Chapter 139 End of Rika Zero 1
Commander Asher stood rigid, his eyes locked on the chaos unfolding before him. He didn't want to shatter the moment, yet his mind raced. There was no cure for the situation, no guiding instinct to pull him through this storm. He was a soldier with a mission. Nothing more. And that mission needed to be completed without fail.
His thoughts churned, dark and frantic. *This matter with the Voidwalker... it's impossible! How did they find this planet? It's supposed to be impossible unless—* He didn't want to finish the thought. *Earth has less time than we thought.* Without hesitation, Commander Asher's fist crashed through the transparent glass of the emergency button panel.
The sharp, shrill blare of the alarms filled the room, their piercing wail echoing through every corner of the facility. The lights overhead flickered violently, turning blood red, casting the space in an eerie, unsettling glow.
"We need to evacuate the entire facility!" Asher shouted, his voice barely carrying over the deafening sirens. His hands trembled, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Rika Zero is lost. We have to get the mission done now—ready the ships and—"
His words were swallowed in an instant.
Andre appeared before him like a shadow, his hand tightening around Asher's throat with terrifying precision, his face a mask of disgust. There was no hesitation, no second thought.
"If we do as you say, we might die physically," Andre hissed, his voice low and venomous. "But here's something you should know. Most of this group? They're already dead inside. And if you push this, I won't hesitate to kill you long before the Voidwalker gets the chance. So shut your damn mouth."
Asher's body went rigid, the pressure of Andre's hand forcing compliance. He struggled for air but nodded weakly, his mind spinning with the weight of his failure.
Across the room, Williams watched the confrontation with cold satisfaction. His lips twitched into a smile, though it was devoid of joy. This moment, this chaos, felt like long-overdue justice. *Finally, the tide is turning in my favor…*
But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a movement that caught his eye—Sarah. She was edging towards Axel, her face pale and determined. Panic surged through Williams. He ran towards her, his hand catching her wrist, yanking her back with a brutal force.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Williams hissed, his voice barely a whisper but laced with fury.
Sarah's eyes flashed with defiance as she ripped her hand free from his grasp. "Shut up!" she spat back. "I can't let him die like this. Axel's family... they've suffered too much. This is the least I can do."
Williams' face twisted in rage. "No! This isn't what we planned!" His voice rose, sharp and desperate. "You're going to ruin everything! We've worked too hard for this!"
Sarah's eyes darkened. "*No,* Williams. This is what *you* planned. I've been feeling guilty about what we did to Axel all those years ago, and you were the one who convinced me to do it. I was a kid back then, but now I can make my own choices. And I choose not to let Axel die!"
Williams' jaw tightened as her words hit him like a blow. For a brief moment, he looked lost, as if realizing that nothing he said would change her mind. He swallowed hard, his gaze narrowing into something more primal, bitter. "You still like him, don't you?"
Sarah didn't respond. She didn't need to. Instead, she turned her back on Williams and hurried over to Axel, her heart pounding in her chest. She knelt beside Trisha, who was already by Axel's side, her face streaked with tears.
"Maybe I can help," Sarah whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "I can try to reverse some of the damage."
Trisha's gaze snapped to Sarah, her expression a mix of hope and fear. For the first time, there was no anger, no resentment in her eyes. Only a desperate, aching plea.
"P-please," Trisha begged, her voice breaking. "Save him. Don't let Axel die…"
Sarah nodded, her throat tightening. She placed her trembling hands over Axel's broken, mangled body, focusing every ounce of her energy. She summoned her golden Mana, feeling its warmth surge from her fingertips, weaving through Axel's shattered form.
The effect was immediate but slow. Beneath Sarah's hands, Axel's body began to heal. The blood pooling beneath him halted, his torn flesh knitting itself back together with agonizing slowness. Bones reformed, followed by veins, sinew, and muscle. His lower body—the parts torn apart—began to regenerate, starting from his hips down to his knees, then to his ankles.
The intricate process unfolded like a miracle before their eyes.
But the toll on Sarah was immense. She clenched her teeth, her body trembling violently as she forced her energy into Axel. Blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth, her eyes flickering with strain. Her breaths came in shallow gasps as if she were being drained of her very soul.
"Tch!" she winced, her entire body convulsing with the effort.
Haze, watching from the sidelines, rushed forward, panic flashing in her eyes. "Sarah! You're pushing yourself too far! You'll die if you keep this up!"
She reached out, grabbing Sarah by the shoulder, trying to pull her away from Axel. But Sarah shook her head violently, refusing to be moved.
"No!" Sarah gasped, her voice strained and hoarse. "I can't. I won't abandon him again!" Tears welled in her eyes, her heart clenching with the weight of her guilt. "I let him down once… back then… but not now. I *won't* let him die!"
But her resolve, no matter how strong, couldn't overcome the limitations of her body. Her vision blurred, her muscles gave out, and with a choked gasp, Sarah collapsed. Haze caught her before she could hit the ground, gently laying her down.
"Sarah, stop! You've done enough!" Haze cried, but Sarah was already unconscious, her body spent.
Trisha, her voice raw with emotion, kept calling out. "Axel… Axel, please, wake up. Please." Her voice cracked, but she didn't stop. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook him gently, willing him to respond.
Axel's eyelids fluttered, but he remained eerily still. His body, though partially healed, bore scars and wounds that ran deep, far deeper than flesh.
"Axel…" Trisha whispered again, her voice soft and broken. She leaned closer, her lips almost brushing his ear. "Axel, don't leave me…"
"Ax… Mark…"
Mark? Why would she saw that name? Axel asked himself as he slowly lost consciousness. It's not possible?