Chapter 117: Electric Queen Bee
Akron landed beside him, bloodied and panting, but said nothing. He didn’t need to. Cryo and X flanked the battlefield like twin gods of winter and flame, carving through the swarm with relentless precision.
Behind them, the exhausted remnants of Unit Six fell to their knees—not from fear, but reverence.
"They’re in a class above us," one of the warriors in Aksel’s division whispered, awe-struck as he watched the spectacle unfold.
The Prince’s team moved through the outer city of Biohive 81 like a cleansing storm—swift, surgical, and utterly overwhelming. Wherever they passed, the electric bees were wiped out with frightening efficiency. Their movements were seamless, their coordination beyond anything the defense unit had ever seen. It was not just strength—it was precision, style, and purpose.
"I’d say... several classes above," another soldier replied, unable to hide the mix of admiration and despair in his voice.
"Regain your focus!" Aksel barked, snapping his men back to attention. "Help has arrived, yes—but that doesn’t mean we slack off! Secure the perimeter! Don’t let anything slip through! Protect the houses and shelters. We’re the defense unit—act like it. Don’t shame your post."
The soldiers straightened up, but Aksel himself was still caught. His eyes lingered on the ethereal figure floating above them in the sky—a ghostly silhouette framed by the fires of war and the shimmer of a collapsing swarm.
Nioh.
Three years had passed since graduation.
Three years since that fateful exam.
Three years since he had watched his teammate—then quiet, overlooked—walk away from the academy with nothing but a strange glint in his eye and the words: