(There are no unusual emotional responses from the staff below the 10th floor. There are no signs of life on the 11th floor. Detection is being obstructed above the 12th floor, so the situation there is unknown.)

  Victoria’s Exceed, Pulseveil, can sense the emotions and desires of living beings within a 30-meter radius. Since the Lumen Dei Administration Tower they had infiltrated was 45 meters tall, she was able to assess the mental states of all the civilians inside. She relayed that information to the other members through Exceed Echoveil.

  It was 7:00 PM on a Wednesday. Victoria, Maya, Emma, Ethan, and Beatrice entered through separate gates using forged ID cards. Each took a different stairwell and arrived on the 11th floor as planned.

  Just then, a coded message came in on Beatrice’s wristphone from Elisabeth.

  “We’ve seized control of all internal systems in the administration tower up to the 11th floor. The security cameras are now looping identical footage. The security office has been isolated from outside communication. Also, the elevator has been locked from the 1st to the 11th floor. There's little chance of civilians being caught in the crossfire. Make it quick while we have the chance.”

  (As expected of Elisabeth. A true executive—flawless execution.)

  Emma was impressed, but at the same time reminded herself that time was of the essence. She felt her tension rise.

  Beatrice pulled out a small bottle and distributed tablets to everyone.

  “These are antidotes for airborne toxins used by Ezekiel. But they're only effective against ordinary bio-toxins. If it's directly injected, we don’t know how well they'll work. Maya, Emma—be especially careful.”

  Everyone took the pills, grimly aware of the danger that lay ahead.

  “If enemies are lurking in here, we’ll be caught in a pincer attack. Victoria, any signs?”

  Beatrice asked.

  “None.”

  “Understood. But stay alert. There may be drones or other independent systems. Opening the door now.”

  Beatrice took the lead and opened the door to the 11th floor. The rest followed.

  The floor opened into a wide hall—spacious enough to host ceremonies.

  Its normal use was unclear; most likely, it was a multi-purpose room.

  Maya felt a chill down her spine.

  (Ezekiel... he's watching. He's on one of the upper floors.)

  Just as she was about to speak up, a large rift appeared in the space before the door they had entered—like it had been clawed open by an enormous beast.

  From the tear emerged men clad in combat-ready tactical suits.

  Their eyes gleamed with a twisted joy—the pleasure of killing.

  “They all have intense murderous intent,” Victoria warned, already in stance.

  “Just as expected. Eliminate them all,” Beatrice commanded.

  An invisible blade released by Beatrice cleaved through the neck of the nearest enemy. That was the signal for battle to begin.

  “You’re nothing more than sacrificial pawns!”

  Victoria taunted the enemies still reeling from their comrade’s sudden execution.

  With flowing, graceful motion, she closed the distance. By the time she had passed through, two enemies had lost their heads, collapsing as fountains of blood sprayed from their necks.

  Victoria calmly sensed the surge of terror rippling through the enemy ranks using Pulseveil.

  (The way to prevent Returners from using their Exceeds... is to kill them before they can use them. There's no need to waste time.)

  Her thoughts were cold and calculated. Behind her, an enemy approached. She flicked coins at both of his eyes—firing them as Sonic Bullets.

  The coins tore through the eyeballs and into the brain, killing him instantly.

  “Fourteen enemies remaining!” Victoria shouted, mixing her status report with the intensity of the battlefield.

  A towering man nearly two meters tall blocked Ethan’s path.

  From the air, Ethan unleashed Duality Martial Arts: Crater Drop (heel drop), striking the man’s skull.

  But something felt wrong. The man’s body was unusually hard.

  “My body can turn to steel. Your puny kicks won’t work on me...”

  The brute smirked as his body took on a metallic sheen.

  Without a word, Ethan unleashed Duality Martial Arts: Inversion Kick—a strike targeting the joints.

  A metallic groan rang out, and the man fell to the ground, screaming as his leg bent grotesquely in the wrong direction.

  (Got myself a decent weapon.)

  Ethan grabbed the man's fallen leg and swung it like a human-sized flail, smashing it into other Returners nearby, taking them out one by one.

  Emma was in close combat with a knife-wielding enemy.

  He wielded an Exceed that inflicted four cuts with a single slash. Emma had already suffered eight wounds, and blood trickled down her body.

  “There’s nothing like slicing up a woman…”

  The man leered, saliva dripping from his grin.

  In a flash, Emma closed the distance and drove her palm into his throat—Duality Martial Arts: Silent Spike. His trachea crushed, the man died with that twisted smile still on his face.

  (Trash like you doesn’t belong on a battlefield.)

  She healed her wounds with Exceed: Healing Palm, then delivered a brutal front kick—Duality Martial Arts: Abyss Strike—to the groin of the next enemy.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  With a sickening crunch, the man collapsed to his knees.

  Maya faced an enemy charging at her with a longsword. She used Shadow Step to close the gap instead, striking him in the solar plexus and then the chest with a solid punch—before following up with Duality Martial Arts: Pulsebreaker.

  Her fist crushed his windpipe and shattered the bone behind it.

  The enemy’s eyes widened—and then he went still.

  (I have to take out as many as I can.)

  Maya scanned the room to assess the remaining enemies.

  From her position, five enemies remained. But for some reason, they couldn’t move—as if rooted in place.

  Beatrice’s invisible blades finished them off without resistance.

  “...Please help me. Someone… please…”

  A girl’s voice called out, and Maya turned.

  A mud-covered uniform from Lumen Dei Academy.

  Maya vaguely recalled Victoria sharing this girl's image from Clara’s memories.

  The girl crawled toward Maya on all fours, crying—out of place in the bloody battlefield.

  (Is she... one of the choir? Her movements are strange... maybe she was just revived as a Returner? But why is she here?)

  The sight overlapped with Clara—and even herself. Maya couldn’t bring herself to move.

  “Maya! That girl has no emotions—I can’t read anything from her! Get away from her, now!”

  Victoria screamed.

  But Maya couldn’t react in time.

  The girl smiled sweetly, raised one arm—and brought it down.

  Emma, who had been close to Maya, kicked her away just in time.

  A fine, slicing sound rang out through space itself—Emma’s right thigh and ankle were severed.

  She fell, blood gushing from the wounds.

  The girl smiled faintly through the growing pool of blood.

  “…Mom, I’m coming home now.” she whispered, voice soft and distant.

  Beatrice retaliated immediately, slashing through the girl—and the surrounding space—erasing her in an instant.

  Emma gritted her teeth, holding back a scream of agony.

  ACT 2: Severance

  “Maya, grab Emma’s severed leg. Victoria, focus on enemy detection. Ethan, make sure every downed enemy is finished off. If they come back, we’ll be flanked.”

  With that, Beatrice hoisted Emma onto her back and, along with Maya, carried her into a changing room on the 11th floor. They gently laid Emma down.

  At first, Emma’s injuries were severe—gruesome to look at.

  But after Beatrice laid her hands on the wounds, the severed thigh and ankle reconnected. From Maya’s perspective, the bleeding had slowed considerably.

  “I’ve only administered emergency treatment,” Beatrice said gravely.

  “Emma, based on your own assessment, how long will full recovery take using your Exceed ‘Healing Palm’?”

  “Thank you, Director. It already feels much better,” Emma replied, her voice strained but composed.

  “But to fully reconnect the muscles, nerves, bones, and blood vessels in the thigh and ankle, I think it’ll take about an hour.”

  “It’s my fault... I’m so sorry, Emma.”

  Maya looked down in guilt, her voice trembling. She blamed herself for hesitating, for letting Emma take the hit meant for her.

  Emma shook her head gently.

  “You don’t need to take responsibility. Right now, the only one who can move forward—is you, Maya.”

  “Don’t dwell on it, Maya. The past can’t be changed.”

  Beatrice gave Maya a brief glance, then spoke in a quiet, somber tone.

  “If we wait here for an hour, we have no idea how many reinforcements might arrive. Emma, I want you to stay here and focus solely on recovery. If no one returns in an hour… I want you to escape and head back to Luna Nordix on your own.”

  Her voice held a weight it didn’t normally carry—a deep pain.

  “If it comes to that, Maya will have to face Ezekiel alone, won’t she?”

  Emma looked toward Maya with concern in her eyes.

  “That’s correct.”

  Beatrice responded heavily.

  “Then… I have a favor to ask.”

  Emma pushed herself upright.

  In her eyes burned an unwavering resolve.

  ACT 3: The Hall of Echoes

  (I don’t like this... but it has to be done.)

  Ethan went around the battlefield, decapitating every defeated enemy.

  Even after beheading them, he checked each body to ensure none possessed resurrection-type Exceeds.

  He noticed the choir girl who had severed Emma’s leg still had her eyes open—so he gently closed them.

  (They must’ve been brainwashed immediately after resurrection… Maybe all of them were the same.)

  Ethan shoved down the rising emotion in his chest.

  This had only been the prelude—the real battle was still ahead.

  Meanwhile, Victoria was scanning for threats using Pulseveil—but found nothing.

  (If Emma can’t fight, we’re at a huge disadvantage. We’ll need to strengthen our coordination… Otherwise, we don’t stand a chance.)

  Still, no matter the risk, she would follow Beatrice’s judgment. Victoria steeled herself.

  Before long, Beatrice and Maya returned from the changing room.

  Emma would remain there to focus on healing, while the remaining members would press on to the 12th floor. Everyone agreed to the plan.

  They reached the door to the 12th floor just above the stairs.

  Ethan gripped the doorknob and turned it.

  The door swung inward automatically—revealing a darkness like a black hole.

  It was a darkness so deep, it seemed to reach into the very depths of their souls.

  The darkness exerted a powerful suction.

  All of them were drawn in—and the door slammed shut behind them.

  “This trap of darkness... beyond it lies our future,” Beatrice thought with unwavering conviction.

  Ethan –––––––

  (Has it really been four years since that defeat?)

  Ethan leaned against a wall in an alleyway in Eldrant’s bustling entertainment district, watching snowflakes fall gently through the night air.

  His mind drifted back to that day—four years ago—when they had launched a surprise attack on Lumen Dei Academy, led by Beatrice and the rest of Luna Nordix.

  They had failed.

  Only he and his sister, Victoria, had made it back alive.

  Since then, Luna Nordix had been dismantled.

  Ethan had managed to survive by working as a lawyer for Grey Archives, but he lived every day under the threat of being hunted by Returners.

  (I haven’t heard from Ria since then either. Nothing I do goes right anymore.)

  He gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

  That’s when someone appeared in his field of vision.

  (Ria…?)

  Ria stepped out of a love hotel in the city, holding hands with two men, smiling brightly as she laughed and chatted with them.

  Even after four years, there was no mistaking her.

  It was Ria.

  (What the hell?! Are you kidding me?!)

  Ethan sprinted toward her, heart racing.

  But Ria noticed him.

  Before he could reach her, she disappeared down a staircase leading into the underground. She and the two men turned a corner.

  By the time Ethan arrived, there was no trace of them.

  “Ria… why…?”

  He slumped against the wall, shoulders sagging, overwhelmed by a bitter grief—a sense that something precious had been defiled.

  “Puzzled, are you… Ethan Crawford?”

  The voice was unmistakable.

  Ethan turned sharply. It was the same voice as the headmaster he had fought during the attack on Lumen Dei Academy four years ago.

  The man now stood quietly in the shadows of the underground corridor.

  Removing his sunglasses, he revealed a strikingly handsome face in his forties, glowing with unsettling vitality.

  “You… don’t tell me—are you behind what happened to Ria too?”

  Ethan immediately assumed a combat stance, glaring at the man.

  “Your instincts serve you well,” the headmaster said smoothly.

  “You see, Ria suffered severe trauma from sexual abuse, which left her with a deep fear of men. That’s why she turned to the teachings of Lumen Dei.”

  “Now, she’s been transformed—she adores men. It’s exactly what she desired, deep down. I merely lent a helping hand. Innocent women like her are immensely popular in the entertainment industry and among politicians, you know.”

  The headmaster grinned—a smile that looked like the crystallization of pure malice.

  Message to Veerku

  You’ve seen Maya, Ethan, Victoria, Beatrice, Emma… all of them grow, break, and rise again.

  one of them with you into this last fight—

  who would it be, and why?

  Author's Note – After the Storm

  ??If you could say one thing to Emma right now, what would it be?

  Lemongirl –

  Thank you for staying with the story through the storm. This chapter was intense to write—and knowing you're still here means the world to me. I hope you’re doing okay after this one.

  Do you think what you feared actually happened?

  ?? Assa131 –The storm's finally here for real. Let me know how it felt getting pulled into this whirlwind!

  check out my Substack article here:

  https://open.substack.com/pub/knishi2050/p/why-i-wrote-hells-returners?r=5wfkgu&utm_medium=ios)

  All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, translation, or AI training use is prohibited.