Rion's words echoed like a hammer striking metal, and everyone lowered their heads. Everyone except Balak.

Balak was Tarek's strongest squad leader as well as his battle partner and a great friend. He wasn't joining Rion just because he was strong and saved him, but because he had a flair similar to Tarek.

Tarek had been a curious man. The kind who defied whatever was said to him, not out of rebellion, but to build his own understanding of the world.

If someone said that scars are proof of strength, he shut them down by saying:

"Are you calling your failure to end the fight cleanly, strength?"

If someone said that following orders without question is loyalty, he shut them down by saying:

"Is it loyalty if you don't even know what you're dying for?"

If someone said that tradition exists for a reason, he shut them down by saying:

"Then it should survive being questioned, shouldn't it?"

Most scoffed at him for such views, but Balak never did. Because Tarek didn't follow things as they were — he dismantled them, examined them, and rebuilt them.

He was more open to ideas than most. More curious, too. Perhaps his curiosity was even greater than Rion's.

And that curiosity was what ended him.

Others called him a fox for his lean build and clever mind. In his case, curiosity truly did kill the fox.

Balak stood up and stared into Rion's eyes as he said, "Petty ranks? Strength is our honour, our life. We live to protect our people from the purple fog forest, and those petty ranks decide who commands us in that hell."

Rion understood his reason and views, but didn't want to follow the way of others before him.

He didn't want his group turning its blades inward for motivation when they already had a greater enemy and a greater goal to work for. He understood the need for competition but now wasn't the time for it.

His steps moved closer to Balak, and he looked directly into his eyes as he spoke softly,

"What kind of protector needs ranks to stand tall? What kind of strength needs recognition to matter?

I understand how you feel. But in my group, there will be no needless hierarchy. Squad leaders will command their squads — and I will command all of you."

His eyes sharpened, and his voice turned cold as he added, "And if you disagree with my method, you can always fight me for this position."

Balak shook under the weight and sharpness of his voice, and others listened with hardened expressions.

Thud!

Balak's knee struck the ground, cracks spiderwebbing beneath him as he shouted while raising his hands like a cup, "I wish that you continue to lead us with your strength and wisdom," he paused for a moment, and his bright blue aura flared as he added, "Kneel with me!"

Heavy thuds followed as the remaining group members of Tarek's group also knelt and raised their hands to bind themselves under their new liege.

Rion smiled widely and placed a hand on Balak's head before he said, "With thee, I shall stand undefeated; under me, thou shalt stand free."

"Honour to the liege!" Balak shouted at the top of his lungs, and others followed.

"Honour to the liege!"

Yuura, Karhun, Tarun and Dora watched everything with bright smiles, and Tarun commented in an amused tone, "Is he the same guy who used to fear reverence?"

Karhun nodded and said, "The way he acts is completely different from before..."

Yuura stared at Rion and muttered, "Anyone would change after meeting that being..."

Others didn't know, but Yuura had also seen the ruler of the purple fog forest, even though he didn't know what it was called.

Dora didn't say anything and continued to stare at Rion with clenched fists and emotions hidden behind her brown eyes.

Rion hugged everyone, and before long, a familiar face appeared before him.

"Zukah..." he mumbled.

Zukah used to be Dora's squad leader, and he was the one Rion had defeated to become a sub-squad leader... but he no longer had any squad as he lost them all to the surprise attack of the kareths.

"My liege..." Zukah mumbled; his voice no longer had the pride that made him believe that he was above others.

His lips parted, and he said, "I'll leave if that's what—"

However, the words halted in his throat as Rion pulled him into a hug and said, "I am sorry for your loss, squad leader Zukah... I know you are devastated, but I can't let you go. I need your strength."

Tears gathered at the corners of Zukah's eyes, and he nodded while gripping Rion's cape.

"I will follow you with my life..." he breathed heavily, and Rion patted his back before he broke the hug and continued to regard others.

A few minutes flew by, and every squad member stood behind their squad leaders.

No one stood behind his previous squad members and Zukah, while a few squad members stood with no one before them.

"We have twelve unassigned squad members, and we require a total of twenty. Five of you will join Zukah. The remaining positions will be selected by the squad leaders."

He folded his hands across his chest and stated, "That's all for today."

Everyone placed a hand on their hearts and turned to leave.

As they left, Rion spoke in Balak's head.

<Thank you.>

Balak stopped in his tracks and looked at Riongim with a big smile before he replied with a shake of his head,

"I didn't do it for you, my liege. I did it for my friends. The battle next year would be anything but ordinary so I can't allow them to continue with the same infighting as before."

Rion's smile widened, and he said, "I don't know much about Tarek, but he must've been an exceptional man to have your loyalty."

A reminiscing smile appeared on Balak's face, and he muttered, "He was just a fox..."

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