"It's over."

"It's time you get out of this nightmare."

"Let's go."

The words still lingered in the air when it happened.

They had taken only a few steps down the corridor.

Tap.

A calm voice, too relaxed for this cursed hallway, echoed from the direction they were heading.

"I'm amazed. You always manage to do something so outlandish, rookie."

Kaiden stopped walking.

Levi the Whirlwind.

Ranked among some of the best awakened in the country. The government's golden hound. A man who could level entire streets with a single flick of his wrist.

And he wasn't alone.

Behind him stood a full squad of high-level awakened operatives. Battle mages, artifact specialists, melee warriors, tanks, and sharpshooters. All of them wore the dark grey uniforms of the National Awakened Enforcement Unit. Their presence pressed down on the hallway like a physical force.

Yet Kaiden stood still, unperturbed by their immense aura.

His voice was steady as he asked, "Are my Valkyries unharmed?"

Levi arched a brow, then smirked with far too much theatrics. This man was pretty aloof. "What do you take me for?" He tilted his head as if offended by the mere question. "Attacking the women of the current anomaly and the future strongest? That's the dumbest way to sign my death warrant."

He shifted slightly, just enough to peer past Kaiden into the room where Maximilian lay broken and bloodied on the floor.

Levi chuckled.

"Yep. No thanks."

Before Kaiden could respond, "Kai!" a bright voice called.

Aria.

She arrived behind Levi's squad, waving at him with that radiant, gym-girl grin of hers. She was smiling like nothing could break her spirit.

Nyx was beside her, smiling joyously.

Luna, too, stood with her arms crossed and a smirk playing on her lips as if this mess was just another Wednesday.

They weren't restrained.

But they were contained. Surrounded by awakened soldiers, there was not a single opening for escape.

Kaiden didn't like it.

But he expected it.

"Khm!" One of the female officers beside Levi cleared her throat quietly, coughing into her palm as if to remind her boss, who seemed far too content with chatting for the next hour, of their real purpose here. Her eyes flicked between Levi and Kaiden with discomfort.

Levi sighed as though she'd just ruined his fun, then flashed his usual mischievous grin.

"Rookie. I'm a big fan of what you did today." But then his tone shifted, enough to make the hallway feel colder. "But I'll still have to ask you to come with us."

Kaiden didn't argue.

He simply nodded. "Fine."

A man from Levi's squad stepped forward, pulling out a set of mana-restraining cuffs.

But before they could touch Kaiden's wrists, Levi lifted two fingers in a subtle gesture.

Stop.

The subordinate hesitated.

"But sir-"

Levi didn't look away from Kaiden as he addressed the man with cuffs. "Are you my superior? I wasn't aware."

"… Sir." Reluctantly, the cuffs lowered.

Kaiden's expression didn't change, but a quiet respect settled in his eyes as he passed Levi. This exchange was enough to tell him that their orders were most likely to restrain them properly, but the man elected to overrule the orders he was given.

Perhaps Levi truly believed that getting on his bad side would be signing his death warrant. Being the arresting officer was likely not his ideal job; he was more of a monster killer. Thus, if he were questioned, he would likely just joke that he's not fit for human affairs; they should send him after monsters instead.

Such was the lofty position of the S-tier awakened, especially those who were happy being government agents. Their services were simply invaluable.

Kaiden now assumed that Levi was also the man responsible for his girls being uncuffed and merely escorted, raising the man in his eyes even further.

They began walking toward the exit.

Until a chorus of sounds came from behind.

"Thank you for everything, Kaiden Grey!"

The cry echoed like a single heartbeat.

He stopped.

The liberated sex slaves, women and men alike, stood behind him in the hallway, wounded, barely clothed, clutching sheets to their bodies. Tears streamed down bruised faces.

"Thank you!"

"Thank you for saving us!"

"Thank you, Kaiden!"

Maybe they'd heard his name from Bastet. Maybe from Calypso. Maybe they knew him long before this day.

It didn't matter.

Kaiden turned to face them.

And for the first time since stepping into this hell, he smiled. Truly smiled.

Bright and honest.

"You survived the worst this world had to offer. Now show me that you can thrive when given the chance."

Tears bloomed even stronger than before.

"We will!" they cried in unison.

"We will!"

Levi watched quietly.

Then he cleared a tear from his eyes.

"And they say I have a knack for drama…"

…

Outside the main chamber, the underground cavern was no longer a den of depravity. Instead, it was a crime scene.

Stretcher units hurried past. Drones buzzed overhead. Tactical medics applied healing spells while government officials moved with clipboards and stern expressions. Hundreds of awakened enforcement agents combed the corridors, kicking down hidden doors, cataloging illegal tech, and confiscating blood-stained instruments.

The once silent halls were now loud with radio chatter and the murmurs of horror.

It seemed that they quickly got the go-ahead to storm the place after Kaiden's stream was used as proof for crimes. No judge would be corrupt enough not to grant it after those images came out. It would be pure career suicide.

Many of the rescued slaves were foreigners; thus, translators were standing beside them, speaking in soft voices, preparing to escort them above ground for transport to refugee centers and hospitals.

Kaiden walked calmly among it all, flanked by Levi's unit, as well as his awesome monster girls and Valkyries.

They were nearing the wide elevator shaft that would take them to the surface when Levi paused.

"Seems you have a visitor."

Kaiden frowned. "Visitor?"

Before Levi could reply…

*BOOM!*

The sound of an explosion echoed from further down the hall.

Shouts came next.

Flashes of blinding white light followed.

They turned the corner, only to be thrown into complete chaos.

A teenage girl with long midnight-black hair stood like a nightmare incarnate in human form. Around her, a dozen fully armored agents were either flat on their backs, disarmed, or currently being blasted across the hall by concentrated beams of light erupting from her hands.

"I'm not leaving!!!" she screamed gutturally. "Not until you let Kai out! Filthy government dogs, get out of my way or else!!!! "

She moved like a razor. Every time one of the agents lunged, she swatted them aside with light-construct blades, among other things.

A barrier of solid light shattered under her kick.

A man twice her size flew into a wall.

Another screamed, clutching his burned gauntlets.

Levi blinked. Then, slowly… he started to laugh.

"Well, well," he mused. "It seems you found quite the notorious fangirl for yourself."

He cracked his neck, rolled his shoulders, and took a step forward, intending to help his colleagues out in restraining the intruder.

"Alice Ashborn. Stop causing a commotion."

Kaiden's calm yet commanding voice cut through everything.

The girl froze mid-attack. Her head snapped toward him so fast it was nearly lightspeed.

Her light constructs fizzled out with a pop.

"Kai?"

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