The Rescue

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  Adelis POV
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When I woke up, I immediately realized that something was wrong. I was in an unfamiliar room, one that was horrible and decadent compared to my home, this was a nightmare I was living. I was trapped in a dirty, dimly lit room with a metal door nearby. There was a barred window that barely allowed a glimpse of part of the hallway outside, but there didn't seem to be anyone around; the place was eerily quiet.

I was filled with fear. I didn't know where I was or what it meant, but I was sure it couldn't be good. I was afraid for my safety, for the safety of my family. I was nervous. Would they try to kill me? Torture me horribly? Maybe something worse, like trying to rape me? Please, no. I couldn't live with that; I'd rather die.

"Huh?"

The sound of another person behind me startled me immensely, so I turned to look. In the darkness of the room, I managed to make out the vague silhouette of someone else. It was a girl who seemed to be waking from her sleep, trying to figure out what was happening around her. Realizing that she, like me, was in an unknown and dangerous place, she seemed to recognize me and immediately approached me, seeking comfort. I could see that she was wearing the uniform of the school she attended. When I saw her face, I finally recognized her as Haru Yamamoto, which made me wonder why she was also here. She was also obviously frightened, not knowing what was going on.

"Mrs. Adelis, are you here too?"
"Do you know what this place is?"
"What are those gunmen are planning to do?" asked the poor girl.

I thought for a moment about how to answer her question when I didn't even know what was happening. There was the sound of a nearby door opening, and looking through the small window, I could clearly see armed men guarding the hallway. They had real military gear and assault rifles similar to those used by the Alliance. It seemed like there were more soldiers patrolling than just crazy-armed individuals. These were clear signs that this wasn't a normal kidnapping or ransom; this was a calculated plan. They knew exactly who I was, they knew the risk they were taking, and they had acted accordingly.

"Everything is fine, don't worry"
"Soon your grandfather will come to rescue us.
"We just have to wait until he arrives," I told the girl, trying to make her feel better.

But it was all a lie; I really didn't know what our future held. I was as scared as she was. They won't notice my absence at the army base until tomorrow morning, but the time they need to search and find me could be too long. The other possibility is that Saeko noticed my kidnapping and called Cesar as I asked her to do. She claimed to be an important agent, and if she really did carry out missions like the "White Demon" during the war or her extreme escape, then her ability is unquestionable and she's someone of utmost trust. However, she's just arrived in the city and doesn't know anyone who can help her. There's also Xian, my secretary; maybe she could help him, but I have no idea if they've met yet. The last possibility is Haru's grandfather, Inspector Yamamoto. He's an extremely intelligent man, very effective in his work. He could undoubtedly quickly find out where we are, even if he has to go door to door all over the city. But the real question is whether he would inform Xian of his findings or come here with the entire police force. I hope the inspector can handle this in the best possible way; a shootout between the police and these people would be utter chaos.

I was still pondering the situation when the door to our room burst open with a loud bang. One of the armed men held someone over his shoulder and threw her inside before quickly closing the metal door behind him. He then stood guard outside with another soldier while the other two patrolled the hallway. There was no way to escape, but what could I do? I was just an ordinary woman who had never trained or fought in anything in her life. I had fired a pistol at a firing range as a mere formality to become an officer of the Alliance. But somehow I had to protect these people. I couldn't do anything reckless that might get us all killed.

I moved to see who the other person thrown into the cell was, but to my surprise and fear, it was Maria, my beloved daughter, the fruit of my love for my husband, the girl we had fought so hard to raise. She was still wearing her hospital clothes, which showed exactly where she had been taken against her will. After recovering from her fall, she looked around and met my face, only to burst into tears and run to hug me.

"Mom? Is that you?" my beautiful daughter said to me.
"Is it really you?"
"I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened!"
"Some men in black came and took me from the hospital."
"I don't know what's happening! I'm scared!"

"Don't worry, everything is okay."
"Everything will be fine."
"Stay calm, nothing bad will happen."

Even though I didn't know what was happening or what would happen next, I couldn't help but lie and try to comfort her as best I could. All I could do was hug them and try to protect these two girls, even if it cost me my life.

After calming both girls, I went back to look out the window with the bars on the door. I tried to think of a way to get out of this situation, or at least keep it from getting worse. All I knew was that we must be in some kind of warehouse with a lot of armed men. Down the hall, I could see some stairs leading up to another door guarded by more soldiers. In the highly unlikely event that I magically managed to escape the room, there were at least 4 armed men in my path to the stairs, and I had no idea what awaited me further up.

There was no way to escape without a direct confrontation. My only viable option was to wait to be rescued by Alliance soldiers or the police. All I had to do was hold out for a few hours or a day, but what if these men had a different plan and didn't need that much time? Or if they were going to take us somewhere else soon?

Fear and helplessness gripped me. Each passing moment pushed me deeper into total despair, something I couldn't show in front of the two girls who were depending on me right now.

But then something strange happened in the hallway outside. Another armed man had just arrived, looking a bit lost, and his companions began to tell him to leave. However, the new soldier continued to play dumb and started inspecting the area and the other doors. His comrades told him to stop once and for all. On one of these occasions, he looked through the bars of our door and locked eyes with me. He stopped immediately, and his comrades put a hand on his shoulder to pull him away, but he didn't move from the door.

The next thing that happened was complete chaos. Within seconds, the new man began to act strangely. He started smiling and pulled a spear out of nowhere, as if he had always had it with him. He stabbed one of the men behind him until the tip of the spear came out from behind him. Instead of stopping, he continued his attack, piercing the other man's face as well, while the first man's body remained impaled and in agony.

The other two guards in the hallway raised their rifles to shoot at the strange man, but he simply responded by throwing some papers with force. As soon as these papers made contact with the armed men, they were engulfed by two enormous columns of blue fire, a fire so strong and deadly that its two victims couldn't even scream in pain and were burned to ashes in a matter of seconds, a fire so powerful that it could be felt even behind the door.

I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed; I was utterly horrified to see 4 soldiers lose their lives in such a violent, quick and easy manner. I felt nauseous at such a display of wickedness and the inhuman monster that was nearby. The strange man turned back to the door separating us and somehow managed to open it effortlessly and silently. As he entered the room, I hugged the girls and tried to stand between them and the monster. Instead, he smiled, and as if by magic, in less than a second, a puff of smoke emanated from his body, and as magically as the smoke appeared, it disappeared.

What happened next left me stunned, unable to comprehend what had happened. The monster who had effortlessly killed four armed men was now the girl who had come with Cesar a few days ago. The fox girl with her fox tail an ears, her long blonde glowing hair, her magical blue kimono, her happy face despite the deaths she had caused, as if all of this was just a game to her - she was Tamamo-no-mae, making her entrance, striking a cheerful pose as if she were a magical girl from the show.

"I've finally found you all."
"What luck to find you all in the same cell."
"Don't worry, Okaasan! Help is on the way; Goshujin-sama will find a way to get you out of here."
"I will protect you until she arrives," said the joyful moon goddess.

"Tamamo? Is that really you?"
"What are you doing here?"

"Yes, it's me! Your cheerful daughter-in-law who's come to save the day!"
"Just like those superheroes from the magic box in the living room!"
"Isn't that great?" she said in a playful tone, oblivious to the seriousness of the real situation.

"Is Cesar here too?"
"What about the others? Is Xian here? Inspector Yamamoto?"
"Are the police here already?"
"What is their plan?"

"Only Miss Xian, Goshujin-sama and I are here."
"I think I heard that the police will come later."
"Oh, I'm not really sure what the plan is."
"Goshujin-sama just told me to go in first, find you and protect all of you until he arrives," she said casually.

I couldn't believe how ridiculous the situation I was in. The powerful Moon Goddess showing how little human life meant to a superior being as her , giving us hope of escaping this situation, only to casually mention that my idiot son was doing this rescue without any real plan. I was still processing everything that had happened and trying to control my hopes for rescue when the sound of an explosion shook the ground above us. Seconds later, the continuous sound of gunfire erupted throughout the place. It was absolutely terrifying to hear the large number of shots, the sounds of screams of agony and death. But perhaps my greatest fear was knowing that my son was the cause of all this deadly chaos. The gunfire would sometimes stop only to start again, each time closer to where we were.

Tamamo raised her hand, and the spear detached itself from the dead men and returned to its owner. The goddess moved to the entrance near the stairs and closed the door, ready to attack anyone who tried to enter. Shortly after, someone came running and opened the door, only to be confronted by a fox girl who fearlessly hurled her spear at his head without hesitation. The soldier who took the hit had no time to understand what had happened to him. Without showing any concern, Tamamo pulled her spear out of his body and resumed her previous stance. The number of shots seemed to decrease as the sounds of pain and agony increased. My greatest fear was knowing that my son was the source of all this chaos. I was afraid when the shots rang out and equally afraid when they stopped, because each shot I heard was a momentary sign that my son was alive or perhaps wounded. So I was afraid of everything that could happen, both good and bad.

The girls next to me were worse off because they didn't understand what was happening. Haru, in particular, seemed unable to bear it any longer and fainted from fright, while my daughter Maria was also frightened, but she tried to hold herself together, although I could see that she was trembling.

A series of loud knocks on the door of the stairs took everyone by surprise, but this time it was Tamamo who decided to open the door. When she opened it, she saw two people fighting fiercely: a strong, muscular man fighting hand-to-hand with a small, colorless girl. The battle was intense as both fought for survival, each trying to kill the other as quickly as possible. The girl tried to reload her weapon, but before she could, the soldier kicked her arm, knocking the pistol out of her hand. Then the man pulled a large knife from his pocket and attacked the little girl. She did not flinch; her face remained serious, her red eyes fixed on her enemy, focused only on how to kill him. The enraged man continued his relentless attacks, but she deftly dodged them. His decision to draw the combat knife proved to be his demise.

As if in a dance, the pale girl quickly moved her hand near her attacker's weapon and stole it effortlessly. With her next move, she sliced off a large portion of his legs. Then, switching the knife from her left hand to her right, she stabbed the wounded soldier in the chest and, with complete indifference, buried it in his throat to finish him off. The strong, tall soldier died with the horrible sounds of his choked breaths in a futile attempt to breathe.

"Alright! Everybody ready, we are getting out of here!" said the albino girl.

"Cesar!"
"Do you really think rescuing us like this is a good idea?"
"There are more enemies out there! You're putting us in danger by trying to save us in this stupid way!"
"It's not just me, Haru and Maria are here too!"

"What the hell? They kidnapped her too?"
"Well, it doesn't matter, there's no time for that."
"Xian is covering us from above, she has the car waiting nearby, we have to get to it if we want to get out of here alive."
"I'll go first, Tamamo, you second, Mother third, Maria, you try to carry Haru, who seems to be sleeping."
"Here, take this gun and help as much as you can, keep your eyes open when you pull the trigger," my son said a little angrily as she handed me a gun she had stolen.

" Moron! We can't get out like this!"
"They'll kill us all!"

"Don't worry, I got that covered!"
"But if you want to live longer, you'd better do what I say, when I say it, and how I say it."
"We don't have much time to get out, the police are on their way and we don't want to get caught in the crossfire."

Immediately after the albino girl spoke, she took a step back, and moments later, as if by magic, a ghastly dark crack appeared on the ground. An enormous, thick sword spun out of it. It was ridiculously large and crude, larger than the girl holding it, who simply grabbed the sword by the hilt with one hand while holding her pistol with the other. Then, using it like a ballistic shield, she began to walk slowly but surely forward. Tamamo followed close behind as if it were a game. Maria and I had no choice but to follow, for it was either that or certain death.

As we walked through the warehouse, I realized how many times my son had been in this exact situation, the way she checked every corner carefully, the attention she paid to the different entrances, the way she wasn't surprised when bullets bounced off her shield, the way her eyes didn't blink when he pulled the trigger of her gun, the careful way she used her ammunition. Walking down a corridor, there was a door on the side, and we couldn't tell if someone was hiding there. So she told Tamamo that she would walk past the door, and then Tamamo would have to enter the room and kill whoever was there while protecting the hall with the shield. A moment after she realized what she had said, Tamamo stood behind her and patted her on the shoulder, indicating that she had completed her task and could continue.

On our agonizing way to freedom, I noticed that the number of dead on the ground didn't match the number I had seen my son fight. Most of the bodies were already there, the gruesome scene of a real massacre. César had fought most of them first, before coming to find us, trying to make our escape easier. I could see in my son's face that there was no nervousness or fear, only concentration. She was a warrior with a sacred mission to get us out of there alive; nothing else mattered to her at that moment. Not even the moment her gun ran out of ammunition during another shootout with two more men. Instead, she just reached back without even turning her head, while Tamamo took the gun I was holding and gave it to her without asking, then continued the fight as if nothing important had happened.

I was struck by how, even when compared to her enemies, she showed no doubt or surprise, only coldness. For the white-haired girl, this was just her routine, just another day at the office, just killing more and more, It was the same thing she had been doing all these years before. I understood in that moment that she was just doing what the war had taught her: fighting, achieving her goals, killing anyone who got in her way, without remorse or emotion, just concentration, repetition. How I was partly responsible, how my decisions, made while looking at a map on a table, meant a fight to the death for the soldiers in the dirt, mud and blood , how people like my son were the ones who had to fight and die for every meter of ground I casually marked in blue on my map.

When we finally reached the entrance to the warehouse, only a few minutes had passed, the longest and most terrifying minutes of my life. I felt as if my legs were about to give out and collapse at any moment, even though I had not put up a fight. At the entrance I saw a car coming towards us, Xian jumped out and started shooting around to cover us. Cesar grabbed Maria and Haru and threw them into the car at full speed, and I quickly got in next to Tamamo. Shooting at the few remaining enemies, Xian and Cesar finally jumped in and the car sped away to get us out of there. I saw a couple of black vans chasing after us at full speed. All the cars hit the road, trying to get away from the dock, but in a strange twist of fate, after Xian turned at a nearby intersection, we found ourselves facing several police patrols. I saw Inspector Yamamoto emerge from one of the patrols and confront them with his trademark big revolver. He and the other officers started shooting at the cars, but let us pass without any trouble. It seemed that Haru's grandfather had some idea of what would happen and had planned ahead.

After everything calmed down, we managed to return Inspector Yamamoto's granddaughter to him without a scratch. The old man ran to pick her up in his arms, almost crying, and thanked me gratefully. Seeing how much he needed to be reunited with his granddaughter, I decided not to bother him and quickly returned home. Besides, I didn't like the idea of having to explain what had happened to the police or appearing on the news. Xian took us all back to my house.

By the time we got to my house, it was quite late. I still felt exhausted and overwhelmed after all the intense emotions I had experienced that afternoon, in stark contrast to how calmly Tamamo and Cesar took everything, finding time to make something to eat or even take a bath despite all the fighting that day. I couldn't understand how they had the mental strength to go to sleep in their rooms while Maria and I were still in shock. Since we were both very tired after such an exhausting day, I asked them to wait until the next day to explain things better. Both Maria and I didn't feel very comfortable in our own home, so we went to sleep hugging each other and trying to comfort ourselves from everything that had happened.