After the attack on the capital, Arnik was rushed into the medical bay back at Mercury's Defence Center. The city seemed a lot quieter.
We find the Mages of Mars in the main deck—gathered around Seinjin Nemizora. Arms crossed, he sat chained to a chair with glowing magic restraints.
"Was this necessary, guys?" Nemizora said a bit awkwardly.
Takashima sighed. "Not really… but Crowne insisted on it," he added, glaring at Crowne.
Crowne stuck his tongue out like an idiot.
Andrew, who had been standing off to the side, stepped forward and undid the chains. "My apologies… It's just strange. We haven't seen you in years. We all thought you were dead."
Nemizora sighed. "It's a long story."
Blitz slammed her hand on the table. "You don't just do that! Especially someone of your caliber!"
Miu sighed. "Well guys, we can at least give him the opportunity to tell us what happened..."
Vayne smiled calmly. "An excellent idea."
Nemizora sighed deeply, his gaze falling to the floor. His voice, when it came, was low—rough, like gravel scraping against guilt.
"After the Pirate Wars… I tried to live quietly. Peacefully. You all knew I retired, but you didn't know why."
No one spoke. Blitz's fury faded into a wary stillness.
"I had a daughter," he said softly. "She was just three years old. Bright, sweet… she'd fall asleep on my chest every night. She meant everything to me."
He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, fingers laced together tight enough to turn white.
"I was driving. It was supposed to be a quick trip into town. I was tired. Burned out. I should've stayed home." He clenched his fists. "The brakes… they gave out on a turn."
His voice cracked.
"We rolled. Over and over. I remember seeing her little body flung out of her car seat. Glass everywhere. Blood… everywhere."
Vayne's smile faded. Takashima looked down. Crowne no longer looked like a fool.
"I thought she died." His throat caught. "I was sure of it. I reached out to her with one arm shattered and my legs broken. Just to hold her, just to hear her. But…"
He swallowed. "…She lived. Somehow. Somehow she survived it."
A pause.
"And when the doctors said she'd recover… I should've been the happiest man alive."
His voice lowered to a bitter whisper.
"But I wasn't. I was disgusted with myself. I blamed myself for all of it. What kind of father lets that happen? What kind of man lets his baby girl fly through a windshield?"
Blitz turned away, jaw tight. Mui wiped at her eyes without a word.
"So I ran. I left her with someone I trusted… and I disappeared. Went to Mercury. Been there ever since."
He exhaled, long and slow.
"When Earth fell… I wanted to die. I figured maybe she already had. Maybe I deserved it."
Silence hung heavy. No one moved.
"…But after Mars collapsed… I couldn't take it anymore. I got back up. Started fighting again. Not for myself."
He finally looked up, eyes fierce with new resolve.
"For revenge. And because I know… she'd want me to."
Miu's sobs echoed through the chamber, her body trembling as she buried her face into Takashima's chest. The stoic strategist blinked in surprise, his arms frozen at his sides before reluctantly wrapping them around her shoulders.
"M-Miu… come on…" Takashima stammered, his cheeks burning a bright red. "You're ruining my shirt…"
Her cries only grew louder.
Vayne gave a small smile, stepping forward and resting a hand on Nemizora's shoulder.
"Same old Nemizora… Blaming yourself for everything as usual."
Nemizora let out a breathless chuckle, wiping at the corner of his eye with a half-shaky hand. "Silly, huh…? Damn. Sorry for not visiting, or writing, or—anything. It's been… what, fifteen? No… seventeen years now."
His voice softened. "I wish I could see my daughter…"
There was a pause.
Then—Takashima and Blitz exchanged a glance.
Their lips twitched upward in unison.
"Well…" Blitz started, arms folding with a confident tilt of her chin. "You're in luck."
Takashima nodded, eyes sharp but warm. "Your daughter is alive."
Nemizora froze. His head tilted slightly, confused. Then his face twisted into something between rage and disbelief.
"…Not funny," he said, voice low. "Don't joke about that."
"It's not a joke," Takashima said firmly.
Blitz stepped forward. "Her name… was Aika, right?"
Nemizora's breath hitched.
Takashima's voice lowered with finality. "She's a member of Angel Squad."
A silence hung heavy in the air.
Nemizora's legs nearly buckled beneath him. His lips parted, eyes wide, unfocused. "Aika…?"
"She's alive," Blitz confirmed, her voice gentler than usual. "She survived."
Mui, still clinging to Takashima, peeked up with teary eyes and whispered, "She's kind. A little shy… but strong. She really is your daughter."
Nemizora dropped to his knees, mouth trembling, both hands clutching at his coat like he was holding his heart from falling apart.
"I…"
He couldn't speak. His breath shook too much.
Seventeen years of grief.
Shattered in an instant.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"She's… alive…"
Vayne chuckled quietly, arms crossed.
"Now there's the Nemizora we remember."
"She's on a mission right now," Takashima said calmly, hands folded behind his back.
Just as the tension thickened again—
BZZT! A new signal broke through the command deck's comms.
Kai's voice crackled over the speakers."We've secured the facility. Everything went smoothly… up until the end."
Takashima leaned closer. "What happened?"
"Nothing major," Kai replied, frustration dripping from his voice. "Rose just… threw up. A lot. She seems really sick. Damn idiot almost got me killed…" He sighed, and the background noise shifted as the ship engines fired up."We're on the way."
Blitz raised an eyebrow. "Rose? Sick? That's new."
Vayne chuckled. "That girl never does anything halfway."
—Mars, Evacuation Zone
The battlefield was still hot, not with flames, but with the scent of scorched metal and the ringing silence that only follows chaos. Soldiers moved in tight formations, spraying foam on smoking debris and dragging bound terrorists toward armored transports.
Amid the aftermath, four figures walked slowly toward the evac ship, its ramp waiting like an open mouth ready to swallow the weary.
Kai trudged at the front, his arms hooked beneath Rose's legs as he carried her on his back—again.
"…How do I end up carrying you every time?" he grumbled, his uniform stained, boots scuffed, and temper short.
Rose gave a weak smirk from over his shoulder."Because I put in more effort during the fights… and end up injured. Duh."
Kai scowled. "This isn't a game, Rose! You almost got yourself killed!" His voice cracked slightly."You got sick at the worst possible time! I—I took three hits for you out there!"
Her smirk faded as she rested her cheek against his shoulder."…I did puke on your boot. So that's on me."
"Gosh…" he muttered, cheeks turning a shade redder.He shook his head. "But… I'm glad you're okay."
A few steps behind them, Aika adjusted the strap of her healing pack and smiled softly.
"It's alright, Rose. You didn't mean to get sick and almost ruin everything."
"Gee, thanks, Aika…" Rose mumbled, voice muffled by Kai's jacket.But even through her sarcasm, there was something real… something grateful.
The evac ship groaned as it prepared for departure, dust swirling in lazy spirals around their boots.
.....
The low hum of the ship's engines died out as the evac transport settled gently onto the landing pad. Its rear hatch hissed open.
Arnik stood at the edge of the platform, one arm in a sling, wrappings tight across his ribs, face bruised and clearly not fully recovered. The wind tugged at his coat. He shouldn't have been standing there… and yet he was.
The second Aika stepped out and saw him, her eyes widened. She rushed over.
"O-Oh my gosh, Arnik!! What happened?!" she cried, skidding to a stop before throwing her arms around him without a second thought. "You look horrible!"
Arnik flinched a bit but managed a grin as he scratched the back of his head, blushing from the sudden hug. "Yeah, yeah… I ran into a bit of trouble. Almost died. But hey—" he winced, "I didn't. So I'm fine."
Behind them, Kai walked past, his tone dry. "Glad to see you're still alive. I'm tired. Going to my room."
He didn't stop.
Rose puffed up her cheeks and stormed after him. "You're not even gonna walk me to the med bay?!"
Kai sighed. "Do you want me to?"
Rose blushed, turning her face away. "N-No! You pervert!"
"Sheesh…" Kai muttered.
Arnik and Aika exchanged smirks.
"So cute," they said at the same time.
Aika giggled. "They should totally start dating."
Arnik chuckled, his expression soft. "I know, right? But… knowing Kai? He's not the type to fall for someone in the middle of a war."
Aika nodded, her voice dropping a little. "Same with Rose… I doubt she'd ever make the first move. She acts all bold, but… she's just as shy as me."
They shared a laugh before strolling down the hallway, the soft sound of their footsteps echoing in the now quiet facility.
Then—
From down the corridor, Blitz approached.
Aika froze.
"Oh no…"
"Aika," Blitz said firmly, hands on hips. "You're needed in the command center. And make it quick."
Aika's voice was small. "Y-Yes, ma'am…"
She turned to Arnik with a nervous glance. "I'll, um… see you later."
Arnik gave her a thumbs up. "You got this."
She trailed behind Blitz, fingers fidgeting anxiously. "Um… Master? I… I'm sorry if—"
Blitz cut her off. "Why are you apologizing? Sheesh. You've got a bad habit of doing that. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I… I know…" Aika mumbled, her heart pounding.
They stepped into the command center. It was quieter than usual, heavy with something unspoken. All the instructors were there—Vayne, Mui, Crowne, Takashima, Blitz… even Andrew.
But Aika's eyes landed on one man whose back was turned.
The one she didn't recognize.
"Seinjin," Vayne said softly, "She's here."
The man turned.
Silky black hair brushed his shoulders. Bright green eyes. A face so unfamiliar… yet somehow familiar.
Aika froze.
Seinjin Nemizora's lips trembled. He took a few shaky steps forward—
And pulled her into a tight hug.
"I missed you," he whispered, voice cracking, tears in his eyes.
Aika stood there, stunned.
Frozen.
Her arms didn't move. Her mind couldn't keep up. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed gently.
"Please… back up."
Seinjin stepped back immediately. "Right… you probably don't remember me."
There was silence.
"Have we… met before?" Aika asked softly.
Miu suddenly jumped between them, hands raised like she was announcing a festival prize. "Aika! This man right here is—Seinjin Nemizora! He's your father!"
Aika blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened.
"…Not funny," she said quietly, trembling.
"It's true," Takashima said, stepping up. "Aika… that's your real dad. We've confirmed it."
Nemizora offered a soft smile. "Tada…"
Aika's hands began to shake.
Her mind raced. He's my father? That… that can't be right… can it? He does… kind of look like me. But mom… mom never told me anything…
Her eyes dimmed with confusion, hope… and fear.
Then—
A flash. A memory buried deep in her heart.
A small girl.
Blood on her arms.
A man's arms wrapped tightly around her. His voice. His warmth.
"Dad…?"
She stepped forward slowly, her hands reaching out on their own. Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Dad…"
She fell into his arms.
He held her tightly, tears spilling again.
"I missed you…"
"Me too… dear. Me too…"
Silence filled the command center.
Miu was wiping her eyes uncontrollably into Takashima's shirt. "I'm so happy for her!"
Takashima turned red, trying to keep a straight face. "Y-Yeah, well… try to keep things professional"
Vayne stood quietly, arms crossed and smiling faintly. "Same old Nemizora. Always blaming himself for everything."
Crowne blinked, mouth slightly open, before giving a slow thumbs up. "Well this totally won't end in
tragedy"
Andrew stood by the screen, arms folded but eyes soft. "Looks like family doesn't always stay gone."
Blitz wiped at her eye, scowling. "Tch… it's dusty in here."
The teachers stood together, watching the reunion in silence.
And for the first time in a long time…
Aika didn't feel alone.