One hour earlier, at a military outpost on the French border, in the officer's office, two men sat facing each other.
"It's been a long time, Lieutenant Colonel Erich."
"I wish we never met again, Mr. Backhaus. Speak—what does your superior want from me this time?"
Facing Backhaus, who sat opposite him, Lieutenant Colonel Erich felt no goodwill at all—no, he actually detested his superior.
Sebastian Shaw, a complete madman, sought to capture more mutants to serve him. Those who refused either became specimens on an experiment table or corpses.
Moreover, Sebastian Shaw was not loyal to the Führer; he was only loyal to himself. He had joined the Führer's ranks solely to obtain a better research environment and greater authority. As a devoted SS officer, Erich found this infuriating and could not understand why the Führer tolerated Shaw's existence.
What enraged him even more was that Shaw himself was a tremendously powerful mutant. In Erich's eyes, his abilities were practically invincible, making it impossible for him to personally eliminate this destabilizing factor.
"Calm down, Lieutenant Colonel Erich. Whether it's you, me, or Mr. Shaw, we are all serving the Empire, aren't we?" Backhaus was unfazed by Erich's attitude. This was not their first encounter; he was already accustomed to such hostility.
"Hmph, no one would believe that nonsense. Just get to the point, Backhaus. Why are you here?"
"Alright, then. I'm here to borrow some men. We recently discovered a child suspected to be a mutant. He has the ability to control water and frost. Mr. Shaw is very interested in acquiring him. However, we accidentally let him escape.
Recently, we received intelligence that this target has appeared within your jurisdiction. I would like to borrow a squad of soldiers to assist me in capturing him."
"Hah, you people have fallen so low that you can't even capture a child? I'm starting to question whether you even deserve to exist," Erich sneered.
"If it were just that child, I could have caught him easily. The problem is that Schmidt's forces have also taken an interest in him," Backhaus said with a shrug.
"Damn it, another lunatic!" Erich cursed inwardly. Why was he so unlucky? There were two madmen in the Empire, and somehow, he had to deal with both of them.
"Hydra is not an enemy to be trifled with. I won't send my men to their deaths." Erich rejected him outright.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant Colonel. We are not unprepared. Including myself, we have three mutants on our side, so your soldiers won't just be cannon fodder," Backhaus said confidently.
"Hmph, who knows? Without orders from the military command, I won't give you any men." Erich smirked defiantly.
"I figured you'd say that, Lieutenant Colonel. So, before coming here, I paid a visit to the command. To ensure the target doesn't escape again, I rushed here immediately." Backhaus pulled a document from his coat and placed it in front of Erich.
"Damn those idiots at military command…" Erich cursed inwardly again. He knew he had no choice but to send his soldiers, but he also knew that most of them wouldn't be coming back.
Seeing the mocking smile on Backhaus' face, Erich picked up the phone.
"Hello, it's me. Tell Sergeant Baldur to report to my office…"
"Backhaus, are you sure the target is in this village?"
"Yes, Aishe. I'm certain."
"Hah, is this kid really worth it? Do we really need the three of us for this?"
"I know you're unhappy, Chainsaw, but it's best to be cautious. We cannot afford to let the target escape again. Mr. Shaw is already very displeased with us. If we fail again, we'll have no choice but to run for our lives."
Hearing this, Aishe and Chainsaw immediately tensed up. They knew all too well what Sebastian Shaw was capable of. If Backhaus said Shaw was unhappy, that meant he truly was. If they failed again, they had two choices: go into hiding and live in fear, or be captured and dissected on Shaw's experiment table.
And the second outcome was far more likely.
As they walked along a narrow path under the fearful gazes of the villagers, they arrived at a small house on the village's edge.
"Surround the house. If anyone other than the child comes out, shoot to kill. Capture the child alive," Backhaus ordered his soldiers.
"Yes, sir."
"Alright, let's go in."
"I doubt it'll be that easy, Backhaus. Hydra is here," Aishe warned.
The three men turned their sharp gazes toward a group of soldiers approaching from the other direction. Unlike other Imperial soldiers, these men wore all-black uniforms with masks, carried heavy energy packs on their backs, and wielded advanced energy weapons far beyond this era's technology.
"You're too late, Hydra," Backhaus said, stepping forward with Aishe and Chainsaw.
"You're working for Sebastian Shaw? Step aside—our leader must have the child," the Hydra squad leader ordered arrogantly.
"Sorry, but Mr. Shaw also wants the child. So please leave."
"Then let's see who gets to him first!"
The Hydra soldiers raised their guns, aiming them at Backhaus, Aishe, and Chainsaw.
"Aishe, Chainsaw!"
At Backhaus' signal, Aishe's hands grew fur, his nails extending into sharp claws, while Chainsaw pulled out two metal chainsaws from his backpack, their blades beginning to spin rapidly.
Both sides were poised for battle when a series of horrific screams broke the tension.
They turned their heads, and the sight before them nearly froze them in place.
A young man they had never seen before stood clad in pitch-black metal armor, surrounded by golden beams of light that cut through the soldiers. Each beam left a fatal hole in its target's chest.
"Are you with them?" Garen asked coldly, looking at Backhaus' group and the Hydra squad.
"Who are you?" Backhaus was on high alert. Could there be another faction after the child? Why hadn't he received any intelligence on this?
Observing Garen's powerful physique, mysterious metal armor, and supernatural abilities, Backhaus immediately suspected he was another powerful mutant. However, except for a few fugitives, nearly all mutants in Europe were under their control. Why had he never heard of this man?
"You are not worthy of knowing my identity. This is your final warning—leave, or die," Garen declared. Though ruthless to his enemies, his Saint Seiya code compelled him to grant them a chance before striking.
"If you won't talk… then die!" Backhaus was not an honorable fighter. He didn't hesitate to launch a sneak attack.
His body swelled, muscles tearing through his suit, as he threw a powerful punch aimed at Garen's head.
But just as his fist was about to land, Backhaus suddenly froze in place.
"As expected, people like you don't understand what it means to cherish life… then die."
The moment Garen finished speaking, Backhaus' head exploded into a bloody mist.
Aishe and Chainsaw's eyes widened in terror—they hadn't even seen what happened, yet Backhaus was dead. And he had been the strongest among them.
Without hesitation, Aishe and Chainsaw turned to flee.
But before they could take a step, two golden beams pierced their chests, and they collapsed.
"You… are you with them?" Garen turned toward the Hydra squad.
The Hydra soldiers trembled in fear.
"Cut… cut off one head…"
"Hmm?" Garen frowned.
"…Two more shall take its place!"
At their leader's shout, the Hydra soldiers regained their nerve and opened fire with blue energy blasts.
"A foolish choice."
The energy bullets stopped midair, suspended before Garen.
"Interesting energy, but it's useless against telekinesis."
With a cold voice, Garen sent the bullets back, reducing the Hydra squad to charred remains.