KINETIC

"Why did you bring me here?" Cain asked from inside a prison cell. Large metal screws had been shoved through his arms and legs, pinning him to the wall opposite the door to his cell.

The screws in his arms were shoved through the joints, going through his wrists, elbows and shoulders. His screws in his legs did the same, going through his ankle and knees.

"I already said, didn't I? I want to see what will happen when an ability user is changed using my ability." Trent replied from the other end of the cell.

There was blood pouring out from each of the areas the screws were placed and immense pain constantly throbbed though Cain's body.

" Then why did you only take me?" Cain asked, gritting his teeth though the pain.

"We don't have the facilities to hold so many people. The base that you and your friends attacked, the one in the mountain, that was our main holding facility for supplies and prisoners. Now we're forced to get by with the scrap..." Trent said with a shrug.

" It doesn't matter though."Trent continued" Just one will be enough to test it out. Depending on what happens I might be able to convince the master that I deserve more space to house my creations."

"Why did you choose me instead of one of my squad members?" Cain asked, his body starting to go numb.

"Because you were the leader. Because I know you. Because. I. Hate. You. It doesn't matter." Trent shrugged.

"You know the others will come to find me. When that happens..."

"Nobody is coming to find you!" Trent interrupted "Drom was attacked by a horde of monsters and your headquarters was simultaneously attacked by us. That's just what your friends are dealing with now.

They won't have time to look for you and even if they did, it would be a miracle for them to find you. The war has begun and you won't be able to help your friends as they fight." Trent said with a smile on his face.

***

"There is no time to worry about introductions and greetings, just explain the situation." King Randall said as he took a seat.

The leaders of the military and Infernum were gathered at the castle and all took their seats around the table in the center of the room.

​ Commander Anders was present at this meeting and chose to be the first to speak. He explained what happened to the Infernum headquarters and Drom city, how the attacks were most likely planned.

He added the reports of Cain's kidnapping and what happened to the town that he was sent to assist.

Once he was done, Commander Colt began to narrate what had happened in other sections of the kingdom.

"Several towns and villages were attacked by the cult. The civilians that managed to escape told us how the cultists were killing everyone in sight without hesitation.

Some were captured but the majority of civilians died, with only a small number managing to escape. The ones who were captured were among the youngest of their settlements, none being above 25." Commander Colt explained.

" It sounds like they're trying to capture people who Trent can turn into beasts." Clay said.

Clay was the only one present who was below the rank of General. Leo thought it would be easier to bring him with rather than try to explain everything to him again later on.

There was some brief protest from General Lewis but Leo assured her it was necessary and Commander Colt told her it wasn't an issue worthy of argument.

"How many of these 'beasts' can he create?" General Lewis asked.

"At least a hundred. That's the largest amount we've seen at once." Leo answered.

"If they're only taking the youngest then it means the person who's being used has an affect on the strength of the beast created." Commander Colt said.

"That's why we're so concerned about Cain. If the age of a person can influence the strength of a beast, then what could the effects be when an ability user is made into one." Commander Anders said.

"Then we should be searching for your captured Captain. If he gets turned, he could become something we can't stop without large losses on our side." General Trune said.

"We can't." Commander Colt said "We haven't got a clue where to even begin searching. It would take too long to get a lead and even longer to find the specific location. We're in the middle of a war and we need to focus on winning."

"As much as I'd like to find Cain, Commander Colt is correct. We will follow any leads we find with as many of our people as we can spare but we can't actively pursue it right now." Clay said, surprising Leo and Commander Anders.

Just then, Kelly walked into the room and walked up next to Leo. She leaned over and whispered something into his ear before leaving the room.

" Is something wrong?" King Randall asked, noticing a strange expression on Leo's face.

"The cultist we captured, John, he's escaped our prison." Leo said.

"What! How could he have gotten out!?" Clay said in a panicked and frustrated tone.

Leo held out his hand in an attempt to silently ask Clay to calm down. Clay understood the gesture and took a deep breath.

"How did it happen?" Clay asked in a much calmer way.

"According to the guards, a cultist teleported into the cell and teleported away with John." Leo answered.

"That shouldn't be possible. Aren't abilities suppressed inside cells made by Officer Thorn?" General Lewis asked.

"They are, I don't know how this could be possible." Leo answered honestly.

"Maybe it's because they aren't human anymore. You called them Imperiums once before and based on John's appearance I think it's safe to say that they aren't affected by things like us, like humans." Clay said.

"So we can't even capture these 'Imperiums' since we can't restrain their abilities? That's going to make information gathering much more difficult." General Trune said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Depending on their abilities, all we need to do is cut off their arms and legs. Then they wouldn't be able to use their abilities anymore." Leo said.

Everyone looked at Leo with surprise. It was a brutal method but it had a high chance of success based on the knowledge everyone had regarding abilities.

"I like that idea!" General Lewis enthusiasticly said with a smile.

"We will have to decide when the time comes, until then we should decide our next course of action in this war." Commander Anders said.

"We need to have our troops work together." Commander Colt said.

"I agree." Commander Anders replied "Our troops, although powerful, lack experience in combat. If we spread the Infernai throughout the kingdom and combine our power then we can fight more effectively."

"If we place some Infernai into every squad within the military, the overall combat power of the kingdom will increase, just as you've said. The Infernai will have the military to assist in tactical thinking and combat experience. While the military will gain the assistance of powerful abilities." Commander Colt said.

" There is an issue that will arise if we combine our troops this way." Clay said.

" What kind of problem? " King Randall asked.

" A leadership one." Leo answered" If we combine the forces of our organizations, then we need to have a singular leader. Having our troops together with our leaders giving orders seperatly will only make things worse than they already are."

"We need to select a single leader that will direct us during this war." Clay added.

There was a moment where each of the people at the table realized the truth behind Leo and Clay's words. The leadership of an army during war is extremely important.

An army of farmers led by a competent leader could destroy a kingdom. Conversely, an army of soldiers lead by an incompetent leader wouldn't be able to get passed a city wall.

"They're right. We can't leave our leadership the way it is." Commander Colt said.

"Agreed." Commander Anders replied.

"Then who should lead us?" Snythe said, speaking for the first time. Until this point he had just been sitting quietly and listening.

"It should be one of the Commanders of course." General Trune said.

"It makes the most sense to do it that way." General Lewis said in agreement.

"The King should be the one to choose, after all, this is his kingdom. The right to decide the one who will lead our armies should be his majesty." Snythe said.

All heads turned to the king. He went into deep thought, trying to decide who would the best choice. It was a decision that could not be made without consideration and as such, the king was silent for quiet some time.

Before the king could deliver his answer, Commander Anders asked for persission to speak.

"I believe Commander Colt should be the one to lead. While I believe I have the capabilities needed to perform this task, I also believe that Commander Colt is more experienced than I am. It's a logical decision."

It was unexpected that Commander Anders would promote the idea of his 'competitor' being given this role, but it also made sense.

"Very well then. Commander Colt, you will lead us in the coming war as the Supreme Commander of our forces." King Randall declared.

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