Kevin's Sorrow

A gust of wind blew the rubbles in the devastated area as Mikonawa glided to the ground. In his back, Hiraya and 6 other girls were plastered with worries as they gazed at agonizing Lily as she clutched her chest in pain. 

Minokawa escaped earlier when the battle had started, he was about to pick Hiraya up with him taken but she disappeared with Alan as Tysk transported them. He then flew meters above the ground as he spectated the battle. He saw Mordred attacking Hiraya and Kevin when Tusked transported them once more and as Minokawa pondered where Hiraya got transported, he felt a large thing dropping on his back. Apparently, Tusk transported Hiraya to Minokawa's back as he recognized that he was her tamed monster earlier. Back to the present…

Kicking the rubbles as they run towards Lily after hopping off Mikonawa's back, the group instantly patted the back of Lily as some called for help from their guild members in their base. Hiraya glanced at Lily as she coughed up blood from the backlash from her severed connection. 

The [Sage Turtle] is an S-grade specializing in defense with its durable shell that could even block an attack from an SSS-grade player. However, its front part, especially its neck was a soft flesh that A-grade monsters could effortlessly pierce. With its strength as an S-grade, the backlash was too strong that Lily would have to recuperate for at least a day. 

Hiraya with the help of the 5 A-grade girls and a woman from their guild, carried Lily toward the back of Minokawa as they headed to their Mansion. 

With her bloodied lips, Lily uttered to Hiraya. 

"Hiraya, if you have any relation with that boy, I hope you will severe it now. After all..", she paused as she coughed up blood, dyeing the sharp feather of Minokawa red. Under shaky breath, she continued as she gazed at Hiraya's eyes, her eyes pleading to Hiraya. 

"After all, his father… he is the one who killed your mother", Lily uttered as her eyes begged Hiraya to heed her advice. 

"Please, cut him off your life. He is an enemy", she added 

Hiraya didn't know how to react as she felt empathy from looking into Lily's eyes.  

—-

Meanwhile, Mordred walked back to Alon with his sword hanging on his waist as blood from the turtle dyed its hilt red. His head upright as he glanced at Alon who was gawking at their battle earlier, his lower lip raised to his cheeks as he smirked at Mordred. 

"That was a good fight, Captain!", he praised as if taunting Mordred from killing the tamed monster of Lily. Not to mention his failed goal of killing Alab. 

Alon had already shrunken back to his normal size as his inflated feet seemed to be pricked by a needle, restoring them to their usual size.

Mordred locked gaze with Alon as his eyes reminded Alon that he was a captain. His short yet fierce gaze warned Alon not to taunt him nor test his patience. 

Watching Mordred walk passed him as his veiny muscles and chest contract from breathing, Alon felt fear only for a moment before he revealed a wicked smile behind Mordred's back. 

'Interesting', he pondered as he followed suit after Mordred, acting like an innocent boy as he praised his large physique here and there. 

—-

On the closest building to the circular platform where rubbles from Lily's tamed monster's rampage were at, a golden transculent shield could be seen blending among the rubbles as it inside it hid a boy. It was Liam. 

When the battle commenced earlier, he didn't run like the cowardly bystanders, instead, as his interest was piqued by the battle between SSS-rank player and Captains at top of that, he remained hiding inside the building that was until rubbles were sent flying destroying his bolthole. No, he had to mix with the rubbles as he peeked at the fight from a small crevice. 

He was too close to the scene that he could hear their words clearly. 

"TAKE THAT BACK, HE IS NOT A TRAITOR", Tusk shouted. 

Liam perked up at what he heard his eyes seemed to flash with fury. Until the battle had ended, his reckless and inquisitive self stayed in the rubble until a familiar face, Hiraya took Lily and left the scene. 

Tossing off the heavy rubbles pressing on him as he expanded his golden shield, Liam covered his mouth from shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard the entire time. 

"Traitor…", he muttered as he strode away from the scene. 

—-

On Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

On the outskirts of the prosperous Capital, Kevin left a footprint on the wet ground as he took a step forward. He then bent on his knees as he lowered his head to read the name on the gravestone. 

"Red (Last name)", he muttered as he read the name of his mother. 

The outpour of rain seemed to empathize with him as he knelt amongst the landscape full of protruding gravestones. The graveyard was your typical graveyard for commoners with loitering plastics on almost every corner. The gravestones were covered with moss as commoners had no time tidy up their deceased relative's gravestones as they were occupied by meeting ends meet. 

Removing the tuxedo that shielded his body from the cold rain, Kevin clenched it as brushed the moss that started to reside on his mother's gravestone. With every moss he wiped out, a tear evacuated his eyes as he narrated his story from the Tutorial. 

"Mom, you said that you will wait for me, right? Then why are you laying here now?"

"Mom, I met my first friends in the Tutorial. They were idiots but I guess they would do."

"Mom, as you said, there were people that were meant to come to our life to destroy our plans but, there are also people that come to destroy it only to create something much better."

"Mom, I promise… I will treasure them."

"Mom, I kept my promise. I am here now, but… it seems that you had gotten too tired of waiting, right? Sorry that I took this long."

"Sorry… mom"