"Meet me at 5:30 PM tomorrow, I'll implant the Unranked Skill, Regen in you, Cadet Jyorta Bone." Madam Mary said as she proceeded to heal the next student in line. Jyorta bowed and strode out of the tent; his body was now fully healed, no longer feeling any pricking pain when he moved.

He walked on the ground, immersed in thought, noticing the tall pile of Frenzy Beast carcasses, 'They too have fought a tough battle, especially since everyone except those eight had zero practical experience.'

He soon noticed Ashten, looking at the pile of carcasses in silence, his head bowed. Jyorta neared, watching a stream of tears slide down his friend's face, "Ashten…"

"I'm a scum…" Ashten muttered, turning around to face Jyorta, "The father of the girl we had saved was a staff here. He thanked me, expressing that he would repay this gratitude in the future. But, all the while, I was just glad that my family was safe."

"Ashray wasn't injured when she chased after the escaped Frenzy Beasts, even though this was her first time battling against them. I…am just glad she has enough power to protect herself and wouldn't be like those children that had died. This is the only thought in my mind now, relief, even though I had been angry at the Frenzy Beasts until a couple of minutes ago." Ashten clenched his hand into a fist, punching the face of a Rigordile among the pile, "Why the hell am I like this? Scum!"

"Then…" Jyorta stood beside him, "I too am a scum. My thoughts weren't that different from you."

"But, seeing the death of those children made you angry right?"

"Yes," Ashten nodded.

"It hurts here right," Jyorta pointed at his chest, "The fact that we weren't there to save them. Even being a second early would have saved them, that fact hurts right?"

"Yes,"

"And, you don't wish to see such a thing ever again, right? And you wish to become strong enough to prevent something like this from ever happening?"

"Yes, let this be the first and the last time I feel like this."

"Then that's all that matters. We are humans, mortals with our own desires, egos, and attachments. We care about humanity through our own selfish desires." Jyorta looked at the blood spilling out of a Frenzy Beast carcass at the top, "I don't like seeing the death of a human, irrespective of their age. So, I will strive to prevent such a thing from happening before me. That…is my selfishness."

For a moment, the pile of Frenzy Beast carcasses before him morphed, turning into a smaller pile, with 29 people, the body of a child, the previous Jyorta lay at the top. Jyorta took a deep breath, closing his eyes as his heart thumped, his head spinning a little.

Faint ringing sounds echoed in his ears, followed by the shouts, voices that had once been a part of his daily life. His breathing turned rough for a moment before stabilising as Jyorta opened his eyes, 'Enough, I'll shoulder the weight of your lives for as long as I live. But, don't plague my mind.'

"What about you, Ashten?" Jyorta looked towards his side, seeing Ashten deep in thought. After a while, Ashten looked at the darkness looming above, "I desire peace alongside my family, and Marble City is the sole place where I possess that. I'll…protect my peace."

…

8:30 AM, the sun cast its morning rays on Marble City, highlighting most of the damage that had yet to heal. Designated personnel brought materials to the damaged buildings, cleaning and erasing the traces of battles while rebuilding the damaged parts. They sought to bring everything back to its pristine state from before.

Though, the damage in the hearts of the parents that lost their children would never heal. They just gazed at the file of workers rebuilding their homes in a daze, holding a picture of their children in their hands, silently shedding tears.

Among them, a man in his thirties held the hands of his wife, trembling in sadness after losing all three of their children. The workers came and asked them some questions, leaving after not obtaining any reply, intending to return later.

An officer arrived at the scene, looking at the desolate expressions on the couple, "Mr. Warna and Ms. Yalika, I am Mritya Marble, from the department of Deceased Settlements. I came in regards to your children."

"We no longer have any," Warna replied mechanically, looking at the incomer with annoyance, not having the mood or mental faculties to engage in a conversation.

"If I say they aren't fully dead, will you believe me?" Mritya Marble said, his expression placid, numb from all emotions or feelings.

Two figures flashed, targeting Mritya Marble, raining down attacks on him. Mritya Marble defended against them, also taking care to neutralise the shockwaves, to prevent damage to the house.

"Don't mess with me. There is no way a person could be alive after that." Warna bellowed in anger. His wife, Yalika swiped at Mritya Marble with the intent to kill. Mritya Marble calmly defended against their attacks, not once retaliating, defending in such a manner each attack they launched consumed a tremendous quantity of stamina, hundreds of times the usual.

Within a couple of minutes, the couple were kneeling on the floor, panting in exhaustion, tears streaming out of their eyes, "Why…"

"I'm not joking, neither am I meant to do so. Please follow me," Mritya Marble said, holding three glass jars. Only then did the couple notice him holding them, failing to realise where he hid them before. Based on their exchange, they figured he wasn't an Esper, so if anything, he had to have kept them on him. But, they failed to sense the presence of the three glass jars, for reasons unknown.

Without another word, Mritya Marble exited their house, taking the lift to the ground floor. The couple followed him, their instincts urging them to do so. They stood behind him, only now noticing his wide and bulky frame, his muscles seething with tremendous power.

But, he didn't even emit a trace of aura, his presence almost non-existent. If not for his large figure being perceivable to the eyes, it wouldn't have been possible to spot him. At least, that was what the couple felt when gazing at him.

"We'll be there soon," Mritya Marble said, exiting the lift and proceeding towards the road, his gait calm but steady. Moreover, even though he seemed to walk slowly, his pace was quick, covering large distances with every step, his actions concise, shielding the three glass jars in his hold from harm.

They walked for a couple of blocks before entering a building, taking the flight of steps on its ground floor, heading underground. Seeing the location, the couple frowned, "This…"

"Yes, it is the same place." Mritya Marble nodded.

"Bastard, this is just a place to send the departed to the afterlife." Yalika gritted her teeth, her killing intent spewing out.

"Yes," Mritya Marble looked around, "But, what do you think we meant by afterlife? After…life…understand?"

"You mean…" Her eyes widened in shock, unwilling to believe the thought that sparked in her mind.

"Though, it's a one-time thing, and it's not possible to witness now." Mritya Marble replied, "Central Command made an exception to give some hints to the parents that lost their children in this incident. But, we were only instructed this much. We aren't privy of much either."

"As for anything concise, you will have to wait for further instructions from Central Command. Though, I doubt there will be any for the time being." He arrived before a mural-inscribed stone wall, pulling the lever beside.

The wall moved with a rumble, showcasing a murky brook flowing behind, ethereal in nature. It neither had a smell nor emitted any sound, looking like an entity that didn't exist in reality, but was capable of affecting it.

Mritya Marble kneeled on the stone platform, separated by an arm's distance from the brook, his expression solemn, "Four Decades, that's what we were informed. I neither know nor can I tell anything beyond that."

He showed the three glass jars to the couple, "Contained in them is everything that remained of your children, segregated based on their origin to prevent any mishaps. Don't lose hope."

"Aaaah!" Yalika kneeled on the ground, tears streamed out her eyes, her outstretched arm lacking the strength to hold the three glass jars. Warna wrapped his arm around her shoulder, hugging as he nodded at Mritya Marble, "Please."

"This is my job," Mritya Marble nodded, gently placing the three glass jars in the brook, watching them float on the water as they were rowed by its slow currents. As they flowed across it, they slowly turned transparent, eventually disappearing from existence. The murky water in the brook continued to flow past, eerily silent as always.

"Four decades, it is a long time, but I'm sure you can wait till then." Mritya Marble turned around, his expression morphing, replaced by an innocent smile akin to a child, "Life is hard, but the perseverance of humanity can resonate with heaven and earth. For the sake of your children, live a life they can be proud and happy about."

The couple sensed something amiss, becoming alert, only now realising the absence of any people in their vicinity, nor in the path they had taken to arrive.

"Until next time, I bid you farewell." Mritya Marble waved his hand, turning transparent with every second that had passed, his body collapsing into a puddle on the stone platform, becoming the murky water. A second later, the murky water re-joined the brook, as if joining with its source. The place was filled with silence as the couple stared with gaped mouths.

"S-So, he wasn't alive?" Yalika stammered.

"Mritya…mrityu…I see. 4 decades…I'll be waiting." Warna gazed at the brook in silence before escorting his wife out. The mural-inscribed wall closed with a rumble after their exit. [1]

[1] Mrityu in Sanskrit means death

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