Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

213  Tell me

-Ren

-Please

"....."

The words stood floating in the air right in front of Kairen's eyes. The man said nothing more, he just stood there looking at Kairen before turning towards the agents rushing towards him.

"....."

Kairen stared at the words.

"...."

And then looked at the man that was being attacked by his colleagues.

'Ren...'

He kept staring at that specific word.

'Ren... Ren...'

He repeated that word in his head. A word that he hadn't heard in a while.

It was only a few months, but he felt like it had been years since he was last called like that. Kairen felt something inside of him shake.

'What is going on here...'

His mind was completely blank again.

"Kairen!"

Team leader Dains grabbed his shoulder and shook his body. As soon as he heard the news about the attack on the capital, he rushed towards his subordinate who left saying that he wanted to talk to one of their enemies.

He couldn't ignore a sudden conversation with such timing. He wanted to know what that man was telling his subordinate. He looked at the boy's blank and pale face and shouted.

"What does he say? There are four more bombs? Where are their locations?"

"....."

"Why is he attacking us while he is talking to you?"

"...."

Kairen didn't answer the team leader, nor did he listen to his words. He was still staring at that word.

He opened and closed his eyes multiple times to make sure that he was not seeing things. No matter how many times he did that, the words were the same as before.

"We can't stay here any longer."

Kain was the one who said that while clenching his fists.

"We should get rid of him and hurry to the capital."

If he could, he would've already rushed to the capital. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't contact his team leader or Alessia. He didn't want to imagine what might've happened to them.

Getting no answers back from Kairen, team leader Dains let go of his shoulders and turned to the other two men beside him.

"Stop that man."

09:14

He raised his guns.

"We will make him talk properly this time."

As if he had been waiting for that order, Kain nodded his head and moved his hand. A familiar water whip appeared in his hand. Without waiting any longer, Kain rushed towards the soil dude followed by team leader Dains.

Alan looked at the dazed Kairen once before looking at the battle that was going on not too far away.

Poke

He looked at the two men's backs and poked Kairen's side with his feet.

"Hey!"

"Ah!"

Kairen gasped as he felt an unpleasant pain in his side.

"They are going to fight him. Are you not going to do something?"

"...."

"Is his words true?"

"...."

"Could you finally recognize who he is?"

Kairen lowered his head.

"Tsk!"

Alan clicked his tongue and glared at Kairen.

"For god's sake stop acting stupid for one moment and answer me!"

"...."

Acting stupid?

Yeah, he might be acting stupid.

After seeing a language that wasn't supposed to be seen in this world, after being called by a name that no one was supposed to know about, and after encountering someone that wasn't supposed to be here, he was surely struck stupid.

He was not even able to think properly for a few moments. His chest felt so stuffy that it was hard to breathe. He wanted to rush at the man, grab him by the collar, pull down that stupid hood, and see who he was for himself.

But could he really do that?

The man said he didn't want to get exposed. He didn't want anyone to know that he had come here to warn Kairen so that he wouldn't get hurt.

If his words were true, wasn't he now literally betraying Philomns by revealing their secrets?

'I have to wait...'

He had to wait until things were finally over for him to know the truth. Kairen looked at the words one last time before standing up.

"There are four more bombs in the capital."

He said that with a voice loud enough for Kain and team leader Dains who were moving away from him to hear as well. The two of them halted as soon as they heard those words.

"And he is also carrying one with him right now."

"What?"

The other three people jerked their heads towards Kairen with bewildered and shocked faces.

"The bomb he is holding, as well as the ones installed in the capital, will all go off at the scheduled time."

Kairen looked at the man who was busy fighting on the other side.

"So we've got to do something... before it's late."

He relayed the information he knew to the others. Not all of them, but the ones that were necessary.

The others were silent for a moment before team leader Dains opened his mouth.

"He told you that information while attacking our men on the other side?"

"He said he had to carry on his mission and that he didn't want to get exposed while revealing that information. His mission is probably to kill or hurt the prince, as he said that the prince had to get hurt a little bit so that no one would doubt him."

Team leader Dains frowned and also glanced at the fight. Even with a single glance, one could say that the man was not fighting with all his might. If he did, none of those agents would be able to stand against him until now.

"How can we trust him?"

"...."

Team leader Dains glared at Kairen.

"What is his goal? Why is he telling us this?"

Thump Thump Thump

Kairen could feel his heart's strong beats. He lowered his head and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"You can trust him..."

He mumbled those words under his lips with confidence, as if those alone were enough to buy the team leader's trust.

"How can I do that?"

Team leader Dains didn't wait for Kairen's answer.

"He says he is carrying one of those bombs. If that bomb goes off, not only us but he too will die."

"...."

Thumb Thumb Thumb

Kairen clasped his trembling hands behind his back.

"Why would someone reveal such a plan that involves their own life to the enemy?"

The team leader's gaze was so piercing that Kairen felt like he was being shot by a gun. Still, he listened to the team leader's words in silence.

He knew what team leader Dains meant. An enemy suddenly revealing their plans to them was not something normal. Especially when the plan was one that would probably kill the said person.

'Kill...'

The man would die if the bomb explodes.

'He will die...'

Kairen bit his lips.

There was only one person who would call him like that. No one else knew about that nickname.

No, actually there were others who wanted to call him like that in his previous world. Some of his friends, a few relatives, some people he just knew... But Kairen didn't let them call him Ren. He even had a fight with a friend because of that nickname. Because it was a special nickname that only one person was allowed to use.

And that person was his older brother.

Not even his parents. Just his brother.

Only him and no one else.

"You can trust him..."

Kairen repeated the same thing again.

'Is it him? Is it really him?'

He couldn't understand what was going on at all. Was that man really his brother? Why? How? What was he doing in this world? Why was he with Philomns? How was he so strong?

"...You can trust him."

There was nothing else he could say. He couldn't know what was going on and what was happening, but if there was one thing that he knew for sure was that if that man was really his brother, he could trust him.

Who would he trust in the world if not him?

But how were the others supposed to trust his words? In the first place, Kairen had always been a suspect. He was interrogated by the commander and was proved innocent, but that didn't mean that team leader Dains could just blindly listen to his words and trust and enemy.

"Is he someone you know?"

Kairen flinched. He raised his head and looked at Alan who had asked that question. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about how he was supposed to answer that question, but in the end, he just gave up and nodded his head.

"He is someone I might know..."

BANNNGG BANNNGGG

The sounds of clashing were getting louder and louder as time passed. The fight seemed fierce, but no one had gotten seriously hurt until now. Kairen took his eyes off of Alan and looked at team leader Dains once again.

"And if he is that person, he can be trusted, sir."

'Even though I don't know what the hell he is doing in this world of yours, sir.'

Kairen kept that last line to himself.

"Sigh."

Team leader Dains sighed and turned around. He started to walk towards where his subordinates were busy fighting the soil dude.

"I'll do as you say for today."

He aimed his guns at the man once again.

"But you will have to take responsibility for whatever happens."

BANGGG

He shot the man from where he was standing. The bullets were blocked by a soil wall and fell to the ground.

"Ah!"

Kairen took one step forward.

"Y-Yes, sir."

SPLASH

BAAAANGGGGGG

A blur of blue slashed the air before it collided with the thick soil wall. Kain didn't even hesitate for a moment to attack the man.

"Tell me."

Kain moved his arm and raised the whip again.

BANGGGG

The soil dude had to jump back to dodge the whip. Kain kicked the ground and rushed towards him.

"The locations."

Kain was talking through gritted teeth, hardly controlling his shaking voice with his anger.

ONNGGG ONGOING

A small thing was vibrating and shaking on his wrist while slightly shining. The water whip got even thicker as that happened.

"Hurry up!"

BANNNGGGGG