"Oh, it's still on fire," Blake said as he saw the smoke rising up over the city in front of them.
"Dragon fire is hard to put out after all," Lillia explained.
"I guess that is true." Blake nodded in realization. Dragon fire was not easily put out at all. It would take ten times more water to put out if you were just using regular water.
"I am surprised so many people have returned…." Tina couldn't help but be shocked at the people flowing into the city.
"Some are here to try to rebuild their lives while others…." Blake pointed at a group that had three men and two girls in their late teens and early twenties with collars on their necks. "Some are here to scavenge and maybe even add to their roster."
"I-I see…" Tina reached up and touched her collar. She now understands why Blake was so adamant about them wearing them. Although Lillia gladly wore hers when she found out it was a sign that she belonged to Blake.
"Let's go. We are just taking a look. Try to remember the symbols you see and look out for the men with skulls on their necks. They were known in my past life as the headhunters. They did not care what faction you were from. They stole other factions' women and cut the heads off the men that tried to protect them. Those that submitted became slaves. Although there is one faction I am looking for that, I want to keep note of. I want to take them under my wing." Blake announced, causing the two girls to look at him curiously.
"Most were ex-military with very good values. They only had the girls wear collars for protection. And would do everything in their power to save anyone in their group, be it, man or woman. They protected the elderly and were all around good people. If we can find anyone sporting a peace symbol with a marine emblem embedded into it, we can talk with them.
A lot of them lost their lives after the Age of Magic because they tried to do a full-out attack to claim land for humanity. If things go okay when talking with them, I will go back to the mountain and bring the Darrling family here." Blake explained. It was not that he did not wish to help people. It was just not time for him to do anything when he had no way of fully protecting them. If he could get in touch with this faction that called themselves the Fifth Platoon of Peace, he would be able to begin raising an army filled with experienced soldiers. But to even begin, he had to find them.
"Blake, can I ask you a question?" Tina spoke up after hearing Blake's explanation.
"Sure." Blake nodded.
"What are your plans? What do you see the three of us doing in the future?" Tina asked.
"Mmm…. I know war is not the way to go. Before, humans gathered together and fought all the other races. Only using spirit animals as their main source of backup. But that is not the way we should go about it. War will only bring more death to humanity, which is now so limited in numbers. What good is it to fight to the last man? We should have tried to build up our forces. Befriend other groups of races and pool our resources together to build a new place in a new world.
"I have seen the horrors of the war that will come. People fighting for their rights to be on this planet. But, they jumped out and tried to fight back way too soon. Once they gained new power, they thought that they could take back what we lost, but we only gained so much ground. The battle I died in was a battle against a Dragonic who took on human form. It took a wave of her hand to wipe out an entire city.
"My goal is to bide time. Build a place for ourselves in this new world. And train humans and other races to fight as one. Create new weapons to be used on the battlefield that the dragonic have never even seen before. Work hard and one day maybe defeat the dragonic and place ourselves as the saviors of a free world. A world where all races can live freely. While I know this kind of ideal is not likely to come to fruition, I at least want humanity to be able to stand tall one day and have a place in this new world.
"I might seem cold hearted for not saving those I see before me now. But well. What right do I have if I can not fully protect them? I am still human, after all. A gun can still kill me. One wrong move, and I will die instantly. And dying is not something I can do now. After all, I made a promise to Lillia." Blake said as she held Lillia's hand, causing her to blush.
Tina was a little surprised by Blake's words, but her eyes soon softened as she lowered her head. She knew she was right about Blake when she was investigating him. He was a very good person. "I hope we can make a place that you envision."
"So do I!" Blake let out a laugh as he smiled. Catching Tina off guard. Her gaze locked onto him as if in a daze. But she soon felt a cold shiver running down her spine as she quickly turned away to see Lillia's eyes burning with rage. She looked down at the ground, and only then did the coldness on her back ease up.
She raised her head to look up in front of her, but this time her gaze fell on a group of people. Skulls on their neck. "Blake!"
"Hmm?" Blake turned to look where Tina was pointing and frowned. "They are sneaking up on that family of four, huh?" Blake did not want to get involved yet, but he could not allow that family to suffer under that group. "Lillia, you take the right. Tina, you on the left. When I grab their attention, end them."
