A Family Should Be United

"General Ross, you, you mustn't be impulsive, let's talk this through properly."

Looking at Ross, whose arms had suddenly swelled to be thicker than his thighs, General James lost all his previous arrogance. He no longer dared to speak of sending General Ross to a military tribunal.

Just moments ago, General James had watched with a smile as General Ross became extremely angry but was unable to do anything about him.

However, he soon couldn't laugh anymore.

A strange red light descended from the sky and entered General Ross's body.

Soon, the man's body rapidly grew taller and larger, as if being inflated like a balloon.

General James, who had previously been looking eye-to-eye with General Ross, now had to look up at him.

Seeing his fists, the size of sandbags, General James swallowed and cursed inwardly.

"Didn't they say divine blessings were rare? How come this deity called the Blood God keeps bestowing blessings on this guy so easily? And it happened right after I completely fell out with General Ross. Why haven't I seen Him bestow a blessing on me?"

But no matter what General James thought, he now had to face one problem.

That was how to persuade General Ross to move his sandbag-sized fist away from his forehead, instead of punching his head clean off.

General James's eyes flickered rapidly between terror and pleading. He tried to keep his voice calm and sincere: "General Ross, I... I admit my previous words and actions were too impulsive and I didn't consider the consequences. I understand your contributions and sacrifices. I shouldn't have questioned your loyalty and honor."

He looked up slightly, trying not to stare directly at the fist that could instantly shatter his head, and continued, "General, we've worked together for many years. I've never forgotten everything you've done for the country and its people. This time, it was just a misunderstanding. Congress wanted to use this failure to cut our military budget, which is why I lost my head for a moment."

As he spoke, General James's voice trembled slightly, but he gathered his courage and tried to move General Ross with emotion: "General Ross, we both know that on the scales of war and peace, sacrifice and glory go hand in hand. Perhaps we have disagreements, but in the face of the bigger picture, we should be comrades, not enemies. Please give me a chance to make amends, and let us work together for a greater goal."

"Comrades? I'm sorry, you are no longer my comrades."

Looking at the now subservient General James, who had been so arrogant before, General Ross felt amused. He was as servile now as he had been arrogant before.

"Not us, then who?"

Looking at the still-confused General James, General Ross had no interest in wasting any more words with him.

He extended his other hand, placed it on General James's head, and then pressed down with both hands. After a short, sharp scream, General James's head exploded like a crushed cream puff, its contents scattering everywhere. If it were roasted, passing children would say it smelled delicious!

"General Ross, we have always been your loyal subordinates!"

The soldiers who had come to arrest General Ross were already trembling in fear. Especially after General Ross's gaze fell upon them, they unhesitatingly gave a French salute.

The speed was astonishing.

General Ross ignored their surrender. He punched them one by one, turning them all into paste.

General Ross looked towards Banner and the others, who were still ravaging the army not far away. Without a word, he joined them, beginning to slaughter the army from the rear.

This unit was already on the verge of collapse. With the death of General James and the rebellion of General Ross, the morale of the entire army plummeted to its lowest point.

The army was in chaos, with soldiers fleeing in all directions. But no matter where they ran, they couldn't escape the pursuit of the Warriors who had gained inhuman strength.

General Ross and Banner, like embodiments of death, moved with swift and deadly precision. Each attack was accompanied by the fall of an enemy.

Under their combined assault, the soldiers had no choice but to surrender, offering their faith to the great Blood God.

As the soldiers surrendered one after another, the atmosphere on the battlefield subtly shifted. The intense fighting gradually subsided, replaced by a deathly silence, broken only by occasional gasps and faint pleas for mercy.

General Ross stood high on the battlefield, looking at the scene before him with mixed emotions.

"Did I win, or did I lose?"

General Ross murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the empty battlefield, sounding exceptionally heavy.

Banner walked to General Ross's side, his eyes also filled with complex emotions. This old adversary was both his lover's father and the culprit who had always pursued him. Last time, he hadn't killed him because of Betty. This time, he had returned, but now, he would never be able to pursue him again.

"Ross, we both understand this isn't the outcome you wanted, but sometimes, Destiny is like that. It pushes us onto unknown paths. Now, all you can do is join us. Besides, Betty is here, so you can have a family reunion."

Ross looked at Banner with a complicated expression, his inner struggle like a candle flame in the wind, flickering. Banner's mention of "joining" wasn't simply about fighting side-by-side, but meant abandoning everything from the past, including his loyalty to the country and the army, and his identity as a human.

But did he have a choice now? Fortunately, he still had Betty. As Banner said, being together as a family wasn't so bad.

Meanwhile, in the camp, Betty remained there, protected by about a dozen "monsters" of various shapes and sizes. When the artillery fire first began, Betty's heart had been pounding uncontrollably. She worried about Banner getting hurt, and also worried that he would never be able to turn back, unable to live a normal life with her. Now that the shelling had stopped, Betty's heart settled, only to rise again with anxiety. What if her father brought back Banner's corpse? What would she do then?

As Betty's thoughts swirled, the sound of footsteps outside the camp grew clearer. She suddenly looked up, her eyes shining with a mixture of anticipation and fear. The "monsters" also became alert, surrounding Betty and forming a protective circle.

"Banner, that's great! Are you okay? You are?"

Betty's eyes immediately landed on Banner, but before she could say anything, the person behind him made her freeze in place.

"Sorry, Betty, for making you go through this."

Although General Ross's appearance had changed drastically, Betty recognized him by his voice.

"Father? How did you become like this?"

"This is all a gift from the great Blood God. Now, our family can finally be together."

Listening to her father's worshipful description of the deity, Betty's legs felt weak, and she almost fell to the ground.

Am I the one who doesn't belong?