Maya’s karate-style right straight punch struck Beatrice squarely in the solar plexus.

  The moment it landed, Beatrice countered with a parry, sending Maya spinning in midair.

  Just before her head slammed into the mat, Maya planted her hands, landed on her feet, and used the rebound to launch a Duality Martial Arts technique—“Mid-Blade” (a middle kick).

  But even that was blocked by Beatrice’s knee, which not only nullified the attack but injured Maya’s leg. Beatrice then swept Maya’s supporting leg, causing her to fall, and slammed her heel into Maya’s throat.

  Maya’s breath stopped as a wave of pain overwhelmed her.

  Her ribs were fractured, her left arm was broken, and some of her internal organs were damaged. She had barely been able to stand before this, and Beatrice’s heel drop even sealed off her ether breathing technique.

  When Beatrice finally lifted her heel, Maya’s face was pale as she gasped desperately for air.

  “Sit down, Maya.”

  Beatrice stepped back three paces, knelt formally on the mat, bowed, then sat cross-legged.

  Maya, still struggling to breathe, followed suit.

  Emma, sitting nearby, watched the harsh training nervously.

  “If we keep going, not even Emma’s healing will be enough. This is the last training session. What do you think, Maya?” Beatrice asked calmly.

  “Thank you… but… I’m sorry. I couldn’t get any better than this.”

  Maya’s heart sank with frustration. Even if her Exceed only activated in moments of pure rage, she needed to master hand-to-hand combat to stand a chance against Ezekiel. More than anything, she felt she was disappointing Beatrice, her mentor.

  “They say you can’t judge yourself properly, but you’ve improved astonishingly in these six days. I can guarantee that,” Beatrice said quietly.

  “You’ve maintained your ether breathing technique even during this intense training. You may not be particularly dexterous, but you have the will to attack—and that suits close-combat karate. You learn fast. Honestly, if you hadn’t mastered Duality Martial Arts, I planned to leave you behind—but that won’t be necessary now.”

  Beatrice’s deep green eyes softened slightly.

  “Thank you… Master Beatrice! I’ll do my best not to be a burden…!”

  Expecting harsh criticism, Maya burst into tears instead.

  “Your Exceed, as I confirmed when I transformed into Ezekiel before, activates when you feel deep-seated anger, converting the damage you take into combat power. That much we know. You once mentioned hearing the voices of the dead, but we don’t know how that works, nor how long the activation lasts. Facing Ezekiel will surely make you angry, but if you’re paralyzed, it can be sealed. You must control both your calm and your rage—and never fall for unexpected enemy tricks.”

  Beatrice’s voice was serious yet gentle.

  Emma, quietly sitting nearby, applauded Maya in her heart.

  “That concludes our Duality Martial Arts training before the ambush. Emma, treat Maya’s injuries.”

  The three of them knelt formally again, bowed to each other, and ended the session.

  Beatrice returned to her room, removed her karate gi, and checked her own body.

  A faint bruise marked her solar plexus where Maya’s punch had landed.

  “To think she managed to land a clean hit on me… Maya Graves, you’re an interesting girl. That’s exactly why you’re worth guiding.”

  Smirking, Beatrice checked the anti-toxin for biological agents sent from the Gray Archives.

  “Maya, you’re really amazing! Even with Director Beatrice training you one-on-one, I can’t believe you improved this much in just a few days!”

  Emma spoke excitedly as she channeled her Healing Palm into Maya’s broken left arm.

  The setting was Maya’s room—a simple, clean space with nothing but a bed. Maya lay face down on it.

  “Emma… thank you. It feels so warm. You know…” Maya’s voice trembled, her eyes moistening again.

  “Yeah?”

  “Since coming here, I finally understand what it means to be treated kindly. That’s why… I don’t think I ever properly thanked you.”

  Maya turned her head to look into Emma’s amber-colored eyes.

  “If you and Victoria hadn’t come to save me back then, and if you hadn’t stopped me from leaving this place… I wouldn’t be who I am now. So… thank you.”

  Tears spilled from Maya’s eyes as she spoke.

  “…I see. You’re welcome. But you know, Maya,” Emma said shyly, looking away.

  “I wanted you to stay, too. Vic and Ethan are different, but I never had friends my own age. I hated school. Hey, do you want to hear why I became a Returner?”

  Emma shifted her Healing Palm to Maya’s internal injuries, her expression turning serious.

  “Yeah, of course,” Maya said, sensing instinctively that Emma carried deep scars of her own.

  “She’s the daughter of a whore. Wanna bet how much she charges?”

  That was what I heard every day when I went to elementary school. My desk was scratched up, and the tablet issued by the school never made it to me. The boys appraised me like merchandise, and the girls avoided me as if I were filth.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The war Russia started dragged on, involving many countries.

  As an immigrant family, we couldn’t get decent jobs. My father eventually left for another woman, and my mother survived only by selling her body.

  Even at twelve, I couldn’t return to our cheap apartment at night. I always killed time at convenience stores because nighttime was when my mother worked at home.

  That day, when I returned home at midnight, I found my mother collapsed on the floor.

  Her face was horribly swollen, twice its normal size.

  “Mom!” I panicked and rushed to find the first-aid kit.

  “Welcome home, Emma… Damn that bastard…” my mother groaned painfully.

  The kit had no proper medicine, so I soaked a towel and pressed it against her face.

  “Thank you, Emma… That bastard said I should let him have you next time. I told him I’d never allow that, and he beat me half to death…”

  I had always thought of my mother as hopeless, but for the first time, I realized she had been trying to protect me.

  Then I noticed a strange smell.

  The curtains had caught fire—probably from a cigarette ash. Flames spread through the cheap apartment instantly.

  “Damn it…!”

  Black smoke filled the room. As I inhaled it, I collapsed on top of my mother.

  “Emma… run…”

  Those were the last words I ever heard.

  Inside that cheap apartment, my mother and I were consumed by flames.

  Yet somehow, I woke up.

  My skin, which should have been charred black, was perfectly intact.

  The problem was, I had no clothes, and though I guessed I was in Eldrant, I had no idea where exactly.

  Luckily, it was nighttime. I hid in some bushes in a park.

  What should I do now? Should I go to the police? But what if a man attacked me on the way?

  Cold sweat poured down my face.

  Just then—someone pushed through the bushes.

  I trembled in fear. If it was a man, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

  But instead—a beautiful woman appeared, with red hair and green eyes.

  I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there, trembling.

  The woman looked at me and said:

  “You died recently, didn’t you?”

  “So yeah, that was how I first met Director Beatrice. I mean, come on—who says something like that to a twelve-year-old girl? Total shock factor, right?”

  Emma laughed.

  Maya couldn’t help but laugh too, but Emma’s childhood was heavy—too heavy for Maya to respond lightly.

  “Thanks for just listening quietly,” Emma said, finishing the Healing Palm treatment with a relieved sigh.

  “That’s why I only attend an online high school now. I still remember the bullying, you know? So I was really happy to meet you, Maya. You listen seriously, you’re earnest, and you’re kind… That’s why we have to win. Against that snake-man, on Lumen Day.”

  Emma thrust her fist forward.

  Maya hesitated, unsure how to respond, but Emma grinned and said, “This is where you bump fists.”

  Maya thought that, after hearing Emma’s story, she finally understood why Emma’s Exceed was Healing Palm. Emma was truly kind. Probably, her regret at not being able to save her mother had manifested as her Exceed.

  She’s always thinking of me, too…

  Maya made up her mind: We’ll win together. We’ll win, and then we’ll laugh together.

  “So, I heard it’s your publishing celebration, so I’m bringing chocolate cake. Not just for you, Ria, but for your parents and your brother too—how about that?”

  Ethan had heard that Ria’s novel had caught a publisher’s attention and was going to be released digitally. To celebrate, he bought a famous chocolate cake and came to the front door of Ria’s house.

  But Ria still hadn’t overcome her fear of men. She couldn’t face Ethan directly or even talk to him in person, so all of their conversations were through chats on their Listhon devices.

  Still, that felt too impersonal. To Ethan, the photo Ria had once sent him—smiling sweetly—was a treasure. Her neat features, black hair, and black eyes gave her an elegant Eastern European look.

  “I had to stand in line to buy this, you know,” Ethan typed.

  “Eat too much and I’ll get fat,” Ria replied.

  “Then just do a hundred straight punches a day at home. That’ll fix it, right?”

  When they were kids, Ria and Ethan had trained together at a karate dojo.

  “...Those were fun times, huh,” came Ria’s unexpectedly sentimental message.

  Ethan panicked at the sudden change in tone.

  “Hey, you’re doing great now, aren’t you? You’re making it as a writer—that’s amazing!”

  But there was no reply. His anxiety grew until finally, a message popped up.

  “But… I still don’t have the courage to meet you, Ethan. I’m sorry. I’m always causing you trouble.”

  “I know you’re getting counseling. Just doing that while working as a writer is incredible, Ria. I really mean that.”

  Ethan’s tone was one he never used with anyone else in their group.

  “...Thank you.”

  “I brought this as an early celebration for your publishing, and also because I’ve got some big work coming up. Eat it later, okay?”

  “Big work?”

  “Just a little criminal-hunting job.”

  “I see… You’ve always had a strong sense of justice. Please don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

  “I’ll be careful not to overdo it.”

  As Ethan was placing the cake in the delivery box at Ria’s door, someone approached from behind.

  “Ethan, thanks for always being there for Ria.”

  It was Ria’s older brother, Daniel. At 28, he was a skilled police officer. Ethan had been friends with him since childhood, and Daniel was one of the few people who supported Ethan’s relationship with Ria. Daniel’s black hair and eyes swayed in the breeze.

  “Congrats on passing the bar exam. Ria told me. Our jobs are a bit different, but if you become a lawyer, I’m sure you’ll make the justice system better. I’ll gladly cooperate however I can. I’m really happy for you.”

  Daniel and Ethan shook hands firmly.

  For the usually cynical Ethan, Daniel was one of the rare people he genuinely respected.

  “There’s a great Nordic-style bar near the station. We should go sometime.”

  “Sounds good. Drinking with just the two of us guys sounds fun.”

  After chatting with Daniel, Ethan left Ria’s house.

  Checking his Listhon again, he noticed a new message.

  “I love you.”

  It was a simple, heartfelt message from Ria.

  “So, tomorrow I’ll be heading to Lumen Day Academy. To avenge the choir members,” Victoria said as she visited Clara’s room, checking their stock of food and water.

  “Um, Victoria… actually, I once got a call on my Listhon from one of the kids in the choir who was killed. But no matter how many times I tried calling back afterward, they never answered.”

  Victoria’s eyebrow twitched slightly at that.

  “…I see. Thank you. It’s possible they were resurrected as a Returner. I can’t say in what state, though.”

  “It was creepy. They didn’t respond when I spoke, and all I heard was some kind of scraping noise. Maybe they were just trying to escape and were in trouble, but still…”

  Clara’s face was filled with worry and unease.

  “I’ll check the security cameras beforehand, but beyond that, we’ll have to deal with it on-site. Thank you for telling me, Clara.”

  Victoria smiled warmly.

  Clara suddenly hugged Victoria, trembling, her face turned downward.

  “Victoria…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for saving me, for being so kind to me… That’s why, please… please come back alive. All of you. I just want everyone to come back safe, without getting hurt…”

  Clara tried hard not to show her tear-streaked face. Victoria appreciated her thoughtfulness and gently stroked Clara’s hair.

  “It’ll be fine. We’ll all come back alive. I promise.”

  Victoria was lying. There was no guarantee they could all return safely.

  But she wanted to say that for Clara’s sake—so she wouldn’t fall into despair.

  “I’ll be waiting… I promise I’ll be waiting,” Clara said, wiping her eyes and forcing a smile as she saw Victoria off.

  As Victoria walked down the hallway, she thought to herself:

  (I can feel those bastards’ emotions strongly tonight…)

  In the Nordica Republic, the government monitored its citizens using the Aurora.

  Only a select few in positions of power and another human, such as Luna Nordics, knew this fact.

  Tonight, the Aurora looked more ominous than ever to Victoria.

  Kiril Varga drew his long sword, gazing at his reflection in the blade with satisfaction.

  He couldn’t suppress his excitement at the thought of how many new torture pets he might acquire tomorrow.

  At his feet lay the corpse of a woman who had died from madness, a silent testament to the pleasure he had taken in her suffering just moments before.

  “With this magic sword, Gram, and my Exceed… Let’s see how much they can resist, how pathetically they’ll beg for their lives. True love shines brightest in screams of agony… don’t you agree, Luna Nordics?”

  Kiril’s laughter echoed through the apartment building.

  POST-CHAPTER AUTHOR NOTE

  "Do you think Maya will make an unexpected move in this ambush battle,

  or will one of her allies turn out to be the key?"

  The Night Before the Decisive Battle!

  A quiet moment before everything explodes—Maya finally landing a hit on Beatrice, Emma sharing her past (…did that break anyone else’s heart?), and now… the raid is just around the corner.

  Lemongirl – You’re amazing. Seriously, your comments every chapter keep me smiling and super motivated. Thank you so much for always being here!

  Assa131 – Your review last time? Loved it. It really made me want to push even harder with this chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one just as much!

  As always, tell me what you thought—I read every single comment, and they really do keep me going!

  Chaos, blood, and unexpected moves await—what do you think will happen in this ambush battle?

  Will Maya make the decisive move, or will someone else become the key player?

  Your thoughts always mean a lot to me—drop a comment if you feel like guessing!"

  check out my Substack article here:

  https://open.substack.com/pub/knishi2050/p/why-i-wrote-hells-returners?r=5wfkgu&utm_medium=ios)

  All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction, translation, or AI training use is prohibited.