Stepping into the ring, Lea was confident that she’d be able to win against anyone... provided that she wouldn’t be pitted against a Hound, of course.

Unexpectedly, another young lady stepped into the ring with her, a lithe woman who goes by the name Yumi. Just on her name alone, Lea knew that she was a Hound.

"Just my luck." She clicked her tongue as she assumed her stance.

"Ready?" Kuroda asked, his gaze flicking between them.

Lea and Yumi both nodded. "Begin!"

Yumi moved first, her body a blur as she darted towards Lea... but she was ready. Her torso hardened into a shield of muscle, deflecting Yumi’s strikes with ease. She countered with a powerful punch, but Yumi dodged, her movements fluid and graceful.

The sparring match continued, each woman testing the other’s strengths and weaknesses. Lea’s defensive prowess was impressive, but Yumi’s speed made her a difficult target. Finally, with a burst of speed, Yumi landed a blow on Lea’s side, forcing her to stumble.

"Enough!" Kuroda called, stepping between them. "Good work, both of you. Lea, your defense is impressive, but you need to work on your speed. Yumi, excellent agility, but remember, speed without overwhelming power is nothing."

Lea nodded, panting slightly. She had underestimated Yumi, but the match had taught her valuable lessons. She would need to adapt if she was going to survive in this new environment.

Over the next few weeks, Lea threw herself into the training. With every spar, she learned new techniques and honed her defenses a little bit more. Her speed had also improved, and it didn’t take long before she was on par with the best Hounds around. Her body always neared its limit, but it enabled her to better control the virus within.

At the back of her mind, however, she never strayed from her ultimate goal: to escape. Whenever she had the time, she would study the entire layout of the stronghold, memorizing the patrol schedules, guard shifts, and every little detail to the point where she even memorized the scheduled meals they had.

She bided her time, waiting for the opportune moment when she’d be able to break free from the choking grasp of the West Yamanashi Stronghold.

— — —

Since Lea was not kept in the confines of her prison cell and was allowed out to stroll around the stronghold, she would usually visit its center wherein many stalls were gathered.

With her little bit of pocket money, she would purchase some snacks, her favorite being the candy apple that only one stall was selling. From time to time, she would even forget the three Hybrids that followed her around, her enjoyment causing them to fade in the background as she relished the present.

It was on one of those ’twilight’ times when the captain suddenly sent her a summon. As she was led to his office, her eyes remained unbothered, darting here and there for potential surprise attacks. She could never be too cautious when it comes to dealing with the officials of the West Yamanashi Stronghold. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Heaving an exhale, Lea found herself in front of the captain’s office. As usual, the three Hybrids (she still didn’t know their name until now) lingered right behind her.

Knock. knock.

"Come in."

Hesitating, Lea entered the captain’s office. It was much smaller than expected, with one bookshelf and a desk that the captain occupied. On his seat, he balanced a sheet of paper in his hand, intensely staring at it.

"Ah, Natsuki Lea." The captain greeted, beckoning for her to take a seat. "I’ll cut to the chase, I have a mission for you."

Lea raised an eyebrow. "A mission?"

The captain nodded, leaning back in his chair. "We’ve received reports of a large zombie horde moving towards the stronghold. We need you to lead a team to intercept and neutralize them before they reach the walls."

"A horde? Can’t the other Hybrids do it? A horde seems like easy work." Once again, Lea was suspicious about this mission. If it were a normal horde, then the captain should’ve let the other Hybrids take care of it.

After all, Why would they need the defense force for such a simple horde?

"It’s not just a horde, it’s a horde of Aberrants. We’d need your help on this one." The captain responded, clasping his hands together as if he was acting out of desperation.

Lea considered his words. This could be the opportunity she had been waiting for. "I’ll do it," she said finally. "But I choose my team. I’m not going with my squad." She called out, fully knowing that some of them were just there to keep an eye on her, just like the lingering Hybrids right to her rear.

Without much thought, the captain responded. "Agreed," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Choose wisely."

Lea spent the next hour selecting her team. She chose Yumi for her speed as a Hound, a burly man named Hiroshi for his strength (a Merc Type Hybrid), and a sharp-eyed archer named Akira for his precision. With this, an entirely new squad of the defense force was formed, and Lea was going to lead them.

After a brief briefing, and a little bit more time spent on preparations, the team was finally ready. A quick report to the captain enabled them to get their clearance to go out. Obviously, the Hybrids who monitored all of them closely would also go with them, and they were going to help out with the subjugation just in case Lea’s squad couldn’t handle the horde of Aberrants.

As night fell, the team set out, moving swiftly through the forest. The air was thick with tension, and the deafening silence crawled under their skin. Each member of the squad was on high alert, tuning in to the slightest of sounds as they walked through the calm before the storm

"We’re here." Lea raised her left fist, signaling for everyone to pause as they reached a clearing.

This was the location wherein the horde of Aberrants were expected to go, that’s why they positioned themselves for an interception. The impending battle was coming to pass, and they were prepared for it.