Killing. This word may be interpreted in many ways, when talking in terms of taking a life, there lies also multiple perspectives. For example most humans do not think much before killing a bug, though some might disagree. 

To kill something bigger for example a chicken some might hesitate who is doing it for the first time, some might not. But taking the life of an intelligent being is not something a sane person would do and is always frowned upon in our society. Though this also varies on occasion to occasion.

To kill something as sentient as a human was a spectrum of moral weight that humanity had grappled with for centuries. 

For Arthur, killing had once been about survival. The first time he arrived in this universe, it was him or the monsters. The decision was simple. The first Chimerian soldier he killed with a plasma rifle had been distant, impersonal. But here on this battlefield, things had changed.

He hadn’t just killed; he had massacred. His fists, his body, they had all been weapons of destruction. Over a hundred Chimerians lay dead by his hand, their blood staining the ground. And now, with the battle over, the adrenaline fading, he felt a weight settle in his chest, a suffocating and stuffy feeling.

Arthur exhaled shakily, his once cold dark eyes now a bit dull scanning the battlefield. The once-chaotic field of battle was now eerily quiet, save for the groans of the wounded and the distant hum of ECHO soldiers working to secure the area. Smoke rose in tendrils from charred ground, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air.

…

“A..Arthur…”

The familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Elena approaching, her expression a mixture of concern and hesitancy. She paused a few steps away, as if unsure how close she could get. “Are you… alright?”

Arthur blinked at her, unsure how to respond. Was he alright? Could anyone truly be alright after what had just happened? Before he could answer, Leo stepped beside him and patted his shoulder without a word. The gesture was brief but reassuring.

Samir was next, his eyes reflecting something Arthur hadn’t expected: respect. There was no fear, no hesitation, just a silent acknowledgment of Arthur’s actions.

Then he faced Lt. Nakamura. The older soldier’s face was etched with a mixture of exhaustion and understanding under his helmet. He stepped closer and spoke in a low voice. “You’ll get used to it,” he said, his tone steady but not unkind. “I… understand it’s your first time taking someone’s life, but it happens in battle. Don’t overthink it.”

Arthur nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. This helped him ease his mind a bit, and they gave him something to hold onto, a reminder that he wasn’t alone in this.

As the team gathered around him, Arthur felt a small measure of relief. What he had feared most, that his teammates would see him as a monster hadn’t come to pass. Instead, they seemed to regard him as a comrade, someone who had fought alongside them in the harshest of circumstances.

At least there are people like them, though they haven’t known each other for much time, but camaraderie is created during the harshest of time. And during this life and death situation they have someone like Arthur on their side, otherwise they could imagine being either killed or captured by the Chimerians.

Commander Elise approached next, her stride purposeful. She stopped in front of Arthur, her sharp eyes locking onto his. For several long seconds, she studied him in silence, she gave Arthur a deep piercing look, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke.

“Good work, soldier,” she said, her voice firm. “I don’t know how you’re so much more powerful, and honestly, I don’t care. What matters to me is that you saved lives today. And that’s what counts.”

“It was my duty, Ma’am,” Arthur replied, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.

Elise allowed a small smile to cross her lips. “Well, duty or not, you did good out there. Now, we need to take care of the aftermath. We’ve got injured soldiers, casualties, and intel to secure. Let’s move.”

…

Elise’s orders rang out across the battlefield, and the ECHO soldiers sprang into action. Medics tended to the wounded, their hands steady despite the grim conditions. Supplies were unpacked, makeshift triage stations set up amidst the wreckage.

Arthur watched as two soldiers carefully secured the body of a fallen comrade onto a stretcher. The sight made his stomach churn. Thirteen ECHOs had fallen today, thirteen lives cut short in the chaos of battle. He clenched his fists, the weight of their loss adding to the burden he already carried.

“Over here!” one of the medics called, gesturing toward a wounded soldier. Arthur moved instinctively, helping to lift the soldier onto a stretcher. The man groaned in pain but managed a weak smile.

“Thanks,” he murmured.

Arthur nodded, his expression somber. “Hang in there.”

Meanwhile, a team of scientists and soldiers worked to secure the bodies of fallen Chimerians. Their crystalline armor and alien physiology is of interest to some scientists to study them and figure out their weaknesses. Each body was carefully cataloged and transported for further study, the eerie glow of their armor a stark contrast to the blood-stained ground.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the battlefield, the low hum of approaching rescue ships filled the air. The ECHOs turned their eyes skyward as sleek, angular crafts descended from the heavens, their searchlights cutting through the smoke.

Arthur helped carry another wounded soldier toward the nearest ship, the ramp descending with a mechanical hiss. Medics and crew members swarmed the area, guiding the injured aboard and securing the perimeter.

Commander Elise stood near the main ramp, her comm device in hand as she coordinated with the rescue team. “I want a full report on casualties and injuries by the time we’re back on the station,” she barked. “And make sure those Chimerian bodies are secured for transport.”

Arthur was one of the last to board, his gaze lingering on the battlefield as the rescue ship’s ramp began to close. The sight was haunting, a stark reminder of the cost of war.

…

The warp jump back to the battle station was disorienting but brief. As the ships docked, the ECHO soldiers disembarked, weary but alive. The injured were rushed to the infirmary, while the rest of the team gathered for debriefing.

Arthur stood silently in the hangar, watching as the chaos around him slowly settled into order. The weight in his chest hadn’t lifted, but he knew there was no time to dwell on it. The war wasn’t over, and there was still work to be done.

As he turned to leave, Commander Elise’s voice called out to him. “Arthur.”

He stopped and looked back.

“You did good today,” she said, her tone softer than before. “Rest up. We’ll need you for what’s coming next.”

Arthur nodded, his expression unreadable. As he walked away, the faint hum of the station’s engines filled the air, a reminder that the battle might be over, but the war raged on.

…

In the dimly lit chamber of the Chimerian warship, an oppressive silence hung like a storm cloud. The air was heavy, tinged with the faint metallic tang of the ship’s atmosphere. 

The room was both austere and imposing, dominated with sleek black walls adorned with Chimerian glyphs glowing faintly. At its center stood a massive throne-like seat, fashioned from a fusion of jagged red crystal and gleaming metal.

Seated upon it was Commander Vorsk. His visage was striking, with sharp features that seemed carved from stone. His eyes, an unnerving shade of iridescent yellow, glowed faintly as he stared down at the soldier before him. The red liquid in his crystalline goblet swirled lazily, catching the light in a way that made it appear almost alive.

The soldier kneeling before him was rigid, his posture stiff as if bracing for impact. He dared not meet the commander’s gaze, his head bowed low. The silence dragged on, the tension mounting with each passing second.

“Speak,” Vorsk commanded, his voice low and venomous, like the hiss of a serpent.

The soldier swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he began his report. “C..Commander, the mission… it failed. The human forces repelled our assault.”

Vorsk’s silvery eyes narrowed, his expression growing colder. “Failed?” he repeated, the word dripping with contempt.

The soldier’s voice faltered, but he pressed on. “Yes, Commander. Their soldiers fought with unexpected vigor. And… there was one among them, a warrior unlike any we have faced before. He moved faster, struck harder, and…”

“Enough.”

The single word was spoken softly, but it carried the weight of a thunderclap. The soldier immediately fell silent, his body trembling as if the temperature in the room had dropped.

Vorsk leaned forward slightly, his gaze boring into the soldier. “You mean to tell me,” he said slowly, “that a single human managed to decimate our forces?”

The soldier hesitated, then nodded. “Y..Yes, Commander. They call him Arthur. Among our ranks, he has been termed… a Demon.”

For a moment, Vorsk said nothing. Then, with a sudden burst of motion, he crushed the crystalline goblet in his hand. The viscous red liquid it contained, something disturbingly similar to blood, spilled over his pale fingers, dripping onto the floor in thick, sticky rivulets.

The soldier flinched but dared not move.

“Useless,” Vorsk muttered, his voice seething with anger. The shards of the shattered goblet fell from his hand, tinkling like broken glass against the floor.

He rose from his seat, his imposing frame towering over the trembling soldier. “You’ve embarrassed me,” he hissed. “You and the rest of your pathetic unit. You were given one task, one, and you failed.”

“Commander, I…” the soldier began, but Vorsk silenced him with a glare.

“Do not speak,” he snarled. He stepped closer, the faint glow of his crystalline red armor reflecting off the soldier’s terrified face. “Get out of my sight.”

The soldier didn’t wait to be told twice. He turned and fled the chamber, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

…

Vorsk stood alone in the chamber, his bloodied hand clenched into a fist. His deep yellow eyes burned with fury as he turned his gaze toward a holographic display hovering above the crystalline table in the center of the room. It showed a tactical map of the battlefield, overlaid with the locations of fallen Chimerian soldiers and key points of human resistance.

“Arthur,” Vorsk muttered, his voice laced with disdain. The name was foreign on his tongue, but he spat it out like a curse.

He scoffed, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “A Demon, they call him. How fitting.”

He paced the room, his mind racing. The failure of the assault didn’t concern him for the lives lost; Chimerian soldiers were expendable, their deaths mere numbers on a ledger. 

He wanted to make an example out of those human soldiers by killing them. But this defeat, it was a stain on his record, a setback that would linger like a scar. His rivals would seize upon it, using it to weaken his position within the Chimerian hierarchy.

Vorsk’s fists tightened at the thought. He would not allow it.

“No,” he muttered, his voice low but filled with resolve. “You think you can get away with this, human? You think you can humiliate me and walk free?”

He turned back to the holographic display, his fingers dancing across the controls. A new image appeared: a dossier on Arthur, pieced together from scattered reports and battlefield recordings. The man’s face stared back at him, impassive yet defiant.

Vorsk’s smile widened, a predatory glint in his eyes. “I’ll find you,” he said softly, his voice dripping with malice. “And when the time comes, I’ll crush you with my own hands.”

He tapped a command into the console, sending orders to his intelligence officers. “Gather every scrap of information on him. I want to know his strengths, his weaknesses, his history. Everything.”

Vorsk returned to his throne, sitting down with an air of calculated calm. He rested his chin on one hand, his bloodied fingers leaving faint smears on his pale skin.

“This isn’t over, Demon,” he whispered to the empty room. The room fell silent once more, save for the faint hum of the ship’s systems.

***

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