance that were more survivors was gone after this.

No one could survive what was before his eyes, alone.

The soldiers maintained their speed and momentum, even after the beasts stopped chasing.

Harken, at the middle of it all, had only come to realize the presence of Origin’s forces after they broke through the encirclement.

His fears had dissolved entirely after seeing the unfamiliar uniforms.

The forces on planet Kirshoff dressed differently from each other and the military beyond their station.

It was for easy recognition, amongst other things.

He had survived, and the next course of action was to be determined when he reached Origin and had a meeting with their Commander.

A hefty sigh left his lungs, and his knees nearly buckled from relief, but the journey wasn’t over yet, and he understood that, steeling himself as they approached the three ships.

The ships had already been notified of their approaching arrival and were on standby, ready to fly away as they shuffled back into them.

The rescued men and commander of Crescent were taken into the first ship, where the head of the operation was located.

Kieran and Derrick walked back into their ship along with the rest of the soldiers, their bloody footsteps staining the ground red, turning the ramp into a red canvas.

The mission was basically a success. All that was left was the journey back to base.

But it didn’t feel like one.

There were no smiles of victory on the faces of the soldiers who understood that their situation still hadn’t changed.

Through this event, Kieran had come to understand the magnitude of what they were faced with.

Whatever plans the camp had in store to have declared war had to be something amazing.

"Heading back to base."

The speakers relayed, and Kieran noted how the shoulders of the soldiers dropped in relief.

Finally, it was almost over, but in reality, it was just starting.