As solid as a rock, his eyes endure, refusing to give in, challenged by Arwyn who opposes his wishes of going to the battle, not wanting to even think of what could go wrong, knowing he would not have the heart to face his parents or friends ever again. But brightly the eyes of the boy shine, is it hope, is it absolute determination, or just plain stupidity, Arwyn ponders, squeezing between his eyes, a great sigh released from the knight.

"Agh!! You little shit..." Arwyn sounds, his will lost in challenging Bjørn. "So, what was your plan, hm? Was it to sneak in here so you can then lie about your age and join the war not thinking anybody would recognize you, is that it?"

"Uh...yeah" Bjørn scratches his head, his answer honest, Nora shaking her head, knowing that this was his plan, but still disappointed as this was very mindless of him.

"Bjørn! Everyone and grandmothers here have hailed at least once! You come in here at least three times a week!" Arwyn reminds him, his hands flashing around, cleary frustrated at the boy.

"We don't know that. Anything's possible. Maybe there was someone here...who was new..." Bjørn suggests, his smile awkward, Arwyn speechless as he ponders if he's joking or truly serious.

***

"Bjørn, what?" Victor questions, Arnaldo in the back laughing as he cannot believe that was the boy's plan. "Everyone here has seen your face around once or twice. And if there was someone new, what would have been actual evidence? Did you create a fake I.D? Because then I would have to throw you in jail..."

"...No," He answers innocently.

"Bjørn...you didn't even try," Victor shakes his head. "Look, Bjørn, this really is not something you want to be apart of"

"Yes it is," The boy challenges him.

"No, it isn't, boy," Arnaldo joins, pointing at Arwyn as he clears his throat. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, like our friend here, but this is an event that I too refuse for you to join. You need to be calm, boy. Now is not the best time to be stubborn. How do you think your mother will feel if you're in the heart of a war? I am afraid that you are too young..."

"I know, I know I'm not the right age! I don't have much experience either. I get it! But there's no way I'll sit idle while you all are out there doing your best, fighting for our country. Whatever it is that I'll see, whatever it is that I may have to do, I'll endure it! I've made up my mind and I refuse your refusals!!"

"Huh?" Arwyn sounds, wondering what the boy is on about, appalled by his stern stubbornness.

"So, I want your blessings...can't you guys just give me a chance? And plus, I sorta made a promise...and it's a promise I have to keep no matter what!" Bjørn argues, and looking at his eyes again, they can tell something has gotten him swelling with fire this time, a will he will see through no matter what the cost.

"I'm curious, how strong is that determination of yours, lad? You say that even with whatever it is you see or may have to do, you're still adamant about joining this war. You know, in my many years on the battlefield, one thing I've learned is that battle is not just a clash of weapons and blood drawn, but a clash of ideologies and one's belief, wills you may call them. So tell me, what is it that you're truly seeking in this war, lad, hm?" Appears another, all of them glad that he's arrived, knowing that he can speak some sense into him, as it is Commander Vernon, along with Nora who only wishes to get this over with.

"I have a certain responsibility. I know if I stay here I'll regret it for the rest of my life, I just know it! So I want to fight! I will protect everything I hold dear, and I'll protect everything that is about to come...so I'll fight...even if it kills me!" Bjørn turns to the commander, his head slowly turning as heavy are his eyes that hold that certain power Vernon speaks of, his will like a mountain, tall and great, not planning on moving at all.

"Hm...I see. I understand now," Vernon nods, a smile formed on his face as he strokes his chin, a silhouette of a certain person appearing in his head. "Alright then, I say you join us and show us this power of yours"

"Sir??" Victor shakes his head, wondering if the world has gone truly bizarre.

"This determination of his youthful self, this is something we should not play around with. And plus, he seems to have a responsibility he needs to be sure to go through with. Isn't that right, lad?" Vernon smiles, Bjørn realizing as if the Commander has read his mind.

"Yeah, that's right!" Bjørn nods, grinning as he's finally relieved, Arwyn scratching his head with Victor smiling as he cleans his glasses, Arnaldo nodding as he respects his wishes.

"So, are you joining along as well, señora Nora?" Arnaldo asks Nora.

"I guess I'll have to, his mom will want someone sensible watching over him," She tells them, Arwyn picking up that there was shade in her statement, Victor chuckling as Arwyn had just walked right into her trap.

"Argh! You damn kid," Arwyn sounds, roughing up the boy's head. "Commander spoils you too much, doesn't he?"

"Hm. You boys will be responsible for him. watch him closely, the three of you," Vernon tells them. "That's an order"

"Si! Nothing will harm him for as long as I draw breath!"

"Now come on, the others are waiting," Nora tells them.

***

And down at the main floor, Bjørn points to a direction, Arwyn and Arnaldo surprised as it is Nahshon and Ezek who have finished signing up for the war, the two boys recognizing as a set of roses are suddenly dashed at their feet, Ezek shuddered by the weirdness he feels as he's reminded of what happened at the Beastbane fortress, both looking up to Arnaldo's fingers at the instrument.

"I am proud! The chimaera slayers by my side? Our presence on the battlefield will be unmatched!" Arnaldo greets them, his arm wrapped around Ezek.

"So, you are joining the war effort too, huh?" Arwyn comes, face to face with Nahshon, a genuine smile on his face as he stands before him.

"Yeah," Nahshon scratches his head, shaking the captain's hand, both electrified with respect for one another.

"It's good to see you again, kid," Arwyn nods.

"Victor, I would like to introduce to you the chimaera slayers, this is Ezek, a formidable gunslinger, one of the greatest I’ve seen actually!! And Nahshon, a brilliant swordsman himself and caller of the storm!" He dances around them.

"Ah yes, you and the others have mentioned them a lot before, a pleasure to meet you both," Victor smiles, looking at Ezek, fixing his glasses as he observes him. "You're a gunslinger summoner, right? From what I've heard you can summon your guns from thin air, correct?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Ezek replies, interested in what he has to say.

"Hm, interesting. Did you know that your abilities are derived from space-time magic?" Victor questions him, Nahshon and the other kids' jaws dropped at this discovery of theirs as they look at Ezek.

"Yeah, I heard. I think it's pretty cool" Ezek rubs his hair, awkward at the other kids' amusement.

"Indeed. You are in a rare bunch of individuals who can conjure their weapons that way. It's a first of meeting one of you. This is quite fascinating"

"Now that I know about it, that's why we have those bracelets and other stuff that can do those things, huh?" Bjørn scratches his cheek.

"A fraction of it, yes. From what I've researched, while a bracelet can only hold so much data, Ezek's ability could theoretically hold an infinite amount of information," Victor explains, the kids awed by this statement, revolutionary to their intellects.

"Hm, not like that would happen either way. I've always been more of a firearm type-a guy than anything else, it's what I placed most of my time into when I began training this ability, so I've found it difficult storing anything else, really"

"I see, that is understandable," Victor nods, hearing as Vernon comes with small laughter. "Well, you know that saying- before doing great achievements, start with throwing a pebble', heh?"

"Yeah," Ezek chuckles with Victor.

"Oh! It's been a while since I've seen both of you. How have you boys been?" Vernon appears.

"We've been good, sir," Ezek answers.

"And how have you been?" Nahshon asks him.

"Oh, you boys should know me by now," Vernon chuckles. "The usual stuff of being a commander. I can't help but feel a bit excited to meet the enemy...after all, there's an old friend of mine waiting over there for me to make a move. I'm not going to make him wait long. But aside from that, I am glad to see you both still kicking around, and pleased to know you've chosen to aid in the fight"

"They're so cool, aren't they, commander Vernon," Bjørn hugs them both, their cheeks touching his as he grins.

"Knock it off, you twat!" Ezek elbows him in the side, but not giving up, Bjørn tries to force another hug onto him as he tells of how much he adores him, Nahshon smiling at them both, all while Vernon observes him, his hand at his chin, as he remembers of the day he first saw him, the day the Majesty himself granted him a sword then onto defeating the Chimaera, an event that had made all the curious about what this boy will do next.

"Commander! Everything has been prepared, we are now ready to set off!" Two soldiers appear, both saluting.

"Great. Report to Vice commander Gunner of my soon arrival," Vernon commands.

"Sir!" They salute, going off to do the command.

"Hey, you guys got everything prepared, how about you come with us?" Nora suggests.

"If there's space, then sure," Nahshon answers.

"Of course there is, my friend! And if there is not any, I shall create it for you!" Arnaldo declares to them, Ezek cringing as he nods his head.

So they embark on the journey, all of them following behind the commander as soldiers who shall undertake their greatest mission to date, to the war to put an end to the schemes and plot of the enemy, put in a Suv where they're followed and escorted by many other military vehicles, some also carrying supplies and other things to the destination. And there they reach, a fjord before them, at its banks seem to be thousands of soldiers and adventures alike, their feet like thunder through the earth, all laughter and good energy, no one worried about what is to happen, Nahshon feeling a bit of shame, fighting his negative thoughts that cloud his mind, wanting to be positive and excited like they are.

"How many?" Vernon asks Gunnar, looking around at what seems like an endless amount of soldiers.

"220,000, and that includes the adventurers too," Gunnar confirms with him.

"Hmm," Vernon nods his head, followed by his vice as he goes into a tent with some captains as well.

Walking about through the camp, it's bizarre, Nahshon thinks, wondering how can they smile and be so at ease, knowing that in his world, from some of the documentaries and movies he's watched, a lot of the men he saw bore a certain heaviness on their face as if they were concentrating all their luck into hoping they make it out alive, accepting that this world, though similar to his, is filled with very different people, after all, stopping as he comes across a group of soldiers and adventures playing a certain game he quickly recognised as one from his home country, as two warriors bind their hands, slapping the back of one another's as hard as they can, one giving up as the back of his grows bright red, flashing it through the cold breeze that passes in an attempt to cool it down.

"Oh! Chimaera slayer!" The victor calls Nahshon, bringing everybody else's attention to him, the man chortling as he gets up, his voice rough like a frost giant of myth in his world, his beard twisted and lengthy, almost reaching down to his belly, and his shirtless body filled with tattoos that tell a story like the ones he saw on Adrian, and his legs covered with the pelt of a bear, Nahshon knowing that this man undoubtedly killed it with his bare hands. "I've been wanting to meet you, lad! But from the stories I've heard...I thought you'd be more...masculine-looking"

"I...I see," Nahshon awkwardly fold his lips, the man stroking his beard as he looks at the boy, funny in the way he does it.

"My name is Eyvind, it means victory, how fortunate for this battle, heh?" He laughs with his peers. "Enough of my jokes. Look here! She is your fellow Zionian!"

"What's up, youth? I'm Abayomi. It's nice to see one of my folks here," A woman smiles, her accent stronger than his, her skin dark like his and her hair styled in locks, with what seems to be like beads like the rastas in his world would wear, but they're colour different from the usual black, green, and gold that represents his country.

"Hmm, perhaps you both know each other?" Eyvind proclaims, glancing back and forth at both of them.

"No...why would we know each other, Eyvi?" She shakes her head, hiding her frustration behind a smile as wanting to know what he really means by that.

"Anyways!" Eyvind clears his throat, lifting his finger, pointing in the direction of the sea. "Look, boy, just over the vast sea, is the territory of the enemy. Chimaera slayer, do please me and tell me that you haven't just come here to see a friend off"

"No, I haven't," Nahshon answers, turning to him, gulping, this man certainly of average height like he is, but his presence like a giant bear of the wilderness.

"Argh!! Very good! Have you heard of Blackshore, boy? The land where no man can dwell, the land of some of the most powerful beasts of the north, all on that island! Where only the best of warriors can dwell, but a place for the weak to perish! But I am certain you are no weakling, Chimaera slayer, you've also faced horrors of the savages too, the goblin-kin, and you even tamed a wyvern, I heard"

"Hm?" Nahshon sounds, not sure about that last part.

"But tell me..." Eyvind says, pulling from the side of a stone, one of his axes he walks up to the boy with, putting at Nahshon's neck his weapon, its steel cold and heavy, lifting the boy's head with it. "Are you prepared for the chaos that is war? Are you even prepared to fight your very own kin? Are you prepared to also kill a man?"

"Eyvind, lay of the boy, man!" Abayomi complains.

Gulping, his saliva chilled, he ponders on his question, his hand shaking, quickly pushing it into his pocket, looking the man straight into his eyes, the man seeing something interesting, the boy's eyes cold and shallow, like a black void, like a soul absent from his body. But out of their moment they come, as tongues murmur around them, all looking towards one direction, pointing as they call his name, his armour easily recognised by many, many feeling like they are in the midst of a myth, all stepping out of his way as he passes with hollowed eyes of a beast.

"The Jacqawin??" One calls, Vernon and Gunnar coming out of their tent to see that he's arrived, Vernon smiling as he's glad he could make it, as the warrior, the avatar of darkness, keeps his head straight, walking through the sea of eyes around him.