After the argument, Danzo and Vito rarely spoke to each other. Eventually, tired of the silence, Elizabeth forced them to sit down and talk. After their heart-to-heart, they reconciled and understood each other better. After their reconciliation, it made it somewhat easier for Danzo to forgive Maria for outing him, although he still couldn’t understand why she was so adamant about stopping him from leaving, even willing to jeopardise everything.

  In the following months, Danzo’s training became more intense and frequent. His physique drastically changed as he became much stronger and more resilient to the effects of constantly losing blood. When he wasn’t training, Vito would teach him medical procedures and medicine, hoping it would help him on the field. In contrast, his school life remained unchanged, continuing as it always had, but for Maria, her antics had calmed down. She seemed more focused in classes and even outperformed Danzo in some. She was unusually secretive about why, especially toward Danzo.

  Throughout all of this, Danzo also followed the news about the war, and Elizabeth was often the first to inform him about breaking news. From the sounds of it, the monsters on the coasts of Potorough were growing, various species of the monster appearing. Some are even able to fly. The situation on the battlefront was rapidly evolving.

  Over the next four years, Danzo and Maria changed as they entered their final year of school. While they became different in many ways, Danzo remains committed to his goal of joining the Slayers.

  About a month before graduation, the two walk together to the city centre. Maria is running errands for her parents while Danzo plans to sign up for the Proving Grounds, the main way of getting into the Line Army. His mind was far from school.

  “Danzo? Are you even listening?!” Maria says, standing in front of him.

  Realising she is talking to him, he looks at her. “Sorry about that. What were you talking about?” Danzo asks.

  She crosses her arms and sighs in frustration, “Honestly, I don’t know what I expect from you sometimes. We need to fetch Dad’s Parcel, remember?”

  Danzo snaps his fingers, “Oh, right. But today the Proving Grounds open, I need to sign up.”

  A sad expression appears on Maria’s face before quickly disappearing. She says, “I know, I know. We’ll go do it on the way.”

  Several minutes later, they reach the city, stopping at the delivery center to receive the parcel. After signing for it, the two head toward the city center, where the sign-ups were happening. While carrying the parcel, Danzo looks at it as the shaking contents inside have piqued his curiosity.

  “What’s in this parcel?” He asks.

  “It's just some imported material that the medical associations are distributing to doctors. The common monsters on the front have been using poison, so this is to combat it in case we need it.”

  “I see… Guess I will need to be careful of them then,” Danzo says.

  Reaching the city center, they find a small stall with four soldiers in front of it, each representing a different branch of the Line army.

  Maria is surprised to see the number of people signing up, exclaiming, “Whoa, didn’t expect this many people to be eager to go to the frontlines.”

  Danzo surveys the crowds, replying, “Agreed. Although from my previous scouts, this is much more than last year.”

  Maria notices the soldiers and asks, “Strange. Why are there four lines?”

  “They represent different divisions,” He responds.

  “Divisions?” Maria asks as she stares on.

  Danzo looks to the soldier on the far left. The representative from the division was a bulky man with scars covering his face, a medal for his efforts.”Starting on the far left, that soldier is from the Fracture Division. They are responsible for maintaining the line and pushing the monsters back. Due to their work, they are highly regarded and receive plenty of praise from the citizens everywhere.”

  “Oh! So they held them back on the main continent all this time?” Maria asks in curiosity.

  “Partly, but I will get to that shortly,” Danzo finishes. Danzo then looks to the right of the Fracture Representative. Next to him is a neatly dressed woman in a white and red uniform. Continuing his explanation, he says, “She is from the Rescue and Sustenance Division.”

  “Dad’s old team!” Maria excitedly interjects.

  “Yes. They are responsible for providing medical assistance and support. They are divided into three sectors. The first is the Lifeline sector, your father’s previous assignment before he left. They are responsible for pulling soldiers and civilians to safety and making sure that the number of casualties is at a minimum. The second is the Amplification sector. They develop new weapons and armour while maintaining the other divisions' equipment. The final one is the Sustenance Division. They are somewhat far from the battlefield, but are responsible for receiving those who sustained serious injuries and are brought in from the battlefield.”

  “That’s cool! Why don’t you join the sustenance division?” Maria excitedly says.

  “Not in this lifetime,” Danzo quickly answers. He then looks toward the division representative to the right of the woman. There stood a neat and strict-looking man. “The third division is the Claw Division. They are responsible for actively killing and stopping the monsters, often receiving the same praise as the Fracture Division. Maybe more so. Of the three I discussed, many wish to join it as they want the glory associated with the division.”

  Maria fixes her dress as she listens, saying, “You really did your homework, huh?”

  “Of course,” Danzo answers.

  “So which of them are you going to join?” Maria asks.

  “That one,” Danzo points towards the final division, which is represented by a sloppily dressed, sleeping man, who looked as if he had come from a hangover. Danzo looks over to Maria, who has a look of uncertainty on her face, unsure what to say.

  She tries her best to be supportive while struggling to look past the representative's demeanor, “They…Um..They look rested.”

  “Those are the Slayers, the division responsible for targeting specific monsters and providing extra firepower to the Claw and Fracture divisions, more focused on precise targets.”

  “What happened to them? I knew they were bad, but I didn’t expect their representatives to look this ummm…”

  “Unprofessional,” Danzo promptly adds.

  “You know?” She says in surprise.

  “There is no other way to look at it,” Danzo continues while keeping his eyes on the crowd. “The Claw and Fracture divisions ended up being the ones facing them and succeeding, rendering the Slayers redundant. Unfortunately, over the years, it developed a reputation for the soldiers only joining to be able to share in the glory without doing any work or just receive the benefits without issue.”

  While Maria gets over her surprise, Danzo turns back to the stalls, a surprising number of people are signing up, some even Danzo recognised. Per his prediction, many flocked toward the Fracture and Claw divisions to register, while a noticeable number also waited to sign up to join the Rescue and Sustenance Division. Looking toward the Slayers, the only person there was the half-asleep Slayer, clearly upholding the division's reputation.

  Taking a deep breath, he passes the parcel to Maria, saying, “Let’s go.” He walks toward the Slayer Division sign-up. Standing before the half-awake Slayer, Danzo picks up a form and starts filling it out. While he does so, Maria can’t help but notice some of the others nearby, murmuring and snickering.

  Finished with the form, Danzo looks toward the sleeping Slayer. He can smell the alcohol from where he was standing. “Hey,” Danzo says to the sleeping man.

  The Slayer did not respond.

  “HEY!” Danzo shouts, waking up the Slayer in surprise.

  The Slayer looks around, confused for a couple of seconds before realising Danzo is standing in front of him with a complete form. “What do you want?” He rudely replies.

  “The form. Here is my registration,” Danzo says. The man looks at him and slowly takes the form. He stands and slowly walks to a pile of forms between the Claw and Sustenance Divisions and places it there. After a couple of seconds, he returns, confused as to why Danzo is still there.

  “Anything else?” The Slayer asks.

  Danzo looks around for a few seconds before continuing, “Yes. I wanted to find out the Proving Grounds and the date of deployment.”

  “There’s no proving grounds this year, just straight deployment,” The man answers as he takes a pill.

  “Pardon me.”

  The man, clearly annoyed, repeats himself, “This year, there are no proving grounds for the Slayers. As long as you're fit, you're in. Leave all that fancy stuff for the other divisions.”

  Danzo ignores the judgment from the crowd that's watching him and asks, “When’s deployment then?”

  “Next month, after all the files and such are sorted. You’ll be contacted via letter,” the man says as he leans back.

  Danzo has a serious look on his face and replies.“Noted. Let’s go, Maria.” Turning around and walking away, Maria follows, a disheartened look on her face.

  The two walk back home in silence. Maria notices that Danzo is deep in thought, while she herself is coming to terms with his decisions. Unable to take the silence anymore, she speaks, “So the Slayers…You’re actually going to join them, huh?”

  Danzo looks at her briefly before returning focus to the road, replying, “Yes, it seems so.”

  “Feels like the years flew by,” She says to him, looking at the parcel while following. “Such a lame team, I thought you were joking this entire time. But you always did keep your word, even the stupid ones…”

  Danzo stops, and Maria walks a couple of steps in front of him before noticing. Turning around, she tilts her head and asks, “Is something the matter?”

  Standing on the dirt road, the only sound that could be heard was the wind passing through the grass and the rustling of tree leaves. The two are alone, no one to bother them.

  His face remains serious, “Every time I mentioned that I am joining the Slayers, you seem to have a problem with it. Why?”

  “What do you mean by ‘Why’? I don’t want you to get hurt or, worse, killed, on the frontlines. You always read stories about it, you know.”

  “I am well aware of the fact. Vito and Elizabeth feel the same, but they haven’t been as discouraging or against it as much as you.”

  She stands in silence for a few seconds, thinking about her answer. The wind gently flows through her long, slender hair and against her neat dress. Sighing, she finally answers, “It’s scary imagining you there, let alone what’s happening. I can handle being alone here for a while, but I can’t stand the idea of you not coming back; it’s like my heart wants to tear itself apart.”

  Surprised and confused by her answer, Danzo replies, “But you can always make more friends, right? And besides, it will get easier after a month or so; people adapt to these things.”

  “You still don’t get it, do you?” She says with a somber tone, “Even after all these years. “She lets out a heavy sigh. “I was a bit stupid for thinking you would understand.

  He becomes more perplexed, unable to understand what she is saying, “I don’t get what? I am fully aware of everything I am getting into, rest assured I will make it back and won’t mak-”

  “Enough,” Maria interrupts, suddenly turning around, she says, “Let’s just drop the topic. I won’t push you on the enlistment anymore, and we can forget the whole thing.”

  Maria begins walking while Danzo is left standing there, confused by what she said. He scratches his chin, muttering, “Understand what?”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Later that evening, Danzo visits Vito in his office as he is reading some documents. Knocking on the door, Vito looks and sees him standing there. He smiles and waves him in, saying, “Ah, Danzo. Come in, come in. I was hoping to speak to you. I need a moment to look at these, and then I will be right with you.”

  Danzo closes the door behind him before grabbing a chair and sitting on it. While he waited, he looked around the office. The walls were decorated with frames holding degrees and certificates, while some contained pictures of Vito, sometimes Elizabeth in them too, with various people he had never met. Vito’s desk contained various documents and statues. By the light were pictures of his family, Danzo in some of them. Looking at the bookshelf, there were numerous books and small trophies. A small wooden box that contains some of Vito’s medals is on the shelf, but he rarely spoke about them, calling them a ‘horrible reminder’.

  After a few moments, Vito neatly places the documents away and turns his chair to face Danzo. Taking a deep breath, he says, “So I heard from Maria that you joined the Slayers.” Before Danzo could respond, Vito put his hand forward for a handshake, smilingly saying, “Congratulations. It isn’t ideal, but I am satisfied with how prepared you are, and I give my blessing for you to go.”

  Danzo shakes Vito’s hand and says, “Thank you.” Four years ago, Vito stood in his way, and now Danzo never imagined him actually supporting his decision.

  After shaking his hand, Vito leans back, saying, “It is sad to hear about how far the Slayers have fallen. Even when I was active, they were somewhat important, supplementing the, what is it called now… the Claw division?” Danzo nods before Vito continues, “When I was there, they helped to supplement the Breakers- Sorry, the Claws, when they were short on soldiers, although nowadays everyone wants to be the hero.”

  The two sit silently while Vito thinks back to his days in the Line Army, Danzo unsure if he should interrupt. After a few seconds, Vito’s focus returns, and he asks, “So, the Slayers. Are you looking to be the change they need?”

  “Yes. I hope to turn things around there, and if I can’t, I will at least have more autonomy than if I were in other divisions.”

  “Smart and practical. A backup if things don't go your way and a long-term goal.The hallmarks of a potential leader.”

  “Leader?” Danzo says in surprise, “That is too complicated for me. I can manage myself, but other people… I fail to understand them, let alone connect.“

  “That is what your second in command will handle; you just need to keep the group going to achieve your goals, regardless of the changing circumstances. But for now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Vito turns around, grabs a brown leather bag beside his desk, and hands it to Danzo. “This is my gift to you,” he says.

  Danzo takes and opens it, finding two compartments, one with notes and papers, and the other side filled with various vials and medical supplies. In confusion, he looks up and says, “Thank you, but I am not entering the Rescue and Sustenance Division.”

  Vito lets out a slight chuckle before responding, “I know. I spoke to some of my contacts in the army, and they told me the situation up there. Seems supplies aren’t distributed equally. So, since you’re entering the Slayers, I thought it would be best if you had your own little medical station with you. Just remember to practise what I taught you and make sure to keep it secure and secret, you can’t have idiots mess with your stuff.”

  Danzo looks at it again and back at Vito, saying, “Thank you. I will be sure to use what you have taught me to the best of my ability.”

  “That’s good. Now make sure to get plenty of rest before deployment. We can talk more about it next week.” Vito finishes, turning back to his desk.

  Before leaving, Danzo came to Vito for another reason: “Apologies, but I also had another reason for coming to you today.”

  Vito turns around in surprise, saying, “Is something else bothering you?”

  Danzo closes the bag and places it next to his feet. Remembering his discussion earlier with Maria, he asks, “Today, I spoke to Maria about her issues with me going to the frontlines. She has been like this for some time, so I thought I would speak to her about it.”

  Vito closes his eyes and nods as he listens, adding, “Yes, she has been worried for good reason. Continue.”

  “Right, from what I understand, she is worried about me dying or getting hurt. I believe she is worried about losing a friend and tried to reassure her that even if I were to die, she still has many more friends, and that’s not counting the ones she will make in the future.”

  “Mmmm, mmm,” Vito says as he continues to listen.

  “I then told her she would get used to it over time. But she just said I still don’t understand anything, and something about her heart tearing itself apart. I am unsure if it is literal or metaphorical. After, she said she is done arguing and won’t say anything about it anymore. So I wanted to ask, is there something I still don’t understand that may hinder me from my goals?”

  Vito has a disappointed look on his face and sighs, saying, “I have succeeded in preparing you for war but failed you on the home front.” Danzo frowns in confusion before Vito continues, “Danzo, let me tell you about how I met Elizabeth, and I want you to listen closely.” Upon saying that, Danzo focuses intensely on Vito’s next words, “You and Elizabeth are scarily similar. When I first met her, I was just getting into medicine and went to the library to get some reading material for learning. She worked there as an assistant during the time, and when she helped me, she was straight to the point.

  Vito pauses and looks at Danzo, who is still listening intently. Vito continues, “Suffice to say, I was there for a while, and would often find her there. Since I barely hung out with my friends, I tried to make friends with her. She didn’t entertain any conversations, and sometimes it felt like I was talking to a brick wall. Although whenever she spoke back to me, she always remembered all of the details of our conversations and was confused by some of the stupidity.”Vito pauses as he looks away and chuckles a little, “There was one time I told her about wanting to be a singer and practicing guitar, she told me, ‘But you’re voice is horrible.’”

  As Vito said that, Danzo had brief flashes of when he lectured Maria over small things, realizing the similarity between himself and Elizabeth.

  “Eventually, after a year or two. I was head over heels for her. I did try to flirt and confess, but she never understood. At one point, I told her directly that I want to be with her all the time, and she thought I was suggesting moving in together to save on costs.” Vito crosses his arms and closes his eyes, saying, “Well, I mean, it worked, but not in the way I intended.” After mumbling for a few seconds, Vito returns to the conversation, “Right, sorry about that. Eventually, after coming across in the most direct way possible and telling her I am interested in her romantically, she was quite surprised and a little shy, if I think about it. It was awkward for a couple of days, but eventually she reciprocated, and after that we got married. I believe you know the rest.” Danzo nods before Vito continues, “So do you understand what I am trying to tell you?”

  Danzo thinks a moment before answering, “Not really… Is it that she is worried about working in a library like Elizabeth?”

  A defeated look comes over Vito’s face. He stands and walks to the door. He quickly opens it and shouts, “I TRIED, MARIA!” After doing so, he sits back on the chair and says, “Look, just understand that Maria and I are also similar. We can’t hide how we feel. Now think about it a bit longer and get some rest.”

  Danzo nods, takes his bag, and thanks Vito for his help before leaving, but is still unsure of what he’s misunderstanding.

  Before heading to bed, Danzo speaks to Elizabeth, who is quietly reading a book in the living room. He explains the situation and what Vito had told him to her. Thinking momentarily, she sets her book on the small table beside her and says, “What could be the message in that story? I know something has been bothering Maria, but I usually leave that to Vito, as he is better at handling it.”

  Danzo sits on the chair adjacent to her, saying, “Could she have a heart condition?”

  “Doubt it, she has still been performing well in her athletics. And besides, she only gets sensitive like this once a month.”

  “I doubt that it's due to that, she said this has been going on for years.”

  “Then it must be something else. I know she is quite close to you. Perhaps she sees you in a different light. Maybe incompetent because you haven’t proved yourself on the field?”

  A sudden realization strikes Danzo as he hears those words: “Of course! Every time Maria has seen me, it was when I failed to meet military standards.”

  Elizabeth looks at him in confusion and asks, “But haven’t you improved?”

  “I have, but maybe her concerns are related to me not performing on the field and not making a meaningful contribution. Death is failure, and if I die before doing anything, this would all have been for naught. Like in Vito’s story, his study in medicine and applying them while meeting you, that’s what he tried to tell me.”

  Elizabeth gasps in excitement as she understands the dilemma as well. The two congratulate each other on coming to their own understanding of the situation. Thanking Elizabeth for her guidance, Danzo notices Maria grabbing a snack in the kitchen.

  He immediately walks over, and she looks at him in confusion while a popsicle is in her mouth. With a smile, he says, “Don’t worry, Maria. I understand now. I will do my best on the frontline and make a meaningful contribution. So don’t worry, I will make sure to meet your standards, and theirs.” With that, he turns around and walks to his room, confident in his triumph.

  Maria takes the popsicle out of her mouth and lets out a deep sigh, saying, “The hell is he on about?”

  The next month passed by peacefully. Danzo was busy preparing everything he needed for his deployment, while Maria would sometimes speak briefly with him. Although she never fought with him about going, Danzo still felt something was off; he often found his mind drifting toward Vito’s story and Maria. For a strange reason, when he was around Maria these past few weeks, he felt uncomfortable as if something was bothering him, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. It felt like he was arguing with himself, but couldn't hear the conversation.

  As the deployment date crept near, an uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave him. A week before, he received his deployment letter and details of where to be. It was official. Elizabeth and Vito were always on his case about preparing for the last couple of days, but it seemed they were more enthusiastic to speak with him, enjoying their possible last few moments with him.

  While Danzo did speak to Maria often, he couldn’t stare her in the eyes anymore; it felt as if he were trespassing. These days, he was the one cutting conversations short with her before leaving the house to walk and think.

  It was finally the day that he was preparing for. Arriving at the beach where the ships were setting off, they were surrounded by families giving their goodbyes to their loved ones who were setting off. Some were crying, and some were making sure they had everything they needed. Looking at the ships, there were few and small, some borrowed from their village. Rutco’s population didn’t dictate that a large group would leave. Danzo looks at his letter and double-checks the ship he is to ride. It seems that his will be the last to go.

  Turning to the Howells, Danzo says, “Well, this is it. I can’t thank you enough for everything you have done for me up until this point. I’ll be sure to succeed.”

  Vito grabs him and hugs him tightly as he cries, “Damn it, I said I wasn’t going to cry, but screw it. Please come back safe, Danzo!”

  “I won’t,” Danzo says as he hugs back.

  “And don’t forget to write back and keep healthy!”

  “I will make sure to keep you up to date on everything,” Danzo grunts as he is suffocating slightly.

  After a couple of moments, Vito steps back and tries to wipe the tears. Elizabeth takes the chance to hug Danzo as well, telling him, “Make sure to be alert and careful. It is dangerous out there.”

  “Of course,” Danzo replies as she steps back to comfort her husband.

  Maria hesitantly steps forward and says with a weak smile, “So it seems like it’s finally happening, Dany.” She clears her throat and tries to hold back her tears.

  Before she can continue, Vito interrupts, shouting, “WE LOVE YOU, KID! PLEASE, COME BACK!” After shouting that, he turns back to Elizabeth and cries into her shoulder.

  They chuckle, and Maria says, “Always the dramatic one, huh?”

  Danzo replies, “Just like you.” She turns back with tears in her eyes and hugs him. “Please take care and come back. There is still so much I want to do with you.”

  Danzo said as he hugged her back. Somehow, it felt reassuring to hold her.

  “Promise?” She says as she hugs his chest.

  “I promise…to the quadrillionth degree,” He answers as he closes his eyes. It felt as if time had paused for him as they hugged.

  I didn’t understand for four years.

  Suddenly, a large, blaring horn is heard from one of the ships. Danzo looks back and notices that his ship is signalling for departure.

  Danzo looks back and says, “Well, that’s my signal.” They let go of one another, and Maria steps back. Danzo grabs his bags and turns around.

  We are quite honest with our feelings, right?

  Maria says, “I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

  “I know.” Danzo waves at them before running and boarding the ship. It was small enough for about seven people, including the captain, to stay on comfortably for a few days with luggage. As he puts his bags beside him, Danzo stares back at the Howells. His mind starts flashing back to what has happened over the past couple of years.

  The last passenger boards the ship, and the captain prepares to leave.

  It’s like my heart wants to tear itself apart.

  Danzo thinks about Vito’s story and what he told him.

  I am similar to Elizabeth, and Maria to Vito.

  He thinks back to his first night at the Howells' home after moving in.

  I will always be with her?

  He looks to the captain, putting in the keys to the engine, and looks back at her. He sees a sad expression on her face.

  The horn of the ship blares as it signals it is about to leave.

  Why was she sad? Maybe she sees me differently? If it’s not about competency, then…

  WE LOVE YOU, KID! PLEASE, COME BACK!

  In sudden realisation, Danzo shouts, “Wait, I need to do something!”

  The captain looks at him, confused, but before he could ask, Danzo runs and jumps off the ship.

  How could I be so blind?!

  He runs to the Howells as the passengers, including the captain, stop to see what’s happening. As he runs toward them, he sees the confusion on Maria’s face. Upon reaching them, Danzo quickly grabs Maria by the waist, unsure of what he is doing.

  He says to her, “Well, let’s hope I am right this time!” Without hesitation, he closes his eyes and kisses her. For some reason, it felt right. He suddenly feels Maria pulling him closer in reciprocation. A strong feeling of adrenaline and something new flowed in his chest.

  After a moment, he looked her in the eyes and told her, “I’ll make sure to come back.” He quickly turns to go back to the ship, but Maria isn’t letting go. Confused, he says, “Okay, I actually need to go now.”

  She pouts and says, “No!”

  “No, seriously, I need to go!”

  Not letting go of her grip, she shouts, “No way am I letting you go. I have been waiting for this for seven years!”

  “Maria, let go!” He says as he struggles to break free.

  “No!’ She grunts, “I want my lovey-dovey phase!”

  “Ugh, why did I think this was a good idea?” He grunts. After a couple of seconds, he manages to break free.

  Maria chases him, but he manages to get on the ship. Looking back, Maria shouts, “MAKE SURE TO COME BACK, DANY!”

  “I will,” He shouts as he gets his breath back.

  The captain pats him on the back as he makes his way back to the head of the ship, “Alright, lover boy. Let’s go.”

  The ship's horn blares again as it sets sail. Without any interruption, it slowly moves away from the shore. Danzo stares back, watching Maria and her parents wave back at him as he gets further away. He watches the coast until it fully disappears.