Hikarin Gakure was with General McAvin, mourning the dead. General McAvin's soldiers have made a grab for a single dead swordsman from the group called The Last. The unknown swordswoman was still unconscious on the ground with medical soldiers. Hikarin has tears flowing down his face and can't believe that his friend is dead.
The swordswoman who could use the shakra seemed to be in horrible condition, and she could die anytime. The medical soldiers did everything they could, but the only thing that can make her live is her will to live. General McAvin was on his side, standing while he kneeled on the ground in front of his comrade's grave.
"We need to leave at once, Hikarin. Leave them to my soldiers. They could guard her and move her to us if she's ready. We don't have a choice; if she dies, so be it, General McAvin stated in a low voice as he cleared his throat and raised his head to look at the sky. The reinforcements that arrived were already searching the mines and securing the whole place.
"I... I just can't accept this. I can't! All the things he has done to me... He doesn't have to die like this, why?... Why!?" Hikarin Gakure exclaimed as the General tapped him in the right shoulder with his left hand to calm him down.
"You know why. Because he's kind. People that are kind always die first, or rather have an unfortunate fate. I don't want to compare myself to him or anyone else, but he would be seeing our fate soon, the same as his, death, General McAvin stated as he turned around while lowering his head and headed for the region, getting followed by two unknown soldiers.
"It's supposed to be me! Why can't it be me?! He has a daughter and a wife and a whole family. He got into this kind of job because he needed the money for his wife and children. He was always getting bullied and down but he never gave up. Even that many problems he said to me. He never gave up and so do I now. I will continue also for you, my friend. Like you said, you will have my back. You'll try to support me and guide me. I'm trusting that to you. Hikarin Gakure thought as he bow in front of his grave after standing. He then turned around, left, and followed the General from behind.
After a couple of hours. General McAvin and a few of his soldiers have reached the capital. Hikarin Gakure was also there by his side, standing with Chigau in front of them, and they couldn't believe what had happened.
The single head of the region was seen hanging in front of the building with a rope around their neck. He was dead, and they could see the stabs he got from a sword all over his body. A few survivors of the region were there, and Chigau or Narishi Senzi swordsmen were on their way to the five mines of the region.
"Chigau, any leads on who did this?" General McAvin asked. He took a deep breath, and Hikarin Gakure started to walk, approaching the door of the capital. A few soldiers of General McAvin were inside and outside guarding it. The few inside were checking the whole building.
There were a few dead bodies getting put aside and put down in front of the capital, and four soldiers cut the rope that hanged the head of the region. Two soldiers caught the head of the region, and it was just behind Hikarin Gakure. He was walking up the stairs when he saw two guard swordsmen dead in front of the capital.
"No leads yet over here, General. Your soldiers said that they are investigating it further, but I'm sure it will lead to nothing. And I guess we are all taking a small break, or rather a short break. I sent Yuso to scout around the far dark areas of the region. He transported back to me earlier and said there are unknown swordsmen lurking around outside in the dark and they are human. He is also watching them, and he sees a few powerful darks in one area; he said they look like they are waiting for someone," Chigau answered. The General got curious, and Hikarin Gakure seemed to have heard it.
He went into the capital, and as soon as he walked into the building, he saw a bunch of papers scattered across the floor. A few of them have blood stains. Countless soldiers were cutting it up and storing each sheet in a small box.
"What the hell happened here? The doors are broken with blood on the doorknob. It's the first floor and the workers. They're all dead? Hmm. I remember a soldier telling me that all of the workers here and the head of the region's body will be put outside down the stairs. Tsk!" Hikarin Gakure thought furiously. He turned left and walked up the stairs, seeing more soldiers running past him in a hurry.
The soldiers ran past him and hurried outside to see the General. Chigau looked to his left and right, seeing families start walking away traumatized. They all had their heads lowered as Chigau took a deep breath and shook his head left and right.
Suddenly, a single soldier runs past him, and he glances at the door up the stairs, seeing four soldiers staring at the soldier who runs past him. He turned around and saw the soldier talking to the General.
"General! The papers are all gone! Same as the hidden files hidden here and at the underground layer, all gone! We checked the papers that were scattered on the ground as we picked them up. We found nothing but the basic academy reports of the children. All of the important files of the region are gone, including the hidden stronghold and the portal," the soldier stated in a low voice that the General could only hear.
His ears rang when he heard the bad news, and he was shocked. He couldn't think or move his own body for a moment. He cleared his throat and tapped the soldier on the shoulder with his left hand.
"Soldier, do everything to find atleast one file. We've got to know what they have. Find details of every boxes, find atleast a small detail and we'll try and figure it out. We have to know what has those files have inside, check every corner. The head of this region must've a secret layer where he store the secrets. Find it and make sure we atleast got something. We need and have to know what those files have inside it or it will be the end or a catastrophe for us," General McAvin stated in a hurry and in a great terror. The soldier nodded in front of him and immediately ran back towards the soldiers that were waiting for him in front of the door of the capital.
"Hey, General! What's that about?" Chigau asked. General McAvin sees him approaching and is curious. Before General McAvin spoke, he scratched his head and sighed in frustration.
"It's the search team that I have. Tsk, this is a catastrophe. We've lost some hidden important files of the region, and I guess it's not hidden files anymore because it's lost. I think the scattered papers on the floor inside the capital were just a distraction to make us not figure out that there were some lost important papers. This has gone worse; whoever got it needs to be dead or captured. We need to at least get a clue what those have stored inside or what really is," the General answered as Chigau saw that it was a serious problem.
"I see, then I'll send Hyoketsu, Raito, and Tsuchi to search for this creature who got it; it's luck if that creature is still here and wandering around trying to have fun. I'll also warn Yuso of that kind of information when he comes back. Try not to get overwhelmed; it's bad for your health, and with those wounds of yours? Try to be calm as you can; being angry and suddenly snapped out in reality is bad," Chigau stated as he sees General McAvin nod, shake his head left and right, and close his eyes.
"I know and I'm well aware. I just need to send another bird to the heads of the City of Woods for this kind of threat. We need to act as soon as possible or it will soon be over for us," General McAvin said as he saw Chigau bite his lips.
Suddenly, Yuso got transported to Chigau's side, making him turn to his right to see him. General McAvin glanced at him and saw that he was dead serious. They both see him holding a paper. It made them both glance at his hand, seeing hidden words written on the paper. It both gave them goosebumps as Yuso raised his right hand where the paper is and looked at them.
"Do you both have any ideas where I can find more of these and how? If both of you got hands on this kind of file, may I take a look at it?" Yuso asked menacingly while looking at them with dead serious eyes.