As soon as he asked that. It dashes towards the enemy to finish it off while dodging countless lightning strikes the Alpha roars very loudly before finally having its head severed off with a neat strike.

It then sheaths its katana in its right hand towards the palm of its left but magically didn't pass through the other side of his hand, as if the sword had been fused inside the palm. Then. Starting from the head. Red flesh came down and instantly restored the skin and everything until it formed Souji's image completely. After that. He picked up the nearby broken wing of the Phoenix and immediately ran towards Alexander who's under the tree as of currently.

"S-Souji… Can you please explain what happened? You… look like a monster for a moment over there.

"Yeah. I don't know too, why I looked like that. But it seemed to heal my severed body parts. Come on. You're losing blood, I'll carry you. Where is the place we have to go to?"

"You're right... I'll die at this rate. Just run towards the north and we should be able to arrive there."

"Alright. Enough fucking talking or you'll die. Lemme carry you." Souji then carried Alexander over his shoulder and asked. "Where the hell is north?"

"To your left."

Souji then ran so fast and didn't waste time talking since Alexander's currently losing so much blood now. Meanwhile. Somewhere inside a building. There is currently a group of distressed people. There are some youths in their teens and most are adults, later, a person came rushing through the door. "Grandpa! The message said the squad of Guardian Knights that would be sent here will take some time as they'll still have to clear the monsters along the way, but they said they are certain they'll be arriving sometime later!" With a furious expression. The old man answered "Later?! Alexander would surely be dying over there!"

"But wasn't it his fault? For being reckless and thinking that he can do everything?"

"Still! He wouldn't need to die!"

"L-let's just please pray for his safety, grandpa. That's the least we can do for now I'm sorry."

"You didn't need to apologize. I'm sorry too. I'm just really worried."

The building they're in is the headquarters of the settlement. Its interior is simple yet looks futuristic for people that haven't seen such, for instance, is Souji. Made out of strengthened metallic materials and ran by electricity extracted out of the magic from the cores of slain monsters.

Suddenly. A holographic screen popped up into the hall. It shows Souji carrying Alexander over his shoulder who still has the Phoenix on his back and holding the broken wing of it on his left hand but are blocked outside by a forcefield that Alexander earlier called a **Dome**

"I-is that Alexander?!" A girl in her teens with purple hair and a petite body exclaimed.

The person called **Grandpa** then hurriedly rushed towards outside.

"Hurry! Lift the Dome!"

"Y-yes!" The previous guy who just entered replied. He hurriedly neared a holographic keyboard below the popped-up screen and pressed a button to which a small part of the forcefield disperses upon doing so. "Wait… have any of you seen that guy yet? Who is that? The one carrying Alexander…" He added then also rushed outside, trying to catch up to the old man near the gate. "Take weapons! Follow me!" And the folks within the building followed suit, after taking their respective weapons.

On the outside meanwhile. "Alexander? W-who are you..?"

"Are you the grandpa Alexander keeps mumbling to me earlier?"

"Y-yes…"

Souji then saw a group of people teens, and adults carrying guns of their own with a hostile look on their faces.

"I'm not an enemy. We can't afford to waste time. This guy's losing so much blood. He needs attention."

With a distressed look on the old man's face. He called out. "Please! Everyone, stand down!" He then hurriedly approach Souji to take the unconscious Alexander. "Prepare the infirmary!" As he ran somewhere with some other individuals following him another relatively old person then approached him and asked for the broken wing, thus giving it back, after then the person rushed inwards the settlement.

"I understand you being wary of me. I won't enter since you don't know me yet. You could barricade me with that thing again. I can manage here outside."

"Alright. Just stay there." The previous fellow who's named Rico then had the keyboard appeared again beneath his fingers and pressed a button that extended the forcefield to patch up and close the disabled site of it.

One of the nearby folks who held up weapons just now then felt bad and talks. "Rico! It'll be ill of us to left him outside!"

"But we don't know who he is. He might be a monster thinking he could fool us." The decision is not evil at all! They had the right to be wary since this person doesn't belong to them, and although Souji clearly looks human. There are actually instances of monsters taking on humanoid appearances and even perfectly looked like a human. And since some monsters have intelligence comparable to humans especially every Alpha. They had to be suspicious or risk Souji being one.

Souji stayed outside the dome then the folks returned somewhere with the exception of Rico and some youngsters.

When Souji tried to walk, not far away. He saw a huge figure.

"What is that? A monster?" He quickly placed his hand on the hilt of his blade which is on the left waist that somehow ended up there when he transformed back onto his human form. Although his clothes are currently tattered from the battle earlier. The scabbard was fine since it got absorbed within his own body— or bones— when he transformed into his skeletal appearance.

The figure got closer and closer accompanied by a rumbling sound. Until he got a clear view. He wasn't sure what it was. But it was a green military truck with an edgy design, at the back of it were soldiers holding out their rifles and guns clad in the same black suit that Alexander uses. They seem to be the squad that is sent to vanquish the monsters that they earlier defeated.

"Hey was it that? A humanoid monster?" A soldier wondered upon seeing Souji who mistaken him for an enemy since his hands are at the hilt. "Hey! Quickly, prepare for enemy contact!"

"Yes!" The soldiers replied as they jumped from the truck and into the trees trying to get into position.