Long, confusing, and empty minutes passed until they reached the half-a-hour mark. Khan flowed through the symphony, flying, swinging, and kicking according to what touched his senses until nothing else came his way.
Khan gracefully landed on the ground before inspecting his surroundings. Dust hid his vision, making his eyes itchy and teary, but colors still shone. The symphony had grown calmer, and the earthquake had stopped. No sharp movements unfolded, and auras quieted down at the inevitable realization.
'It's over,' Khan thought, heaving a deep sigh and wiping his knife on his pants.
The dust slowly settled down, revealing the new state of the battlefield. The brown plain was a mess of shallow and deep gorges connected to a big one that ran for hundreds of meters. Furry corpses also occupied every corner of that destroyed environment, and a few scarlet capes lay among them.
Khan was no stranger to that scene. He had long since grown used to the aftermath of large battles, and the Thilku shared his experience. Most aliens stood still, checking how many of them had survived before steeling their minds.
From what Khan could see, the casualties on the Thilku's side weren't significant. The alien army had only lost twenty to thirty soldiers, proving its prowess.
Nevertheless, lives weren't numbers. As much as the Thilku were used to those sceneries and pretended to be fine, some experienced sadness and grief seeing their dead companions. A few even reached their friends' corpses to retrieve their capes.
Khan couldn't join that sad mood. Xai had been clear about the meaning of his presence on the battlefield, so he decided to stay away from any social interaction. He lifted his gaze at the sky, waiting for orders to fly in his direction.
Of course, Khan didn't stay still. Even if the area had transformed, he could understand where his previous position was. Moreover, he could sense Naoo, so he walked in her direction without getting too close.
Khan was hard to ignore in that environment. Except for his different stature and uniform, his stance was quite eye-catching. Blood and dust had finally tainted his figure, but his steps were full of power and confidence. He appeared at the peak of his physical capabilities, even if a big battle had just ended.
The lack of briefings forced Khan to follow his previous orders. The night was still above him, so he returned to his appointed position and fixed his eyes on the darkness ahead. He was ready to fight until morning if necessary.
The Thilku couldn't remain impassible before that stance. A few had even caught snippets of Khan's prowess during the messy battle. He wasn't only strong. His drive seemed endless.
Khan felt that growing respect but ignored it, focusing on saving energy. His mana reserves were fine, but his body could benefit from some rest. He wasn't tired yet, but the night risked making him reach his limits if more big battles were to happen.
However, steps eventually resounded, making Khan lower his gaze. His team returned to its previous position, only to cross it and aim for the trench. The scene was confusing, but Naoo approached him to clear his doubts.
"[The monsters don't attack after the big mobilization]," Naoo explained. "[We are going back]."
"[The night is still long]," Khan pointed out.
Naoo didn't like Khan questioning her orders, but her anger was short-lived, leading to a composed reply. "[The frontlines get to rest, so rest]."
Khan was ready to offer his services for the rest of the night, but Naoo added a glare to her reply, forcing him to nod. He sheathed his knife, and the two began to walk toward the trench.
Vehicles ran through the plain while Khan and Naoo reunited with their team. Many Thilku had suffered injuries, which required immediate medical attention to deter eventual mutations, and doctors didn't hesitate to ride toward them.
Khan inspected everything silently, standing slightly behind his team to respect Xai's warning. He would play the part of the outsider as long as the Thilku wanted to, but they seemed to disagree with that behavior.
As insulting as Khan's presence, he still fought at the Thilku's side. He had proven himself worthy of being on the battlefield, and some of his companions were also alive thanks to him.
The Thilku wanted to maintain a cold attitude, but their pride made them consider other options. If they ignored the different species, Khan wasn't too bad. He was actually a valuable asset in the war against the monsters.
Khan didn't try to do anything since deeper thoughts afflicted his mind. He knew the Thilku had it worse than humans, but the recent battle had still surprised him. Cegnore probably had more to offer, making his plan harder to actuate.
'How many monsters would arrive if I called them?' Khan wondered. 'Can the Thilku handle them?'
In theory, Lord Exr had agreed to use Khan as bait. Still, Khan couldn't summon armies randomly, especially after witnessing the tough battles in the Thilku trenches.
A call had turned random leftovers into three packs in the human trench. The consequences could be far worse in Khan's new location, which would put hundreds of lives at risk, including his own.
'I must plan things out with the Thilku,' Khan thought. 'I can't backstab them like this. It's too dangerous.'
Khan looked ahead, glancing at Naoo's figure before lowering his eyes again. The Thilku didn't trust him enough to believe in his plan, let alone coordinate with his warning. Earning their respect and learning more about the area had to come first.
Minutes had to pass before the team returned to the building, meeting fellow Thilku coming back from the frontlines. The groups went through the security measures in an orderly manner, eventually entering the vast main hall.
Doctors and additional teams were already waiting in the hall. The soldiers headed for the main gate to replace their returning companions while the medics attended to the injured, running scanners over them or delivering drugs.
Khan felt surprised when a doctor approached him to check him up, but the scanner didn't reveal anything unusual, clearing him to advance. He could return to his lodgings after that, but Naoo was waiting for the rest of her team, so he imitated her.
The team eventually returned to their corridor, and the soldiers began to remove their dirty clothes or dive into their rooms. Their traditions usually involved feasts now, but Khan didn't dare to point that out.
Naoo stormed into her room without uttering any word, and wariness filled the corridor. Khan was behind that feeling, so he flew to his locker and retrieved his backpack to undress. He wanted to isolate himself as soon as possible, but the Thilku had different intentions.
"[Blue hair]," A Thilku called when she saw Khan approaching the rune before his room with the backpack on his shoulders.
Khan turned and recognized the Thilku. She was the mace-swinging soldier he had lifted in the air. Her call had made the rest of the team focus on him, filling the corridor with conflicting emotions.
"[What]?" Khan asked, too pensive to show his fake politeness.
"[Do you eat]?" The Thilku asked, crossing her arms before her bare chest.
"[Of course I eat]," Khan responded.
"[Do you drink]?" The Thilku continued.
"[More than you]," Khan stated, and scoffs resounded in the corridor.
The Thilku stared deep into Khan's eyes while tension built up, but her mouth eventually broadened into a smirk that revealed her sharp canines. Her reaction made a few of her companions snicker loudly, warming up the corridor's atmosphere.
"[Ah]!" The Thilku exclaimed. "[You talk big for a human]."
"[Apa]," Xai called, looking at the female Thilku before nodding in Khan's direction.
"[Shut it, Xai]," Apa snorted. "[I know]."
Apa exchanged glances with her companions, who replied with nods or by crossing their arms. Khan knew what was happening but still waited for the words to arrive.
"[We are having a feast]," Apa eventually announced. "[Join me]."
"[You are]," Khan said, stopping for a few seconds to make the Thilku eager for his next words, "[Way too shy about this]."
Silence fell in the corridor. The Thilku looked at Khan, shocked that similar words had come out of his mouth. They weren't sure what they meant either, but Khan eventually chuckled, expressing his intentions.
At that point, a few Thilku became unable to contain themselves. They exploded into laughs, and some approached Apa to slam their huge hands on her shoulders. Jokes also flew toward her, teasing her about the situation.
The door of Naoo's room suddenly opened, and all the Thilku stopped laughing and straightened their position. Naoo also came out but ignored her underlings to march toward Khan.
"[Here]," Naoo said, handing a circular device to Khan. "[These are our battle strategies]."
Surprise spread through the corridor, and Khan also experienced that feeling. He looked at Naoo's stern face before inspecting the device. A rune locked its screen, and its lines slowly became meanings in Khan's mind.
"[Can you open it]?" Naoo asked, seemingly angry about that wait.
"[Yes]!" Khan exclaimed, snapping back to reality and moving his fingers over the rune to gain access to the device's data.
Naoo waited until Khan unlocked the device to glare at her underlings and spout a question in her angry tone. "[Did you invite the human]?"
Apa and the Thilku at her sides nodded, and Naoo confirmed those silent replies with the other aliens before shouting again. "[What are you waiting for? Let's feast]!"
