《Kingdom of Stars》


 Chapter 1: Kingdom of Scars

    Only in the darkest of hours we¡¯re capable of seeing them. The stars sprinkled across the night sky. It is said there are as many stars as there are grains of sand on a beach. And each one of them represents us. Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? Myriad of souls, each with their own story to tell, it¡¯s almost overwhelming, which is why for now, we¡¯ll focus only on one star.


    To the east exist a kingdom called Morningstar. For most of its history, this kingdom and neighboring countries have been at war with Majin, residents of the Dark World, but that¡¯s a tale for another time. Our story starts in the ghettos of a small town called Horizon. There in the dust-covered streets where corruption runs rampant resides a soul waiting to shine.


    Chapter 1


    Kingdom of Scars


    The ¡°Bottom¡± that¡¯s what they call the slums. A place where the poor and low lives are tossed into. It¡¯s here where civil laws vanish, and rules of nature come into effect. You know, the usual spiel, ¡°The strong devour the weak¡± spiel. I can¡¯t remember how many times some thug shouted that after doing something cruel. I just know it drove me mad to the point I decided to do something about my weak self.


    ¡°Hey pipsqueak, are you going to buy anything?¡± The shopkeeper called out to me, but I didn¡¯t bother looking up. I continue to spin my coin on the table while keeping an eye on my surroundings.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just window shopping.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want your dirty money anyway.¡± The merchant said while clicking his tongue.


    Annoyed, I finally looked up. The dirty apron drape on the shopkeeper brutish body made him look like a butcher. The rotting fruits display in his stand were swarming with bugs but he made no attempts to swat them away.


    ¡°Speaking of dirty money, I¡¯m curious how exactly are you getting any business here in a place where everyone too poor to afford a home? Could it be that this is nothing more than a front for an illegal operation?¡±


    The merchant narrows his eyes at me. Slowly, he reaches for his butcher knife.


    ¡°Relax, I don¡¯t care what kind of illegal thing you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you doing at my shop?¡±


    ¡°To keep an eye on my target.¡± I brought my silver coin to eye level and stare deeply into it. I was easily able to see my target reflection in the clear coin. A plump man with a well-groomed mustache slowly made his way down the street with a mischievous grin and his hand of the sheath of his rapier.


    ¡°That noble is your target huh? This the third day he showed up here. Not sure what a pamper man like him is doing here in the bottom.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s looking for trouble. That stupid childlike grin gives it away. I bet he just learn how to use a sword and is now looking for someone to test it on. How typical of nobles.¡± I grind my teeth not bothering to hide my disdain for nobles.


    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you falling into his trap? I shouldn¡¯t have to remind you, but nobody here going to help you if he decides to use you as sword practice.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me. After all, if I weren¡¯t good at stealing, then I would¡¯ve starved to death a long time ago.¡± With a light flick, I sent my coin flying into the air. My sudden action directed his attention to the sky.


    There are five steps a thief must take an order to obtain their prize.


    Step 1 distraction/deception: While all good thieves possess the skill to steal without being noticed. There¡¯s always a chance you¡¯ll be caught in the act, thus keeping your target attention occupied will significantly reduce the risk of something unexpected happening.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a thief?¡±


    ¡°Yup. A pretty damn good one at that.¡± With a confident smile, I show him an apple I took from his stand. He stares at me dumbly, processing what I did.


    ¡°Hey, you have to pay for that!¡± He tries to snatch it away from me, but I quickly back away.


    ¡°Relax. I already paid you.¡± Right on cue, the coin I flip in air lands on the table. ¡°Thanks for the apple, I¡¯ll gladly come back for more, if you open a legitimate business.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever come back here!


    ¡°What a rude way to treat a potential customer.¡± I laugh off his remark and toss the apple towards a boy sitting on the side of the dusty street. The boy¡¯s dead eyes lit up when he noticed the apple flying towards him. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± He mumbles while he greedily devours the apple. I lightly patted his head and turned my attention back to my target. The pouch hanging from his waist bounce with each step he took almost as if he was challenging someone to steal it.


    I was successfully able to steal from a vendor who was suspicious of me, but will I be able to do the same against someone who¡¯s actively looking for trouble? The answer is yes, of course. I just need a bigger distraction.


    A little girl happily hops towards the noble. The noble¡¯s round stomach block his vision of the girl, thus colliding with her and knocking her down. ¡°Hey, watch where you¡¯re going, kid!¡±


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, kid!¡±


    ¡°Oh no.¡± I clench my teeth knowing full well what was going to happen next.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid! I¡¯m twelve years old!¡± The girl shouted her body was quivering with rage.


    This isn¡¯t part of the script, but the target seemed to be stunned her outburst, so I guess things are still going according to plan.


    I take a deep breath move towards the noble. Thanks to Lilly, a crowd was starting to form around her and the target, but that shouldn¡¯t affect me too much.


    Step 2: Act natural. People are always wary of any suspicious activity when in public, so a thief needs to be relaxed at all time if they don¡¯t want to get caught while stealing.


    I approach the target as if I was taken a leisure stroll through a park. With each step I took, my heart beat louder and louder, to the point I fear that someone would notice me. Thankfully everyone attention was on the girl who was still shouting nonsensically about how there¡¯s a massive difference between a 12-year-old and an 11.


    I was now within arms reach of the target. My entire body, including my mind, tremble with doubts and fear except for my hands, which remain steady, thanks to months of practice.


    Step 3: Dexterity. The most important trait of a thief. Since even in the best-case scenarios, you¡¯re only going to get one chance to claim your prize.


    My hand dove into the target''s pocket in an instant, my hand retreated into my cloak after obtaining my prize.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t even get drunk from taking a sip of wine, so obviously I¡¯m an adult!¡± I lightly bump into the girl¡¯s shoulder. It was the signal telling her I succeeded. I continue to walk down the street, hoping she¡¯ll end her little rant about age soon.


    My heart grew heavier the further I got from the crowd. It took a tremendous amount of willpower to stop myself from returning the money I stole.


    Step 4: Only target the rich. It will lessen your guilt, especially if your weak hearted like me.


    A man like him, who treats the poor like toys, deserve no sympathy from me. Besides, I doubt losing this amount will affect his daily life at all.


    I audibly gulp down the lump of guilt in my throat and made my way back home


    ¡°Hey, Catherine!¡± The little girl called out to me. Her loose ponytail bounce with each step she took. I slow down my pace so she could catch up.


    ¡°How did I do?!¡±


    ¡°You did excellent, Lily.¡± With a bright smile, she quietly held out her hand, waiting for her reward. After taking a glance around, making sure no one was watching, I place a silver coin in her hand. ¡°It was good working with you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± Lilly grabs my cloak, just as I was about to walk away. ¡°I think I want a raise.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Lily, but that¡¯s all I can offer you right now.¡± I patted her on her head, hoping it¡¯ll calm her down. Puffing out her cheeks, she swats my hand away and enters my cloak.


    ¡°L-Lily, what are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I know that man had a lot of money on him, where you hide it?¡± Lily roughly patted me down with her little hands. While I squirm to push her away, I could feel more and more eyes focusing on me.


    ¡°Lily, you¡¯re acting like a child!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a child. I¡¯m twelve!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the differenc- ah!¡± A tingling sensation crawled up my spine, causing my body and mind to shudder. ¡°L-Lily?¡± I nervously looked behind me to see, Lily with a mischievous grin holding my tail.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t pay me, I¡¯m going to bite your tail!¡± My body unconsciously shiver when she moved her dagger-like teeth near my tail


    ¡°Okay! Okay, I¡¯ll pay you!¡± While silently cursing my overly sensitive tail, I hand her a couple more silver.


    ¡°Thanks! it was nice doing business with you, Catherine!¡± She said with an innocent smile.


    ¡°Y-yea.¡±


    ¡°I hope we work together again soon.¡± Lily bows her head to me and happily skips away. If I were just a random person walking by, I would think she was an innocent angel incapable of robbing a robber.


    ¡°How scary,¡± I muttered underneath my breath.


    But I guess that¡¯s a good thing. With that attitude, she¡¯ll be able to survive in the ghetto. While watching her back, I felt happy, at the same time, sad. A kid, her age, having to act like this to survive, this world truly is cruel.


    It¡¯s been ten years since the Majin war ended. A war we had no business winning. And every way, the Majin were superior to us, yet strangely, one day they suddenly retreated to their dark world. Thus, allowing us to enjoy our long sought out peace. It would be nice if the story just ended there, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t. The price for war was far too great.


    Unable to afford the cost, businesses were shut down, crime rate increase, soldiers, turn into bandits, and the King who was supposed to guide us during these turbulent times fell silent ¡ª leaving his subjects to fend for themselves.


    ¡°Pathetic.¡± Frustrated, I kick some dust in the air. I kept my head low as I walked down the dusty streets ignoring the despondent gaze of the slum''s residents who were slightly pleading for money and food. While repeatedly telling myself that there was nothing I could do. I took a detour into an alleyway to avoid their piercing stare. Two thugs stood in the alley hovering over a battered man.


    ¡°Please, help me.¡± The man whimper. The two goons laughed and struck the man with a metal pipe silencing his cry for help. ¡°You think that little girl is going to help you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t she look familiar?¡± I instinctively put my hood over my head to hide my feline ears. The two goons step out of the shadows revealing themselves. One of the men faces was scarred severely. The five large symmetrical marks on the left side of his face indicated it wasn¡¯t a human that injured him. And the other man, while he bore no scars and was almost thin as the homeless children. His wide eyes and wicked smile, which showed his yellow teeth made him looked far more terrifying than the scarred man.


    Scar and brick is the alias those two went by. Anyone who lives in the slums knows who these two are, and who that they worked for the Crooked Man, the self-proclaim king of the slums.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t Crook¡¯s favorite little cat, what did you get today?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯ mon, don¡¯t be like that; we¡¯re part of the same gang.¡± The wild look in brick¡¯s eyes made me take a step back away from them. ¡°Don¡¯t just give us 70 percent of what you got, and we¡¯ll protect you from bad guys like him.¡± With a cruel smirk, brick repeatedly steps on the battered man¡¯s face. Blood and teeth flew from the man¡¯s mouth as Brick repeatedly step on him until he stopped moving. Too terrified to move, all I could do was pray that he was still alive.


    ¡°Now, Catherine, show us what you got.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection.¡± I pull out a pistol from out my cloak the smile on Brick¡¯s face vanishes. ¡°S-Scar!¡± He shouts while panickily backing away.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Scar silently cracks his knuckles as he approaches


    Scar, I don¡¯t know that much about him. He¡¯s a quiet man that keeps to himself. All I know is that he was a former mercenary and that he¡¯s proud of the scars he got in a battle, hence his name.


    My hands shook fiercely, but I stood my ground and aimed my weapon at the approaching man. Regardless of how strong Scar may be, he¡¯s just a human. If I can hit him, I win, but this flintlock pistol only has one shot, If I miss then...


    ¡°I can see it in your eyes. You don¡¯t have the courage to shoot.¡± Gently he places his finger on the barrel. My body trembles uncontrollably I watch hopelessly and horror as he slowly made me lower my weapon like it was nothing more than a toy to him.


    ¡°Now hand over the money.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± I silently reach into mycloak and hand him the pouch I stole from the noble.


    It''s fine, I can easily steal more later, I told myself. Gritted my teeth as I watch the two walked away with the money I stole.


    ¡°Ah, here¡¯s your 30 percent.¡± Suddenly Scar toss a couple of coins and the air, which


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡¯ Brick shouted.


    ¡°You said you only wanted 70 percent. Besides, she¡¯s The Crooked Man¡¯s favorite pet. I don¡¯t want to upset her too much.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you stealing from me, if you know it¡¯s going to upset him?¡± Unless don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± My mind trembles at the horrible thought that enter my head. ¡°He made you guys do this, didn¡¯t he?¡± I didn¡¯t want to believe my horrible imagination, but it made perfect sense. Crook knows the reason why I¡¯m stealing and saving up money is so I can leave his gang.


    ¡°¡­¡± The two didn¡¯t respond, but their silence was enough to answer my question. Realizing how grim the situation was. I felt my legs growing weak. I lean against the wall to support myself.


    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be, I¡­I just need to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Careful, even if you are his favorite that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll show mercy to you if you anger him.¡±


    ¡°As if you care.¡± a venomous rage seeped into my voice. Perhaps realizing it was no point reasoning with me, Scar quietly leaves the alley, while dragging brick behind him. With the two gone, my attention turns back to the battered man who laid motionlessly on the ground cover in his blood. Upon closer inspection, I notice he was still breathing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect you,¡± I said absentmindedly. I¡¯m not sure if I was speaking to him or I was just venting my frustration. I place one of the coins. Scar left me near the man¡¯s face, making sure he¡¯ll see it when he wakes up.


    ¡°I doubt this will be enough to get your injuries treated, but at least you¡¯ll be able to buy something to eat when you wake.¡± After examining him one more time.


    Shadows of buildings grew larger and more menacing as the sunset. Like rats, the slum residents scurried off into the alleys or abandoned buildings to hide from the thugs that were emerging from whatever dark pit they slept in.


    ¡°Pathetic, every single one of you.¡± I clench to keep my anger in check. ¡°Although I guess I¡¯m most pathetic.¡± I was unable too weak to stop them from taking the money, and from the look of things, I won¡¯t be able to leave the gang anytime soon.


    I let out a deep sigh and looked up at the reddish sky. ¡°Sorry dad, it looks like I won¡¯t be able to fulfill your promise anytime soon.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Night has come to Horizon, along with it, a deafening silence which swept across the slums. A man drenches in sweat dove from out the shadows of the alley and onto the now deserted street. Trembling in fear, he stares into the abyss, waiting for whatever was chasing him to appear.


    ¡°Show yourself already you coward!!¡± He screams at darkness. The sound of giggling reverberated in the dark


    ¡°A hunter normally doesn¡¯t reveal themselves to their prey, but I guess scumbag like you don¡¯t count as a hunt.¡± A young woman emerges from the dark. The man froze in place when he looked at her.


    The woman wore a pure white blazer which she left unbuttoned, revealing a utility belt wrap around her white skirt, which contain a flintlock pistol, dagger, and other miscellaneous items.


    While the thug was surprised that the woman was carrying so many weapons, what truly terrified him was the crimson color tags that dangle from her neck, a symbol that represents the Royal Guards, the King¡¯s right-hand men.


    ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s the King¡¯s elite doing here in this shanty town?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one asking questions, now tell me where your boss at.¡±


    ¡°Like hell, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± The thug pulls out a rusted knife.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play with you for a bit.¡± The woman opens her arms, welcoming the thug to attack her. Annoyed with the woman¡¯s cocky attitude, the thug charges at her. Just as he was about to thrust his knife into her chest, he suddenly kicks dust into the air, forcing her to close her eyes. The thug smile at the blinded woman. Seeing the person who took out five of his men put into such a miserable state brought him great joy. The man wanted to take his time and make her regret ever coming to the slums, but after seeing her in action, he knew a prolong fight wouldn¡¯t be in his favor, so he aimed his knife directly at her heart. `


    ¡°Too predictable.¡± The woman easily grabs the knife. Before the thug could react, she kicks him in the leg knocking him off his feet.


    ¡°You bit- ¡°The woman pulled her pistol out at a speed that left the man in shock.


    ¡°Careful, next word you say might be your last?¡± The thug grinded his teeth; he knew he couldn¡¯t beat the monster in front of him alone. Which is why he came to this deserted area. Unbeknownst to the woman, this is one of the many areas the thug¡¯s boss own. Any second now she¡¯ll be surrounded by men who¡¯ll love nothing than sully that haughty expression of hers. Just imagining it put a smile on the thug¡¯s face


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Bella.¡± An older man with gray hair approaches the two while dragging two men by their neck down the street. The thug¡¯s face became pale after realizing those were his men. Just like the woman, he also wore a pure white uniform with a red dog tag hanging from his neck.


    ¡°These guys are surprisingly tight-lipped. None of them wanted to tell me about their boss¡¯ location. Even though I ask so nicely.¡±


    ¡°Really, that sucks.¡± Bella lowers her gun. Seeing an opening, the thug dashes.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret coming to The Crooked Man¡¯s territory!¡± He shouted as he left a trail of dust behind.


    ¡°Should we...¡±


    ¡°No, let him go. Maybe the damage we cause will get his boss out of hiding, or hopefully, he¡¯ll at least send some goons that are willing to talk.¡±


    ¡°What a pain.¡± Bella sigh while wiping the dust from her eyes. ¡°Why the hell does the king got us prowling alleys like some foot, soldier?¡±


    ¡°The King is short on friends. So it¡¯s only natural he¡¯ll send his most trusty servants to do his bidding.¡±


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a bit overkill sending us to clean up crime on the streets.¡±


    ¡°Look at it this way Bella, the fact the king chose you for this mission means he believes that your immune to bribery and corruption, there¡¯s no greater honor.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself, old man. Hunting thugs is an insult to my family name and poor use of my skills. I might as well be hunting goblins.¡± The old man chuckles softly to himself.


    ¡°I almost forgot your family obsessed with hunting monsters. When we get back, I¡¯ll find a tough game for you to hunt. But for now, let¡¯s focus on cleansing this town of corruption. And the first person we should start with is the thug calling himself ¡°The Crooked Man.¡±

 Chapter 2: Nightcrawlers

    Chapter 2


    Nightcrawlers


    Darkness. That was all that laid before me. For some strange reason, I can¡¯t remember how I got here.


    ¡°¡­.¡± I open my mouth to speak, yet nothing came out. It was as if the black sea shallow my voice.


    Where am I? What am I doing here? Fear welled up inside me as I found myself with more questions.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± A familiar voice calls out to me, but I can¡¯t remember who it belongs to. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll never forget this¡­¡± A warm sensation wrapped around my arm and pulled me forward through the darkness. ¡°No matter how dark the world gets, there¡¯ll always be a light to guide you.¡±


    As I listen to the familiar voice, I notice a light shining through the black void, with each step I took, more lights appear in the abyss, washing away the darkness.


    ¡°And for some reason, you can¡¯t find the light then Catherine¡­.¡± The voice tightens their grip on my hand. With the black sky now lit, I can easily see who¡¯s been guiding me, yet I kept my eyes on the starry sky, scared they¡¯ll leave me if I look at them.


    ¡°Look deep inside yourself. You¡¯re a star too; you can shine just as bright.¡± Suddenly, the voice drops my hand, leaving me alone in the darkness.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± I stretch my hand into the darkness searching for the voice.¡± You can¡¯t! You can¡¯t leave me again! Dad! Dad!¡± While I panickily looked around, the solid darkness I stood on gave way, plummeting me deeper into the void.


    .


    .


    I landed head first onto a wooden floor that smells damp and moldy. ¡°Ouch.¡± The floor creaks loudly as I pick myself up. Still, in a daze, I look around the dark room. Dusty shelves stack with empty pots took up most of the room space. ¡°It was just a dream.¡± I made my way to the long wooden table that stood in the middle of the room. On top of the table were two plants with the label ¡°Mom¡± and ¡°Dad¡± sloppily written on the pot.


    ¡°Could it be, you guys were trying to cheer me up?¡± Even if it was fake, I still remember the warmth I felt when that voice grabs my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mom, dad. I¡¯ve been trying my hardest, but I don¡¯t think I can get our store back.¡± Tears trickle down my face as I let my pent-up frustration and anger go.


    This flower shop was mom and dad little treasure. But the war took it from them. Its only thanks to the Crooked Man buy dad¡¯s shop that the city hasn¡¯t destroyed this store yet. But it doesn¡¯t seem he has any intention of letting me buy it from him. ¡°Dad, what should I do?¡±


    I¡¯m sure if someone walked in and see me talking to plants, they would question my sanity, but right now I need a sign. ¡°So please, dad, help me. Give me a sign.¡± I clasped my hands together and waited in silence for someone to answer me. Unexpectedly the one that responded to my pleading wasn¡¯t my dad or even the plants. It was my stomach. It growled at me for skipping meals.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that wasn¡¯t a sign.¡± I wipe my tears away while awkwardly laughing at myself for asking a plant for help.


    What should I do for food? Because I¡¯ve been saving my money to buy the store, I haven¡¯t been eating that much lately. I usually shrug my shoulders and wait till the morning. But I feel if I keep skipping meals, it¡¯ll affect my growth. I look at the mirror in the corner of the room. A brown skin girl with gold eyes that was glowing faintly in the dark stare back at me. Just one glance at my petite body and people will mistake me for a twelve-year-old even though I¡¯m nineteen.


    ¡°I can still grow, right?¡± I look down at my body in disappointment. I heard beastwomen usually have voluptuous and curvy bodies, but can I even be considered a beastwomen? Despite my tail and ears, I¡¯m mostly human.


    No point in worrying about it now, I got a bigger problem. It¡¯s already dark out, which means the scum of the earth is roaming the streets. Not even soldiers are dumb enough to stroll around here at night. (Although they don¡¯t come here during the day either.) I guess it¡¯s a good thing I know the slums like the back of my hand. I can easily maneuver through the street without being seen.


    A cool breeze greeted me the moment I open the window. After taking a glance, making sure no one was around, I leaped out the window. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the little beast blood in me, but I love high places. The world feels so much clearer from above, with just a mere glance, I figure out how to safely land on the ground. The pipe that was attached to the side of the store and slid down to the crack pavement. As expected, no one applauds my performance, as everyone was hiding in their homes, leaving the plaza in an eerie silence.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Once upon a time, this place was lively. People gathered around the fountain to meet friends or look at various colorful products that the plaza had to offer. How long has it been since then? Since I saw genuine smiles on people¡¯s faces. It feels like forever.


    With that thought lingering in the back of my head, I quickly made my way to the nearest ally and hid in the dark. Another neat feature of being part beast man was that I could see clearly in the dark, so I didn¡¯t need the sparse lampposts to navigate the streets.


    As I wander through the slums, the unnatural silence begins to takes its toll on me. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± My thoughts unintentionally out my mouth.


    I understand not seeing any civilians, but the streets should be teeming with thugs beating up bystanders


    Maybe, I should head back home.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there.¡± A woman''s voice broke the silence that engulfs the slums.


    She must be talking to someone there¡¯s no way anyone could notice me sneaking in the alley.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t come out from the shadows within 5 seconds, I¡¯ll consider you an enemy.¡± The hostility and agitation and her voice felt like it focused me. I desperately wanted to run away, yet I instinctively knew that would make things worse. I nervously step out of the alley. A woman with a long brunette braid draped over her shoulder stood in the middle of the street, tapping her foot impatiently with her arms cross. Standing next to her was an elderly man with short gray hair. On his waist was a black sheath with an intricate gold design that made it feel like it belongs in an art museum. The two both wore pure white uniforms with strangely no speck of dust on them, but what truly caught my attention was the scarlet tags that dangle from their necks. Even though it was the first time I ever saw them in my life, I knew instantly those tags represented the Royal Guards, the King¡¯s right-hand man.


    ¡°What¡¯s a young lady like you doing out here at night?¡± The first one to speak was the old man, unlike the woman who''s giving me a sour look, I didn¡¯t sense any hostility from him.


    ¡°I-I was just going shopping.¡±


    ¡°I see, sorry to bother you, but you mind If I ask you a question?¡±


    I quietly nodded my head fearing they won¡¯t let me go even if I said no.


    ¡°Do you know who the Crooked Man is?¡± My mind went blank, as I tried to wrap my head around the old man¡¯s question.


    The king whose been silent for ten years suddenly decides to send his best men to this backwater town. I¡¯m not sure what they want with the Crooked Man, but I know I don¡¯t want any part in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I never heard that name before.¡±


    ¡°Yea, right. Everybody we ask ran away in fear, I¡¯m positive you know who he is, you¡¯re just too scared to say, right?¡±


    Is that why the streets are empty?


    ¡°Old man, use your sword on her if she¡¯s telling the truth, it won¡¯t affect her, correct?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± I back away from the elderly man who calmly lets out a sigh. ¡°Bella...¡± The man smacks the woman on the back of her head.


    ¡°What the hell was that for old man?! Have you finally gone senile?!¡±


    ¡°The reason why people keep running away from us is because you keep terrorizing them!¡± I slowly back away from the two as they argued. Perhaps sensing I was looking for an escape, the two gazes fell back on me freezing me in place.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn''t intend to waste your time,¡± The elderly bows his head to me.


    ¡°It- it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Old man, your sword.¡±


    ¡°Shut it.¡± The old lightly hit her on the head again. ¡°Thanks for your help, and I hope you have a safe night.¡±


    ¡°Um, you too.¡± I awkwardly walk past the two who were still bowing their heads. I wanted to head back home, but it seems they were heading towards the abandoned plaza where my father flower shop was.


    Were they really Royal Guards? They didn¡¯t act like I would¡¯ve expected. Either way, it best to avoid them, I don¡¯t want to get involved in whatever they¡¯re doing.


    And hopes they¡¯ll be gone after I¡¯m done shopping, I headed towards the market, the streets became brighter and livelier a far cry from the ghetto. It almost feels like I enter a different town. To think a couple of coins is all that it takes to change your life around.


    ¡°Mom, I want to try the food at that stall!¡± A little girl pulled on her mother¡¯s dress desperately trying to pull her to the place she pointed to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know it seems kind of expensive honey.¡±


    ¡°Price means nothing if I can make my little princess happy.¡± A man walks over to the mom and child, going by their warm expression it seems that was the father.


    ¡°You really will get it for me, dad?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The girl happily bounces towards the store. The parents follow behind their daughter with a gentle smile on their visage.


    I turn my back towards the happy family. What should¡¯ve been a heartwarming scene was nothing more than a cruel reminder to me. Regardless of how hard I tried, I can never have what that little have


    What should¡¯ve been a heartwarming scene was nothing more than an annoyance to me. I bit my lower lip to hold back my bitterness and envy. Just as I was about to walk away, an ear-piercing scream brought my attention back to the family. A guard yanks the little girl off the ground.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡¯ The dad rushing to save his daughter but was swiftly pin by another guard.


    ¡°Is she the one?¡± The guard dangle the frightened child near an oversize man who was wearing a fancy-dress shirt that was clearly too tight for him. I took a step back after realizing who it was.


    ¡°No, she isn¡¯t the one. The girl was a bit bigger and more obnoxious.¡± After realizing it wasn¡¯t their target, the guard drops the girl onto the hard pavement.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± The father shouted my exact thoughts.


    ¡°Apologies, it seems your child wasn¡¯t the one that stole money from me.¡± The noble said coldly and without looking at the victim.


    I heard nobles were prideful bastards, but I didn¡¯t think he would go as far as to attack every little girl they see, just to get back most likely what he consider pocket changes to him.


    ¡°I should warn Lily.¡± Just as I was about to run back to the slums, I notice a pouch dangling from his waist: an obvious bait, but one I couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°You want to challenge me again, huh? Alright, I¡¯ll gladly take some extra pounds off you.¡±

 Chapter 3: The Kingsman

    Chapter 3


    The Kingsman


    My hands twitch uncontrollably as I stare at the pouch overflowing with gold and silver which dangle from the noble¡¯s waist. If it wasn¡¯t for the guards watching his every move I would¡¯ve been skipping home right now wondering what I should get to eat with hard earn money. His pride must¡¯ve taken quite the hit if he¡¯s hiring guards to protect him from some pocket thieves. I wonder how he will react if I manage to rob him again even with the added security. Just imagining the shocked look on his chubby face, make this worthwhile.


    Now, how should I proceed? No way he¡¯s going to fall for the same trick again, plus it¡¯s going to be hard to get close with those guards near. ¡°I guess I got no choice but to improvise.¡± I put my hood on and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Hey, you rich bastard!¡± Everyone including the noble looked at me. Since my body was nearly the same size as Lily, it was easy to fool them. Although to be so easily mistaken for a 12-year-old really did a blow to my already shaken confidence.


    ¡°I heard you were looking for me, if you really wanted to get rob that badly, then you should come to the slums more often!¡±


    ¡°You, you street rat!!¡± I could barely keep my laughter in seeing the noble¡¯s tomato-red face. ¡°What are you guys doing? Capture her already!¡± The guards rush at me like dogs release from there leash. I quickly retreated to a dark alley and climb up a building.


    ¡°Step 1, distraction.¡± While dangling from a window ledge, I toss a glass bottle I pick up further down the alley.


    ¡°She went this way!¡± The guards follow the loud crash further into the darkness.


    ¡°Step 2, act natural.¡± I hop back down onto the ground the moment they ran past me I took my hood off since they believe the culprit was a human child, I was easily able to approach the nobleman from behind who was frantically looking for his guards.


    ¡°Step 3, dexterity.¡± While my body twitches from nervousness, my hand remains steady, and in one swift movement, I snatch the pouch off his waist.


    Typically, I feel a tinge of guilt, but right now the only thing going through my head is what fanciest meal I can buy with his money.


    ¡°So, you were the real thief.¡± A large hand grabs my shoulder, locking me in place. ¡°Tell me, how should I pay you back for the humiliation you cause me?¡±


    ¡°How about I hand you your pouch back, and we pretend this never happens?¡± The noble tighten his grip on my shoulder, I force a smile on my face and reach for the pistol hidden within my cloak. My blood turns cold as my hand grabbed nothing but air.


    Don¡¯t tell me I left it at home?! No way, not I¡¯m not that careless!


    ¡°Damnit, where did she go?!¡± The guards that chase me into the dark alley, frantically looked around the street while breathing heavily.


    ¡°W-Well how about it? Let¡¯s go our separate ways and pretend we never saw each other.¡±


    ¡°Actually.¡± A smile spreads on the noble¡¯s round greasy face. ¡°I have a better idea.¡±


    .


    .


    The carriage bumps violently, as the horses trotted down the street. Sandwich between two of the guards, I tried to take a peek out the window, but both of the men''s bodies block my view of the outside world.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Could it be our little cat burglar is a scaredy-cat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a cat. I¡¯m a feline.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± I shot a glare at the guard who had a stupid smirk on his face. I barely stop myself from shouting ¡°Clearing I¡¯m not on all fours hissing at every rat I see!¡± Calling me a cat is an equivalent of me calling every human an ape.


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down and focus on the real problem.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I turn my attention to the noble who responds by silently taking a puff from his wooden pipe. ¡°A place where you can make money back you stole from me.¡± He said while letting out a content sigh, releasing the toxic smoke he inhales. I instinctively cover my mouth and nose to protect myself from the nauseous gas. The noble responded to my reaction with a hearty laugh.


    ¡°Sorry about that, hold on a little longer. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Then open the window, of course, I knew they wouldn¡¯t do that. It seems they don¡¯t want me to know where they¡¯re taking me, which only made me more anxious. My mind wanders until the carriage stop.


    I nearly dove out the carriage to escape the smoke infested air until I saw what waited for me outside. Red lanterns lit up the finely pave street. Women and scantily clad clothes exposing litter the road luring wayward men into their stores.


    This, this is the red-light district! A place where men and women go to drown themselves in pleasure! Why did they bring me?! Don¡¯t tell me-


    ¡°Hey move it!¡± I was forcefully pushed out of the carriage and drag to a nearby store. Despite the sign on the window saying close, the guards push the door wide open. Unlike the rest of the stores on the street, which were lit with red lights and colorful signs, this one was dark and abandoned. Or so I thought. ¡°Come in.¡± A small and weak voice called out to us. They led me to the store counter, behind it was a small elderly woman engrossed in a book.


    ¡°Customers?¡± She asked not even bothering to look up from her book.


    ¡°No, we have a volunteer.¡± The noble pushes to the front of the group. The elderly woman looks up from and her book and squints at me.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± The elderly woman slowly walks around me, inspecting me intensely ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had a beastmen, especially one so finely bred.¡± The old woman snickers to herself as she pinches my face. ¡°What cute fangs you have.¡± I tried to swat her away, but she quickly retreats behind me. I let out a shriek as I felt her enter my cloak. ¡°What a nice shade of black, the white tip is cute too.¡± My body shudders as I felt her hands getting closer to my tail, I instantly sway my tail away from her hands.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Good reaction time. Even though you¡¯re smaller than most beastmen, you¡¯re quite the healthy lady.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ll buy her?¡±


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯ll be an excellent addition to our little ¡®show¡¯.¡±


    I gritted my teeth to hold my anger, as the nobleman and elderly woman coldly talk about me as if I was nothing more than a product. Just wait, when I find an opening, I¡¯ll make you guys regret it thinking of me as nothing more than a toy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. There are people dying to see you.¡± The elderly woman forcefully pushes me towards a staircase.


    ¡°Eh, already?¡± Shouldn''t I at least get some time to mentally prepare myself?


    ¡°No need to be shy. If you perform, I might let you keep some of the changes I make off you.¡± The nobleman snicker to himself, which only angered me more.


    They force me to descend the long flight of stairs. At the bottom of the rickety wooden steps laid a tightly shut steel door.


    With each step I took, I was bombarded with endless horrific imagination as to what lied behind the door. Eventually, I froze in place. All I could do was stare at the door and listen intently to the muffled noise that came from beyond it. ¡°Hey, this is just a regular shop¡­. right?¡± They laugh at my question. I knew this was a stupid thing to ask. Unlike the rest of the shops on the street that was lit up to attract customers, this store was dark and dilapidated, as if it was trying to deter customers away. Without a doubt, this store was a breeding ground for illegal activities.


    ¡°Look for yourself.¡± One of the guards pushed open the door, the muffled sound changed into screaming. And a bright red-lights flash in my eyes. My mind went blank as I stare at the horrific scene before me, an underground arena filled with people wearing masks mindlessly shouting at the top of their lungs. Responding to their cries, a roar filled with malice erupted from the center of the arena.


    In the center was a caged beast, whom entire body seems to consist of bulging dark green muscles. Veins protrude from its tree trunk sized arms as it tried to break the thick chains attached to his arms and legs.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s¡±


    ¡°An ogre.¡± The Noble finish my thought. My entire body shook with fear I tried to take a step back but the Noble grabs my shoulders.


    ¡°What are you so afraid of? He¡¯s a beastmen just like you. Doesn¡¯t that make him your kin?


    Beastmen is a broad term human use to describes beasts that possess intelligence. Even though it¡¯s the first time I ever saw an ogre, just taking one look at it was enough to tell me it wasn¡¯t a beastmen, it¡¯s a monster, a mindless creature that¡¯s a complete slave to its instinct.


    ¡°Is there anyone who dares to challenge this monstrosity?!¡± A man wearing a clown mask and flashy yellow suit scream into the mic, his voice echoing throughout the arena.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not keep them waiting.¡± The noble¡¯s guards push me out in the open towards the clown.


    ¡°Hey, it looks like we have a volunteer!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, is that girl a beastman? Where they find one of those?¡±


    ¡°Make sure you put up a good fight!¡±


    While everyone''s attention was on me, the noble snatch the mic out of the clown¡¯s hand, ¡°Everyone! Place your bets who do you think going to win, a cat burglar or the green giant!¡±


    Women in bunny suit parading around the stadium carry bags. I grind my teeth in frustration as the crowd tosses gold and silver into the bag as if it was nothing more than trash.


    ¡°This better be an entraining match.¡± The clown said snatching the mic back from the noble.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s nothing more entertaining, then watching two beasts snapping at each other.


    ¡°You guys are the real beast. How many people did you bastards kill to entertain yourself?!¡±


    ¡°We never killed anyone. Everyone who enters that cage did it of their own volition, believing they¡¯ll get rich if they succeed.¡± I open my mouth to fire back at him, but what he says next froze me in place.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same way? Your desire for money led you to a path of thievery. Don¡¯t you think this is better than stealing scraps?


    My eyes drifted towards the women who were counting the money they collected. I let out an audible gulp as I stare at the towers of coins that were lined up on the table. The noble gently place his chubby hands on my shoulders ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll let you have half of my earnings.¡± He whispers, my ears twitching both from excitement and him blowing on it.


    Half? With that amount, I can probably buy my family¡¯s flower shop a hundred times over. But there¡¯s no way I can beat an ogre at least not under normal circumstances, but right now it¡¯s chain to the cage. While it was loose enough for him to move around a bit, it didn¡¯t allow him to get anywhere close to the bars of the cage. If I stay near the bars, then maybe-


    ¡°Judging by the look in your eyes you want to have a go at him.¡± Before I could respond, the guards grab both of my arms and toss me into the cage.


    ¡°Try to make this an entertaining fight!¡± I could hear them shouting at me in the back, but their words didn¡¯t reach my ears. My attention was entirely on the monster in front of me. I immediately lost my will to fight the moment I looked at it. The chains rattle loudly as the ogre thrust its large arm at me. I quickly threw myself towards a corner of the cage. Veins bulge from his arm as he tries to reach for me, but his chains restricted him from getting any closer to me, letting out a frustrated roar it retreated to his corner of the cage.


    ¡°Please let me out of here!¡± the crowd responded to my cry for help with hysterical laughter.


    ¡°I can¡¯t you let out that cage until you pay me back the money you stole from me. And if you can¡¯t do that, then at the very least make your death as entertaining as possible.¡±


    Entertainment is that all these people care about? Fine, if that¡¯s what they than I¡¯ll give it to them.


    ¡°Wait, can I at least get a weapon, like that guard¡¯s sword!¡± I pointed towards one of the guards who instantly grabbed his weapon and held it like it was his baby.


    ¡°I have a better idea.¡± The clown hands me two batons through the gap in the cage. I stare at the two blunt objects in my hands with confusion. ¡°This should make things more interesting.¡± He said with an obnoxious snicker.


    That¡¯s fine with me. I got what I needed. My tail, jingle as it retreated back into my cloak, carrying the keys to the cage.


    Step 1, distraction, the moment their attention went to the guard I pointed at, I snatch the key off the clown¡¯s waist with my tail. Now I need to find a way to unlock the cage without anyone noticing. I turn my attention back to the ogre who''s staring at me from the opposite side of the cage with bloodshot eyes, seemingly infuriated at the fact it couldn¡¯t reach me.


    If I piss off the hulking behemoth more than I¡¯m sure everyone''s attention would focus on it, than me.


    ¡°Bad idea.¡± Somehow, a voice manages to pierce through the screaming and reach my ears, stopping me from throwing one of the batons at the ogre. ¡°Ogres are creatures that thrive off violence, attacking it, is only going to make it stronger.¡±


    A woman in a white uniform stood in the middle of the arena with holding a microphone next to her was an elderly man in the same outfit.


    ¡°N-No way.¡± The first to react to the two in white was the corrupt guards. ¡°Why the hell is the king¡¯s royal guards here?!¡± The stadium fell silent, everyone''s attention fell on the duo in white. I even found myself engulf in the tense atmosphere surrounding me, completing forgetting the about the carnivorous beast, chained behind me.


    ¡°So, old man, with all the evidence we have here. How long do you think they will be lock up?¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, half their lives, for some they''ll never see the light of day again.¡± Ignoring the guard¡¯s question, the two and piercing gaze of a hundred corrupt nobles the two royal guards calmly conserves with each other.


    ¡°Excuse me, can you do me a favor and pretend you didn¡¯t see anything?¡± The man wearing a clown mask approach the duo and bow his head slightly as if to show respect, but he couldn''t the irritation seeping into his voice, combining that with the smile that was etched into his white mask, transform the kind gesture into something much more sinister.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, our job is to take care of scum like you.¡± The elderly man looks down at the prostrating man with eyes filled with disgust. The clown''s body trembles slightly. At first, I thought it was out of despair until I heard his bone-chilling laugh echo throughout the stadium.


    ¡°You seriously don¡¯t think you can beat all of us do you?¡± Clown said with an icy voice. Suddenly men form the stadium jump from there and surrounded the duo. Yet despite being outnumbered, the duo clam demeanor.


    ¡°Looks like they don¡¯t plan on turning themselves in. What should we do Bella?¡±


    ¡°What we been doing ever since we came to this shitty town old man, our jobs.¡±

 Chapter 4: Sinners

    Chapter 4


    Sinner


    A tense silence fell upon the arena. The audience who was screaming for blood and even the ogre who was shouting for his freedom, attention was now on the duo clad in white attire. Despite being surrounded by armed masked men, the elderly man calm visage didn¡¯t break and the braided woman next to him, had a mischievous grin on her face as if she was looking for an excuse to cause a problem.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, old man.¡± The braided woman tosses what looked to be a bomb into the air, which exploded into dazzling white light ¡ª forcing everyone to close their eyes.


    The moment the light faded; I open my eyes to see chaos engulf the entire stadium of people rushing for the exit, all the while more masked men squeeze their way to the center of the arena in an attempt to stop the duo in white, rampage.


    ¡°!!!¡± Suddenly, a mighty roar reverberated throughout the arena, snapping me out of my stupor. The ogre that was passively watching the event unfold was now once again wrestling with its bondage.


    Did the fight excite it? Either way, there¡¯s no way he can break out of those chains, he would¡¯ve been done it if he could.


    I grab the keys dangling from my tail. My heart nearly stops the moment I looked at them. There are about 50 of them; each one was a different shape and size.


    What does he need all these keys for?!!¡± I let out a frustrated sigh as I look for the key that could fit in the lock.


    ¡°!!!¡± The ogre lets out another ferocious roar. I continue searching for the right key ignoring the beast behind me until I heard something snap my body froze, and my tail stood erect as if it was alerting me to danger. The sound definitely came from behind me, but I was far too scared to look.


    Please tell me that wasn¡¯t the chain. No, of course not. If he could break it, he would¡¯ve been done it.


    (Violence makes ogres stronger.)


    The braided woman words echo in my head


    Don¡¯t tell me the riot actually made it stronger? How the hell does that even make sense?!¡±


    I begin frantically shoving each key into the lock, hoping one would eventually fit. In my desperate haste, the keys slip from my fingers. ¡°Damnit!¡± While cursing myself, I reach for the keys.


    ¡°!!!¡± The roar of ferocious beast reverberated in my ears along with the sound of another chain snapping. My body tenses up when I heard the second chain snap. My ears twitch at the sound of the approaching footsteps.


    Realizing the ogre was free, I tried to squeeze through my way through the bar. But even with my small frame, I couldn¡¯t fit through the gap.


    ¡°Someone help! The ogre is free!!¡± I shouted at the top of my lung, hoping someone would notice, but the chaos the royal guard created drown my voice out.


    I slump down to my knees. I didn¡¯t bother reaching for the keys. Even if by some miracle, I open the door in the next attempt, the ogre would crush me before I could escape. By the way, he was slowly approaching me; it seems he was fully aware of that.


    ¡°Haha.¡± A weak laugh escape from my mouth as my life flash in my mind. ¡°What a pathetic existence. Doing nothing but stealing scraps and pocket changes foolish believing that¡¯ll be enough to buy back my parents¡¯ store from a coldhearted thug.¡± I tightly squeeze myself to stop my body from shaking and closed my eyes as if that would somehow save me from what was going to happen.


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to die like this. Then, then at the very least, ¡°I should take someone with me.¡± Before I had the chance to be surprised at what slip out my mouth, a gentle breeze blew through my heart calming my panic mind.


    The ogre who was swaggering towards me savoring my despair, suddenly took a step back when I look at him. For some reason, that intimidating aura that was emanating from his body was gone. I grab the two batons laying by my feet and took a step towards the now cautious beast.


    Why was I so scared again? Ogres are nothing more than a walking pile of muscles. The fact a group of nobles with too much time on their hands was able to capture him, is proof that strength is the only thing ogres can brag about.


    ¡°So, how should I deal with you?¡± I felt a smile creep up on my face as I imagine ripping its arms and legs off.


    ¡°!!!¡± Suddenly, a loud explosive rang throughout the arena ¡ª the ogre clutch his head which was covered in blood.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to die?!¡± The braided woman shouted, aiming her pistol at the ogre with one hand while grasping the throat of a masked man with her other. She fires three more shots, each one finding their mark and striking the ogre head, causing it to stagger backward.


    The ogre lets out a painful wail while wildly swinging its free arm around. The gust of wind generated from its rampages knocks me off my feet. I quickly crawl away, trying to get as far as I could away from it.


    Why the hell was I acting so cocky earlier?! That thing can easily crush me with its thumb alone!


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the hard head you got there.¡± With a wide grin, the braided woman tosses the masked man she was holding into a group of thugs. She leaps high into the air and elegantly lands onto a spectator seat. ¡°Stay right there!¡± She shouted while pointing at the ogre. ¡°There¡¯s a weapon I want to test on that thick skull of yours!¡± Overflowing with eagerness, she jumps down vanishing into the panicking crowd.


    Wasn¡¯t she supposed to save me?


    ¡°Honestly, that girl.¡± The elderly man lets out a sigh as he approaches the cage. With one hand, he easily bends the bar of the cage as if he was opening a door. Seeing him so easily enter the cage, I desperately try to escape from left me dumbstruck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Slowly, he unsheathes his weapon. Unlike his sheath, which was intricately designed, his sword was simplistic, yet beautiful, nonetheless. The gleam reflected off the silver blade, imbue it with a holy aura, like the swords you hear about in legends. But still, it was just a sword. If a bullet couldn¡¯t pierce his skin, no way a sword can, perhaps realizing this the ogre charges at the elderly man at a speed that betrays his size. The elderly man swung his sword in an arc cleaning, slicing the ogre in half. At least, that¡¯s what should¡¯ve happened.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head confused. His sword clearly went straight through the ogre, yet he was still intact, patting its stomach looking for the wound that should¡¯ve been inflicted upon him.


    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, young lady? The elderly man sheathes his sword and walks towards me, leaving the ogre behind. Perhaps upset that he was about being ignored, the ogre cuffs both his hands and raise them over his head like you would a hammer.


    ¡°Behind you!!¡± Ignoring my warning, he continues to approach me calmly. I close my eyes, waiting for the awful sounds of his screams.


    ¡°Since you have the energy to freak out like that, I guess you¡¯re fine.¡± My body relaxes as a hand gently brush my hair. I open my eyes to see the elderly man giving me a warm smile. Behind him was the ogre frozen in place with his hands still raised in the air, the lights in its filthy eyes gone.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Just like I thought, you were quite the sinner.¡± The ogre¡¯s body slowly begins to lean forward like a tumbling statue. The cage shook when it collapses onto the ground.


    ¡°W-What just happen?!¡± One of the guards that were standing near the cage asked the question that I was sure was on everyone''s mind. While still wearing the warm smile on his face, the elderly man turned his attention to the stupefied guards.


    ¡°This sword was designed to destroy the souls of sinners. By the way, you were the ones that kidnap this girl, right?¡± The elderly man places his hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°That¡¯s quite the sin, don¡¯t you think?¡± The temperature suddenly plummets, causing my body to tremble.


    The guards fled for the entrance. At the same time, a woman with a long braid draped over her shoulder kick open the door knocking the men down. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± She shouted. Carrying what I can only describe as a crudely crafted cannon. While I stare at her confused as to how she was carrying such a cumbersome weapon with those slender arms of hers, she continues to talk happily.


    ¡°I call this the ¡®Shred Cannon.¡¯ It¡¯s still in its prototype stage, but it¡¯s powerful enough to rip through your thick skin¡­¡± Her voice fades away when she looked down at the ogre lying motionlessly on the floor. ¡°Old man¡­¡± She said weakly. Her shoulder drop like a kid who had their favorite toy stolen from them. The elderly man looked away from her like a guilty kid who got caught breaking a vase.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I had to save the girl. I promise when we get back to the capital, I¡¯ll find a monster, you can test your invention on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you two will never make it back to the capital.¡± Sitting in one of the spectators¡¯ seats with his legs cross. The chubby noble that dragged me here lets out a maniacal laugh as if he was the mastermind that planned this event, even though to be honest I completely forgot about his existence.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you have done? This place was a gathering point for powerful people like me to relieve our stress. Even if you do work for the King, this will not go unpunished. I promise you that¡¯ll you- ¡°


    Before the nobleman could finish his overly long speech, the braided woman smacks him with her cannon knocking out of his seat. ¡°Sorry about that. I have a bad habit of hitting things that annoy me.¡±


    ¡°I notice.¡± The elderly man said underneath his breath while shaking his head.


    ¡°You, you bitch!¡± Rubbing his swollen cheek, the nobleman looks up at the woman, his eyes seething with rage. ¡°You have no idea how powerful my friends are.¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ll be happy if you told us, and while you¡¯re at it, tell us everything you know about the people that escape. The noble¡¯s scowl faded, and his face turned pale as he tried to move his head away from the spears that were drawing closer to him.


    ¡°This weapon was designed to take down beasts with armor-like skin. But you know, I¡¯m kind of curious what would happen if I use this on a squishy weakling like you. I doubt any of your ¡®friends¡¯ will be able to recognize your corpse.


    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± The woman responded to the noble¡¯s claim with a mischievous grin, and her finger slowly pressing down on the trigger.


    ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll talk, but know this, when my friends found about this, you¡¯ll-¡°


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Again, before he could finish speaking, the woman smacks him with her cannon, this time knocking him unconscious. ¡°I really need to fix that habit of mines.¡± She said, resting her cannon on her shoulder. Seeing that satisfying smile on her face, I got the feeling she has no intention of fixing her habit. But still, despite that flaw, I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed. Both she and the older man stood proudly over the dozens of men they defeated including an ogre, their uniforms still white and pure as the moment they enter. It was as if they were heroes from a legend, a complete contrast to me, a thief, wrapped in a filthy black cloak so that I can hide deeper in the dark.


    ¡°By the way, what should we do with her?¡± The woman pointed at me, which cause me to flinch unintentionally. ¡°She was involved in this incident, so should we take her back to the station?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± The elderly man stares intensely at me, stroking his well-trim gray beard.¡± I took a step away, trying to escape his gaze, unintentionally making myself look like a criminal in the process.


    When we first met on the street, I thought they wanted to do business with the Crooked Man, just like every other soldier in this town. But after seeing them indiscriminately beat everyone that stood in their way including those that might have a high status in society. I now think they¡¯re on a search and destroy mission. Their targets: Anyone they consider a sinner.


    ¡°Sorry Bella, maybe it¡¯s because of my age, but I don¡¯t see any girl.¡± The woman tilted her head and looked at me, then the elderly man confuse. After a few seconds, a smile appears on her face.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve been seeing things. There¡¯s no way an innocent girl would come to this shitty place.¡± The two royal guards chuckle to themselves, before turning their attention to the unconscious men that litter the floor. They rudely kick the bodies, checking to see if anyone awake.


    It took me a few seconds to realize they were letting me go. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± I bow my head to them and then headed towards the exit. To be honest, I wanted to run and get as far away from this place as possible but was afraid that would make them suspicious of me, so I walked carefully, well at least I tried.


    ¡°Ah!¡± A shriek escapes from my mouth as I fell to the ground. While rubbing my head, I angrily kick the unconscious man I trip over, even though it was my fault for not looking where I was going. As I try to stand, I felt something solid land on my head. Still, slightly annoyed, I grab object ready throw it across the arena until I felt something else land on my head, and another, and another


    Confuse, I looked up. A bag dangle from the edge of the table spilling golden coins like a waterfall. I jump to my feet in a panic, grabbing as many coins as could. ¡°Amazing! with this much, I can finally¡­¡± My body shudders with joy as I greedily shove all the coins I collected back into the bag.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°!¡± I let out a strange yelp as I quickly turn around, causing some of the coins to spill back onto the table, thankfully neither of the royal guards seem to notice.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The elderly man looked at me with concern.


    ¡°Yea, I just thought I saw that guy move.¡± The two follow my finger towards the man I trip over. The moment their attention drifted off me, my hands went to work. And a mere second, I swiftly hid the bag and coins that spill out of it in my cloak.


    I¡¯m truly am a lowlife. I cover my mouth to hide the self-deprecating smile, that was surely forming. ¡°Sorry, I must¡¯ve imagined it. Thanks again for saving me.¡± While waving goodbye, I retreated to the exit. Each step I took the bag in my hand became heavier, and another needle pierces my heart.


    I¡¯m truly am pathetic. Lying to my saviors and stealing money that they could probably use to track down the rest of the people that manage to escape. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whisper softly to the point it was nearly inaudible. But this is the only way people like me can live.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°You cocky bastards, you¡¯re going to pay.¡± Consume by malice, the injured masked man dragged himself towards an abandoned knife, seeing them expose their back to him as if he wasn¡¯t worth a thought, only further fuel his fury. Merely killing them wouldn¡¯t quell his irrational rage. No, they needed to suffer a fate worse than death. A malevolent smile form underneath the mask as his dark imagination ran rampant. But in the end, they would never become a reality.


    A foot slam on his hand, crushing it along with his dark dream. The man himself was surprised that he didn¡¯t scream when he heard the bones in his hand cracking from the pressure of the foot. Was it because of the shock? Or did the head trauma he suffered earlier dull his sense of pain? His assailant didn¡¯t give him time to ponder the question. The foot that crushes his hand struck his head, sending both his mask and conscious flying into the dark.


    Bella lets out an annoyed sigh as she watches the man whom she kicked pathetically roll across the filthy ground.


    She knew this mission would be a pain in the ass, but she didn¡¯t expect this much annoyance. Seeing all the bodies, she would have to drag back to the station chip away at her revolve.


    Maybe we should get some guards to help us. She thought, but she quickly abandons that idea. After everything she saw tonight, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she and the old man were the only people in town not working for some thug or corrupt noble.


    Her eyes scan the area, looking for any clues that could help her track down the people that got away. Eventually, her attention fell upon the cage. Two of the bars the girl was desperately clinging to were slightly bent.


    "Why didn¡¯t she break herself out?'' Bella ponder. The cage? The primary purpose was to make the audience feel safe, an ogre or even a girl with the blood of a beast coursing through her could easily escape.


    ¡°Maybe, I shouldn¡¯t have let her go.¡± Bella reaches for her weapon, debating whether she should chase the girl or not. It was apparent that the girl not only couldn¡¯t control her strength but was completely unaware of it. A beastmen who can¡¯t control their power is just as dangerous as a rampaging ogre.


    ¡°Stop.¡± A stern voice halts Bella in her track. Bella clicks her tongue, annoyed.


    ¡°Old man, I understand that you have a soft spot for kids, but we at the very least need to retrieve the money she stole. The aged soldier¡¯s body twitches slightly. Of course, he knew what the girl did. He planned to stop her, but the pain expression she had when she took the money froze him in place.


    ¡°Dante¡­¡± Worried, Bella uncharacteristically called the old soldier by his name. Bella knew that no one loved this country more than this elderly veteran. She couldn¡¯t even begin to understand the pain he¡¯s suffering seeing the kingdom he spent his whole life serving become so corrupted.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Bella, I¡¯ll find her.¡± Wave his hand to wipe away his partner worries as he head for the exits. Realizing she was being left alone to deal with all the bodies, she lets out an annoyed sigh.


    ¡°I know my worries are pointless but do go easy on the girl. I¡¯m sure she had no choice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no excuse.¡± The old soldier stops and looked at Bella. Even though time has withered his body, his deep blue eyes burn with rage and determination that can rival any youth. ¡°Regardless what excuses she has, a sin is still a sin.¡±

 Chapter 5: Where The Heart Lies

    It was a beautiful summer day. The birds were chirping, the wind was calm and soothing, and the sky was free of clouds allowing the sun, nearing its zenith to shine its warm light on the entirety of the kingdom of Morningstar. It indeed was a scene that should heal a damaged soul. And yet the illuminated nation was drowning in a sea of despair.


    ¡°They¡± were coming. The ¡°Demons¡± of the dark world were slowly pushing the proud warriors of Morningstar back. It was only a matter of time before the Kingdom; no, the entire continent is consumed by darkness.


    The resident of Morningstar spent these dark days with fear in their hearts. But there was one place that was untouched by this darkness. ¡°Hearts And Flower,¡± is the name of a little store nestled in the corner of a bustling plaza. It is here, where hope still shines brightly.


    Chapter 5


    Where The Heart Lies


    ¡°Lunch is ready! Come and Eat!¡± A voice fraught with warmth and love travel through the first floor of the cozy store, to the second, and out a slightly open window, where a little girl dangles precariously off the window ledge.


    Through the eyes of this little girl, the world was nothing more than a giant playground, design to be explored. And today, she found a new way to enjoy herself. Ignoring the concern gazes of the passerby, she hums to herself, taking in the view of the inverted world before her.


    ¡°Catherine, lunch is ready!¡± Her cat-like ears twitch with joy the moment she heard the familiar and lovely voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Catherine shouted back, grabbing the pipe below her window. After confirming she had a tight grip on it, she lifts her body in the air. The crowd below gasp as they watch the little girl perform a handstand on a rusted pipe that looked like it could fall apart any second. But despite bearing Catherine¡¯s entire weight, the /pipe didn¡¯t bend or even creak. The crowd cheer as they watch the little girl gracefully lower her body. The applauses filled Catherine¡¯s prideful little heart with joy and made her want to show off more of her acrobatic skill, but she knew it was bad to keep people waiting. So, she reluctantly climbs back into her room and swiftly made her way downstairs.


    The smell of delicious food guided her straight to the kitchen, where a woman who wore a smile that exudes kindness stood, waiting for her family. A gentle breeze snuck in through the window and caressed the woman''s body, causing her brunette hair and dress to sway gently. Deborah Heart is the name of this beautiful woman.


    Catherine stares silently at her, basking in her beauty. Even after living with her for seven years, she still found it hard to believe that this was her mother.


    They were the complete opposite. Deborah¡¯s cream color skin was smooth and free of blemishes, and her amethyst dress snuggly hugs her body, enhancing her womanly features and beauty. While Catherine¡¯s chestnut color skin was cover with bruises and scratches, and her white dress was caked with mud. The mother¡¯s smile vanished when she noticed her daughter''s terrible appearance.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± She said in a gentle voice with a bit of ire sprinkle in. ¡°What did I tell you about ruining your good clothes?¡±


    ¡°But you keep making me wear white,¡± Catherine whined.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you look really good in them.¡±


    ¡°The boys don¡¯t think so. They keep making fun of me.¡± Catherine crossed her arms, annoyed. The embarrassing memory of the boys flipping up her dress and revealing what underwear she wore to the world, was still fresh in her head.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably making fun of you because they like you.¡±


    ¡°What? Eww!¡± Catherine stuck her tongue out, pretending she was going to vomit. Catherine was still at the age where boys and girls saw each other as enemies rather than anything romantic.


    So innocent.Deborah thought while petting her daughter¡¯s head. Sensing that she was being made fun of, Catherine puffs out her cheeks to show her displeasure of being looked down upon, but her tail wags happily, revealing she was enjoying her mother¡¯s head pat.


    My God, how did I get so lucky? Deborah¡¯s mind rewinds to the day when she gave birth to this little ball of cuteness. Looking back at the joyous moment, it bothers her greatly that her first reaction when she saw her daughter was fear. But who could blame her? Being born as a human, and ignorant of her husband¡¯s origin. It was natural that she would at least be shocked when she saw her baby was a beastman. But, seeing the baby crying and clinging to her, she quickly understood that even though she didn¡¯t look anything like her, and she posses a tail and ears that didn¡¯t belong to a human it was still her baby girl.


    ¡°Mom?¡± Catherine¡¯s voice snaps her mother out of her daydream. ¡°Where¡¯s dad?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably still in the back. I bet he so caught up in his work he didn¡¯t even hear me.¡± Mom said with an exhausted sigh. It wasn¡¯t unusual for Catherine¡¯s dad to get lost in his work. But lately, he¡¯s been more distance than usual. Catherine assumes it had something to do with the war the adults keep murmuring about.


    Sensing her mother¡¯s worry, Catherine grabs the hand that was patting her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go get him.¡±


    ¡°Tell him if he takes too long, I¡¯m giving his share to you.¡± Catherine, now somewhat motivated to not tell her dad about lunch, heads to the backyard.


    The sun was the first to greet her when she opened the back door. The second was the smell of dirt, which overwhelm the delicious aroma that engulfs the house. But Catherine found the scent pleasant since it meant her dad was nearby. And indeed, there he was in the middle of the garden, tending to the flowers.


    Ethan Heart, Catherine¡¯s father, was unlike his wife, his appearance was anything but graceful. His overall was cover in dirt, and his dark skin was drench in sweat from working under the scorching sun all day. But that was one of the reasons why she loves her dad. Compare to her mother, who looked like she came from a noble family. It was easier to tell they were related. His features were identical to hers, all except for her cat-like ears and tail which he lacks. Just like his wife, he too was shocked when he saw his daughter for the first time. Raised in an orphanage, he never meant his parents, or even knew that the blood of a beast course through him. He grew up believing he was fully human until he saw his daughter. And yet despite this grand revelation, just like his wife, this did not stop him from loving his daughter.


    ¡°Dad.¡± A warm smile spread on Catherine¡¯s face. Just looking at her father¡¯s back was enough to make her safe.


    Not wanting to disturb his work, she silently approaches him, careful as to not stray from the stone path, as it would result in her stepping on the flowers and bushes her father painstakingly planted. Usually, the backyard would be filled with bright and colorful plants each one separated by fences. But lately, her father been replacing these beautifully bright plants with darkish purple bushes with heart-shaped fruits dangling from the branches. Needles jutted from the fruits, piercing anyone stupid to enough to eat them.


    Catherine remembers that her father told her that the fruit and needles were both poisonous and deadly to small creatures. While for humanoid creatures, they work perfectly well as an anesthetic, hence why they¡¯re called ¡°sootheberries.¡±


    Catherine was proud that she remember what her dad told her about the fruit, but she didn¡¯t understand why he was planting so many. Even though the plant was effective for treating injuries, most people avoided them because of how dangerous the needles were. If even one of them pierce a person¡¯s throat, it will cause massive swelling, which would most likely result in suffocation.


    Curious, she silently watched her father meticulously pluck the needles off the fruit, tossing them into a bucket. ¡°What you planning on doing with them?¡± Catherine unintentionally let her curiosity slip out her mouth.


    ¡°!¡± Ethan jumped slightly, unaware that his daughter was standing next to him the whole time. ¡°Oh, Cat.¡± His shock expression melted into a warm smile. ¡°I plan on giving these to the soldiers that protect us.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Soldiers.¡± Catherine frown when she heard that word.So, this is about the war.She thought. Catherine didn¡¯t like hearing about the war, because the adults always looked scared when they talked about it. She believes it was the adults¡¯ jobs to give kids courage when they were frightened, but if they too were terrified, then what hope was there?


    ¡°Dad, are you scared?¡± She asked nervously. To her, her father was an invincible hero. She believes he can easily beat any monster or demon that invaded their town. It was impossible for him to be scared. But still, that didn¡¯t stop her from worrying. Sensing something off, Ethan looked at her with his sharp golden eyes, which was the only thing about him that looked beast-like. After a moment of silence, he looked away from her hopeful gaze, as if embarrassed.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m scared.¡± His answer pierces Catherine¡¯s heart leaving her breathless. ¡°Those Majins are destroying towns as if they¡¯re nothing. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I even stand a chance against even one of them.


    ¡°That, that¡¯s a lie, right?¡± Catherine anxiously waited for her father to say he was joking, but he remains silent.


    Catherine''s ears, tail, and shoulder droop defeated. The man that was supposed to protect her admitted how weak and helpless he was. Her mind plummets into darkness, and despair ate at her soul. Just as her legs were about to give out, her dad gently places his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°But, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll give up.¡± He looked into her downcast eyes. Even though he said he was weak, his gaze was strong, even though he said he was scared, he was brimming with courage. ¡°Keep your head up, Catherine. It during dark times like these is when we need to shine even brighter than before. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She raised her head and looked at her father, who was wearing a smile that she felt was brighter than the sun. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into his embrace.


    ¡°I promise Catherine, your mother, and I will always protect you.¡± His words and body warmth melted her fear-stricken heart. After a moment of silence, he releases her from his embrace. ¡°You feel better now?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± She answers strongly. Looking at her now, most wouldn¡¯t believe that this little girl was on the verge of falling into despair.


    ¡°Good, with that energy, there¡¯s no one that will be able to take you down.¡± Now that he was confident his daughter was okay; he returns his attention to the heart-shaped berries. Realizing he wasn¡¯t even halfway done, he frowned slightly.


    If only I had an extra pair of hands.The moment he thought that a hand reached over his shoulder, plucking one of the berries from the bush.


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± She asked shyly. Normally, her dad wouldn¡¯t allow her to touch the fruit until they were needle-free. But seeing the determination in his daughter¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no this time.


    ¡°Sure, just be careful.¡± The two passed the time in silence, carefully plucking the needles off the fruit. Catherine¡¯s tail swaying happily, enjoying every bit of moment with her dad, but deep down, it felt like she forgot something.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± The two turn they¡¯re attention to the person who their peaceful silence. Catherine¡¯s mom stares at the two, with her arms cross. ¡°Did you forget why I sent you out here, Catherine?¡± She said, clearly irritated.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Catherine said softly while looking down at the ground. After glaring at her daughter for a few seconds, she let¡¯s out a sigh. It was impossible for her to stay mad at her daughter, especially after watching help her father.


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to eat outside sometimes.¡± She steps out of the way, revealing the food she cooked, which was laid out on a table she set up in the garden. Both Catherine and her dad stomach growl when they look at the cooking.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time for a break, what do you think, Cat?¡±


    ¡°Yea!¡± She nodded her head happily.


    While walking through the garden holding her father and mother''s hand, Catherine looked up at the sky. It was truly a beautiful day. The birds were chirping, the wind was calm and soothing, and her heart was filled with warmth and love.


    If only these days could last forever. Yes, if only.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°What a cruel joke.¡± I let out a groan as I try to rise from bed. But I simply didn¡¯t have the strength nor will to get up.


    It truly was cruel. To be shown such a nostalgic memory full of love and warmth, only to have it snatch it away from me, Leaving me empty inside.


    I looked around my dusty old room. The memories of what happened last night were still fresh in my head. The ogre, the masked men, and the Royal Guards. If it weren¡¯t for the gold coins littering my bed, I would¡¯ve thought the whole thing was some sort of fever dream.


    Still laying lazily in bed, I counted the coins again. This marks the fifteenth time I counted the coins, and for the fifteenth time, I was shocked. Forty gold coins! I can comfortably live off this for years and buy my family store four times over! That is if I was dealing with a normal salesman. But the person who currently owns my parent¡¯s store is the Crooked Man.


    I always found it strange that he¡¯s charging me ten gold coins for a run-down store. But after getting robbed yesterday by his men, I know now that he has no intention of giving me my family shop back. At least, not for a reasonable price. I¡¯m not sure what he sees in this store or me, but surely neither of us is worth forty gold coins.


    After counting the coins again, I hid two of the gold coins underneath my pillow and finally sat up. ¡°Alright!¡± I patted my cheeks to wake myself up. ¡°Mom, dad, today''s the day I get our store back!¡± I shouted at the two plants in the middle of the room. If anyone saw me right now, I¡¯m pretty sure they would be questioning my sanity.


    ¡°Living like this is really starting to take its toll on me.¡± I let out a sigh as I grab a bucket of water from the corner of my room and carefully pour a bit into the potted plants. Afterward, I grab a rag and wipe the sweat off my body, thinking how nice it would be to take a proper bath.


    Maybe I can visit one of those fancy spas the nobles go to. If I have any money left after haggling with Crook, I like to go there.


    After I finish wiping myself off, I toss my cloak on, then grab the two batons that I got from the orc incident last night. Not sure why I still have them, but since I can¡¯t find my pistol, it¡¯ll have to do.


    ¡°When I come back, I¡¯ll be the owner of this shop.¡± I look back at the two plants. Maybe I am losing my mind, but it felt like my parents were actually here, pushing me forward. Feeling a smile forming on my face, I leaped out the window. I close my eyes, enjoying the cool wind as I soar through the sky. I¡¯ve been jumping out my wind since I was a kid, so I didn¡¯t even need to see to land safely.


    I open my eyes when I felt my feet touch the pavement. The sun was halfway to its highest point. It around this time when the streets and stores should be bustling, but this was the slums, there isn¡¯t much to do here. Although strangely, today feels a bit lively. Chatter could be heard from all around. Curious, I strain my ears to listen to what got everyone so excited.


    ¡°I heard the mayor was arrested last night. Apparently, he been kidnapping women and selling them as slaves.¡±


    ¡°Really? I heard the Crooked Man and some other gangs crew were beaten badly by some duo dress in white.¡±


    ¡°In white? Sounds like the Royal Guards. Maybe the king is finally getting off his lazy ass.¡± The group burst into a loud laugh. If I didn¡¯t see the royal guards last night, I probably would¡¯ve laughed too. Just like me, they find it hard to imagine our indolent king doing anything. Especially something like sending his strongest soldiers to a place like that. But they were indeed here, and they ben quite busy.


    I continue listening to the conservations around me. While strolling through the dust-covered street.


    ¡°NOOOO!!¡± A desperate scream echo throughout the street, destroying the rare peaceful atmosphere in the slum.


    A woman in tattered clothes was being dragged away by a man. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt him!!¡± She cried, reaching for a boy who was being held down by another two men. At first glance, it looked like the men were assaulting the woman and her child, but the truth they were trying to save them, well at least the woman. The boy was already far too gone.


    Due to the ensuing struggle, his raggedy shirt was rip, exposing his thin body. His skin was a lifeless gray, and his eyes were pure white. It obvious the boy was dead, but his body was oblivious to that fact.


    ¡°Husk¡± is the name of the creature the men were fighting. It¡¯s still unknown how people transform into one, but the common theory is that those who possess a strong desire to live can move their body even after death. While that sounds romantic, since it doesn¡¯t possess a soul anymore, the husk will attack any living being it sees, including its mother.


    ¡°Please stop! He-he¡¯s just hungry that¡¯s all!¡± Tears stream down her face as she looked for whatever excuse to save her child. ¡°He hasn¡¯t eaten in weeks, that¡¯s why he acted like this way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to tell you this, but that thing isn¡¯t your son anymore.¡± The man who separated the woman from her child try to reason with her. Of course, none of it reached her ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Her voice came out shaky and weak. ¡°Don¡¯t take my child from me.Please don¡¯t take my little girl! Catherine!¡±


    ¡°Could it be?¡± I take a step towards the woman calling my name. It was hard to get a good look at her because of the man holding her, and her messy bangs which covered most of her face but, I could tell from her voice that she was my ¡°Mom¡­¡± I reach out for her, desperately wanting to feel that warmth I haven¡¯t felt in years. But I was suddenly pulled back, by one of the guys that were watching everything from the sideline.


    ¡°Best not to jump into things that don¡¯t involve you, little girl.¡±


    ¡°Involve?¡± Enrage I shake myself free from his grip. ¡°This does involve me! That¡¯s my- ¡°My voice dies out when I looked back at her. The woman was now on her knees. Tears stream down her face as she stares at the boy whose head was twisted in the opposite direction. It seems at some point during the struggle one of the men broke the kid¡¯s neck, but this injury didn¡¯t stop the lifeless body from struggling to escape.


    ¡°John.¡± The voice who I thought was my mom weakly called out to the thing that used to be her son. Even with her disheveled hair covering her face, I could easily tell she wasn¡¯t my mother.


    ¡°Ha.¡± A pitiful laugh slip from my mouth. ¡°I really am losing it.¡± I push my way through the crowd that was gathering, unable to stomach the awful scene anymore. No matter how far I got, the woman wail continues to echo in my head, reminding me of my mother when dad left.


    ¡°Now is not the time to get depressed.¡± I let out a long sigh and look ahead. The street was empty despite the time of day. A sign I was entering the Crooked Man¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, I hope you¡¯re watching me because today¡¯s the day I take everything back.

 Chapter 6: Hero of Morningstar

    Chapter 6


    Hero of Morningstar


    ¡°Today¡¯s the day.¡± I repeatedly mutter to myself as I step into the ¡°Slum¡¯s Graveyard.¡± Every time I wander through here. I wonder If I stumble upon some ancient ruin. Buildings were missing ceilings and even walls, allowing the elements to make quick work of the interior, which made the area look like its been abandon for hundreds of years. Even though in truth, this place was thriving just over ten years ago. That is until the Majin attack.


    Thankfully, the military was somehow able to chase them out of town before they could cause real damage to the city, but to the unfortunate people that did lose their home during the attack, not only does the trauma prevent them from coming back, but also the undead victims who still roam around the area. Only someone insane would choose to live here, which is probably why it¡¯s home to the most dangerous gang in town.


    For a place that¡¯s called a ¡°Graveyard,¡± it¡¯s quite lively. Thugs were moving from building to building carrying boxes of stuff I¡¯m sure is illegal. It seems they were in quite the hurry, no one calling me the gang¡¯s mascot, or Crooked Man¡¯s favorite pet as usual. Without a doubt, it has something to do with the two Royal Guards roaming around the town. I heard a rumor that some of Crook''s men got caught in their rampage last night.


    Could it be Crook going into hiding? If he is, then I need to get to him before he vanishes off the map.


    ¡°Well, well. If it isn¡¯t The Crooked Man¡¯s favorite pet.¡±


    I let out a sigh as I turn to face the man I didn¡¯t want to see today, actually, for the rest of my life. Standing in front of me was a lanky man dress in filthy attire you would expect from someone living in the slums. A cruel smile spread across his filthy face, revealing his crooked yellowish teeth.


    Brick is what he calls himself. He probably named himself that to sound tough, that or someone slams his face into a brick wall, and he forgot his original name. Going by the way he looks; I feel the second story makes more sense.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I came to see Crook.¡±


    ¡°You think you can just visit the boss whenever you want?¡±


    ¡°You said it yourself. I¡¯m his favorite pet, isn¡¯t it a pet job to be by their master side?¡± Brick grinded his teeth, bitterly chewing the insult I spat back at him. The frustrated look on his face was a sight to see. Unfortunately, that filthy grin quickly reforms on his face as if it never left.


    ¡°You have a point. But right now, the boss is busy figuring out which gang attack us last night.


    ¡°Gang?¡± I cock my head slightly, confuse. Do they not know that the people that attack them was the King¡¯s personal guards? Then again no one seems to know that they¡¯re here despite all the mayhem they caused last night. I guess I¡¯m probably the only person that saw them that''s not in a coma.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t hear about the attack?¡±


    "No, I did.¡± I cover my mouth to hold back a cough. For some reason, my throat felt incredibly dry. Now that I think about it, when was the last time I drank any water or eaten for that matter? ¡°Anyway, let me go see Crook, I promise I won¡¯t take up too much of his time.¡±


    Now it was Brick turn to be confused. He crossed his arms and looked at me while slightly tilting his head. ¡°What¡¯s up with you today? Normally you avoid us like the plague.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are one,¡± I whispered underneath my breath.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Brick¡¯s eye widens a sigh that shows the small muscle in his head still works properly. ¡°I get it, you finally got enough money to buy your shitty store of yours, right?¡±


    ¡°So, what if I do?¡± I slowly reach for my batons hidden underneath my cloak.¡±


    ¡°Catherine, you didn¡¯t forget the rules, did you?


    ¡°Rules.¡± I gritted my teeth to keep my anger in check. My tail sharing my frustration, repeatedly smack the ground to vent its rage. Their rule is nothing more than an excuse to rob me.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of the rule. That¡¯s why I¡¯m visiting him. Isn¡¯t it better if I give him money directly instead?¡± I force a smile on my face to hide my anger.


    ¡°As I said before. Crook is busy trying to figure out who attack us. Besides, It¡¯s my job to collect Crook''s money.¡± A tense silence fell upon us; we continue to stare at each other with force smiles on our faces. It felt like we were holding some sort of competition. The loser is whoever composure breaks first, and I had no intention of losing. I open my mouth to speak, but he quickly cuts me off.


    ¡°Catherine, you may be The Crooked Man¡¯s favorite, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from you.¡± Brick is what I consider to be a typical thug. Always boasting or causing problems, but when he¡¯s in danger, he quickly hides behind The Crooked Man¡¯s name to protect himself.


    ¡°Are you trying to say something?¡± He balls his hands into fists. I let out a sigh debating whether I should warn him about the Royal Guards. Unsurprisingly I quickly decided to keep the information to myself and hope the next person he runs into would be one of the Royal Guards.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not trying to say anything. I¡¯m just wondering if anyone would come to save a dog like you whose only capable of barking.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± We fell into another tense silence. My tail slowly raises in the air, warning me of the bloodlust emanating from Brick.


    For a brief second, Brick looked at me, surprised. I, too, was shocked by my own action. Normally I would run the moment I sense danger. Yet here I am calmly staring down a man who was flashing the knife he hid in his pocket. Half the reason probably is because I¡¯m so close to my goal. The second was perhaps because of the man approaching us. Unlike Brick, the man didn¡¯t need to say anything to appear intimidating. The five symmetrical scars running vertically down the left side of his face was more than enough to scare any wannabe thug away.


    ¡°Scar¡± is the nickname the man gave himself. Despite his terrifying appearance, he¡¯s a rational person that wouldn¡¯t resort to violence unless order to. Even though it was pathetic, I¡¯m confident he would stop Brick if he got violent.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡±


    ¡°Scar?!¡± Brick jumped when he heard the voice behind him. I found it amusing how quickly his tough fa?ade broke. ¡°S-she wanted to see the boss, and I stop her.¡± Brick responded nervously.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Scar said in his usual cold and emotionless voice. I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping he would take my side. ¡°Catherine, did you come here to buy your family store?¡±


    ¡°Of course, why else would I come here?¡± My impatience leak into my voice.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let you go.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. Yet his cold words froze my mind and body in place.


    ¡°Why?¡± Was the only the world that I could squeeze out.


    ¡°Crooked Man orders.¡±


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t understand. Why is stopping me from reclaiming what rightfully mine?!¡± My mind twisted and turn, trying to make sense of the situation. All I want is my family shop back. It¡¯s not like I was dastardly planning to take over his turf or anything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t ask.¡± Scar¡¯s apathetic response caused something in me to snap


    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t ask." It was foolish of me to count on Scar to help. He¡¯s mercenary after all. The only thing he cares about is money. I guess that must sound rich coming from a thief like me.


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. ¡°


    ¡°¡­¡± Scar stare at me in silence, his expression never changing. While Brick nervously looked back and forth at Scar and me.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to go through you two.¡± I pulled out my two batons I hid within my cloak. Brick cackle loudly, nearly causing my ears to bleed.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind? You really don¡¯t think you can beat us, do you.¡±


    Of course, I don¡¯t stand a chance. I know better than anyone how weak I am. But it¡¯ll be more insane if I stop here when I¡¯m so close to achieving my family dream!


    I took a step toward the two obstacles standing before me. While my mind wanders trying to figure out how to get through them, my ears begin to twitch, warning me of potential danger.


    The world became quieter as I focus in on the sound. It seems like someone is fighting. I can vaguely hear someone shouting, ¡°Get him!¡± and ¡°he¡¯s this way!¡± Follow by the sound of someone screaming in pain.


    It looks like even Brick and Scar could hear it. They warily looked around, searching for the noise that was progressing towards us. Suddenly, a man burst through a crumbling stone wall. The man¡¯s body rolls uncontrollably towards me, stopping directing at my feet.


    ¡°Ugh. You, you bastard.¡± The man groans as he tries to lift his batter body off the ground. ¡°Wh-What the hell do you want?!¡± He screams at the dust cloud surrounding the collapsed wall.


    ¡°Nothing much, I just want to have a chat with your boss.¡± An unsettling familiar and gentle voice came from within the dust cloud. As the dust faded, I was able to make out more of the person¡¯s feature. An older man with short gray hair. His white uniform didn¡¯t have a speck of dirt despite standing in a dust cloud. And his scarlet red tags hanging from his neck gave off a brilliant gleam.


    ¡°Jeez, Crook is quite popular today.¡± Brick approach the older man while flaunting his knife. ¡°Sorry old man, but I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t see him.¡±


    ¡°Brick, if you don¡¯t back away from him. You¡¯ll die.¡± For a brief instant, Scar¡¯s warning froze Brick in place. But Brick being the idiot he is, laughs it off like it was a joke.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Scar, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid of this old guy cosplaying as a Royal Guard? Look he¡¯s so scared he can¡¯t even move!¡±


    Ignoring Brick who was swinging his knife around like an idiot, the older man calmly scanned the environment. Eventually, his eyes fell on me. ¡°Ah, what a coincidence. I¡¯ve been looking for you, young lady.¡± The old man wore the same gentle smile he had when he saved me from the ogre, but this time, I could feel something ominous hiding behind it. Does he know I took the money?


    ¡°You know this old fool, Catherine?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t bother answering Brick¡¯s question. I was too busy trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. Not only is Scar and Brick blocking my path, but it looks like the King¡¯s guard is after me as well. It truly felt like I was stuck between a rock in a hard place.


    ¡°Well, whether you know him or not doesn¡¯t matter. Since he¡¯ll be dying soon.¡± Brick pointed his knife at the older man. Just as I was about to ask him where he was getting this confidence from, about twenty men step out of the hole in the wall, the old man created. They quickly surrounding him each one wielding a weapon.


    ¡°You guys never learn.¡± Letting out an exhausted sigh, the elderly man drew his sword. Unlike his sheath, which had a beautiful black and gold design, his sword was simplistic, but that didn¡¯t detract from its beauty. The white hilt, combine with the light reflecting off the pure silver blade, gave the sword a holy aura.


    ¡°That sword, could it be?¡±


    ¡°Get him!!¡± Brick¡¯s shouting drowns out Scar whose eyes were open slightly wider than usual. The shock expression on the usually stoic man felt like a sign that things were going to get worse.


    The old man took a step towards the nearest thug. The man hesitantly raised his hand club in the air and swung at the old soldier.


    The blunt object flies over the old man¡¯s head as if it was scared to hit him. The thug looked down at the remaining part of the club he was holding. The men laugh hysterically at the confuse thug. At first glance, it looked like the weapon broke on its own, but after seeing what the old man was capable of, I¡¯m positive he cut the club in half at a speed that was too fast to see.


    Perhaps sensing the difference between him and the old soldier, the thug took a step back, but before he could retreat, the holy blade slice through him cutting him half, at least that¡¯s what it looked like.


    It was just like the time with the ogre. His sword went straight through him, but he was still in one piece. Confuse, the thug patted his stomach that should¡¯ve been sliced open.


    ¡°See there¡¯s nothing to be afraid. His sword is as dull and rusty as him! Attack!¡±


    The twenty men attack on Brick¡¯s command, at least that¡¯s what he probably thinks, but I¡¯m positive they just saw this as the right moment to attack. Every single weapon that came near the old man was cut in half. The holy like sword transforms into a blur. It was impossible for me to follow the old man sword¡¯s play; the only thing I could see was the silver arc the sword left in its wake.


    One by one, in quick succession, the thugs drop to their knees, patting themselves down, looking for the nonexistent wound the sword should¡¯ve left on their bodies. After knocking down the last men, the older man plants his sword on the ground and look down at the panicky thugs.


    ¡°Brace yourselves.¡± The moment those words left his mouth. Wounds suddenly appear on the thugs¡¯ bodies. One was bleeding profusely from his leg, while another person''s arm was shredded into pieces, and there was one who was clutching his bleeding head screaming about having a severe headache.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Brick, the last of thug standing, took a step back. I was genuinely surprised that he didn¡¯t run right there and then, but then again, it¡¯s probably because his instinct is telling him the same thing my instinct is telling me: You¡¯ll die the moment you turn your back towards that man.


    ¡°To think the holy sword actually exists.¡± Scar step in between Brick and the older man. ¡°You¡¯re Dante, aren¡¯t you? The Hero of Morningstar?¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Both Brick and I shouted at the same time. There isn¡¯t anyone in the country who doesn¡¯t know who Dante is. He¡¯s a legendary solider who slain not only a hundred of Majins but also the only person who challenges the Immortal Demon King and survive to tell the tale.


    ¡°Holy sword? Hero of Morningstar?¡± Dante chuckles softly. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of those exaggerated titles. I¡¯m nothing more than a soldier.


    ¡°I concur. You show me that you¡¯re without a doubt worthy of those titles¡± There was a hint of excitement in Scar¡¯s voice. Seeing his usual dead eyes come to life, I begin to feel bad for saying he only cared about money.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re challenging me to a duel, no?¡± Scar responded to Dante''s question by silently raising the sword he took from one of the injured thugs.


    ¡°Very well, I accept your challenge.¡± Dante mimicked his action and lifted his sword. Engulf in the tense atmosphere; I barely notice that somewhere in between their exchange, Brick manages to slip away.


    For the first time in my life, I wanted to follow his example, but my curiosity preventing me from moving. A Scar versus ¡°The Hero of Morningstar.¡± I heard Scar was quite the accomplice mercenary before The Crooked Man hired him as a guard. But still, I just couldn¡¯t imagine him winning. Compare to Dante. Scar was like a child that just learn how to wield a sword. I¡¯m sure Scar was also aware of the insurmountable gap between them. The fight hasn¡¯t even started, yet he was already covered in sweat. With each step he took towards the legendary hero, the more his body tremble.


    Then, it happened. At least, I think it happened. All I know is that it took place an instant, no, perhaps even faster than that. The moment Scar step into Dante¡¯s range, he instantly raises his sword in the air blocking Dante¡¯s blade that seems to appear in front of him suddenly.


    ¡°Oh.¡± For a moment, Dante looked surprised, but his expression immediately became stern. Once again, he swung his sword at a speed faster than an instant. It looked as if his sword was teleporting near Scar who somehow was blocking those inhuman attacks. Although, it was obvious it was taking everything he had to keep up with them.


    Even an amateur like me who never been in a fight could tell who the winner would be. Also if by some miracle he managed to keep blocking all of Dante¡¯s attack, his poorly tended to sword wouldn¡¯t last long. With each strike, a crack appears on the sword. If scar wanted to have any chance at victory, he would have to launch a counterattack, but Dante¡¯s absurd speed and strength prevented him from going on the offense.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Declaring an end to the duel. Dante thrust his sword at Scar.


    ¡°Guh!¡± Scar lets out as he tries to block the attack, but the holy sword pierces through the crack the weapon, shattering it into pieces.


    Scar¡¯s body flew backward, smashing into a stone wall. He opens his mouth like he was trying to talk, but the impact knocks the air out of his lung. Thus, he collapses to the ground while letting out a soundless scream. His eyes were more hollow than usual.


    ¡°Impressive, you allow yourself to be knocked back to avoid being cut by my sword. You definitely have skills, but you¡¯re going need to train a lot more if you want to have any chance of beating me. Dante quietly observe Scar as if he was waiting for him to respond


    ¡°And now for you, young lady.¡± After a few seconds of silence, he turns his attention to me. I was so caught up in the fight I completely forgot he was also after me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know why I was looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the money I took?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean stole.¡± He corrected. ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re aware of your sin, you mine explaining to why you did it?¡±


    ¡°Sin?¡± I clench my teeth to keep my anger at bay. ¡°Those bastards try to feed me to a ten-foot monster! I think I have the right to take from them after what they try to do to me!¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what they did to you, that doesn¡¯t change the fact what you did is a sin.¡±


    Self-righteous bastard! People born with a silver spoon in their mouth will never understand that people like me have no choice but to turn to a life of crime to survive, but arguing with him isn¡¯t going to get me out of this situation.


    Hot-headed fools are usually the first to die. The idiots writhing on the ground clutching their wound was proof of that.


    I put my batons away. If Scar, a skilled mercenary couldn¡¯t beat him, then no way a thief like me could do it. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m giving up.


    I reached into my pouch and pulled out a gold coin.


    ¡°What are you doing.¡±


    ¡°I want to test how good your perception is,¡± I answer while casually flipping the coin in the air.


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Just humor me.¡± I toss the coin one last time in the air. The moment it fell to my eye level, both my hands sprung for the coin. In an instant, one of my hand caught the coin.


    ¡°Which hand the coin in?¡± I held out both my clench hands, waiting for his answer.


    ¡°Left.¡± Seeing him confidently point to my left hand nearly made me laugh.


    ¡°Too bad~¡± I open my right hand revealing the coin. Dante¡¯s eyebrow rose slightly it seems he was surprised he got it wrong. I bet his eyesight is just as absurd as his strength, but you¡¯re going to need more than good vision to see through this trick.


    ¡°You know, you usually have a fifty percent chance of guessing correctly, but I can flip this coin fifty more times, and you¡¯ll still guess wrong. You know why?¡± Before he could say anything, I continue to talk reciting the words Crook told me when he first showed me this trick.


    ¡°It¡¯s because your view is too narrow, you can only see the world in black and white. If you want to find the coin, your view needs to be a bit more crooked.¡± I open my left hand showing I had another gold coin. Dante''s eyes widen with surprise, it was at that moment I sense he let his guard down. I flick both the coins at him. Despite being caught off guard, he easily deflected the coins with his sword. Of course, I was stupid enough to think I could beat the ¡°Hero of Morningstar¡± with coins. I just needed that momentary distraction so I could escape from his sword range.


    ¡°I ran to the nearest building as fast as I could. If his speed is anywhere near impressive as his sword swings, then he¡¯ll be on me any moment.


    And at the exact moment, I thought that. I felt a presence loom over me. It inches closer like a predator, slowly sinking its teeth into its prey.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± letting out a weird scream, I leap for the pipe attached to the building. I quickly climbing, barely avoiding the shadow that crash into the building. Against my better judgment, I look down to see the holy sword pierce the place at a mere moment ago. If I were just an instant slower, I would¡¯ve¡­


    I shook my head to rid myself of the grim thought. I climb my way up the building to avoid getting hit by his sword. The legendary hero may be fast and stupidly strong, but I¡¯m confident I¡¯m much nimbler than him. I can easily use the buildings to outmaneuver him.


    ¡°Do you really think you can escape from me that easily.¡± His words destroyed the confidence I was slowly building up; it was as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.


    I look back down thinking he was climbing up after me, but he was still on the ground level calmly tapping the building with his sword. After a few more taps, he looked up at me and said. ¡°Brace yourself.¡±


    My tail stiffens warning me of the approaching danger. I heeded his warning and hugged the pipe as tight as I could, bracing myself for whatever was going to happen.


    Dante swung his sword at the building. The holy blade easily sunk its teeth into the stone structure. The bolts that kept the pipe attached to the building suddenly pop off, causing the pipe to lean towards the ground. No, it wasn¡¯t just the pipe, the entire building was falling apart!¡±


    ¡°Are you freaking serious?!!¡±


    There¡¯s a limit to absurdity and cutting a building in half is crossing that line! I desperately hung on to the collapsing building. Dante stood directly below me his sword still in hand.


    If I stay here, I¡¯ll be crush to death, but if I fall, I¡¯ll be at the mercy of his sword. I dove deep into my head frantically searching for a way to escape. Eventually, focus on the fight between Scar and Dante. Despite being outmatched, Scar was able to avoid being fatally injured by skillfully using the Hero¡¯s superhuman to escape from his attack. Can I replicate what he did? Well, whether I can or can¡¯t, I really don¡¯t have a choice in the matter.


    I let go of the pipe and dove headfirst for Dante. Somehow, I manage to pull out one of my batons in the midst of the chaos. Dante responded to my reckless charge by readying his weapon. I¡¯m not sure if the falling debris somehow slowed him down or I faster than I thought, but I was miraculously able to block his attack.


    ¡°Ngh.¡± The force of his attack shook my entire body to its core, nearly causing me to vomit whatever content I had left in my stomach. In the next moment after the thunderous clash, I was sent flying away from the collapsing building and the holy weapon.


    The world spun as I uncontrollably rolled on the ground. When the nauseating spinning finally ended, a more unpleasant sensation greeted me. My head was throbbing, my arm that block the sword attack felt numb, and there was dull ache all over my body.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m alive. Somehow.¡± I try to stand up, but my vision became blurry, causing me to fall back down on my butt.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± While rubbing my lower back, I stare at the massive dust cloud where the collapsed the building once stood.


    ¡°Yea, he¡¯s definitely dead.¡± Even if he was a legendary hero, he still was mortal and a human at that. ¡°Wait, this doesn¡¯t count as murder, right?¡±


    I mean he technically killed himself, given how eccentric nobles are I will definitely be held responsible for his death.


    Killing a royal guard is an equivalent of chopping off one of the king¡¯s limbs. If news of this ever got out, the entire country will be after my head.


    I nervously looked around to see if there were any witnesses. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw the only people around were the unconscious thugs and scar.


    Just as I was about to try to get up again, the building rubbles begin to move.


    ¡°Haha. This is a joke, right?¡± I let out a hopeless laugh as I watch a man emerges from the rubble. Completely unscathed, Dante silently dusts off his flawlessly white uniform.


    ¡°That was a bit too close for comfort.¡± He said while letting out a tired sigh. ¡°Now¡­¡± Cracking his neck, he turns his attention to me. ¡°¡­. Where were we?¡±

 Chapter 7: An Impossible Challenge

    Chapter 7


    An Impossible Challenge


    It feels like I¡¯m stuck in a nightmare. The kind where you''re chased by a monster that¡¯s always behind you, regardless of how fast you run.


    ¡°I have to say I¡¯m quite impressed. If I didn¡¯t use my aura, I would¡¯ve died.¡± Dante said as he dusted off his uniform, which was somehow still perfectly white.


    No way this guy is human. Not even ogre could escape from that unscathed. I guess the tales of him killing hundreds of majins and even challenging the Demon King to a duel wasn¡¯t a tall tale. Only a monster can kill another monster.


    ¡°So, do you have any other tricks you want to show me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, a thief always has a trick up their sleeves.¡± I took a page from Brick¡¯s book and pretended to be stronger than I am. But my wobbly legs isn¡¯t helping me look the part.


    ¡°Show me.¡± Dante positions his sword directly in front of himself. I thought he was going lunge at me at light speed but merely glared at me while holding his stance. Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s waiting for me to take a fighting stance? Or does he actually think I have a trick up my sleeves? Either way, it looks he¡¯s waiting for me to make the next move.


    I quickly took advantage of the momentary respite I gain by shaking my right arm, which was still numb from blocking his last attack. What incredibly stupid strength. He even bent my baton.


    I knew this since the moment I saw him killed the ogre, but taking a hit from him reconfirm the obvious: beating him is completely and utterly impossible. A proud warrior might see him as a worthy challenge, but all I see is an unscalable mountain. And going by how fast he is, running away isn¡¯t going to be easy either. So, if running and fighting isn¡¯t an option, then that means I have no choice but to gamble.


    ¡°I took a deep breath and shouted as loud as I could ¡°Prepare yourself!¡± I charge straight at the hero like a madman. Dante stiffens his guard. Preparing to counter whatever I was going to throw at him. ¡°Here I go! My ultimate technique! Running away as fast as I can!¡± I abruptly stopped just short of his sword range and made a sharp right.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I didn¡¯t have to look behind me to know he was staring at me, confused. Just like I thought, he¡¯s the kind of guy that believes honor and justice come before everything else. Those kinds of guys are really weak to cheap trick.


    ¡°You¡¯re running away again?¡± The disappointment in his voice irritated me. I barely stop myself from shouting, ¡°Of course I¡¯m running away! Do you seriously expect me to fight someone who can cut a building in half?!¡±


    ¡°Even though I put some good distance between us, in an instant, I could feel his presence behind me. Rather than panic like I did last time, I abruptly stop and roll into a ball. Dante flew right past me unable to suddenly stop like me. I immediately jumped back onto my feet and ran for the nearest building.


    ¡°My, aren¡¯t you a slippery one.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if that was admiration or irritation in his voice. Either way, I felt proud I was able to trick the hero not once but twice.


    ¡°You may have slain over a hundred demons, but I escape getting arrested over a hundred times!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should be proud of.¡± Dante retorted. He chased after me at a normal pace, perhaps worried I would give him the slip again if he did that instantaneous movement again. Although I said, ¡°normal speed,¡± he was still moving insanely fast. He¡¯ll catch me at any moment at this rate.


    I clench my teeth and continue running straight for the building. Rather than go through the door, I plant my foot on the wall and run vertically up the building. I quickly grab onto the nearest ledge before I lost my footing.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    His compliment sounded sincere, but I could feel nothing but dread coming. It was like he was praising a roach for avoiding getting crush by his foot.


    I quickly scaled the building as fast as I could. The moment I reach the top of the building, it begins to collapse. I knew he would cut the building down, but still; I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be mentally prepared for him to do it.


    Somehow, I manage safely to jump to the nearest building. Before I had a chance to catch my breath, the building I landed on begin to fall apart.


    ¡° This guy, he¡¯s seriously cutting down buildings like there Christmas trees!¡± I quickly leaped to the nearest building before the other one fell.


    ¡°How long can you keep this up?!¡± He shouted as he cut down the building I just landed on. I read enough stories to know this the part I bravely shout, ¡°I can do this all day!¡± But continuously jumping from one collapsing building to the next was both physical and mentally exhausting. Not to mention, most of the buildings were already damaged, so I also must avoid falling into any holes as I run for my life.


    There¡¯s no way I can keep this up. And even if I could, I¡¯ll eventually run out of buildings to retreat to. The moment my feet touch the ground again, I¡¯ll immediately be overwhelmed by the hero¡¯s inhuman strength and skill.


    ¡°Hero?¡± I begin mumbling to myself as an idea started to form in my head, but it was interrupted by a thunderous noise. The building behind me exploded. The shockwave from the explosive nearly sent me flying.


    Is he throwing bombs at me now? Just how badly do you want to kill me!? If I lead him to a populated area, would he continue destroying buildings just to get to me? He is considered the ¡°hero¡± of this country, so the lives of the innocent should be more important than chasing me, right?


    I leapt to a neighboring building before the one I stood on fell. The roof nearly caves in when I landed on it. Each step I took a crack formed. It was like I was walking a thin sheet of ice.


    The building I just escape from crashes into the one I was on further damage the weak structure. I try to jump the next building, but the ground beneath me gave way.


    ¡°Damnit!!¡± I screamed as I fell to the lower floor. My mind momentarily went blank from the pain that assaulted my body. If the building wasn¡¯t falling apart, I probably would¡¯ve curl into a ball and start crying.


    I let out a painful grunt as I lift my exhausted body back onto its feet. Just taking a glance out the window was enough for me to know I miss my chance to escape to the next roof safely. The building I was on a collision course for the neighboring building.


    ¡°Well, if I can¡¯t escape to the roof then...¡± I took a deep breath and then dove out the window. Thankfully, the glass in the windows was destroyed already, so I was able to exit and entered the next building without getting injured, well besides the bruises I undoubtedly got from rolling on the ground. A moment later the leaning building smash through the wall destroy half the rooms and nearly crushing me in the process.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­. I can¡¯t, anymore.¡± Complaints leak out in between my desperate gasp for air. My legs were so wobbly and weak; I had lean on the wall to support myself.


    I seriously can¡¯t do this anymore. My heart feels like it¡¯ll burst out my chest any moment. Just moving my legs hurts like hell and the dust in the air is irritating my dry throat.


    ¡°Why do I have to go through this hell? All I want to do is to take back what was stolen from me. So, what if I stole money from some nobles. Those corrupt bastards would¡¯ve probably used the money to buy slaves to torment or something like that.¡±


    ¡°!¡± The sound of a door being kick open echo throughout the desolate hallway. I quickly knelt down and place my face on the floor to listen to the noise that was coming from a floor below me.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re here. Show yourself. The longer you hide, the worse your punishment will be.¡±


    Do you really think that cheesy threat is enough to scare me out of hiding? Sorry, but I come too far to give up now.


    I carefully snuck into one of the rooms. A shattered body size mirror hung on the wall of the abandoned room. There was a foul smell lingering in the room that seems to grow stronger the further I delve. Covering my nose, I crept over the glass shard that covered the floor and made my way towards the window which was covered in dust and cobwebs. Unsurprisingly, the ten-year-old cobweb covered window was jammed. I was confident that I could open it with a bit of force but decided against it in fear the noise might give my position away.


    Now that I think about it, why didn¡¯t he just destroy the building like all the others? As much I like to think he simply got tired, I can¡¯t imagine that monster ever running out of stamina. Could it be he¡¯s trying get me away from buildings? If the window wasn¡¯t jam, I would¡¯ve jump and made a run for it without a second thought. The only reason why I¡¯m still alive is because I¡¯ve been using the buildings to stay out of the range of his sword. The moment he catches me and an area without anything for me to climb onto, I¡¯m dead. But staying here isn¡¯t an option either.


    ¡°Or is it?¡± Another idea suddenly sprung in my head. If I wasn¡¯t in a life and death situation, I probably would¡¯ve patted myself on the back for being able to think in this dire situation. I guess constantly stealing from soldiers and nobles prep me for this moment.


    I nervously peek into the hall to check if it was safe. Which was unnecessary, since he was still downstairs judging from the noise.


    ¡°It¡¯s now or never.¡± I carefully made my way down the hall. At the very end was a shattered window that I could probably squeeze my way through. I toss my bent baton that seemed to be almost glued to my hand out the window. I then proceed to rip off a piece of my cloak and place it on a glass shard.


    Satisfy with my work, I retreated to the room with the broken mirror. I grab one of the many shards of glass that litter the floor and position it so I can see the hallway without having to poke my head out. The baton and rip cloth should convince him I fled the building. Hopefully.


    I stare intensely at the glass shard, waiting for what could only been a few minutes, but felt like an hour. His footsteps grew louder and louder. The sound endlessly echoes in my head nearly driving me mad until finally, he came.


    Still wielding his sword, he picks cloth I left on the window. My heart begins faster as I watch stare out the window, his eyes following the bread crumb I left for him.


    ¡°Come on. Fall for it. Please.¡± I clasp my hands together and pray that he would follow the trail I created. But my prayer went unanswered.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Nice try.¡± He said, tossing the cloth out the window. ¡°If you had a bit more resolve I might have fallen for it.¡± He picked up a glass shard and raised it and the air like he knew I was watching him.¡± You seriously don¡¯t expect me to think you climb out this broken window without getting cut, do you?¡±


    For a moment, my mind went blank as I try to wrap my head around what he said. Now that he mentions it, my mistake was so obvious that I could almost laugh. If I left a bit of my blood of the window that would¡¯ve completed the illusion me desperately fleeing the building. But even if I knew that ahead of time, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.


    ¡°Looks like this little game of cat and mouse is coming to an end.¡± Dante begins to search each room. Luckily, I was at the end of the hallway, so I still had to time to escape, but the cobweb-covered window was still jam. And even if I did open it, I would just be going out in open where he can freely cut me down, just like he wanted.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± I frantically looked around the room for something that could get me out of the situation. For some reason, the shattered mirror grabbed my attention. The foul odor lingering in the air seemed to grow stronger the closer I got.


    ¡°You¡¯re not an ordinary mirror, are you?¡± I closely examine the frame of the mirror and found there was a massive hole behind it.


    ¡°A Hidden room?¡± I gasp in surprise. I heard during the war some people created hidden rooms so they could store food and hide. In case the majins conquer the city. Perhaps that awful smell is coming from spoiled food.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± A groan slips from my mouth as I tried to move the mirror, but it refuses to budge. I guess whoever lived here didn¡¯t want anyone accessing their hidden room even if they discover it.


    Growing more desperate, I thrust my last baton into the gap between the hole and the mirror to try to pry it open. For the first time in my life, I¡¯m happy I¡¯m small. I could barely get the mirror to budge, but the little gap I created was just big enough for me to fit. With Dante footstep getting closer by the second, I didn¡¯t hesitate to dive headfirst into the dark hole.


    Almost immediately, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. A perk of having the blood of a beast. Although it because of this blood that this repugnant scent is tormenting my heightened sense of smell. ¡°Ah.¡± I let out a weak groan as my body try to decide whether I should vomit or pass out.


    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± My instinct whisper to me. Suddenly the pounding headache and the dizzy spell faded as if they never existed. I¡¯m not sure how I knew he was in the room since I was busy rolling around gasping for fresh air, but I made a habit of never questioning my instinct, only following them.


    Just beyond the mirror, I could hear his footsteps moving around the room, searching every nook and cranny for me. I cover my mouth and try to be as still as possible, afraid that even a twitch of my muscle would give my hiding spot away.


    After a few minutes of searching, he leaves the room. I remain still, till I was confident he was far away


    Now, what do I do? From the sound of things, he''s heading to the third floor. After he searches the third floor, he¡¯ll leave, right? I mean there¡¯s no other reason for him to stay unless he¡¯s confident that I¡¯m still here. But what happens after he leaves? I doubt he¡¯ll give up on me. I mean he literally cut down buildings just to get to me. Yea he definitely won¡¯t give up. He won¡¯t stop chasing me until he kills me. Or I kill him.


    But how do I do that? No way I¡¯m beaten in a fight. But what if I sneak up behind him? Since he has no idea where I am, I can get behind him and- no, that won¡¯t work, somehow, I get the feeling he¡¯ll notice me before I ever get close to him. The only way I¡¯ll ever take him out is from a distance. But the only weapon I have is a baton.


    I looked around the small dark room. Of course, there wasn¡¯t a weapon conveniently laying around for me. Instead, what I got was stacks of boxes. They looked exactly like the boxes Crook¡¯s goons was carrying earlier. I guess they¡¯re using this place to hide Crook¡¯s goods. Well, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind if I borrow some of it.


    The foulest of odors assaulted my nose the moment I open box, nearly knocking me unconscious. Without a doubt, the smell that¡¯s been tormenting me this entire time is coming from these boxes. It took all my willpower to stop myself from chucking all the boxes out a nearby window.


    Going by the smell, I half expected to find a dead animal in the box. Thankfully what I got instead was glass jars filled with what looked like black powder. At first glance, I thought it was gunpowder until I read the label on the jar.


    Warning; chemical volatile when exposed to air.


    Volatile? Isn¡¯t it a bit unsafe to have something so dangerous be held in a jar of glass? I¡¯m pretty sure if I asked one of Crook¡¯s goon, they¡¯ll just scoff at me and say, ¡°Don¡¯t care as long as I get paid.¡±


    I guess I don¡¯t have the right to judge since I make a living off stealing. By the way, speaking of stealing, I wonder if Crook don¡¯t mind if I borrow a couple of these boxes.


    I dragged two of the boxes out of the hidden room. Thankfully, the mirror was easier to move on this side. Then again it would dumb if you got trap in your own hidden room.


    I left one of the boxes in the room and put the other in the hall. After I place them down, I grab one of the jars and quietly made my way down the hall.


    The plan is quite simple. Once I get a safe distance from the building. I¡¯ll toss the jar through the window. The explosion should create a chain reaction setting off the explosive I set up in the hall and in the room, which should ignite all the box of that black stuff that hidden behind the mirror.


    Sheesh. I¡¯m starting to scare myself. I just thoroughly planned out a murder like it¡¯s something I do every day. It¡¯s just liked that time I was going to fight the orc. I felt unnaturally calm despite the circumstance. I wonder if this also has something to do with me being part beast, or perhaps I¡¯m more crooked than I thought.


    I look up at the ceiling as if I was drawn to it. ¡°It¡¯s quiet.¡± I softly mutter. Until just a moment ago I could hear him walking around above me, now it¡¯s dead silent.


    Suddenly, an unnatural gust of wind swept through the hall. A chill ran through my body quickly making its way up to my brain, causing a momentary blackout. A vague image of a structure formed in my unconscious mind. I could see, no sense that there were only two people inside the structure. The image begins to dissipate like it was nothing more than a mirage and perhaps that exactly what it was. A moment later, I found myself back, in reality, gasping for air.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s where you were at.¡± Dante¡¯s voice came from the floor above me. His once silent footsteps were now stomping their way down the hallway without a doubt heading straight for me.


    ¡°What?! How did he find me?!¡± I ran for the window at the end of the hall. Shoulder first, I threw myself at the window, shattering what was left of the glass. The shards rip through my cloak and pierce my skin. I twist my body around and toss the jar into the building.


    Dante ran down the hall, his left hand extended in front of him. For the first time, there was a hint of panic on his face. It looks like he knew what in the jar I threw, but it was too late for him to catch it. A blinding white light erupted from the crack container, quickly consuming the building and then the world.


    For a moment, I thought I died. But a few seconds later, the light vanishes, and the sky greeted me. It stretches its bright blue body far past the horizon as if it was trying to hog my attention. I guess the sky will always look beautiful regardless of how much we suffer.


    I continue to stare at the sky. I know I should leave the area immediately. All that noise we made probably alerted every solider in the city and maybe even the other Royal guard. Staying here isn¡¯t an option, but fear froze my body in place. The thought of being unable to move my limbs or worse finding out they were gone was far, far more horrifying than having to deal with another royal guard.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯m going to move.¡± I close my eyes to gather my courage. When I open them again, there was face hover in front of me.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Startled, I got up and ran away, but ended up falling right on my face. Well, at least my legs are still attached to me.


    While I was rubbing my sore head, the face appears in my vision again. It was the face of a young woman. Just from a single glance, I could tell life has been quite cruel to her. Her face was cover in dirt. Her clothes were basically rags, and she was so skinny I was afraid a single touch would be enough to break her bones.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The woman lips moved, but the ringing in my ears made it impossible for me to understand what she was saying.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The woman lips continue to move, but I''m sure she wasn''t trying to talk to me anymore. I follow her downward gaze and notice a little boy was hiding behind her. The little boy pointed his finger at me, his eyes wide as can be. I didn¡¯t have to hear to know he was saying something about my ears. For some reason, kids are infatuated with my ears and tail. It one of the reasons why I wear a cloak.


    After she finished saying something to the child, she turns her attention to me again. With a gentle smile, she offers me her hand. I hesitantly accepted it. After a bit struggling, I was able to stand on my feet.


    The woman clapped happily as she watched me unsteadily walk. It felt weird being treated like a child (even though I admittedly look like one) but, I decided to say nothing since I was grateful she was helping me.


    As I continue to stumble around, I notice more and more people were gathering around. No doubt was drawn to all the noise from earlier. Mouth agape, they stare in awe at the burning building down the street.


    That explosion seriously sent me flying. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m lucky that I didn¡¯t suffer a severe injury, or my body is far tougher than I thought. Either way, he should be dead, right?


    Another bright light erupted from the building forcing everyone to close their eyes. Fire violently spat out from the crumbling building, setting other nearby structures ablaze. Seriously, what was in those jars? Well, whatever it was there¡¯s no way he survived that.


    I let out a sigh of relief and reach for the pouch filled with coins only to grab nothing but air. For a moment, my heart stopped. I let out a dry laugh and patted myself down. Thinking, no, hoping that it was somewhere else on my person. But it was nowhere to be found.


    Growing more panic, I look down and notice there was a huge tear in the part of my cloak that was hiding my pouch.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me.¡± My mind flashes back to when I smash through the window. ¡°it¡¯s inside the building, isn¡¯t it? Stuck on one of those glass shards?¡±


    I wobble my way towards the burning building, my eyes fixated on the floor, I leaped out of.


    ¡°¡­.!¡± The emaciated woman step in front of me. It looked like she was shouting something, but I couldn¡¯t hear it, nor did I care.


    ¡°Move!¡± I try to push her out of the way, but because my legs were still weak and wobbly, I ended up falling onto the ground.


    ¡°I, I got to get the money back.¡± I try to get back on my feet, but the woman grabs me from behind. ¡°Why?!¡± I screamed. ¡°Why is everyone trying to stop me?!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll die!¡± Her voice broke through the ringing in my ears, but at this point, I didn¡¯t care, I just scream back at her.


    ¡°So what?! So, what if I die! If I don¡¯t get back what my family treasured, I¡¯ll never see them again!¡±


    I knew I wasn¡¯t making sense. No matter what I do, I never see my parents again. But an irrational part of me believes that if I manage to get the store back. They¡¯ll come back as if everything I¡¯ve been through was nothing more than a bad dream.


    The woman loosens her grip on me. I could probably break free if I wanted to. But there was no longer any point. The building was now nothing more than ash. And the coins had probably melted.


    ¡°Ha.¡± A weak and cold laugh slip from my mouth. What little strength I had left in my body vanish as tears endlessly flow down my cheeks. If the woman wasn¡¯t holding onto me, I probably would¡¯ve fallen face-first into the dirt and never move again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She said softly. I turn around ready to shout, ¡°how is any of this, okay?!¡± But before I could say anything, she held out her hand. In her palm was a single coin. The coin was partially burnt, but it was without a doubt, a gold coin.


    ¡°Will this be enough to buy back your treasure?¡± She said with a bright smile.


    ¡°¡­.¡± All I could do was stare dumbly at her. I¡¯m not sure how she managed to retrieve it from that burning building, but one half-burnt coin won¡¯t be enough to buy my family store back. Unless, maybe if I combine it with the other two gold coins, I hid at the store along with the money I stash over the years.


    Maybe there¡¯s still hope.


    I reach for the coin. Her thin, frail arm tremble as she waited for me to accept her gift. The boy by her side continues to cling to her. He was nowhere near thin as her. Going by her personality, I bet she gives all her food to the kid. What a strange woman. She has her own problem to deal with, yet she still trying to help me.


    ¡°Thank you, but I think you need this more than me.¡± I close the woman hand. Her eyes widen in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m truly am grateful you¡¯re going out of your way to help me, but I think you should take care of yourself first. If anything, happens to you, then your son would be left all alone in the world. Just like me.¡± For an instant. The pain and confusion I felt when my mom left this world flash in my head. I shook my head to rid myself of the painful memory.


    ¡°B-But what about your store?¡± I must''ve had a painful expression. Since the woman was looking at me with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to start over from the beginning.¡± I shrug my shoulder as if it was no big deal. Although I guess compare to her situation, it really wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    ¡°Do you think this little act of kindness will absolve you of all your sins?¡± Black smoke rose from his skin. His once white uniform was now torn, revealing scars and somewhat burnt skin.


    ¡°Dante¡­¡± I said lowly to the point it sounded like a growl.


    ¡°Catherine,¡± He tightly gripped his sword which still had an ominous shine. ¡°it¡¯s time we end this little game.¡±

 Chapter 8: And Thus, It Begins

    Chapter 8


    And thus, It Begins


    To say I¡¯m having a bad day would be the understatement of the year. The fire was quickly spreading, growing more ferocious as it consumed everything in its path. But that¡¯s trivial compared to the man with the shining sword. He emerges from the blazing inferno as if he was taking a stroll through the park. His once pristine white uniform was now burnt and torn, revealing a muscular scarred body forged from countless battles and intense training.


    ¡°How foolish. Did you really think that alone would be enough to absolve you of your sins?¡± Even though his hostility was aim solely at me, everyone was shivering in fear. Even the emaciated woman was cowering. She threw herself in front of her child to shield him from the so-called ¡°hero.¡±


    ¡°Theft, obstruction of justice, destruction of property, attempted murder, and affiliation with a dangerous gang. These are all the crimes you¡¯re guilty of. The only way to free yourself from these sins is to pay with your life. However,¡± Dante abruptly stops walking. ¡°Since you did such an outstanding job of keeping me entertain, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Dante turn his attention to the bystanders. ¡°They¡¯ll have to pay for your sins.¡± The already frightened crowd grew more terrified. Some of them try to move their trembling legs in a futile attempt to escape. But the palpable malice emanating from Dante froze everyone in their tracks, including me.


    ¡°Are you saying if I leave¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone here will die in your place.¡± Dante coldly finished my sentence. ¡°You have five seconds to choose who should pay for your sins. Them, or you.¡± He slightly adjusts the sword in his hand, preparing himself to cut down everyone in the area.


    Suddenly, everyone shifted their terrified gaze from Dante to me. Tears stream down their pale faces as they silently begged me for help.


    He¡¯s not seriously planning on killing everyone, is he? Isn¡¯t he supposed to be a hero?


    ¡°Five.¡± Dante begins his countdown. He calmly surveys the surrounding making sure no one would run as he waited for my decision.


    He¡¯s definitely serious. But so what if he plans on killing everyone? They¡¯re nothing more than strangers to me. Besides, I can¡¯t die. Not now. Not till I get my family store back.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    That¡¯s right, that¡¯s the only thing that matters. That¡¯s the only thing that should matter to me.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± The emaciated woman grabs my cloak to get my attention. ¡°Please, if you plan on running away, then take my son with you.¡± She grabbed the arm of the little boy that was hiding behind her and practically tossed him at me.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Noo!! Mom!¡± The boy immediately pushes himself away from me and ran back to the woman. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you; I¡¯m staying here!¡± the boy clung to his mom so tightly it looked like she would have to tear her clothes to free herself.


    ¡°One.¡±


    For some reason watching the two sob while hugging each other made my blood boil. Was it because I was envious of the boy? Well, whatever it was I couldn¡¯t stomach looking at them anymore.


    ¡°Go,¡± I said while turning my back to them. I could feel them silently staring at the back of my head, which only annoyed me more. ¡°Go!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs. My voice seems to have broken them free from their shackles that kept them in place. They quickly fled the moment I gave them the orders. Leaving me, Dante, and the emaciated woman and her child behind.


    While still clinging to her son, the woman looked at me, there was a mixture of sadness and confusion in her eyes. Even though we just met, I got the feeling if I left her alone, she probably throws herself at Dante and order to give her son and me a chance to escape.


    ¡°Go and take your son as far away from here as possible.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts. Sacrificing yourself isn¡¯t going to help your son. All it¡¯ll accomplish is turning your son into an orphan. If you truly want to help him than live and watch over him. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The woman looked down at her son that was still clinging to her. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± She gently wraps her arm around her son while holding the burnt gold coin close to her heart. ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispers softly. She grabs her son¡¯s arm and takes off running. She repeatedly glances back at me as she fled. I force a smile on my face and wave at her, I doubt my gesture help alleviate the crushing guilt she must be going through, but it seems she understands that she needs to worry about herself since she never looked back at me again. Thus, I was left alone to deal with the ¡®hero.¡¯


    ¡°So, you chose to sacrifice yourself to save everyone else. How admirable.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± There was a myriad of emotions rampaging in my heart; the most notable was without doubt anger. ¡°Did you enjoy tormenting me? Playing with everyone life like their toys?!¡± My body trembles as my emotions spill out of me. ¡°You¡¯re no hero; you¡¯re just an asshole.¡±


    Dante¡¯s cheeks twitch slightly it looked like he was trying his hardest to stop any form of emotion to show on his face.


    ¡°I never consider myself a hero. That undeserved title was forcefully thrust upon me. But what about you? Aren¡¯t you pretending to be a hero for sacrificing yourself for people you don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Sacrifice? When did I say I would sacrifice myself? I sent everyone away so there wouldn¡¯t be any witnesses to the crime I''m about to commit.¡± I pick up a metal pipe that was lying on the ground and swung it around lightly to test if it was useable as a weapon.


    ¡°Is that so? Well then, show me what you¡¯re capable of, Catherine.¡± Dante held his sword in front of him, with both hands firmly on the hilt. Despite the fire growing ever stronger and closer, his eyes were focused solely on me, watching for any movement I might make.


    It doesn¡¯t look like running away is an option. Even if it was, I have no intention of going anywhere until I at least hit this self-righteous bastard once.


    I dash forward, charging straight through the fire and ash that rain down from the burning buildings. ¡°Step one!¡± I shouted as I ripped my cloak off my body and flung it at Dante.


    Given Dante¡¯s height, I should be able to hit him even if I couldn¡¯t see him. It¡¯s a half-baked plan I¡¯ll admit, but it¡¯s the only way I can attack him without getting cut in half.


    I swung the metal pipe with all my strength at the torn black cloth that separated him and me. I gritted my teeth to prepare myself to feel my weapon smash his bones. But strangely, I felt nothing. I smack the cloak out of my way, thinking he might¡¯ve jumped backward, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a bad plan.¡± His voice came from behind. I quickly turn around to see him slowly putting his sword back in his sheath. ¡°But you need to be a bit faster. In battle, hesitation, and indolence lead to death.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Suddenly, the metal pipe in my hand fell apart in pieces, and I felt a cold breeze past through me after seeing his sword cut down multiple people. I knew exactly what happened to me. For some reason, his sword doesn¡¯t cut people, instead after a few seconds, severe wounds manifest on the person that was attacked by his sword. The wounds seem to vary from individual. I still don¡¯t understand why everyone suffers different injuries; all I know is that I only have a couple of seconds before I¡¯m cut into pieces.


    I lunge at him again. Dante¡¯s eyes widen in surprise when he saw me rushing him again. Just like I thought He always drops his guard after he cut his opponent.


    ¡°Did you really think I give up just because you cut me!¡± I thrust the broken pipe that now had a sharper edge to it. The cold steel sunk into his body so easily it felt like I was putting the last piece of a puzzle in its rightful place.


    ¡°I did it.¡± Was what I was going to say, but my victory celebration was interrupted by a bone-chilling laugh. I stood frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. It was only when I saw his hand move I regain control over my body. I quickly jumped away, leaving the pipe embedded in his body, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother him at all.


    ¡°Well done, you¡¯ve far exceeded my expectation. ¡°Calmly, he reaches for the pipe I stab into his side. He pulls the metal object out and tosses onto the ground. Throughout the entire the process he didn¡¯t show a hint of pain, if it weren¡¯t for the blood seeping from his wound, I would¡¯ve never thought he was injured.


    ¡°Looks like times up.¡± The moment those words left his mouth, my body begins to glow. I knew immediately his sword ability had finally activated. I gritted my teeth to prepare for the inevitable pain, but it never came. Instead the cuts and bruises I got from desperately trying to escape vanish.


    ¡°I knew it.¡± A smile spread on Dante¡¯s face. The animosity and bloodlust that was emanating from him disappear.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡±


    ¡°Relax, my sword can¡¯t hurt a kind soul like you. Its design to only harm the wicked. Dante gently placed his hand on his sheathed sword. ¡°But even with this information, you still don¡¯t trust me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Who in their right mind will trust someone who dropped a building on them?¡±


    ¡°Fair point.¡± Dante let¡¯s out a sigh and rubbed his gray hair. After a moment of silence, he opens his mouth to speak, but the words he planned on saying to me never came out, his face contorted in panic. ¡°Move!¡± He shouted.


    Perhaps it was because I was still on high alert, but before those words left his mouth, I instinctively threw myself to the side. A burning pipe that was loosely connected to building slams into the spot I was a moment ago. The flames quickly spread across the ground, devouring everything in its path.


    ¡°This could be bad,¡± Dante mumbles to himself as he slowly backs away from the raging fire.


    ¡°Could be? ¡°If we weren¡¯t in such a dangerous situation, I probably would laugh. We¡¯re past the point of ¡°could,¡± this IS bad.


    Suddenly one of the building engulfs in flames explodes. Fire and shrapnel flew in every direction, further spreading the wildfire.


    ¡°Stay behind me.¡± Dante steps in front of me. His hand becomes a blur as he deflects every shrapnel that flew in our direction with his sheathed sword.


    ¡°Ah, um.¡± I almost reflexively said thank you, but the word got caught in my throat when I remember just a few seconds ago we were trying to kill each other.


    ¡°The fire.¡± Dante starts, unfazed by my tongue getting tied. ¡°It seems whatever chemical was in those jars is causing the flames to spread at an alarming rate. If this keeps up¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± All it takes is a glance at the wall of fire for anyone to see how dire the situation is. The only thing we can do now is evacuate the town but seeing how fast the fire is spreading, I don¡¯t think it possible to get everyone out in time.


    ¡°How many people are going to die because of me?¡± I stare blankly at the flame, pointlessly wondering how I could¡¯ve prevented this. I should¡¯ve just given him the coins. No, I should¡¯ve never taken it in the first place, it¡¯s because of my greed that so many people are going to die.


    ¡°No one going to die.¡± Dante approach the sea of fire, his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­. can you stop it?¡± Even though I saw his monstrous strength multiple times, a part of me doubted he could put out the flames alone, that grim expression on his face only made me doubt him more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯ been a while since I had to do this.¡± Dante let¡¯s out a long and heavy sigh. He plunges his sword into the ground and bowed his head. ¡°I wonder, will you fight by my side again, Minos?¡± The moment those words left his mouth, the sword begins to glow faintly as if it was responding to his question.


    ¡°Thank you for standing by my side again.¡± For a moment, I thought he was talking to his sword until I saw the woman standing behind him. It was as if she was always there the whole time, but only now I can see her.


    Putting aside her sudden arrival, her appearance is just as unnatural. She was hauntedly beautiful. The blindfold that covered her eyes added more to her mysterious allure. Her white gown, which loosely hung from her body gave her an almost angelic appearance. Almost angelic. The black halo that hovers above her head destroyed the pure image I had of the woman, and the pure black wings only added insult to injury.


    A beastman? Was the first thing I thought she was, but I quickly dismiss it. There¡¯s no such thing as a creature that possesses a halo. It was something you only find in a religious book or a fantasy story. And yet there was one right in front of me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly, Minos.¡± The woman silently nods her head and reach for her blade that hung from her waist. Her sword was uncannily similar to Dante¡¯s. From the black and gold design of her sheath to the white hilt.


    Slowly, she drew her sword from her sheath and then with just a single slash from her blade, the fire vanished. A moment later, every structure that was engulfed in the flame were suddenly split in two as if they just realize they were cut.


    ¡°Whatever, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡± After everything I have seen today, I found myself becoming apathetic to the superhuman feat everyone somehow seems to be capable of. ¡°At least the city isn¡¯t going to burn down.¡± Exhausted, I fell to the ground. I fought the urge to fall asleep by thinking about what Scar told me before everything went to hell. From what Scar said, Crook has no intention of giving me back my family store. Regardless if I pay him or not.


    Somehow, that doesn¡¯t surprise me. Perhaps deep down, I knew he wouldn¡¯t honor our deal. And like an idiot, I closed my eyes and acted like everything would go well if I listen to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so pathetic.¡± I wanted to curl into a ball and probably would¡¯ve if it wasn¡¯t for the angelic creature looming over me. She looks down at me, her gaze somehow piercing despite half her face covered by a blindfold.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The angelic creature continues to stare at me silently. Her wings gently rose up and down as she breathes, it was almost mesmerizing.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for the money, then I¡¯m sorry to tell you it got destroy in the fire.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t come here for the coins,¡± Dante interjected. He pulled his sword from the earth and lightly swung it around to free it of the dirt that stubbornly clung to it.


    ¡°Then what did you come here- oh.¡± Before I could finish my sentence, the answer I was looking for pop into my head. ¡°You came here for the Crooked Man, right? I would take you to him, but after all the noise we made, he probably long gone, by now.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dante took a deep breath and placed his sword back in his sheath. The moment the sword went in, the angelic creature standing next to me vanish.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°While I do find it unfortunate that he might¡¯ve got away¡­¡± Unfazed by his partner disappearance, he continues to talk.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for him; I came for you.¡±


    ¡°For me?!¡± I tried to stand up, but my body refuses to listen to me. Even if I could run there¡¯s no way, I could escape from him.


    ¡°Relax, I didn¡¯t come here to harm you.¡±


    ¡°So what were you doing earlier? Were you just joking around when you kept swinging your sword at me or destroying every building that I was on? I bet it must¡¯ve been funny watching someone as weak and pathetic as me desperately trying to survive, huh?!¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Catherine¡­¡± Dante begin. Despite me practically yelling at his face, he remained calm and composed which only angered me more.


    ¡°¡­If you¡¯re truly worthless than why is The Crooked Man so hell-bent on keeping you in his gang?¡±


    In an instant, my scalding anger vanish. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. All I could do was stare dumbly at him, hoping he had the answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that not only is charging you an absurd price for your store but every time you get close to acquiring it, he sends his goon to steal it from you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just hates me.¡±


    ¡°He would¡¯ve never spent so much effort on you if he hated you. He sees something in you. Something so valuable that he¡¯ll never let you go, regardless how much gold you offer him. And I can see it too. Everything you did here today is proof you¡¯re capable of much more than you think.¡±


    ¡°So, he was testing me this entire time? I should¡¯ve been angry, but instead, I was filled with an overwhelming curiosity. Why would anyone go so far for a lowlife thief like me?


    ¡°You possess a lot of potential Catherine. If you let me, I can give you the strength to break free from the Crooked Man¡¯s grasp.¡± With a gentle smile, he gave me his hand.


    Of course, I didn¡¯t believe him. You must be insane to believe a person that nearly destroyed half a town chasing you, regardless if they¡¯re testing you or not. But even if he is toying with me it¡¯s not like it¡¯s going to affect me much. I spent a good portion of my life dancing in The Crooked Man¡¯s palm, so dancing in some in someone else hand is no big deal. Besides, he¡¯s the hero of Morning Star, if there¡¯s anyone that can get me out of this predicament it¡¯ll be him.


    ¡°Fine, whatever you have planned, I¡¯m in.¡± The smile on his face widens as I reach for his hand.


    ¡°I promise, Catherine¡­¡± Dante grabs my hand and easily lifts me to my feet. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you just how bright you can shine.¡±


    And thus, begins the tale of a little star name Catherine.

 Chapter 9: The First Step

    Chapter 9


    The First Step


    The more I think about it, the more it feels like it was all a dream. The angelic woman with the black halo, a sword that can only cut evil. These are things you expect to find in a children¡¯s tale. The only thing stopping me from dismissing everything as a dream is the sensation of the hand that helped me to my feet.


    I never got the chance to ask how he¡¯ll help me deal with The Crooked Man. The town guards¡¯ rushes to the scene interrupted our conservation before I could.


    ¡°Visit me at the Soldier center whenever you¡¯re ready to take the first step.¡± That was the last thing he said to me before he begins giving orders to the guards that arrive.


    Soldier center, that¡¯s the last place a person like me who lives by committing crime wants to go. To make matters worse, it''s located near the market, a place where people who can actually afford to buy things go. I can already imagine all the dirty looks I¡¯ll get if I even get near the area.


    ¡°What a pain.¡± I let out a sigh and looked out my window. The sun was far past its zenith now and is growing weaker by the minute. It¡¯s only a matter of time till the last of the light vanishes, and darkness once again consumes the world.


    ¡°Is it possible for someone like me to shine like a star?¡± The evening breeze blew through my window, taking my question along with it. I silently continue staring at the sky, somewhat hoping for the wind to bring an answer back to me. After a few seconds, my stomach begins to growl, breaking the silence.


    Right, I never did get a chance to eat last night. Everything kind of went downhill ever since I ran into that noble yesterday. I¡¯ll never understand how adventurers can happily throw themselves into danger. I never want to go through that again. But I feel like that what exactly will happen if I get involved with Dante.


    I slowly climb out of my bed. If I stay in it any longer, I fear I lose all motivation to do anything. I sluggishly made my way to the mirror. I threw on dark blue overalls and a white undershirt. ¡°They still fit.¡± I let out a disappointed sigh when I looked back at the mirror. I used to play in these clothes when I was a kid. I really haven¡¯t grown that much. Well at least everyone will think I¡¯m a child rather than a thief, although I prefer the latter.


    After one more glance in the mirror, I reluctantly left the store and headed straight for the market. Normally around this time of day, the resident of the slums would be taking shelter in the darkest place they could find to hide from the gangs that run the street. Yet strangely, there was still quite a lot of people lingering around outside. Even weirder, there were men in dark blue uniforms patrolling the area.


    It took a few seconds for me to register that they were the town''s guard. It was such a rare sight to see them on this side of town that everyone was looking at them like they were an endangered animal.


    After getting over my initial shock, I took cover in the alley. A couple of others follow my lead and hid in nearby buildings. The guards approach the few people that didn¡¯t hide and begin asking them questions. They were quite a distance away, but thanks to my sharp ears, I was able to hear everything they were saying. It seems Dante is blaming the fire incident from earlier on Crook instead of me. While I¡¯m happy that Dante lied to protect me, I still can¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    ¡°Catherine, hey, Catherine~.¡±


    I still don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s going so far for me. He said I have potential, but the only thing I¡¯m good at is stealing and running away.


    ¡°Hello~ Catherine?¡±


    Does he want me to steal something? That¡¯s the only thing that makes sense to me, but what does he want me to steal? A secret document from another country? Or maybe-


    ¡°Stop ignoring me!¡± An obnoxiously, loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Before I could turn to see who it was, they grabbed my tail and pulled on it. I let out a surprised yelp. An intense sensation traveled up my spine and assaulted my brain, causing me to momentarily blackout.


    ¡°You!!¡± The moment I regain my senses, I angrily turn to face my assailant. It was a little girl clad in a black cloak. She wore a bright smile on her face, trying her best to feign innocence. ¡°Lily, what the hell are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you.¡± Lily clasp her hands together and looks up at me like an abandoned puppy.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on over there?¡± A couple of the soldiers slowly approach our location with their hands on their weapons.


    ¡°Damnit.¡± I grabbed Lily¡¯s hands and fled deeper into the alley. I probably didn¡¯t have to run, since they were after Crook. But after everything, I went through last night, with the noble and the ogre. I just can¡¯t bring myself to trust them.


    ¡°Catherine, I don¡¯t think anyone is chasing us!¡± Lily shouted. I slowed down and looked behind me to see if anyone followed us. After I was confident the coast was clear, I turn my attention to Lily.


    ¡°You know Lily. There are better ways to get my attention than grabbing my tail.¡±


    ¡°I tried other ways, but you just kept mumbling to yourself!¡±


    ¡°I was mumbling to myself?¡± I felt my cheeks growing hot from embarrassment. ¡°A-Anyway. That doesn¡¯t give you an excuse to grab my tail. You know how sensitive it is.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Lily looks down at the ground, her eyes growing watery. It was hard for me to stay angry at her when she acts like that. For a person that doesn¡¯t like being treated like a child, she loves to act like one when it¡¯s convenient.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk to me about?¡±


    ¡°I- ¡°Lily pause. She cautiously scanned her surroundings than steps closer to me and whispered in my ears. ¡°I want to help you steal again.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Normally, I would happily agree. Lily excels at distracting my targets. But after everything I¡¯ve been through these past few days, I found myself hesitating to accept her help.


    While I was debating whether I should say yes or no, the sound of something rumbling snap me out of my thought. For a second, I thought it was my stomach, but then I notice Lily was blushing and holding her belly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we get something to eat.¡± I grabbed Lily hand¡¯s and led her towards the market district, but then I immediately switch directions after I realize all the dirty looks we probably get if we went there.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Lily asked. I could sense a bit of concern in her voice. Not surprising since most of the stores in the slums were closed, and the open ones are probably making their profit from illegal business.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m just taking us to a place a bit more inviting.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°Great, they¡¯re multiplying.¡± Before I could even utter a word, the merchant angrily mutters to himself.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look inviting,¡± Lily whispers while hiding behind me. Understandable. The merchant brutish size made him look more like a butcher rather than someone that sells fruits. The reddish stain on his apron and the knife laying on the counter wasn¡¯t helping his appearance either.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just shy.¡± I lightly patted Lily''s head and approached the merchant.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t about time for you kids to go to bed?!¡±


    ¡°Kid?!¡± Lily shouted. She stomps towards the merchant. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. I¡¯m twelve!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Lily opened her mouth to speak, but I quickly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the merchant to save everyone from her Lily¡¯s overly long explanation on how a twelve-year-old should be considered an adult.


    ¡°We just came here to buy some fruits from you.¡±


    ¡°You mean steal?¡± The merchant narrows his eyes at me. I guess he has no intention of forgiving me for what I did yesterday. Even though, as I recall, I did pay him after I stole one of his apples.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a thief with a golden heart. I only steal from the rich and people I don¡¯t like.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like you have a golden heart.¡±


    ¡°Well, most of the people I don¡¯t like are evil bastards.¡±


    ¡°He definitely fits that description.¡± Lily mutter under her breath.


    ¡°If I give you girls a couple of fruits will leave me alone?¡±


    ¡°Depends, do you have something that won¡¯t give us a disease?¡± I swat away a bug that was hovering a bit too close to my face. Most of the fruits on display were either rotten or covered with bugs. Just looking at them almost made me vomit my non-existent lunch.


    ¡°Fine.¡± The merchant lets out a sigh and pulls out a box hidden underneath his stand. The box was full of fresh fruit that looked like they were just picked from a forest.


    ¡°So¡­ why are you hiding these? You know you¡¯ll get a lot more customers if had these on display.¡± Lily said, practically watering at the mouth.


    ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why I hid it. So I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with brats like you.¡±


    ¡°Brat?!¡± I held out my arm to stop Lily from throwing herself at the man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take three.¡± I tossed a coin at him a silver coin and took three red fruits from the box. I then gave two of the fruits to Lily. She quizzically tilts her head at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re still in your growing phase. So, you should eat as much as you can. Unless do you want to look like a kid forever?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± She snatches the two fruits out my hands and begun hungrily devouring them. Red juice splash all over her face with each bite she took. The stains the juice left look exactly like the stains on the merchant¡¯s apron.


    So, it isn¡¯t blood on him, thank goodness. Relieved, I took a bite out of my fruit. By the way, the name of the fruit is ¡°Juice Bomb.¡± A perfect name for these sphere-shaped fruits. Since its impossible to not cause a mess when you eat, but on the bright side, they¡¯re good at sating your hunger and thirst.


    ¡°Now, what did you want to talk to me about?¡± After taking a couple of bites of my fruit, I turn my attention to Lily, who already finished her first juice bomb and was halfway done with the next.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Lily looks at me. She opens her mouth to speak but quickly closes it when she realizes it was full of food. I took another bite from my fruit as I patiently waited for her to swallow her food.


    ¡°I told you, I just wanted to help you with your erm, next job.¡±


    ¡°Let me rephrase that question. Why do you need money?¡± Lily froze. The juice bomb she was vigorously eating rolled out of her hand and onto the filthy ground. I knew something was up, but from her reaction, it seems to be quite serious. ¡°Is someone threatening you?¡±


    ¡°No, its, my grandma, she¡¯s sick.¡± Tears begin to well up in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear.¡± I never met the woman that take care of Lily. But from what Lily told me, she¡¯s the nicest person in the whole world. She adopted Lily and other kids that lost their family in the war.


    Why is it always the kindest people that suffer the most? I remember asking this question once when I lost everything. My parents did nothing wrong and yet.


    ¡°Catherine, please. Let me help you with your next job. My grandma really needs medicine.¡± Lily tremble as she pleaded. I know Lily hated being treated like a child, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from hugging her. She reminded me too much of myself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lily. I promise I¡¯ll help you.¡± While I held Lily in a tight embrace, I slip a coin into her pocket. It seems she notice. She looked up at me, confused. I place a finger on my lip, signaling her to stay quiet.


    ¡°For now, you should head home. It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m sure your grandma is worry about you.¡±


    ¡°R-Right. Thank you, Catherine, for everything.¡± Lily bows her head to me before running off. I silently watch her until she turns the corner and vanishes from my sight.


    I wonder how she¡¯ll react when she realizes I gave her a gold coin. I wish I could see it. Just imagining her shock expression is enough to make me laugh. But still, I can¡¯t believe I just gave away something so expensive so easily. I used to starve myself just to save up some money for the store. Look like I ended up believing Dante¡¯s words even though I was trying so hard to be skeptical. I guess there¡¯s no point in hesitating. I have to keep moving even if the road ahead has traps waiting for me.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re getting ready for war.¡± I jumped slightly. Somehow, I completely forgot about the merchant. It seems at some point while I was lost in my thought, the merchant pack most of his things and was getting ready to head home.


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    The merchant lets out a long and weary sigh. ¡°You kids are always so eager to rush to your death. Whatever you¡¯re planning, I can assure you it isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°Probably, or probably not. I¡¯ll never know until I do it.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± The merchant lets out another exhausted sigh. ¡°Well, whatever you¡¯re planning, I hope it works out.¡±


    ¡°Yea, me too,¡± I whisper to myself. I silently watch the merchant walk away. There was something lonely about his gait. But I guess that isn¡¯t surprising, everyone in the slums has lost something.


    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s possible to reclaim what we lost.¡± Muttering to myself, my eyes wander from the merchant to the street that led to the market. The streetlights begin to flicker on. (At least the ones that still work.) illuminate the dust floating in the air.


    ¡°Won¡¯t know until I do it, huh?¡± I repeated the word I said earlier to myself and hopes it¡¯ll give me the motivation to move.


    They said a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step. I guess this will be my first step. I just hope this road won¡¯t lead me off a cliff.


    Just as I was about to take the ¡®first step,¡¯ I felt something prick my neck. A second later, all my strength vanish, and I fell to the ground.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m surprised the old man hasn¡¯t found you yet. I guess his age is finally starting to catch up to him.¡± The feminine voice sounded familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite remember who it belongs to. I try to move, but my body refuses to listen to me.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still awake. That needle had enough drug to immediately knock a grown man unconscious. As expected of a beastman, I suppose.¡± A young woman kneels next to me. My eyes immediately fell on the dog tags that dangle from her neck. It gave off a scarlet glow, revealing that she was also a royal guard.


    ¡°Sorry about this, I did plan on letting you go, but as the old man once said. A sin is a sin.¡±

 Chapter 10: Rising Star

    Chapter 10


    Rising Star


    ¡°A sin is a sin.¡± Those were the last words I heard before everything went black. When I came to, I found myself staring at a cold gray ceiling. It took a few seconds for my brain to wake up and remind me how I got here.


    I immediately jump to my feet. Chains were wrapped around my arms and legs, preventing me from moving around the small room.


    Great, just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get worst. I let out a sigh and flop back down on the bed. ¡°Well, it can¡¯t get any worse than this.¡±


    ¡°It can, and I¡¯ll make sure it does.¡± A voice came from the opposite side of the darkroom. A plump man sat on the edge of the bed on the other side of the room.


    ¡°You!¡± I snarl at the shadow. From the silhouette and way he spoke, I immediately knew from the silhouette and the way he spoke that he was the bastard that tried to feed me to an ogre.


    ¡°You must feel at home here. After all, a beast-like you belongs in a cage.¡± The noble said with a punchable smile. It was obvious he was trying to anger me. Probably would¡¯ve succeeded if I didn¡¯t notice the chains on his arms and legs.


    ¡°Those chains look good on you; they go quite well with your personality.¡± The stupid smirk on his face vanishes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be free of these chains soon, once my friends come to get me.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Friends?! You don¡¯t have any friends, just people who pretend they care about you when you throw money at them.¡±


    ¡°Watch it, girl.¡± The noble jump to his feet. He tightly clenches his hands into fists and stares


    ¡°Or what? Are you going to throw me into a cage? I doubt you can do that since you¡¯re in a cage yourself.¡±


    ¡°AHH!¡± The noble lets out a roar as he charges at me. The chains wrapped around his arms and legs pull him back towards his bed. I laugh uncontrollably as I watch him flail his arms wildly, frantically trying to reach me.


    ¡°So, which one of us is the beast again?¡± Breathing heavily, the noble looked at me like I killed his child.


    ¡°I promise you when I get out of here, I¡¯ll- ¡°


    ¡°Whatever.¡± I rolled around in my bed so I wouldn¡¯t have to look at him. He continues to hurl threats and insults at me, but none of it reaches my ears. I have more important things to worry about. Like if Dante betrayed me or not. I highly doubt he did, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to have a plan in case I''ve been backstabbed.


    I wave my arm, rattling the chain around wrapped around me. The chains don¡¯t seem to be that strong; I probably could break them if I had a weapon.


    ¡°Are you looking for a way to escape? Don¡¯t bother. A filthy beast like you belongs in a cage.¡±


    My god, does he ever stop talking?


    ¡°You know, I wonder how other prisoners would react when they find out that you¡¯re a noble that loves feeding commoners to monsters.¡± I had hope that my little threat would shut him up. But it seems to have the opposite effect. His smile widens and looked like I was an ignorant child.


    ¡°Why should I be worried. I¡¯ll be out of here soon enough.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so delusional, no one coming to rescue you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re free to go.¡± A soldier says as he opens the cell door.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The noble and I stare dumbly at the soldier that walked into our cell.


    ¡°See? I told you my friends would come for me.¡± With a wide grin, the noble he offers his chain bound arms to the soldier.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for you.¡± The soldier turns his back to the noble and approaches me.


    ¡°What?! Why are you freeing that filthy animal?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth. She¡¯s under the protection of the King¡¯s elite guards. Insulting her is the same as insulting the King.¡±


    ¡°T-The royal guards freed her?¡± The noble eyes widen, and his face became pale white. He slowly back away and fell on his bed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice having friends and high places, huh?¡± The moment the soldier free me from the chains, I stuck my tongue out and walked out of the cell. I¡¯m positive I had a stupid grin on my face as I happily skip down the hall.


    ¡°Hey, wait up!¡± The soldier that freed me jog down the hall. I stopped in my track so he could catch up. The soldier- no, perhaps its better to call him a kid. He didn¡¯t have a dog tag, which means he still hasn¡¯t completed his military training, and he looked like he was fifteen or sixteen years old. The kid would probably have a heart attack if I told him I was probably older than him.


    ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± The kid said as he desperately tries to catch his breath. I was a bit concern about how he was exhausted from running down a short hallway, but after a bit of thinking, my concern turns into pity. Since he hasn¡¯t completed his training, he¡¯s probably forced to do all the chores.


    ¡°The royal guards want to see you.¡±


    ¡°They do, huh?¡± After everything they put me through, I didn¡¯t want to see them. But I still need to finish my conservation with Dante, and since I¡¯m already here might as well get it done and over with it.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I stepped to the side and gestured for him to take the lead. The kid silently led me through the building. Occasionally, the kid would steal a glance at me whenever I wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± The boy jumped a bit when I spoke.


    ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s just I never saw a beastman before.¡±


    ¡°Me, either.¡± Beastmen are valued highly for their strength and endurance, which is why most tend to migrate to flourishing towns, where people will happily pay them for mercenary work or other physically strenuous jobs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t your parents beastmen?¡±


    ¡°My mother a human, and my father a halfling, although he didn¡¯t know this until I was born.¡±


    ¡°That must¡¯ve been quite the revelation for him.¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± No one would¡¯ve ever known he was beastman I wasn¡¯t born. Perhaps things would¡¯ve been better if I wasn¡¯t born.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The boy¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I must have quite the pathetic looked on my face. As he didn¡¯t seem convinced, but thankfully he didn¡¯t try to pry any further. Instead, he begins to talk about himself. His name is Theo, and he always wanted to be a soldier, I think. It was kind of hard to pay attention to him when there was a group of soldiers shouting at prisoners that were lined up along a wall. The prisoners¡¯ arms and legs were bound by chains, but that didn¡¯t stop some of the prisoners from arguing with the soldiers vowing revenge on the people that capture them, which only cause the soldiers to yell louder.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Is it always this hectic in here?¡±


    ¡°Not really. We usually have too much time on our hands. But things change quite a bit when the royal guards came. In just one day, they manage to capture over a hundred criminals. Isn¡¯t that incredible?! I want to be just like them.¡± Theo¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement while I grew exhausted, imagining another royal guard rampaging through town.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they make the best role models.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Theo turned and looked at me, confused. I responded by walking past him towards the end of the corridor, which split into four halls.


    ¡°They''re this way, aren¡¯t they?¡± I pointed towards the right hallway. Theo''s eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°They have loud personalities. Even louder than the prisoners screaming for blood.¡± I walk towards a closed door on the right side of the hall. Two people were talking behind it although one was more vocal than the other.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know you change your mind on capturing her?! Don¡¯t forget you left me with all the bodies at the underground arena. By the way, thanks for that. It took me all night to drag everyone from there to the soldier center.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve got some soldiers to help you.¡± The second voice said. Going by how calm and mature it sounds, the voice belongs to Dante.


    ¡°Pfft. You expect me to trust these corrupted assholes? The only reason why they haven¡¯t killed us in our sleep is because we haven¡¯t got the chance to sleep ever since we arrive at this hellhole. Honestly, we should just burn everything in this building and have the king send troops to clear out the rest of these criminal bastards.¡±


    ¡°Um, excuse me!¡± Theo opens the door just as the conservation was heading towards a dangerous place. Dante and the woman who drugged me immediately turn their attention to us. ¡°I-I um, brought the girl as you asked me.¡± Theo stammer.


    ¡°Oh, good. Come in, Catherine.¡± I accepted Dante¡¯s invitation and walked past Theo, who stood frozen at the entrance of the room. There were only three seats in the small room, so I had no choice but to sit near Dante¡¯s partner. I tried to ignore her, but I could feel her trying to burn a hole through me with her eyes. When I turn to meet her gaze, she opens her mouth to speak, but then suddenly looked away from me.


    ¡°Bella, is there something you want to say to Catherine?¡± Sensing the awkwardness between us, Dante urges Bella to say whatever was on her mind. Bella glares angrily at Dante for a minute to turn her attention to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry for knocking you unconscious.¡± Bella shyly looked to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I should¡¯ve never taken the money in the first place. Besides, Dante did much worse. He even dropped a building on me.¡±


    ¡°You did what?!¡± Bella jumped to her feet, knocking her chair over in the process. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me. You¡¯re the one that caused that fire earlier?!


    ¡°Um.¡± Dante awkwardly scratches his beard. ¡°Let me explain.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to hear this.¡± Bella kicks her chair in the air. The chair lands perfectly on its legs despite it flipping multiple times in the air. ¡°Well go on, I¡¯m listening,¡± Bella says as she flops downs in her seat. Her sharp, jade color eyes cut deep into Dante.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit,¡± Dante said as he let out a deep breath. ¡°Things got a bit out of hand.¡±


    ¡°A bit? You guys almost burn down the entire town?!¡± Bella lean back and her chair and sighed. ¡°Honestly, Dante. You always say I take things to the extreme, but you¡¯re just as bad as me.¡±


    ¡°Um, excuse me.¡± Theo, who was still standing by the door timidly spoke up. Earlier, he looked so happy when he talked about the royal guards. Now, his face pale as if he was staring right at his worst nightmare. I guess they weren¡¯t kidding when they said you should never meet your hero.


    ¡°Permission to return to my previous assignment.¡± Theo stood up tall and gave the best salute he could.


    ¡°Huh, why do you need our permission to leave? If you want to go, then go.¡± Bella responded to Theo¡¯s heartfelt salute by shooing him away. Despite Bella acting nothing like a soldier, Theo obediently followed her order and did an about-face. Before Theo left, he shot me a worry glance. I chuckle a little to myself. Just a moment ago he saw the royal guards as heroes. Now he¡¯s treating them like they might kidnap me, actually now that I think about it, they did kind of kidnap me.


    ¡°Before we begin, why don¡¯t I grab us something to drink.¡± The moment Theo left, Dante hopped to his feet. ¡°After everything you¡¯ve been through today, Catherine, I¡¯m sure you must be quite parched.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure.¡± I wasn¡¯t thirsty, but having something to drink might calm me down and prepare me for whatever going to happen next.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to grab me something too,¡± Bella said as she tinkers with a crossbow. Wait, where did that crossbow come from? Wait, why am I even acting surprised? Earlier today, I saw an angelic being put out a fire and cut multiple buildings in half with just one swing of her sword. I should just accept that logic doesn¡¯t apply to these two.


    ¡°Be back.¡± Dante slams the door shut to the room, snapping me out of my reverie. With nothing better to do, I silently watch, Bella wiped down her crossbow with a rag. There was a silver cross attach to the wooden frame of the weapon, which reveals how old it was. Centuries ago, people used to believe that Majins and other creatures from the dark world were weak to silver and crosses.


    As I watch her gently caress the crossbow, I notice she had an earring in the shape of a silver cross dangling from her left ear. Did she believe in that old superstition, or did she just like crosses?


    ¡°Hm? Something wrong cat ears?¡± The small smile Bella wore when cleaning her weapon vanish when looking at me.


    ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong I was just- wait, what did you call me?¡±


    ¡°Cat ears. I don¡¯t know your name, so I called you by your physical appearance.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure Dante called me by my name before he left. I guess she the kind of person that doesn¡¯t pay attention to things she doesn¡¯t care about.


    ¡°My name is Catherine. Catherine Heart.¡±


    ¡°Catherine. Huh?¡± Bella places her crossbow on the table next to her. ¡°I¡¯m Bella V. Hellsing. But you can call me Bella.¡± A small smile form on her face as she extends her hand towards me.


    How cute I thought to myself as I reach for Bella¡¯s hand. ¡°Wait, your last name, Hellsing?¡± My hand froze in place as my mind finally process her full name.


    Hellsing is a family of legendary hunters during the age when men fear the monsters and other abominations that freely roam the land. The Hellsing took up weapons and fought back instead of waiting for knights or a hero to come to their rescue. Their brave actions led to civilians taking their safety in their own hands and fought back against the monsters, which inevitably led to the creation of the adventurer guild.


    ¡°Something wrong with me being a Hellsing?¡± Bella narrows her eyes as if she was preparing to pounce at me.


    ¡°No, not at all. In fact, that¡¯s amazing, you¡¯re amazing.¡±


    ¡°Nothing amazing about me. I just inherited the family name.¡± Bella leans back in her chair and grabs her crossbow again. ¡°But that¡¯ll change soon.¡± She said as she gently traces the cross on her weapon with her finger. It seems she had nothing else to say to me, as she begins to clean her crossbow again quietly. Just as the room was about to fall into silence, Dante walks into the room carrying a tray. Three cups were sitting on the tray. A disgusting green liquid that smells of medicine swoosh around inside the cup.


    ¡°Tea,¡± Dante said as he handed Bella and me a cup. Afterward, he grabs his own and sat on the edge of a desk.


    ¡°Ha.¡± I giggle a little to myself. A lowlife thief is having tea with a hero that fought the Demon King and a member of the legendary family of hunters. What even is my life?


    I took a sip of the tea to calm myself. As I thought, it tasted bitter. But it helped me relax and finally ask the question everyone in the slums, no, everyone in this town is wondering.


    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, we were ordered to come here,¡± Bella said without so much as glancing at me.


    ¡°Yea, I figure that, but why the King send you here? I mean for so longed he ignore people like me, and now all of a sudden, he sends some of his best solider to this backwater town. It doesn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Bella looked at me wide-eyed as if I told her water is dry.


    ¡°Heard what?¡±


    ¡°The King is dead.¡± Dante blurted out. He said it so casually that I barely register what he says. I thought he might¡¯ve been joking. But pain, anger, and frustration were written all over his face.


    ¡°How did he die?¡±


    Dante tightens his grip on his cup to the point it started to crack. ¡°He- ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s classified.¡± Bella cut in before Dante could say anything. Even though I didn¡¯t get an answer, I got enough information from Bella¡¯s cold gaze and Dante¡¯s pained expression. Someone killed the King. But who could¡¯ve done it? No way a normal person could assassinate him with monsters like these guys guarding him.


    ¡°Did a majin kill him?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s classified.¡± Bella coldly repeated. I begin to grow angry. How is that classified? The people should know if we''re going to war with those demons again.


    I took a sip of my tea. The warm, bitter liquid soothes the boiling rage that was building inside me. ¡°Is the reason you guys here because of the King¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s- ¡°


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± This time Dante cut in. Bella coldly glares at Dante as if he was nothing more than an insect. Tension began to build in the room as Dante stare back at her his azure eyes never waver from the murderous intent emanating from Bella.


    ¡°Hmph, fine.¡± After a few seconds of intense stare-off, Bella leans back in her chair and looks away, annoyed. Dante let out a small cough as if that would clear the hostile air.


    ¡°Anyway, after the King¡¯s death, his younger brother took the throne. He¡¯ the one that sent us out here. He believes that having us clean up crime would show he support the people.¡±


    ¡°But in the end, he isn¡¯t. This is nothing more than a publicity stunt. A ploy to get the people on his side to support whatever scheme he has planned, right?¡±


    Nobles are always scheming. Even when it seems like they¡¯re doing something good it¡¯s usually to benefit themselves.


    ¡°Whether you believe the King is helping the people out of the kindness of his heart or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. Since that¡¯s not the reason, you¡¯re here. What you want to know is how can I help get your store back.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡± I sat up straight and tried my hardest to act composed. But my tail betrayed me. It beat on my chair like a drum as it anxiously wags back and forward.


    Dante gave me a lopsided grin and gulped down the rest of his tea. ¡°Have you heard of the Rising Star Tournament?¡±

 Chapter 11: The Kings Game

    Every year during the summer festival, The King holds a tournament where the strongest warriors compete to prove their strength. Whoever wins will receive riches beyond their imagination.


    Chapter 11


    The King¡¯s Game


    ¡°Yea, I heard of the tournament, but I¡¯m assuming they won¡¯t be holding it this year.¡±


    ¡°No, the tournament won¡¯t be canceled.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But what about the King¡¯s death? shouldn¡¯t that be investigated?¡± I nearly jumped out of my seat. I don¡¯t know if I was more surprised about how this country was treating its ruler death or how causal Dante was about it. Just a moment ago, he was violently shaking when we talked about the King¡¯s death. Personally, I never liked the man, but still, you would think finding his murderer is more important than a tournament.


    ¡°If we cancel the Tournament, other Countries will start thinking we¡¯ve been weakened. And if a country shows weakness, they will be invaded.¡±


    ¡°But what about-¡° I quickly stop myself. I was asked about the alliance, but since Majins, the greatest threat to our world has retreated to the Dark World. There¡¯s no point in the alliance no more. ¡°What a headache.¡± I felt myself growing exhausted, just imagining all the stress the new king is going through. Not only does he have to deal with his brother death, but he also must maintain a healthy relationship with neighboring countries. I don¡¯t envy the man.


    ¡°Anyway, what does the tournament have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°I want you to participate in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± I stare dumbly at Dante. Waiting for him to say he was joking, but he never did. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could I participate in that tournament. I¡¯ll get destroyed in the first round! Besides, you said Crook wouldn¡¯t let me go regardless of how much I pay him.¡±


    I still don¡¯t understand why Crook is so hellbent on keeping me in his gang. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m worth it.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct about one thing. The Crooked Man won¡¯t let you go even if you give him all the prize money. But this year, gold isn¡¯t the only prize the king is giving away. Whoever wins the tournament this year will earn the title of Noble.


    ¡°Noble? Are you serious?¡±


    There are only three ways for a person to become a noble. The first is to be born into a noble family obviously. The second is to buy the title, which costs over two hundred gold coins. (Good luck buying that.) And the last is through notable achievements. The King will give the title of noble to those that have done something incredible like for example, killing a dragon. It¡¯s one of the reasons why so many people become adventurers and dive into danger. All so they can earn a title and live a comfortable life.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the prize. But I still don¡¯t see what any of this has to do with my situation.¡±


    ¡°Think about all the things you can do if you become a noble. Like for example, getting rid of that pesky contract, you¡¯re stuck in.


    My chest tightens, and I felt a lump in my throat. I made a contract with Crook when he bought my family store, just as it was about to be torn down by the city. The contract is quite simple. If I pay him thirty gold, he¡¯ll give my family store back to me. ¡°You knew about my contract?¡±


    ¡°I did my research.¡± Dante places his hand on a stack of paper that laid on the desk. Are all those papers about me? I guess that explains how he knew my name and that I was working for Crook the second time we met.


    ¡°The Crooked Man has been maliciously interfering with your attempt to complete the contract. Which means the contract is no longer valid, but given your background and criminal record, I doubt most official will listen to your case.


    ¡°Of course not. None of those rich bastard cares about people like me.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± Dante continues. ¡°If you become a noble¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then, I can get rid of that contract.¡± And I finally get our store back. My heart begins to pound with excitement. But I immediately calm down when I realize the impossible hurdle, I must go through to accomplish my goal.


    ¡°Your proposal sounds tempting Dante, it really does. But I still can¡¯t compete in the tournament. I don¡¯t know any martial arts or have any fighting experience.¡±


    The only thing I got going for me is that I¡¯m good at stealing, and I¡¯m slightly more agile than an average human. But that won¡¯t help against people that train their whole lives to fight monsters or other skill warriors.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why Bella and I are going to train you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing what?!¡± Bella screamed. Up until now, she was quietly working on her crossbow. I didn¡¯t think she was paying attention to our conservation. I guess I was wrong.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Dante ignored Bella¡¯s outburst and gave me a lopsided grin. ¡°¡­Are you in?¡±


    .


    .


    .


    I should¡¯ve worn a jacket. I thought to myself as I tightly hugged my own body. A frigid wind blew through the dark and eerily silent street, freezing me to the bones.


    How are they not cold? I look over at Bella, who was walking alongside me. She didn¡¯t flinch when the chilling wind brush against her bare legs that protrude from her short skirt. And if that wasn¡¯t chilling enough, her blaze slid down to her arms, exposing her smooth snow-white shoulders. Honesty, just looking at her, made me cold.


    ¡°Here.¡± Dante draped his white blazer over me.


    ¡°Thank you. But is it alright for me to wear this?¡±


    The Royal Guard uniform not only represented their rank but was also a symbol of purity. Regardless of how dark the world may get, they will remain uncorrupted and protect the Kingdom against any evil that threatens it. I feel like I¡¯ll get lynched for wearing such an important symbol.


    ¡°I see nothing wrong with it. It¡¯s our job to protect civilians and right now. I¡¯m protecting you against the cold.¡± Dante said while giving me a warm and genuine smile. I wonder how many people he manages to motivate with that smile on the battlefield. The title of "hero" definitely fits him.


    ¡°How annoying.¡± Bella clicks her tongue and picks up a rock off the street. I took a step back as she turns towards me, rage burning in her eyes. She threw it at a speed that it almost sounded like a bullet as it whizzes past me. It flew into the dark, striking something behind us. That something ¡°screamed¡± in pain and fled deeper into the dark. From the sound of the footsteps, it seems quite a few people were following us,


    ¡°If you¡¯re planning on tailing someone, then hide your presence better!¡± Bella shouted as she threw another rock into the darkness. Judging from the scream, she manages to hit her target again.


    ¡°Catherine, do you have any idea who was following us?¡±


    I silently shrug my shoulders at Dante''s question. Bella scared them away before I even knew they were there. ¡°They¡¯re most likely were just common thugs. It¡¯s quite common for people to get mug at night here in the slums.¡± Although after encountering Bella, I doubt they¡¯ll be attacking anyone anytime soon.


    ¡°By the way, why are we in the slums? I thought you were going to train me for the tournament.¡±


    ¡°I am, I¡¯m just looking for the perfect training ground.¡± Dante¡¯s eyes wander from one abandoned building to another.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the soldier center have a training ground?¡±


    ¡°It does. But I doubt the soldiers will be happy if I taught you aura there.¡±


    ¡°Aura? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Dante lightly pats my shoulders and walk ahead of Bella and me. I was about to follow him when I notice Bella was glaring at me. Her green eyes were sharp and piercing. It felt like she was trying to cut me open and see what I was made of. Without saying a word, she turns around and follows Dante.


    What was that about? Does she hold a grudge against me or something? Wait, I¡¯m the one that should be holding a grudge after everything they put me through.


    We continue to aimlessly walk around the dark and abandon streets looking for the perfect training ground. The silence that engulfs the street begins to seep into my mind intensifying the questions and worries that were plaguing my mind.


    What exactly is aura? I remember Dante saying something about it when he was chasing me earlier today. Will learning aura actually help me in the tournament. There are only two months till summer. Is that enough time for me to become strong enough to compete? Is someone as small as me even allowed in the tournament?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I think this will do.¡± Dante approaches a large stone wall that stood alone amidst a sea of debris. Seeing that we were near the Slum¡¯s Graveyard, these buildings were probably destroyed during the Majin¡¯s invasion.


    ¡°Sheez, those demons made a mess of this place.¡± Bella cautiously scanned the environment around her. For a brief moment, it looks like her eyes lit up. ¡°Not a single soul in the vicinity. They weren¡¯t kidding about this place is a graveyard.


    How did she know that? I always thought my senses were sharper than a normal human, yet she notices things far faster than me. well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t consider these guys normal, or human for that.


    "Since no ones here then we can happily train in peace," Dante smirks as he places his hand on the wall.


    ¡°What you are planning to do with the wall?¡± Dante chuckled as if I ask a stupid question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything with it." Dante chuckled. "but you, you''re going to try to punch a hole through this wall.¡±


    ¡°Um, what?¡± I examine Dante¡¯s face again, hoping he was joking, but once again, he was serious.


    ¡°You what me¡­ to punch a hole in a wall?¡±


    ¡°I want you to try. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about your hands. I¡¯ll heal them if they get injured.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel better.¡± It almost like he expected me to break my hand. But I guess that¡¯s what exactly what will happen if you punch wall that looks thick enough to withstand a cannon shot. ¡°Um, do I have to attack the wall with my hands?¡± It¡¯ll be safer if I use my legs or even my whole body.


    ¡°It would be pointless if you use anything else besides your hands. ¡°Bella answered for Dante. She impatiently taps her foot and glared at me with her piercing eyes. ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, then tell us and stop our wasting time.


    ¡°I can do it.¡± I balled my hands into fists and faced the wall. There¡¯s no way I can punch a hole in the wall, but I can at least show them I¡¯m willing to try.


    I stomped the ground and threw a punch with my entire body weight behind it. Just as my fists were about to collide with the wall, I unconsciously slow my arm, which resulted in me lightly tapping the wall.


    ¡°As expected,¡± Bella said listlessly as she twirls her single braid around her finger. I don¡¯t think she could look more uninterested.


    ¡°Everybody fails there first time nothing to be ashamed of.¡± Dante pats my shoulder and gives me a reassuring smile. ¡°Do you know why you failed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m weak. I can¡¯t do anything with these small hands except steal.¡±


    ¡°So, you think it¡¯s because you lack strength?¡± Dante chuckle softly


    ¡°If it¡¯s not strength, then what is it?¡± Anger leak into my voice. It¡¯s bad enough I can¡¯t stand how weak I am. The last thing I need is someone laughing at me.


    ¡°What your lacking is confidence.¡± Dante suddenly threw a punch at me. His fist flew past me and struck the wall. I was so stunned by his action; It took me a few seconds to realize he left a hole in the wall. ¡°When I told you to punch a hole in the wall, I bet your very first thought was it was impossible. And because of those doubts, you subconsciously stop yourself from using your full strength, believing you would be hurt if you did.


    ¡°Even if I did use my full strength, I still wouldn¡¯t be able to dent the wall! I¡¯m not as strong as you!¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it.¡± Dante took a deep breath, unfazed by my outburst. ¡°This isn¡¯t a strength test, rather a test of will.¡± He pulled his hand from the wall. There was a strange white light covering his arm. ¡°Can you see it? This is aura. To put it bluntly, it¡¯s a manifestation of one''s will. If you can free yourself from the doubts that cloud your mind, you can do exactly what I did.¡±


    ¡°But, I thought that you have to possess a gift to be able to use such power.¡±


    I¡¯m a bit late on this subject, but I didn¡¯t think they existed until I met Dante. Gifted are people born with powers that defy logic. It¡¯s unknown how they gain these abilities, so naturally, people believe a god behind this miracle.


    ¡°Gifts and Aura are two completely different things. But I can see how you confuse them. Bella, do you mind showing Catherine the difference between the two?¡±


    ¡°You want me to show her my ability?¡± Bella drops her braid, letting rest on her bare shoulder again. She took a step towards us as if she was taking the spotlight in a play.


    I watch her intensely, eager to see what she could do. It¡¯s said gifts are like snowflakes. Each one is vastly different from the other.


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Dante raises an eyebrow at Bella, who simply response by shrugging her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You know how exhausting it is to use my gift. And In case you haven¡¯t realized we¡¯ve haven¡¯t had a chance to rest at all ever since we got here. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you can even still use aura. I¡¯m starting to doubt you¡¯re human, old man.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt both you guys are human,¡± I mutter to myself.


    ¡°Besides, even if I could use my ability, I wouldn¡¯t. You of all people should know how dangerous it is to reveal your cards.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry, Bella.¡± Dante closes his eyes and grabs the hilt of his sword. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just have to show mines.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, are you seriously going to call her?!¡± Bella looks at Dante as if he was saying he was going to jump off the cliff.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, she already saw it before.¡± His sword begins to glow. The moment the light died down, a woman emerges from Dante¡¯s shadow. We were standing out in an open area. There¡¯s no way she could¡¯ve got behind Dante without me noticing. It¡¯s like she was always there, but only now I could see here.


    This was my second time seeing her, but I still found myself breathless when I looked at her. A blindfold covered nearly half her face, but it didn¡¯t affect her beauty. If anything, it may her strangely more alluring. The pure white gown wrapped around her body and her dark brown hair that flown down to her lower back gave her an angelic appearance. But after a second glance, something much more sinister comes to mind. A black halo hovers over her head, destroying her pure imagine. Black wings attach to her back further demonize her.


    Even though she was right in front of me, I thought she was nothing more than a mirage until Dante put his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°This is Minos. She¡¯s my gift.¡±


    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s your ability?! What about your sword?¡± I shouted in shock. I always thought that the sword at his hip was his ability.


    ¡°My sword is also Minos; the woman you¡¯re looking at is her real form.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± I scratch my head and stare blankly at Dante. Nothing he said made any sense to me.


    ¡°Minos is a spirit, to be more precise an equipment spirit.¡± Bella forces her way into the conservation going by the way she was looking at me, it seems she was irritated by how clueless I was.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s a ghost then?¡± I didn¡¯t think ghost existed either, but I guess that explains how she manages to get close to us without me noticing.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not a ghost, she¡¯s¡­¡± Bella knitted her brow. ¡°Let¡¯s take a step back for a moment.¡± She took a breath to prepare for an explanation. ¡°Unlike aura, which is a manifestation of a person will. Gift is a phenomenon where a person develops an ability that pertains to their individuality. Like personality, dreams, history, obsession, and sometimes even trauma. Spirits are a special type of gift that typically takes the shape of its user soul.¡±


    So, Minos is the personification of Dante¡¯s soul? My eyes wander back towards Dante. His spirit stood loyally by his side. It was almost memorizing seeing those black feather cascades from her wings as they flap gently. Everything about her was beautiful. Truly a befitting spirit for a hero. But, if she¡¯s the spirit of a hero, why is her halo black.


    ¡°¡­¡± Minos suddenly turned away from me. She wraps her wings around her body as if it was a blanket.


    ¡°Can you not stare at Minos so intensely.¡± Dante awkwardly scratches his flush cheeks. For a moment, I stare dumbly at him, wondering why he¡¯s so embarrassed I wasn¡¯t even looking at him. But then I remember Bella¡¯s explanation. Spirits take the shape of its user¡¯s soul. In a way, it¡¯s like staring at their naked bodies, or looking at their diary.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyway, do you understand the difference between Gifts and Aura now?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Aura is the manifestation of a person will, and Gifts are born from the identity of a person.¡±


    ¡°Correct, but what you forget one thing. Only a select few can obtain a gift, but anyone capable of using aura.¡±


    ¡°Anyone¡­¡± I look at the fist-size hole Dante put in the stone wall. Can I really do something like that? No way. Impossible.


    ¡°Remember, this isn¡¯t a strength test, but a test of will. You need to strike the wall fully believing it will break, not you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I close my eyes and absorbing all of Dante¡¯s words. ¡°Confidence, I need confidence,¡± I mutter to myself. Once again, I threw my fist at the wall, and just like last time, I stopped at the last moment.


    The first to react to my failure was Bella. She let out a disappointed sigh and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we call it a night.¡±


    ¡°No, I can keep going.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, but the results won¡¯t change. It¡¯s going to take some training and self-reflection for you to break this wall, both of which are impossible if you¡¯re exhausted.


    ¡°Bella is right. Today has been a long day for all of us. We¡¯ll start again tomorrow.¡±


    Calling today a ¡°long day¡± is an understatement. Just thinking back to everything that happens today exhausts me. And I get the feeling its only to get more hectic from here on especially if I enter the tournament. ¡°I wonder, can I really win.¡± I unintentionally let my thoughts slip out.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t train you if you didn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Dante said while chuckling.


    ¡°Why are you so confident in me, I mean we just meant. Why are you going so far for me?¡± I know there are far more deserving people that should be taught by a royal guard than me.


    ¡°¡­¡± Dante places his hand on his chin. After a moment of silence, a smile spread on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no point in me telling you now. A person lost in self-doubt is half-deaf.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s saying you wouldn¡¯t understand even if he told you,¡± Bella interjected.


    ¡°Exactly, as Bella says. Those lost in self-doubt are quite good at remembering their flaws or all the bad things people say about them, but when someone praises them or tells them what their strong points are, it always goes in one ear and out the other. Thus, even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t believe me. So,¡± Dante loudly claps his hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t you figure out why I pick you. I¡¯m sure whatever answer you come up with will assist you in overcoming that wall.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me homework now?¡± I let out a long and exhausted sigh. ¡°Fine, if you don¡¯t want to tell me you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ll be back here tomorrow, and I¡¯ll keep coming back until I put a hole in that wall.¡± Before any of them could say anything, I turned around and left. Dante¡¯s laugh echo throughout the slum. I have no idea if he was laughing at me, but I don¡¯t care. If this indeed the path to getting my parents¡¯ store from Crook then, I have no reason to hesitate.


    .


    .


    .


    The two Royal Guards silently watch as the girl who was too small to be considered a woman head back home. Her feline ears twitch energetically, and her tail wags back and forwards, visible signs that showed she didn¡¯t give up despite her failure.


    ¡°Finally, she¡¯s gone. Now, take your shirt off.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Dante steps away from Bella, thinking she might¡¯ve been joking, but there wasn¡¯t a hint of playfulness in her eyes. It look like she was a second away from ripping his shirt off. ¡°You knew?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did old man. I''m a hunter; you can''t hide anything from me. Now, are you going to take it off, or do I have to do it?¡± Dante gave Bella a rueful smile and lifted his shirt. Blood dripped from the gaping wound on his lower abdomen.


    ¡°She did this to you, didn¡¯t she? No, you let her.¡±


    ¡°I thought it was a suitable punishment for everything I did earlier- ah,¡± Dante grunted as Bella place her on his wound.


    ¡°Honestly, old man. I bet you would¡¯ve kept teaching her until you bled out if I didn¡¯t step in.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that why you were acting so impatient today. I didn¡¯t know you car- Ouch!¡± Bella pressed on Dante''s wound, shutting him up.


    ¡°Stay still.¡± Bella reaches behind her back and pulled out bandage out what appears to be thin air.


    ¡°I thought you said you couldn¡¯t use your ability.¡±


    ¡°I lied. Just like you lied to cat ears.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re withholding information from cat ears. But still, I can¡¯t help but wonder. If you truly believe in her, why didn¡¯t you tell her what the real prize of the tournament is?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t ready.¡± Dante looked towards the dark road Catherine took. ¡°Not yet.¡±

 Chapter 11.5: Fallen Angel

    Chapter 11.5


    Fallen Angel


    ¡°I think my age is finally starting to catch up to me,¡± Dante said while letting out a long and weary sigh. The moment he sat down, all of his strength vanished, and his eyelids became heavy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time you put down your sword and retire, old man?¡± Bella knelt next Dante and examined his wound. Blood continued to drip from the gash on his lower abdomen. A normal man might¡¯ve gone into shock if they saw such an awful wound inflicted upon them. But Dante, he merely closed his eyes and thought about Bella¡¯s question.


    It¡¯s not like he hasn¡¯t thought about retirement before. He even created a plan if he ever decided to do it. He would move out of the city and settle down in a small village where everyone knows everyone. He¡¯ll create a little garden, perhaps even teach the youngsters how to wield a sword. Then he¡¯ll peacefully watch as the village develops and the children grow older until it was time for him to pass on.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± Dante chuckle. He grabs his sword and lifts it towards the black sky. It shines brightly despite their being no light to reflect off it. Most warriors claimed that their weapon is an extension of themselves. But for Dante, it literally was a part of him. Both Minos and his sword were born from his conviction. As long as he follows his belief, he¡¯ll always be able to wield this sword. Regardless how old and weak he gets. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be holding onto this sword until the very end.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t take care of yourself, your end will be coming quite soon.¡± Bella press a rag douse with alcohol on his wound


    ¡°Ouch, can¡¯t you be gentler?¡±


    ¡°Think of this as punishment for letting cat ears injured you and not getting your injury treated immediately.¡± She put a bit more pressure on the wound. Dante tightly gritted his teeth. The bleeding stopped, which eased Bella¡¯s mind. She reaches for her pouch to grab more medical equipment, but a hand sprung out from the darkness and grabbed her arm.


    ¡°What?!¡± Bella tried to free her arm, but her assailant''s hand didn¡¯t budge. Left with no choice, she turns around to face her attacker, but she froze once she saw who it was. ¡°Minos?!¡± She shouted in shock.


    Minos loomed over Bella. She expanded her wings, which made her looked far bigger than she actually was. Bella watched as Minos slowly reaches for her sword. Any sudden movement would result in her cut into pieces.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Stop.¡± With just one word, Minos froze. She dropped Bella¡¯s arm and backed away from her. ¡°Sorry about that. I haven¡¯t summoned Minos in a long time, I still don¡¯t have proper control of her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Bella looks down at the bruise Minos left on her arm. She clicks her tongue annoyed. She was more upset at herself than at Dante. She trained her senses her so could even detect predators that excel in hiding in the dark. And yet Minos easily manage to get behind her.


    ¡°Well, that spirit does belong to the man that fought the Demon King, so I shouldn¡¯t be too hard on myself.¡± Bella mumble to herself. She glances over at Minos, who was now staring at the stars. ¡°You know, Minos looks much different from the last time I saw her.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dante¡¯s directed his gaze at the ground. He had no idea what emotion was on his face, but he didn¡¯t what to show it to Bella.


    ¡°Then again, I was a kid when I last saw her, so maybe I remember her wrong.¡± Dante rarely shows his spirit to anyone. But that wasn¡¯t anything unusual. Most gifted hide their ability from the public, especially spirit users whose power tends to take the shape of their soul.


    ¡°Dante¡­¡± Bella reaches for Dante¡¯s hand but quickly stopped herself. Even though she was a child when she last saw Minos, she¡¯ll never forget that moment. It¡¯s something that¡¯ll stick with you for a lifetime. Her wings were white and pure as snow, and her golden halo shine as bright as a star. Back then, Minos was truly the personification of justice and purity, a being that gave birth to hope even in the darkest of times. Now, she looked like a fallen angel that was cast out of heaven and left to rot on earth. It truly pained Bella to see the figure she used to look up to when she was a kid like this. And from the looks of it, it hurt Dante too. As not once during the time he was demonstrating his ability to Catherine he looked at his spirit.


    Bella desperately wanted to ask Dante what caused his spirit to change so much, but she knew he probably becomes more distance from her if she asked such a personal question. ¡°I guess even heroes have a secret to hide, huh?¡± Bella tries to clear the tense atmosphere that was building between them.


    ¡°Secrets, huh?¡± Dante softly mumble. ¡°Yes, everyone has a secret or two. Its almost like it¡¯s a sin to show our true selves to others.¡± Dante chuckles as he twirls a black feather that fell off Minos¡¯ wings. ¡°People say that there¡¯s nothing more terrifying than the unknown, but I think what people fear the most is themselves and what others will think of them when the secrets they so desperately try to hide is revealed.¡± Dante lifts his head and finally looked Bella in the eyes. Sadness and fatigue was written all over his face.


    ¡°History has shown us time and time again that regardless how far we run or how deep we buried our secrets. Eventually, everything will be unraveled, and I¡¯m no exception. One day Bella, without me ever having to say a word, you¡¯ll find out I¡¯m not the hero you think I am...¡± With a rueful smile, he drops the black feather and let it soar through the night sky.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Minos continue to stare at the stars. Tears stream down her face as she opens her mouth to speak. Even though she couldn¡¯t talk, she wordlessly finishes what Dante was going to say.


    ...I¡¯m a monster.

 Literally went through hell for this small update also picture

    No, the title isn''t an exaggeration. I''ll explain in a bit. But first, thing first. I like to apologize for not uploading. I have been writing, well more like rewriting. I''ll admit I lost a bit of confidence, but the next chapter will be out soon. And for now on I want to have a consistent update. I love to do a weekly update, but I''m not sure if I can do that yet. So, I''ll at least strive for bi-weekly.


    Now for the title, I had an artist draw Catherine, and for the life of me, I couldn''t find a way to get her on here. So after alot of struggling and ninety dollars down the drain, I created a twitter just so to show you guys lol the link will be down below.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Again I want to apologize and I''ll try to upload more consistently and stuff. Thanks for reading and thanks for being patience with me.


    oh also let me know what you think of the pic spent quite of bit on it, and I''ll probably be doing more characters soon

 Chapter 12: Moonlight Drifters (part 1)

    My mother once told me that the thing she loved most about my dad was his eyes. They had a childlike glow to them. I remember I use to get so frustrated when I saw that gleam in his eyes, it was like he could see things I couldn¡¯t see. Whenever I ask him what he was looking at, he would smile and say that one day you¡¯ll see. To this day, I never did find out what he saw.


    Chapter 12


    Moonlight Drifters (part 1)


    I wonder, when did I stop gazing at the sky? I¡¯m sure it was around the time I learn of my father¡¯s death. Usually, in stories, it rains when a person dies as if the world was also grieving that person dies. But on the day of my father¡¯s passing, I remember vividly how blue the sky was. It was like the world was mocking me, telling me how insignificant I am. Even now, it still feels like it¡¯s taunting me. The sky was free of clouds allowing the sun to blast its full light into my eyes. I moved my hand to cover my eyes but stop when I realize my arm was wrapped in bandages.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I strained my head and looked around, hoping to find out how I got here. I seem to be in the center of some arena. Buildings surrounded the vast area from all sides, separating it from the outside world. In the distance, I could see something approaching me.


    ¡°Hey-¡°The moment I spoke, the figure vanishes. My instinct shouted at me, telling me to run. I immediately rolled as far away from where I saw the figure. A split second later, the figure slams into the spot I was at a moment ago. Creating a small dust cloud, the figure lunge out of the dust and charge straight at me.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, get up!¡± My body screamed in pain as I force myself to my feet, then cross my arms to block my assailant''s incoming attack. Anticipating this, my attacker pushed my arms to the side and threw a punch aim directly at my face. I jumped backward, barely avoiding their fist. Naturally, they follow me after missing their attack. I guess it won¡¯t be that easy to escape.


    ¡°Fine, if you want me so badly, then here I come!¡± The moment my feet touch the ground, I charge straight at my attacker. Abruptly switching from retreating to offense froze my attacker in place. I threw a punch aim directly at their stomach.


    My attacker easily blocked my attack. They tightly squeeze my hand, making sure I couldn¡¯t escape from them. ¡°Let go!¡± I shouted as I swung my free arm at them, which they caught. I could feel a smile spreading on my face as I watch them tighten their grip on my arms. Why would I be smiling at the fact I got caught? Quite simple. Unlike my attacker, I got an extra appendage to spare.


    I dragged my tail across the ground and swung it at my assailant. The dirt I picked up from the ground flew into their eyes. The attacker pushes me away and desperately tries to rub the dust out of their eyes.


    Now that¡¯s they¡¯re blinded, now it¡¯s my chance to escape.


    ¡°Running away again, Catherine?¡± A familiar voice called out to me. I look back at my assailant. My vision finally begins to clear. Standing in front of me was an elderly man dress in a white uniform. ¡°Eh, Dant-¡°Before I could say his name Dante flick my forehead hard enough to send me flying. Once again, I found myself on the ground, looking up at the sky myself looking up at the sky.


    Well, I guess that explains how I ended in this situation. The fog that clouded my memories begins to dissipate when Dante struck my head.


    One month has passed since I begin my training with Dante. Well, I don¡¯t know if getting beat up and continuously thrown around counts as training.


    ¡°You improve quite a lot this past month. But it seems you haven¡¯t got rid of that bad habit of yours. You know you¡¯re not going to get far in the tournament if you prioritize escape over fighting.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± I try to stand back up, but it seems I was completely out of strength, as I just fell back on my butt. I let out an exhausted sigh and looked up at Dante, who was offering me his hand. He easily lifted me off the ground and placed me on my feet as if I weigh nothing. Seeing that he could cut down buildings with ease, I guess I don¡¯t weigh much to him.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been trained to run away whenever there¡¯s trouble. I don¡¯t think I can ever follow the warrior code.


    ¡°Ah, yes, the warrior code.¡± Dante chuckles while rubbing his white beard. ¡°Never show your back to the enemy, never surrender and die honorably. Such a foolish code.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You don¡¯t believe in the code?¡±


    ¡°You look surprised.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± You would think the person who holds the title of ¡°Hero¡± would believe in honor more than anyone else.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have lived that long if all I believe in was dying an honorable death. A warrior, no, a soldier should know when to stand their ground and when to swallow their pride and run. You excel at the latter.¡±


    ¡°Is that compliment?¡±


    ¡°It is. Unfortunately, retreating isn¡¯t an option in this tournament. If you turn your back to your opponent¡­¡± Dante narrowed his eyes at me. A familiar cold sensation traveled up my spine. My instinct was once again screaming at me, telling me to move, but before I had the chance to react to their warning, I felt something impale me.


    ¡°¡­You might die.¡± Dante whispered. I slowly look down to see his sword sinking deeper into my stomach.


    ¡°Why?¡± Was the only word I could say. I grabbed his sword and used the remaining of my strength to stop his blade from going deeper.


    ¡°You already know why.¡± He said coldly before yanking his sword out. I stumble backward while holding my stomach. There wasn¡¯t a drop of my blood on his sword, nor was I bleeding. I remove my hands from my stomach, expecting to see a wound, yet there wasn¡¯t a scratch on me. And if that wasn¡¯t confusing enough, the cuts and bruises I got from my spars were starting to fade away, even the fatigue that was weighing me down dissipated.


    ¡°Are you done with the theatrics?¡± Dante said as he calmly places his sword back in his sheath.


    That¡¯s right. As strange as it might sound, Dante¡¯s sword is incapable of directly harming anyone. Instead, it judges the souls of the people who were cut by it. If a person deemed a sinner, they would be inflicted an injury equivalent to how grave their sin was. On the other hand, if they considered innocent, their body will be healed.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve warned me!¡± My cheeks became flush from embarrassment, and my blood was boiling with anger


    ¡°If I did, you would¡¯ve tried to dodge.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going try dodge! I doubt anyone can stay still if they see someone swinging a sword at them! Can¡¯t you just let my body heal the normal way?¡± I¡¯m fully aware of Dante¡¯s ability, and I know that sword won¡¯t hurt me, but that doesn¡¯t stop my mind from panicking when he stabs me.


    ¡°Normally, I would, but we don¡¯t have time to sit and wait for you to recover after every spar.


    ¡°The tournament will be beginning soon, right?¡±


    I started my training about a month ago. Which means I only have a month left to prepare for the tournament. I found myself growing nervous the more I thought how near tournament was, I looked Dante hoping he had something encouraging to say, but he was silently staring up at the sky. He had a distance, yet content look in his eyes, the same look my father had. I follow his gaze, hoping to see what he saw, but all I could see was the same blue sky.


    What is it that they¡¯re looking at?


    ¡°Hello, anyone there?¡±


    Suddenly there was a hand in front of me blocking my vision. Startled, I jump back. In front of me was a young woman with a silver cross dangling from her left ear. Her brunette hair was tied into a single braid that draped over her right shoulder. She wore the same white uniform as Dante, albeit a bit more loosely, her jacket slid down to her arms, revealing her white shoulders. While her outfit may not convince people of her rank, the red dog tag dangling from her neck would convince anyone that not only was she a royal guard, but Dante''s equal.


    ¡°Ah, Bella.¡±


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re still here. I was starting to worry the old man might¡¯ve hit you on the head too hard.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You do seem a bit distracted today. Perhaps we should call it a day.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Besides, you said it yourself. We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡±


    I must look terrible as Dante suspiciously raise an eyebrow at me. Thankfully he didn¡¯t pry. ¡°Fine.¡± He said as he took a fighting stance. ¡°Let¡¯s go another round.¡± Dante closes his eyes and lowers his body, placing all his body weight and strength in his legs.


    ¡°That technique again, huh?¡± I raise my left arm in front of me. No point in trying to run away, his next attack is one hundred percent guarantee to hit me.


    The name of the technique is ¡°Blink.¡± At least that¡¯s what I call it. For a brief moment, Dante increases his already insane speed to the point he blinks from existence. You would think he save such an absurdly powerful technique for the Demon King or some other world-ending threat. But he continuously abuses me with it every time he gets annoyed at me when I run away. But its thanks to the abuse I was able to create a plan to deal with that speed.


    He moves faster than my eyes can see, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m incapable of keeping track of him. I just need to focus.


    I stare intensely at Dante, making sure not even to miss a single breath he took. But despite my vigilance, I lost sight of him. It was like he vanishes into thin air. Before I had a chance to process his disappearance, I felt something brush past my extended arm. I instinctively tried to punch whatever was approaching me, only to hit nothing but air.


    I jumped backward and threw more dirt in the air with my tail. Almost immediately, something burst through the dirt cloud I created. Again, I tried to land a blow on him.


    ¡°Damnit.¡± I silently curse as my fist hit only air again.


    Just like I thought even if I can keep track of him, I¡¯m too slow to react in time. I guess I have no choice but to go with plan B.


    I lower my arms to the side, leaving myself open for an attack. The moment I dropped my guard, I found myself submerged in a deep and tense silence. It felt like the world itself was watching me with bated breath, waiting to see what happens next.


    My ears constantly twitch, desperately looking for a sign of Dante, but it was like he vanishes from the world.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Bella, who was silently watching the fight, suddenly cough, breaking my concentration. Without uttering a word, she turns her head as if she was trying to look behind her. In the instance, I realize what she was trying to tell me. I felt a presence behind me.


    I quickly spun around and kicked him. He easily grabbed my leg and yanked me off the ground. I threw the dirt I manage to grab as I was lifted into the air at his face. But he seemed to have predicted it as he quickly covers his face.


    ¡°You employ interesting tactics, but they¡¯re starting to get stale.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess I should spice things up.¡± While dangling upside down, I aim my fist at Dante¡¯s stomach.


    The last thing I wanted to do was use this experiential technique, but there¡¯s no way cheap tricks could take down a man that was hail a hero.


    ¡°In front of you isn¡¯t my hand, it¡¯s a cannon with enough gunpowder to blast a hole through a fortress.¡± Dante¡¯s eyes widen as a bright white energy enveloped my right hand. I wrap my other leg and tail around his arm to prevent from tossing me away. ¡°First round, Fire!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs and threw a punch that had my very spirit behind it. Just as my fist was about to connect, the energy I gathered around my arm vanishes. My fist weakly taps his stomach.


    ¡°D-Damnit.¡± Exhausted, I dangle helplessly in Dante¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Dante gently places me on the ground, and grabbed my right arm, I wince in pain as he tries to peel my bandage off my arm, but the dried blood kept it glued to my skin. ¡°You¡¯ve been training on your own, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You said it yourself. There isn¡¯t time to waste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why you took an interest in her old man.¡± Bella knelt next to me an examine my arm. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we told you how dangerous it is to practice aura without supervision.


    ¡°I know, but-¡±


    ¡°No, buts.¡± Bella squeezes my arm, shutting me up.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t fall into a coma from using that much energy.¡± Bella dropped my arm and stood back up. ¡°Honestly,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°You two are just a ticking time bomb waiting to self-destruct.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing that we have a weapon expert like you watching after us.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I didn¡¯t know my job was to babysit.¡± Bella looked away from Dante, who was giving her a bright smile. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m wrapping up today¡¯s training section.¡±


    ¡°What? But I can keep going!¡± I try to stand up, but my body didn¡¯t budge. It felt like a piece of my soul was suck out of me.


    ¡°Looks like you can barely move, and even if you could, the old man isn¡¯t in much shape to keep going.¡±


    Dante places a hand on his side. It was the exact area where I stabbed him when I thought he was trying to kill me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use your sword to heal your injury?¡±


    Dante¡¯s eyes widen, and his face became pale. At the same time, Bella shot me a piercing glare ¡°I-I can¡¯t use my ability on myself.¡± He stammers.


    It looks like I touch a sore subject. Bella did say a person''s ability reflects their nature. Best keep my mouth shut and not pry any further.


    ¡°Do you need help getting home?¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I can still walk.¡± After a bit of effort, I manage to get back on my feet.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be fine?¡± Bella asked again. I was a bit surprised I always thought she didn¡¯t like me since she a hunter and I¡¯m part beast.


    ¡°My home isn¡¯t that far away, plus the walk will clear my head.¡±


    ¡°Catherine.¡± just as I was about to leave, Dante stopped me in my track. ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you that you¡¯re not permitted to practice by yourself, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Besides, I¡¯m not in any condition to use aura.¡± I force a smile on my face as I back away. ¡°Anyway, you should get some rest so we can train again tomorrow.¡±


    I head towards one of the buildings that surrounded the training ground before they said anything else to me. In my haste to escape, I accidentally knock down whoever was behind the door I open.


    ¡°Oh, sorry about that!¡±


    On the ground was a young boy that was around 14 or 16 years old. He wore a dark blue uniform that was seen on every town''s guard.


    ¡°Oh, Theo.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking!¡± Theo shouted when I called his name. I tilted my head confuse as to why he was acting like I caught him stealing.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I immediately receive my answer when I look behind me. A window stretched across the long hallway, allowing anyone passing by to observe the training ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you were watching, anyway are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yea,¡± Theo said softly as he stares intensely at my hand, I offer to help him up. I look down and realize I stuck out my right hand, which was wrapped in bandages.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I quickly hid my hand behind my back and offered him the other.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Theo ignores my hand and stood up on his own. ¡°It must be tough being train by a hero.¡±


    ¡°Yea.¡± I look down at my right arm. Underneath the bandage wasn¡¯t just a wound, I receive from my reckless training, but also my failure to live up to Dante¡¯s expectation. ¡°I still have no idea why he chose to train a weakling like me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not weak!¡±


    I flinch slightly, surprised by Theo¡¯s outburst. Wide-eyed, Theo took a step away from me and covered his mouth as if his voice scared him.


    ¡°Sorry about that, but I¡¯ve been watching you, and I doubt I could do half the things you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re overestimating me.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re underestimating yourself. Your sparring matches against Dante is always incredible to watch.¡±


    ¡°Um, thank you,¡± I mumble as I awkwardly scratch my head. I¡¯m not sure what he found incredible about me getting pummel constantly.


    ¡°Hey, who gave you permission to laze around newbie?!¡± A soldier stomped his way down the hall. Going by the medals on his uniform, he must be a high-ranking officer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, I was- ah, wait!¡± Before Theo could finish speaking, the soldier grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall.


    ¡°Since you have time to flirt. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind spending time with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Theo.¡± Feeling somewhat responsible for getting him in trouble, I clasp my hands together and prayed his punishment isn¡¯t too harsh.


    ¡°Catherine!¡± Just as I was about to leave, Theo shouted my name. He smiles brightly at me as he was being dragged away. ¡°I really think you can win the tournament!¡±


    I froze, unsure of what to say. All I could do was watch as Theo and soldier turn a corner.


    Could it be I¡¯ve been too hard on myself? No, I think I have a realistic view of my abilities, and right now, I just can¡¯t imagine myself winning a single fight in my current condition, which is why I must master this technique.


    I look down at my hand then out the window. Dante and Bella were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Sorry,¡± I whispered underneath my breath. I felt bad for lying to Dante. I know he¡¯s just concern about me, but I¡¯m not going to make any progress if I don¡¯t take a risk.


    I took one last look at the window before leaving. Being a former thief, I still felt a bit nervous around soldiers. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t pay much attention to me.


    The sun was the first to greet me when I left the soldier center. I quickly shielded my eyes and made a way through the street. As expected of the market, it was quite busy and noisy. Merchants shouted at the top their lungs to get potential customers, kids laugh and giggle as they ran around.


    Even though I came to this part of the town many times before, I could never get used to the atmosphere. It was a far cry from the slums, where the sick and weak lay on the street begging for food and money. Great, my thoughts are going to a dark area again, that¡¯s becoming a bad habit of mine.


    I shake my head to clear the black clouds away and continue to push my way through the crowd until I found a deserted area. The boarded-up buildings were a sign that I was near the slums. I looked around making sure the area was clear before slipping into the alley


    ¡°I guess this will do.¡± I lightly tap the building, checking its toughness.


    Yup, no way I¡¯m destroying this with my bare hand, I¡¯ll need something like a cannon to break this wall. Luckily for me, I happen to have that in the palm of my hand. I took a deep breath and balled my bandaged hand into a fist.


    Aura, to put it in Dante¡¯s word, is the manifestation of one¡¯s will. To put it in a simpler term, if you believe in yourself, you¡¯ll be able to do things that would typically be impossible ¡ª for example, punching a hole through a stone wall.


    ¡°I can do this.¡± I took a deep and close my eyes. ¡°My arm is a weapon strong enough to destroy any obstacle in my path, like a cannon.¡± I could feel power gathering around my hand as I continue to mumble to myself.


    ¡°Second Round!¡± Like a match, my words ignited the energy surrounding my hand. Like a wildfire, the energy quickly spread to my arm as if it was trying to consume me. It took all my concentration to keep the power I gathered from dissipating.


    ¡°Fire!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs as I swung my fist at the wall. Just like last time, my aura vanishes the moment my hand smashes into the wall.


    ¡°Damnit.¡± I slump down to the ground, exhausted. The bandage wrapped my hand turned red as my blood seeps through it. At least it doesn¡¯t hurt, but not being able to feel anything probably isn¡¯t good either.


    What am I doing wrong? I¡¯m trying my hardest to believe in myself, but it isn¡¯t working. What am I missing? ¡°Why can¡¯t I see what you see?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, kiddo? Something bothering you?¡± A voice snapped me out of my thought.


    ¡°No, not at all, I¡¯m just-¡° I stopped and slowly turn towards the figure. There¡¯s only one person I know that called me by that. ¡°Crook?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you remember. I was starting to think you forgot about me.¡± The Crooked Man looks down at me with a wide, crooked grin. ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, kiddo.¡±

 Chapter 13: A Crooked World

    A cold breeze blew through the streets of Horizon. Freezing the townsfolk to their core. Autumn has finally come. With it, dark clouds that threaten to drown the town in heavy rain. Sensing the impending storm, the residents took shelter in their homes, all except a little girl named Catherine.


    The depressing atmosphere and eerie silence that hung over her home became too much for her to bare. So, she sat outside her home, waiting for her dad to come home. ¡°He¡¯ll be back. I know he will.¡± Catherine mutter to herself. She hugged her body tightly and wrapped her tail around herself to keep warm.


    The war against the Demon King and Majin has finally ended, but her father has yet to come back from the war. To makes matters worse, her mother locked herself in her room and hasn¡¯t shown herself to her daughter ever since those strange men came over and threatened to tear down their store.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Catherine let out a weak moan as her stomach angrily growled at her. It''s been days, no weeks since she¡¯s eaten, yet she continues to loyally stand guard in front of her home, keeping a watchful eye out for any strange men and her father.


    ¡°Ah! Mom hasn¡¯t eaten either, has she?¡± Catherine looked through the window of her home, hoping to see her mother humming as she went about her daily chores like she used to. But the house was silent, and her mother was nowhere to be seen. It almost looked like the place was abandon.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s still tired from talking to those strange men. Maybe she¡¯ll feel better if I get her something to eat.¡±


    Just imaging her mother going back to her usual cheery self was enough to excite her. She tried to stand, but her body didn¡¯t budge. She has reached her limit. Days without food had greatly weakened her, and the cold snatch the remaining of her strength. But strangely, it didn¡¯t bother her, and fact she felt quite comfortable. The cold wind that endlessly tortured her was now warm and relaxing. It was almost like the world was trying to lull her to sleep. She resisted the temptation until it finally begins to rain.


    The water droplets created a soothing melody as they pounded the pavement and nearby windows. further weakening her resistance.


    ¡°Maybe this is all a dream and when I wake up everything will be back to normal.¡± Catherine slowly closed her eyes. Hoping that the next time she opens them, she¡¯ll be with her parents.


    ¡°Wake up.¡± Just as she was about to fall into an eternal sleep, she was suddenly shaken awake. A man loomed over her holding up an umbrella. The hood over the man¡¯s head shrouds his face in shadow. ¡°If you fall asleep here, you will die.¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone. ¡°Annoyed that the man awoke her. She tried to shoo him away with her hand.


    ¡°How disappointing. I heard there was a ferocious beast in the slums that would attack anyone that drew near their territory. Yet all I see is a pitiful kitten that lost her reason to live.


    ¡°Please leave me alone, I just want to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The man steps away from Catherine allowing her to be doused in the rain.


    ¡°Ah, could this be tears?¡± The water droplet that fell on her was warm, it felt like heaven itself was crying for her.


    ¡°Tears?¡± The man laughed. ¡°Why would the world cry for you? I doubt it even realizes you exist.¡±


    Catherine silently closed her eyes hoping the man would leave her alone and she can finally fall into a deep slumber.


    ¡°Sorry, I won¡¯t wake you again.¡± The man begins to walk away, but then suddenly stops. ¡°Since you plan on dying here. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind if I destroy the store you¡¯ve been protecting.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Catherine opens her eyes and notices the man heading to her home.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Catherine roared as she lunges at the man. She slams her body into him knocking the man to the ground.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like you still have some fight in you.¡± The man tried to wrestle Catherine off, but not only could he not shake her off, but she was also overpowering him. The man¡¯s eyes widen as a nine-year-old girl who was on the verge of death, easily manage to pin him to the ground.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Catherine growled. Her pupils turned into slits and her teeth became as sharp as daggers. ¡°If you take a step another near my family treasure, I-I¡¯ll kill you.¡± There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, but her eyes didn¡¯t waver.


    The man laughs loudly unfazed by Catherine¡¯s threat.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not joking.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m laughing.¡±


    Confused, Catherine unconsciously weakens her grip. The man took advantage of her momentary lapse and kick her away. Despite her unnatural strength, Catherine weighs as much as a child. Thus, it was easy for the man to send her flying. She soars through the air, crashing into the nearby the building. The impact would¡¯ve knocked out a man twice her height. But she easily shook off the damage as if she fell into a pile of hay.


    ¡°I knew it. I was right about you.¡± The man laughed. His laugh was colder than the icy rain that continues to fall.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary I do. In fact, I could tell exactly what you¡¯re thinking just by looking into your eyes.¡± The man splashes through puddles as he approaches Catherine. She tries to get back up, but the explosive strength she displays a moment ago nowhere to be found, and she felt even more fatigued than before.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, lately I found myself pondering exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± The man knelt next to Catherine. And with a crooked grin, he said exactly what was on her mind.


    ¡°Why is this world so shitty?¡±


    Chapter 13


    Moonlight Drifters: A Crooked World


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, kiddo.¡±


    Standing at the entrance of the alley and blocking my escape was a man that embodies sloth. His complexion was sickly pale and there were dark rings under his eyes. He wore a brown jacket over his shoulders like a cape and a white dress shirt that was half-tuck into his pants. Despite his vagabond appearance, he was the Crooked Man, the self-proclaimed King of the slums


    ¡°What are you doing here Crook?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± Crook echoes my question back to me. He tilted his head and scratches the stubbles on his chin as if he was thinking deeply. ¡°Do I need a reason to take a stroll through my Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me!¡± I unintentionally raised my voice. It¡¯s only natural I will be on edge. Crook is a man that stays in the shadows and only revealed himself when it¡¯s necessary.


    ¡°As I said before, it¡¯s been a while. I thought I check up on you.¡±


    ¡°Terrible. No thanks to the bastard who stole my family store.¡±


    ¡°Stole? I think you mean save. Don¡¯t forget the city was planning on demolishing your store and I stop them. And I told you this before if you want your store back all you got to do is pay the price.


    ¡°Gladly my ass.¡± I grinded my teeth, barely able to keep my anger in check. Not only is charging me extra for my family but he keeps sending his goons to steal from me whenever I get close to affording it.


    ¡°Listen, this isn¡¯t a good place to chat, why don¡¯t we go somewhere a bit more relaxing to talk.¡±


    Another man steps into the alley as Crook spook. It was his most loyal goon. Easily indefinably, by the three scars on his face.


    My failed attempt at using aura sapped almost all strength, but even if I was at one hundred percent there¡¯s no way, I¡¯m beating Scar who was able to hold is own against Dante for a short time.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I got up to my feet and walk towards the two men.


    ¡°Good, excellent.¡± Scar and Crook stepped out of the alley, allowing me to leave.


    ¡°Scar, can you give us some alone time?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry; kiddo and I go way back.¡± Crook took his head out of his pocket and reach for my head. I took a step away avoiding his hand. ¡°See?¡± Crook gave Scar a strained smile.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Scar without ever showing a hint of emotions walks away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never understand what¡¯s going on in that man¡¯s head. Anyway, let¡¯s get going.¡± Crook grabbed my arm and practically dragged me through the streets. I


    ¡°Wait,¡± I manage to slip my hand through his grasp. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    Unfazed that I escaped from him he continues walking as if he knew I would follow him. ¡°Have you been eating properly? You haven¡¯t grown a bit since I last saw you.¡±


    ¡°What does my height have to do with anything?!¡± I angrily stomp my way towards him. It''s already bad enough I¡¯m insecure about my height, the last thing I need is to be reminded how small I am by someone calling himself Crooked.


    ¡°Nothing, but you should take care of yourself better. You won¡¯t get any bigger if don¡¯t eat properly.¡±


    ¡°A bit late to be telling me that now.¡± Even though I looked like I was twelve or younger, I¡¯m actually nineteen and will be turning twenty this fall. I hate to admit this, but I doubt I¡¯ll be getting any taller than this.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that. I heard beastman developed differently than humans. Granted you¡¯re only a quarter beast, but you still have a chance to grow.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± I ignore his pathetic attempt of trying to encourage me. ¡°So, are you going to tell me where we¡¯re going?¡± I stop in my tracks. Crook eventually stopped walking when he realized I wasn¡¯t going to follow him.


    ¡°I thought I made it obvious. We¡¯re going to get something to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not- ¡°hungry, was what I was going to say. But my stomach interrupted me before I finish speaking. It growls angrily at me for trying to turn down food. Crook chuckles to himself and continues to walk.


    I had no intention of following him, so I turn around planning to head home, but my stomach growl at me again. I¡¯m used to not eating. In fact, I can easily go days without food, but that¡¯s only if I don¡¯t see or smell any food.


    ¡°I guess getting something to eat will help me focus on training.¡± I nod my head satisfy with my half-baked excuse. Plus, this is a good chance to pay him back for sending his goons to rob me. If he¡¯s paying, I¡¯m defiantly buying the most expensive item in whenever store we go to. I doubt we¡¯re going anywhere fancy where I can put a dent in his wallet. At least that¡¯s what I thought until we were strolling through a wealthy neighbor.


    Naturally, I stuck out like a sore thumb. Feeling all the stares on me, I¡¯m once again reminded why I used to wear a cloak all the time. Everyone looks at me like I¡¯m some sort of exotic creature.


    I wanted to go home, but a delicious smell kept me from turning around. My legs kept moving in the direction of the enticing scent.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Crook called out to me, but I ignored him and kept walking until I found myself standing in front of a maid.


    ¡°Welcome back mast- ugh.¡±


    The maid¡¯s face instantly turned sour when she looked at me. I must look like a beggar. My hand was wrapped in bandages, and I was covered in dirt from my spar with Dante.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t give out free samples here.¡± The maid said coldly. She looked down at me like she was looking at a bug.


    ¡°Is that a way to treat a customer?¡± Crook step in front me as if he was trying to shield me from her gaze. ¡°Table for two please.¡± Crook gave the maid ten silver coins and piece paper from his pocket and handed it to the maid. The maid''s eyes widen when she looked down at the paper.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She said before quickly heading to the backroom.


    ¡°See that, kiddo? There isn¡¯t a problem in the world that can¡¯t be solved with money. Getting bully? Hire bodyguards. Having boy troubles? Well, I know a few places that can satisfy your needs, like¡­¡±


    Sensing the conservation was going nowhere I ignore Crook and took looked around. Behind the reception desk was a row of acholic beverages. Every single one of the drinks had a fancy or foreign name which was enough to tell me how expensive they were. The maids elegantly walk around, serving food that looked like it came straight from the palace itself.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hey, are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were still talking?¡±


    Crook¡¯s eyebrow twitches from irritation, but I paid no intention to it.


    ¡°Anyway, where are we? I live in this town my whole life, yet I never notice this place.¡±


    ¡°Not surprising this place was just recently built.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± And here I thought our town wasn¡¯t doing financially well. Half of the city is boarded up buildings where the homeless lives. Hell, they still haven¡¯t cleaned up the mess from the Majin¡¯s invasion over ten years ago. I guess the only way to keep the town up float is to keep the rich happy.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, masters!¡± The maid from before steps out of the back room and gave us a bow. Her movement was so elegant and beautiful it stole my breath away. If I was a guy, I¡¯m pretty sure I would¡¯ve fallen in love with her on the spot.


    ¡°Your table has been prepped, follow me.¡±


    We follow the maid to a table that looks like it was set up for a banquet. Rows of colorful food covered the table.


    ¡°Enjoy your meal masters.¡± The maid bows her head and left us alone. With all the food on the table. I thought others might be joining us to eat, but we only got dirty looks from the others.


    ¡°All this food is for us?¡±


    ¡°Yup, so dig in.¡± Crook sat down and begins to eat. Seeing clumsily dropped food off his silverware was proof that he¡¯s right-handed, but for whatever reason, he kept his right hand in his pocket. In fact, I don¡¯t think he ever took his hand out of his pocket this entire time.


    ¡°Is something wrong, kiddo?¡± Realizing I haven¡¯t sat down yet, Crook turns his attention towards me.


    ¡°What exactly are you after?¡± It was already suspicious that he¡¯s treating me to a meal, but he¡¯s even set up a reservation in this expensive place.


    ¡°Nothing at all I just wanted to- hey wait, where are you going?!¡±


    I begin to walk away unable to stand any more of his lies. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like playing your game. If you¡¯re not going to talk, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll explain, just sit down.¡± Crook patted the chair next to him. I ignore his gesture and sat on the opposite side of the table.


    ¡°So, what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°First thing, first. Why don¡¯t you take a bite, there¡¯s plenty of food to go around.¡± Crook slid a plate of meat towards me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t- ¡°I was about to push the food away, but the tantalizing smell from the meat enters my nose and clouded my thoughts before I knew I shove the meat inside my mouth. It seems the food was fully cooked as I taste a bit of blood, but that only excited me more. I continued to eat until I devour everything on the plate. I look down at the empty plate embarrassed that I ate like a slob.


    ¡°No need to feel embarrassed. I heard that beastman diet consists mostly of meat. I guess that isn¡¯t all that surprising. After all, they possess strength far greater than humans, but they need to eat twice as much as humans in order to use that strength. By the way, speaking of eating¡­¡±


    Crook slides another plate over to me. This one had a large fish on it. The fish¡¯s mouth was stuffed with vegetables and fruits. Honestly, it looked disgusting, but it smells amazing. I grab a fork and knife eager to dig in.


    I feel like I forget something. Just as I was about to tear into the fish a small voice in my head awaken my clouded mind. I looked up at Crook, who was watching me eat with a satisfied grin.


    ¡°You trick me!¡± I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. Crook simply tilted his head. Unfazed by my outburst.


    ¡°Trick? What are you talking about? All I did was offer you was some food.


    I grinded my teeth, frustrated. He knew full well how hungry I was and that I would be too distracted by the food to ask him anything. I could feel my blood boiling when I realize I fell into the palm of his hand again. I wanted to shout at him, but my anger quickly dissipated when I felt the eyes of everyone in the restaurant on me.


    Embarrass, I slowly sat back down, trying to ignore the murmurs around me, but one person spoke loudly as if they wanted me to hear them.


    ¡°You see, this is why they shouldn¡¯t allow pets in the stores.¡±


    Sitting at the table next to us was a handsome, no, a beautiful man. He had blonde hair was wrapped in a ponytail, which was long enough to reach his lower back. Honestly, if I didn¡¯t hear his annoying voice, I would¡¯ve never thought he was a man.


    The people that sat around the pretty boy table giggle at his joke. Not wanting to draw any more attention to myself, I ignore them and silently ate, which seems to only make them laugh louder.


    ¡°My, my, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s sadder. The audience¡¯s fake laughs, or that you¡¯re too stupid to see the difference between an animal and beastman.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± The pretty boy jumped from out his chair.


    ¡°Relax, relax. It¡¯s just a joke. No need to get so upset.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful scum. Just because you manage to pay your way in here, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re one of us.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m better than you.¡± Crook said as before taking a bite out of his food as if he was stating the obvious. A vain appear on the pretty boy¡¯s head


    ¡°Another joke, huh? Fine, I¡¯ll play along. What makes you better than me?¡±


    Crook smile as if he was waiting for him to ask. ¡°I had to crawl through mud and dirt to get here. While it quite clear you were born into wealth. Without a single achievement to your name, you bragged about being better than others. You¡¯re no better than the streets rats that survive off other people¡¯s leftover.¡±


    ¡°Comparing me to a street rat. How funny.¡± The pretty boy laughs loudly. Then suddenly and without warning, he threw a plate at Crook and me. I didn¡¯t bother dodging as I didn¡¯t sense I was in danger. The plate smash into the ground right next to my feet.


    The pretty boy¡¯s face turned flush red perhaps from anger from failing to hit me, or maybe from embarrassment for throwing a temper tantrum. He quietly left the restaurant, rage still burning in his eyes.


    ¡°I have to say I¡¯m impressed kiddo.¡± Crook turns his attention towards me the moment the pretty boy left. ¡°You always used to run at the first sign of danger.¡±


    ¡°I still do.¡± Thanks to the hell Dante been putting me through, I got better at knowing when I¡¯m in danger. Of course, I have no intention of telling Crook that. ¡°So, are you going to tell me why you brought me here?¡±


    I looked Crook dead in his eyes to let him know I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. Seeing that I was serious, Crook leans back in his chair as if he was preparing himself to tell a long story.


    ¡°How long have we known each other, kiddo?¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother hiding my displeasure with him answering my question. While tightly squeezing the fork in my hand, I said, ¡°Far too long.¡± Crook laugh, unbothered by my answer, which only annoyed me more.


    ¡°Yea, it has been a while. Ten years I believe. And yet you haven¡¯t changed a bit. I would be lying if I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m a bit disappointed. I left you to your own devices hoping you would use my teaching to make a name for yourself on these streets. And yet here you are, still starving yourself and stealing pocket changes to just to take back a relic of the past.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell me why you brought me here, or are you going to keep monologuing?¡±


    Crook leans closer to me and whisper. ¡°I want you to join my gang.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I thought I was already a part of your group.¡± As much as I hate to admit I am a part of The Crooked Man¡¯s gang. Back when I was a kid joining a gang was the only option I had if I wanted to survive.


    ¡°Not quite.¡± Crook cracked a smile. ¡°You¡¯re more like an honorary member. I want you to join full time, by that I mean I want you to take part in all my plans and operations.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m just nobody who¡¯s weaker than your weakest subordinate. Why would you want me a part of you your plans?¡±


    Even now, I don¡¯t understand why Crook and Dante are so interested in me. Well at least with Dante I can understand that he¡¯s helping me out of the kindness of his heart, but Crook is a thug. He¡¯ll happily kill anyone that stands in his way and will discard anyone he finds useless.


    ¡°It¡¯s sad when a person is unaware of their talent.¡± Crook leans back in his chair and sigh. ¡°You have a lot of potential kiddos. If we work together, we take over this town, hell, we can take over the whole underworld.¡±


    Crook looked longingly out the window. We had a good view of the city. I could even see the wall that shields us from bandits and monsters that lurk in the dark. After a moment of silence, we looked away from the window and at each other.


    ¡°So how about it, kiddo? Do you want to join my gang full time? If you do, you¡¯ll easily make twice if not four times the amount of money you make now. Which means not only will you be able to buy the store you''ve been obsessing over, but you¡¯ll even be able to live a life of luxury.¡±


    Is that why he brought me here? To give me a taste of the good life.


    I closed my eyes and thought about his offer. Joining him sounds better than fighting in a tournament. Plus, he¡¯ll probably stop sending his goon at me too. But I get the feeling if join him something inside me will change. I don¡¯t know what this something is, but it scares me. To the point, my instinct is warning me of these changes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll have to reject.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Crook narrows his eyes. It felt he was giving me a final warning rather than confirming my choice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I don¡¯t want anything to do with your plan or your scummy goons.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think someone who makes a living off stealing has the right to call anyone scummy.¡±


    I bit my lip to hold back my groan. He hit me right where it hurts. I took a deep breath to keep myself composed. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s why I won¡¯t steal anymore. From now on, I going to earn money in an honest way.¡±


    Not just because it¡¯s the right thing to do, but because I¡¯m pretty sure Dante will kill me if he found out I committed another crime.


    ¡°You sure try making an honest living too. Who knows, you might find it nice not having to hide from the law.¡±


    I stood up after taking one last bite of my meal and walk away.


    ¡°An honest living, huh?¡± Crook Chuckle. ¡°Isn¡¯t that how your dad died? Trying to make an honest living?¡±


    ¡°The hell you say?¡±


    I look back at Crook who had a massive grin on his face.


    ¡°I heard a lot about your father. He was a selfless man that always went out of his way to help others. In a fantasy world, people might¡¯ve called him a hero, but in reality, he just an idiot that got himself killed over people whose names he didn¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you find it ironic? It¡¯s because of his selfless nature that he failed to protect what was truly import-


    I slam my fist into the table with enough force to snap the legs. The plates and food crash to the floor creating a cacophony of noise that causes everyone in the restaurant to jump including Crook.


    ¡°Say another word about my dad, and I¡¯ll fucking kill you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I saw that look in your eyes. I miss it.¡± The shock expression on his face quickly turns into a smile. ¡°But, I wonder, what would your kind-hearted father think if he saw that bloodthirsty look in your eyes?¡±


    I balled my hands into fists and stomped my way towards him. A maid step in between us. She shouted something at me, but none of it reach my ears.


    ¡°I wonder, where your anger is really aimed at. Me, or maybe your father, for leaving you and your poor mother for dead.¡±


    ¡°CROOK!¡± I shove the maid out my way and lunge at Crook. Calmly, he took his right hand out of his pocket and lifted it towards me. I stopped in my track, my instinct screaming at me not to get any closer.


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you want to hit me?¡± Crook waves his hand which he covered with a black glove.


    ¡°Well, come on. You have every right to hit me. Not only did I make fun of your father, but I¡¯m the one that took your precious store your family work so hard to build together. In your eyes, I¡¯m the villain, right. So, come on, hit me!¡±


    Crook¡¯s voice boom through the restaurant. I gritted my teeth in frustration I wanted to hit him, no I wanted to kill him. But for some reason, I got the feeling if I took another step towards him, I¡¯ll die.


    ¡°Heh, heh, heh.¡± Crook stood up from his chair, laughing. I took a step back; my body trembling with fear. The maid who fell to the ground and silently tried to crawl away from the insane man in front of me.


    ¡°You see? This is why I like you, kiddo. You can pretend to be a virtuous person all you want, but in the end, we both know your nothing like your father, and you¡¯ll never be.


    ¡°You-You''re cruel.¡± My vision became blurry as tears ran down my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m cruel? Child, have I not taught you anything? This world is cruel. I¡¯m merely playing by its rule, just like you.¡±


    ¡°Rules? I¡¯m not sure what the hell you¡¯re talking about, but I have no intention of going along with any rules that you follow.¡±


    ¡°Hm, you sure about that?¡± Crook tilted his and looked down at me with a wicked grin. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been hiding all the money you stole somewhere in your store.¡±


    ¡°How did you-¡°


    ¡°Oh please, do you think you can hide anything from me? I taught you how to survive on these streets, remember?¡±


    I bit my lip to keep myself calm. Nothing is stopping him from sending goons to ransack the store and stealing all the money I hid.


    ¡°Relax, I have no intention of taking the money you work so hard for, but I have to wonder. What goes through your head when you look at starving children on the street? With all that money you''ve been saving. I¡¯m sure you go around feeding them, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? What this?  You don¡¯t offer even a single coin to the poor souls that live on the street, you say? Why is that? Is it because you¡¯re smart enough to know that you¡¯ll never get closer to your goal if you offer money to every bastard that needs help, or perhaps it¡¯s because you know you¡¯ll become a target if people knew you had money? Either way, this isn¡¯t how your dad would act, would he?¡±


    I cover my ears. I didn¡¯t want to hear anything else he had to say. But he grabs my hands and pulled them away from my ears.


    ¡°Face it, kiddo, you¡¯re crooked. Even if you manage to get your store and accomplish your family dream, do you think they¡¯ll be happy to see what became of their precious little daughter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± A group of guards led by a maid step into the restaurant. I used the momentary distraction to push myself away from Crook.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± One of the guards shouted at me as I ran past by, but I had no intention of stopping, I wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.


    .


    .


    .


    I¡¯m not sure how long I ran it must¡¯ve been for a couple of hours the sun was starting to set. I could hear the guards still looking for me. I moved deeper into the alley, desperately trying to shroud my body in darkness. I let out a sigh of relief as I listen to their voice grow distant. Exhausted, I allow my body to fall the ground.


    ¡°And here I promise I wouldn¡¯t get into anymore, trouble. Damn you, Crook.¡±


    His words echo in my head as if it was trying to poison my mind. Knowing Crook, that¡¯s probably what he''s trying to do.


    I know I¡¯m not a good person. I never consider myself such. Everything I did was to keep my family''s dream alive. At least that¡¯s what I told myself, but in truth, this was all to satisfy my selfish obsession with trying to relive the past. How pathetic, I haven''t changed at all. I''m still the girl sitting in the rain, waiting for her dad to come home.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I jumped to my feet thinking it might¡¯ve been a guard, but to my surprise, it was the pretty boy.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to help you. It goes against my principle to ignore kids in trouble.¡± The pretty boy said while brushing his long blonde hair and flashing me a smile.


    I clicked my tongue annoyed that he mistake me for a child. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t let such a thing blunder bother me, but seems my fight with Crook greatly diminished my patience ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, I¡¯m nineteen years old.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Really?¡± His eyes widen in surprise, which only annoyed me more. ¡°Well, that¡¯s even better. Why don¡¯t we go someplace a bit nicer, I¡¯ll treat you better than that scumbag you was with.


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    I know what he¡¯s after. He plans on using me to get back at Crook for making fun of him. Talk about being petty. I sat back down, hoping he gets the message that I didn¡¯t want to talk anymore, but naturally that he didn¡¯t take a hint. He continues to approach me while saying cheesy lines.


    How annoying if I wasn¡¯t so exhausted, I could easily scale one of these buildings and leave him in the dust.


    ¡°I know a place with a nice view of the town. You want to see it?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not interested.¡± I brush past him and headed straight for the street.


    ¡°You ungrateful little beast!¡±


    ¡°How predictable.¡± I let out a sigh as I listen to him charge at me. I didn¡¯t even bother looking at him as I slap his hands away with my tail.


    ¡°Leave. Me. Alone.¡± I spoke lowly, hoping my threat get through to him. But it was foolish of me to think someone as arrogant as him would listen to me.


    ¡°You want to play hard to get? Fine.¡± The pretty clapped his hands twice. Three rough men walk into an alley beckon by the sound.


    ¡°You brought goons, seriously?!¡±


    ¡°I brought them to deal with the scumbag you were with earlier.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t nothing to do with him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to lie. after I¡¯m done dealing with that bastard you were with. I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only if you cooperate with us. If you try to resist, well, let¡¯s just say I know a place that can turn that lovely tail of yours into a nice scarf.¡± One on the goons approaches me while flaunting his knife.


    ¡°Why?¡± My vision became red as my body shook with rage. ¡°Why does everyone keep messing with me? Why can¡¯t everyone leave me alone? Why? Why? whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?¡±


    Just when I felt I would go mad with rage, something inside my head click, then suddenly, a deep calm washes over me drowning my anger and all my other emotions.


    ¡°Looks like she gone mad. How boring. It¡¯s no fun if I can¡¯t break the target.¡±


    ¡°Mad? No, far from it.¡± My voice came out cold and emotionless. It scared me for a moment, but the fear like all my other emotions, the fear instantly vanish. I grabbed the arm of the thug who was trying to pick me up. The goon scream in pain as I squeeze his wrist, snapping his bones. ¡°But perhaps I¡¯m a bit Crooked.¡±

 Chapter 14: Awakening

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If people are afraid of dying, why do they fight?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a tough question.¡±


    Ethan rubbed his chin as he pondered his daughter¡¯s question. His eyes wander towards a group of soldiers dressed in black. Cloak in a somber atmosphere, the soldiers march down a gravel path carrying a casket over their shoulders.


    Funerals have become a common occurrence. But that is war. Thousands of lives are lost during turbulent times like these. And yet still thousands more eagerly take up arms and throw themselves into the fire, each willed forward by a dream they hold dear. Some dream of being written in history, a few merely seek money. And then there are the others.


    ¡°I think the reason why most people fight is because they¡¯re scared.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± His daughter cutely tilts her head confused. Ethan chuckled slightly and knelt next to his daughter so he could look her in the eyes.


    ¡°What would you do if you saw a spider chasing your mother?¡±


    ¡°Spider?!¡± The little girl trembles at the mere mention of the multiple legged monsters. I-I¡¯ll fight the scaring creature and save mommy!¡± The little girl¡¯s ball her tiny hands and threw a couple of jabs at her father. Ethan laughs as his daughter¡¯s fists softly hit his chest.


    ¡°See? Even though you¡¯re afraid of spiders, you¡¯ll fight them in order to protect your mother because I think what scares you more than spiders is your loved one hurt, And I think that¡¯s what scares everyone more than death.


    ¡°Are you scared of seeing me hurt, daddy?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am. I have no idea what I¡¯ll do if I lose you.¡± The little girl smiles softly. Happy to know her father care so much about her. But her smile faded when she looked at the marching soldiers following behind them was a small family dressed in black.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re not going to leave, are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I have no intention of leaving you. Ethan tenderly pets Catherine''s head to calm her down. ¡°After all, I won¡¯t get to see my precious little girl grow up if I¡¯m gone.¡±


    Catherine purr as her dad scratch the back of her furry ears. It took all of Ethan¡¯s willpower to stop himself from picking up his daughter and squeezing her.


    ¡°Would you two stop you¡¯re embarrassing me.¡±


    The stern womanly voice causes the father and daughter to separate from each. The woman¡¯s black dress and long brunette hair flow behind her as she approaches the two.


    ¡°Sorry, darling. Our daughter is just so adorable.¡±


    Deborah looked down at her daughter. Catherine quickly ran behind her father to hide from her mother¡¯s intense gaze.


    ¡°Indeed, she is cute, but there¡¯s a time and place to dote on her. A funeral isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ethan stood up and stretched his body.¡± So, did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Right here.¡± Deborah dangle the basket in her hand.


    ¡°Is that lunch, mommy?¡± Catherine stares hungrily at the basket, which made Deborah worry. She ate an hour ago, yet she is acting like she hasn¡¯t been fed in weeks. Despite her small size, Catherine had quite the appetite. It made both her parents wonder where all the food she eats goes.


    ¡°No, sweety, these are the drifter plants you and your father been tending to.¡±


    ¡°Drifters? Oh, you mean those weird plants that were growing in our garden. Are we going to eat them?¡±


    ¡°No, baby. We¡¯re giving them to the grieving family. It should ease their pain and help them move on. You understand?¡±


    ¡°Basically, we¡¯re saving people. Right?¡±


    ¡°Not really saving, but more like helping.¡± Deborah tried to correct her daughter, but it didn¡¯t reach her ears.


    ¡°Then what are we standing around for? Let¡¯s go save people!¡±


    ¡°Like I said Catherine, we¡¯re not saving¡­ hey, wait!¡± Before Deborah could finish speaking, Catherine ran off to chase the marching soldiers.¡±


    ¡°She really takes after you,¡± Deborah said with a sigh. Ethan awkwardly scratches his head.


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t remember ever being that hyper.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about her eagerness to help others.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m eager, but¡­¡± Ethan looks at the graves all around them. His heart ached when he saw some the headstone belong to some people who weren¡¯t even old enough to be considered an adult. ¡°Now, more than ever, we need to come together if we want to survive these dark times.¡±


    ¡°Again, with the flowery words, but I do agree with you.¡± The two lovers held each other hands and follow their daughter. Unlike everyone else in the town, their eyes still shine with hope. It was like they were looking at something past the war that the world was submerged in. What it was nobody knew, not even their daughter, and while Catherine was upset that she couldn¡¯t see what her parents saw, she was content with being near them. They gave her the courage to keep moving forward. Indeed, to her, they were like a star whose light would never fade. But in time she¡¯ll come to realize that even stars dies and, even after their death, their light continues to shine.


    Chapter 14


    Moonlight Drifters: Awakening


    How strange, I¡¯m in a precarious situation. Yet I don¡¯t feel scared it almost like my heart stopped entirely, killing all my emotions. This is just like the time I was trapped with an ogre, and that time when I thought, Dante was going to kill me. It''s like there''s something inside of me eating all the emotions that clouds my judgments.


    ¡°Ahh! let go of me!¡± The goon screamed as I squeeze his wrist to the point. I could hear the pleasant sounds of his bones snapping.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Your arm is making such a soothing sound when I squeeze it.¡± I tighten my grip on his arm, which made him scream even louder.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Desperate to escape, the goon tries to hit me with his free hand. His eyes widen with fear as I easily grabbed his other hand.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want this arm either.¡±


    ¡°What are you guys doing? Help me!¡±


    Realizing their friend was in danger, the other goons charge at me. I let go of the thug¡¯s arms. Still thinking I¡¯m holding onto him, he threw himself backward, knocking his friends down.


    ¡°How pathetic. You guys are almost as bad the pretty boy who thinks I can¡¯t hear him sneaking up on me.¡±


    The pretty boy let out a surprised gasp. Now that he knew I was aware of him. He gave up on sneaking and ran at me. I drag my tail across and flung dirt into his eyes.


    ¡°Ah! You little¡­¡± The pretty boy angrily flails his knife around while trying to rub the dirt out of his eye. It seems he quickly forgot about my height as he swung his knife way above my head, which allowed me to easily walk behind him without having to even duck.


    ¡°Damnit, where are you!¡±


    ¡°Behind you.¡± I kick him in the back of the leg, forcing him on his knees. I snatch the knife out of his hand and place it at his throat. ¡°Move, and your money dies.¡±


    The thugs that finally got back onto their feet froze in place.


    ¡°Good. Now, will the last person come out of hiding.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The goons looked at me, confused. It seems they weren¡¯t pretending. Which means whoever is hiding isn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°These ears on my head aren¡¯t decorations. I can hear you.¡±


    ¡°Those some sharp ears. As expected of a beastman, I suppose.¡±


    The thugs looked around, trying to find where the voice was coming from. It wasn¡¯t from behind or front. Instead, it came from above. A lone man with a sword hanging from his waist stood at the top of


    ¡°A mercenary? No.¡± My eyes fell on the card on his waist. A license? He¡¯s an adventurer. ¡°You really are petty if you hire an adventurer just to capture me.¡±


    ¡°Ac-Actually. I hire him to escort me back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do with these scumbags plans. However,¡± The adventurer leaped off the building and landing right behind the thugs. ¡°I can¡¯t have you hurting my client.¡±


    The adventurer reaches for his sword. I felt a cold shiver crawl up my spine, but the moment of fear quickly vanish. He¡¯s more competent than the others. Doubt I can beat him, probably can¡¯t outrun him either. Luckily, I got the perfect meat shield to get out of here.


    ¡°No sudden movements now.¡± I place the knife near the pretty boy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m sure you notice I¡¯m quite sloppy with a knife who knows what will happen if I feel threaten.¡±


    I press the blade even closer, cutting his cheeks. Blood dripped down his cheeks.


    ¡°You idiots! listen to her!¡± The pretty boy screamed at his men. The adventurer slowly took his hand off his hilt.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re finally listening to me. If you have done this from the start and left me alone, we wouldn¡¯t have been in this situation.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I won¡¯t bother you again!¡±


    ¡°Really now? I don¡¯t know why, but I get the feeling if I let you go. You¡¯ll be telling your men to kill me again.¡±


    ¡°My job is to solely protect my client. If you release him, no harm will come to you.¡±


    Does he seriously expect me to believe that? No, unlike the other scum, he¡¯s a proper adventurer. Adventurers survive on trust. They¡¯ll never get a job if their clients can¡¯t trust them to complete a mission. And they¡¯ll lose their license if they commit a crime. He¡¯s the only trustworthy person here. However, I can¡¯t trust the pretty boy.


    I know what kind of person he is. To him, there¡¯s nothing more important pride. He¡¯ll do anything to regain his ¡°honor¡± even killing the person who dishonors him.


    I shouldn¡¯t take any chances. I should just kill him before he has a chance to seek revenge.


    I move the knife to the pretty¡¯s boy throat. How terrifying. All it¡¯ll take is a slight movement to kill him.


    ¡°I can do this.¡± I tighten my grip on the handle of the knife.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± Just as I was about to sink my blade into his neck, a familiar voice entered my ears, freezing me in place.


    ¡°Please stop, you¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    ¡°Mom? No, that can¡¯t be. That isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to take you away. Please, Catherine, you have to control yourself.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡±


    I shook my head to try to get rid of the voice haunting me.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys doing?! Get her now!¡± The pretty boy roar at his men.


    ¡°What?!¡± I looked up to see the pretty boy manage to get away from me.


    ¡°Stop right where you are.¡± The adventurer steps in front of me, blocking the thugs'' path. ¡°I made a promise that no harm will come to her if she honors the deal. Are you guys trying to turn me into a liar?¡± The adventurer reaches for his sword, causing the other men to back down.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Did you forget I¡¯m paying you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget. However, my job isn¡¯t to bully a little girl. It¡¯s to protect you. A job I can easily do if I knock you unconscious.¡±


    The noble back away, clearly frightened by the adventurer threat.


    ¡°You¡­.¡± The noble turn his hateful glare towards. ¡°I promise you; you will suffer from humiliating me.¡±


    ¡°God, you never learn, do you?¡± I let out a sigh. Unfazed by his threats.


    ¡°Of course, people like him never learn. That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve killed him, kiddo.¡±


    I could feel my heart drop into my stomach when I heard his voice. The Crooked Man steps into the alley carrying a bag in his hand.


    ¡°Crook, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I thought it¡¯d be waste to let the maids throw away all the food I order.¡± Crook lifts the bag in his hand, which looked like it could burst open at any time. I know that you don¡¯t have any food at your place. So, you might as well take it.


    How the hell does he knows that? While I was wondering if I should board up my home, the pretty boy steps up to Crook.


    ¡°That girl called you Crook. I¡¯m assuming that short for The Crooked Man, right?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡±


    ¡°The Crooked Man is a cold-blooded killer. There¡¯s no way this wimp is him.¡±


    ¡°And what if I was. What would you do?


    ¡°Then I have these men beat you half to death. Then I¡¯ll turn you over to the royal guards. I heard there''s quite the bounty on you. But even if you aren¡¯t The Crooked Man, I¡¯ll still have my men half kill you for your insult towards me.¡±


    ¡°All this over a simple insult. I guess there¡¯s no way I can reason with someone as irrational as you.¡±


    Crook drop the bag to the ground and approach the thugs.


    I instinctively back away when he took his right hand out his pocket.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s going to happen again.¡± My teeth clatter uncontrollably. I didn¡¯t want to remember, but the memories of the mangled bodies and horrible screams came back to me.


    ¡°Relax.¡± The adventurer places his hand on my shoulder. ¡°I told you before. No harm will come to you.¡±


    My body continues to shiver uncontrollably. I know the adventurer was trying to help me relax. But my fear only grew. If they knew what kind of man Crook was, they too would be terrified.


    ¡°Look at this coward, his hand trembling.¡± The goons pointed and laugh at Crook, whose right arm was shaking uncontrollably.


    ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s a condition.¡± Crook grabs his arm in order to calm it down.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not afraid.¡±


    ¡°Now, why I would I be afraid of narrow-minded idiots like you?¡±


    ¡°Watch it. Punk.¡± One of the bigger thugs walks closer to Crook.


    ¡°You idiot. If you get closer to him, you¡¯ll- ¡°


    Before I could finish speaking, the thug threw a punch at Crook. Just as his fist was about to connect with Crook¡¯s face, something strange happen. Instead of hitting Crook, the thug ended up punching himself. A tooth flew out of his mouth as he staggers backward.


    ¡°You bastard, how did you-¡° The thug stopped and slowly looked down at his arm. I cover my mouth to stop myself from screaming. His arm was twisted in an impossible direction. Realizing the state of his arm, the goon opens his mouth to scream, but Crook immediately covers his mouth with his hand.


    ¡°Shh. We don¡¯t want to draw attention, do we?¡± While wearing a calm smile, Crook easily twisted the goon¡¯s head until it was facing the opposite direction. The moment the goon¡¯s body went limp, he tosses the lifeless body away as if he was throwing away trash.


    My stomach churned when I looked at the twisted corpse. Just a second ago he was alive now he barely resembles a human.


    ¡°A-Are you a monster?¡± The noble step backward, his face was ghostly pale; it looked like he was about to pass out any moment.


    ¡°No, far from it. I¡¯m completely, disgustedly, human.


    ¡°B-But how did you-¡°


    ¡°Shh.¡± Crook places a finger on his lip, instantly silencing him. ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time I saw him mutilate a person beyond recognition. I always thought he just he was just super strong. But after meeting Dante and Bella, I¡¯m confident now he has a supernatural gift just like them.


    ¡°And here I was trying to be incognito at least until those pesky royal guards left town. Oh well. Now I guess I have no choice but to get rid of evidence one by one.¡±


    The air grew deathly cold as Crook raised his gloved hand. ¡°Pay very close attention, kiddo. This is how you get a job done.


    .


    .


    .


    The sun retreated behind the walls that made up the alley allowing the darkness to swallow the world around me. And yet despite being submerged and pitch darkness, I could still clearly see the horrific scene before me. And for the first time in my life, I hated that I could see clearly in the dark.


    ¡°This has to be a nightmare. It must be. It can¡¯t be real.


    ¡°And yet, it is.¡±


    A cold hand grab my face and force me to look at the nightmarish scene before me. Bodies twisted into unimaginable shapes covered the dark alley, what was left of their mutilated faces were frozen in fear.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I ran to the nearest trashcan and vomited everything I ate today.


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t want these leftovers.¡±


    Crook causally threw the bag of food he was carrying into a trashcan.


    ¡°How, how can be so calm after killing all those people?¡±


    ¡°Quite easily, actually. They were out to get me, so I killed them. Survival of the fittest, you know that better than anyone kiddo. After all, you were pretty damn close to slitting that rich boy¡¯s throat.¡±


    I could feel a lump in my throat. I couldn¡¯t say anything back to him. The bloody knife in my hand was proof of how close I was to taking a person¡¯s life.


    ¡°If that idiotic swordsman didn¡¯t interfere, you would¡¯ve crossed the line. How vexing.¡± Crook clicks his tongue and stomps what remains of a corpse. My stomach turns as I listen to the sound of bones and flesh getting crushed.


    ¡°I-I got to go.¡± I ran unable to stand the sight before me any longer.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Crook grabs my arm.


    ¡°What? What do you want from me?!¡± Fear and panic cause me to unintentionally raise my voice. I clench my teeth, afraid I might¡¯ve angered him.


    ¡°Had I not made it obvious? What I want is that potential deep, deep, deep inside you.¡±


    As he talked, he moves his glove hand closer to my chest as if he was reaching for my heart. I violently shook my arm until I manage to slip out of his grip. I immediately jump away the moment I escape from him.


    ¡°Potential? The hell you on about? I¡¯m just a normal girl. Yea, I have a tail and weird ears, but if you go to any other populated city, you¡¯ll see plenty of people who has the same characteristic as me. There is nothing special about me, nothing at all! ¡°


    I took a deep breath to calm my overly excited heart. Crook silently looks down at his outstretched hand. The usual twisted smile on his face was gone. For a moment, there was a pained expression as if he was reliving a terrible memory.


    ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re just a normal girl, then there¡¯s no point in keeping you around.¡±


    Once again, he reaches out for me. This time I could sense malice behind his intention. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing special about you, then you¡¯re just another witness I need to get rid of.¡±


    ¡°W-wait you¡¯re seriously not planning on...¡± I tried to back away but ended up tripping over something. My heart nearly stopped when I realize I was lying next to the corpses. It felt like the bodies were holding me down as every time I tried to get up, I fell again.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll make this quick.¡± Crook continues to approach, his hand drawing ever closer to my face.


    ¡°Stop, please.¡± I gave on trying to get up and crawl away. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything else, so please just leave me a- ah!¡± A cold hand grabbed my tail. A sharp and intense sensation travels up my spine and directly into my head, causing my mind to momentarily go blank.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± A weak and pitiful voice brought me back to my senses. I looked behind me to see it was the adventurer holding onto my tail, at least what was left of him.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still alive. Let me fix that.¡±


    Crook crushes the adventurer head with his foot sending blood and brain matter flying everywhere.


    ¡°Now, to deal with you.¡± He steps on the now-deceased body and reaches for me.¡±


    ¡°S-Stop, please.¡± The world became pitch black as he wraps his hand around my face. ¡°I said, stop!!¡±


    ¡°Gah!¡± Suddenly Crook backs away while holding his stomach. A knife was embedded in his lower abdomen. I slowly looked and realized my hand was covered in blood, and the knife I was holding was gone.


    ¡°See? I knew you had it in you, kiddo.¡± Crook''s painful grunts turned into a cold laugh.


    I used the remaining of my strength to escape from the alley. I could still hear Crook¡¯s laughter, no matter how far I ran.


    ¡°See? You¡¯re crooked just like me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I slam my door shut. Immediately the laughter vanishes. ¡°Thank you¡± I let out a sigh let my body slid to the ground. I nearly rested my hands in my face when I realize that it was still covered in blood.


    ¡°It was self-defense. Yea, self-defense, I had no choice.¡± I got back onto my feet, making sure not to leave any blood anywhere. I shakily walk into the kitchen and dump my hands into a bucket of water I used for my plants. Thankfully, the blood came right off, and there isn¡¯t enough of it to change the water. Although I should probably still change the water, doubt it¡¯ll be good for the plants if I gave them something contaminated. Maybe I should get some better fertilizer too.


    Haha, what the hell is wrong with me? I¡®m casually talking about plants even though I just stab a person. Maybe I am crooked.


    ¡°No, no, no. Don¡¯t think like that. That¡¯s exactly how he wants me to think. I¡¯m not crooked. I¡¯m just. I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    I flopped down in a nearby chair. The little strength I had left vanished. As my conscious begins to fade, the smell of dirt suddenly enters my nose rousing me awake.


    Two pots with the label ¡°mom¡± and ¡°dad¡± written on them sat on my kitchen table. A strange white stem rose from the soil of the pots. The flower on top was wrapped in its cocoon, waiting to bloom.


    Drifters, I remember we used to give these flowers to anyone who lost a loved one during the war. It said these flowers allow a grieving person to talk to the person they miss the most.


    ¡°Nothing more than fairy tale probably created by some swindler, hoping they could make some money off grieving idiots. I guess I¡¯m one of those idiots. Honestly, I¡¯ll do anything to see them again. Not just because I miss them, but I want to know if they¡¯re disappointed in me.


    I¡¯m trying to change my life around, but it feels like every step I take, I slip deeper into an abyss just like Crook always wanted, and it¡¯s scaring me.


    ¡°So please¡­¡± I clasp my hands together and pray as hard as I could. ¡°If you can hear me, please talk to me.¡±


    I waited in silence for any form of a sign, but naturally, nothing happens.


    ¡°Yea. Figures.¡± I let out a sigh and stood up. I was too tired to even be disappointed.


    ¡°I should probably get some sleep. Tomorrow going be another long day.¡±


    Not only do I have to report what happened in the alley, but I most likely will have to go into hiding since I doubt Crook¡¯s men are going to be happy when they found out I stab their boss. Well, Dante might end up killing me before Crook¡¯s goon have a chance to. I haven¡¯t made any progress in my training, so I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t mind getting rid of me and finding a better student.


    The more my thoughts wander, the darker they became. I looked out the window to distract myself from thinking. It looks like there¡¯s a full moon tonight, but it''s hidden behind the clouds.


    I let out another exhausted sigh as I head towards the stairs. ¡°I really don¡¯t want tomorrow to come.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Just as Catherine made her way up the stairs, the clouds that hid the moon broke away, allowing moonlight to sneak into the kitchen, illuminating the blooming flower. As if stirred awake by the light. The white flower slowly opens and emitted an ethereal green glow.


    Beckon, by the mysterious glow, a shadowy figure silently enters the kitchen. It grabbed the flower memorized by its light.


    ¡°Ahh.¡± The shadowy figure spread their arms wide and took a deep breath as if they were trying to absorb the scenery into their being. ¡°Catherine, I¡¯m home.¡±

 Chapter 15: Reverie

    Chapter 15


    Moonlight Drifters: Reverie


    Only in the darkest of hours, you can see them. Those lights in the sky. Since time immemorial, men have used these lights as a guide. Perhaps, that¡¯s exactly what they are. Perhaps they exist to lead us out the dark. At least that¡¯s what my dad believed. He told me if I ever felt lost or sad to look up at the stars, they will show me the path.


    But no matter where I look all I see is vast and suffocating darkness. It was as if the world was shallow by a black void.


    ¡°Hello?! Is anyone there?!¡± I shouted as loud as I could hoping someone would respond. But there was only a deafening silence.


    ¡°Please, someone respond! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The silence dug into my mind and slowly ate at my sanity.


    ¡°Please, someone say something. I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore.¡±


    Huh, anymore? Could it be I¡¯ve been feeling lonely this entire time?


    ¡°I guess that explains everything.¡± I let out a pitiful laugh while trying to hold back my tears.


    Why else would I go through hell to get back a crumbling store? But I doubt this hole in my heart will go away even if I succeed. I doubt it¡¯ll ever go away. But I always knew this. I know I¡¯ll never see my parents again. So why do I keep struggling when I know everything, I do is pointless? This isn¡¯t a fairy tale where willpower is all you need to achieve your dream. My father is a perfect example of how cruel reality is.


    My father truly loved this world and he did everything he could to make it a better place. And how does this world repay him? By gifting him a cold and heartless death. I never saw my father''s corpse, but I bet he was still smiling even at the end. That just how much he cared about this world.


    What did you find so beautiful about this world, dad? Even now, I can¡¯t help but wonder.


    "If you want to know than open your eyes."


    A warm and gentle voice reverberated through the black void. I could feel the ache in my heart fade and the black clouds in my head subside. There¡¯s only one person capable of doing this.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes, Catherine, I want to show you something beautiful.¡±


    I follow his order and open my eyes. I was greeted by the moonlight which snuck in through the small gap in my curtains. The ghostly light illuminated the dust particle floating about in my gloomy dark room.


    ¡°It was just a dream?¡± My heart sank into my stomach. ¡°It felt so real. It was like you were there with me in that void.¡±


    I stretch my hand out as if I was still in the dream, reaching for my father. As my arm sank into the darkness, I notice in the corner of my eye a petal floating around in my room. The petal was so white I almost thought it was a piece of the moon. The petal landed in my hand. The moment it nestled in my palm it began to glow green. The brilliant emerald light chased away the darkness and ensnare me in its glow.


    ¡°Are you trying to tell me something?¡± I don¡¯t know why, but it felt like it was communicating with me.


    The petal floated away as if it were responding to my question. It drifted towards my slightly ajar window and landed on the ledge.


    ¡°You want me to follow?¡± The wind begins to pick up. It beat on my window like it were urging me to come outside.


    ¡°Fine.¡± I push aside my curtains and was nearly blinded by the moonlight. The moon strangely felt brighter than usual.


    A cool breeze washes over me the moment I open the window. The wind carried the flower petal outside my room and out into the moonlit town. While still giving off a green glow, the petal dance in the sky like a fairy in a children''s tale.


    ¡°I want to join. I want to fly too.¡± I climb out my window trying to get as close as possible to the sky. I carefully made my way up the building while making sure my pj''s didn''t get caught on nails or anything else that sticking out of the store. The petal floated just above me as if it trying to motivate me to keep moving.


    With the help of my little fairy encouraging me I was easily able to scale the building and what waited for me at the top was something truly breathtaking.


    The moon appeared to hover just over the city, bathing the entire town and pale light. Countless flower petals orbited around the moon. Each one gave off an emerald glow that imbued the already incredible view with an otherworldly beauty.


    ¡°Breathtaking, isn¡¯t it?¡± The voice snaps me back to reality. A man wrapped in shadows stood at the edge of my roof basking in the moonlight. ¡°I looked up at the sky my entire life and yet somehow, I¡¯m always amazed by what I see.¡±


    How strange. There¡¯s a man I don¡¯t know standing on my roof, yet I¡¯m not scared at all. In fact, just being in his presence made me feel warm and safe.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I lower my voice to make myself sound threatening. But the man sighs in admiration as if my voice was a soothing melody to him.


    ¡°It''s been such a long time since I heard your voice, Catherine.¡± The man slowly turns around to face me.


    ¡°No. it can¡¯t be. It can¡¯t.¡± I back away unable to accept what I was seeing. The man looked exactly like my father. He had the same gold glowing eye, brown skin, innocent calming smile, he even wore the same filthy overalls my dad wore to tend to the garden.


    ¡°My god. Deborah, look at how much our little girl has grown.¡± Tears stream down the man¡¯s face as he approaches me.


    ¡°Stop it! Stop acting like my father! You¡¯re not him, you¡¯re not!!¡± I tried to back away, but the only thing behind me was a three-story drop. Although I jumped off higher buildings for some reason, I couldn¡¯t muster up the courage to leap off this one. Maybe it because I didn¡¯t want to part from the guy that looked so much like my father.


    ¡°Catherine...¡± Suddenly, the man was in front of me, his arms open wide. I closed my eyes and brace myself for his attack. But instead, I was wrapped in a warm embrace. ¡°I missed you so much.¡± I could feel the man¡¯s body tremble as he hugs me tightly. I wrapped my arms around him and rest my head on his stomach.


    ¡°What a nostalgic scent.¡± The smell coming from the man reminded me of the bright and happy days I spent with my family. There¡¯s no way anyone can replicate this smell. ¡°Dad, is it really you?¡±


    ¡°Yes baby, it¡¯s me.¡± My dad hugs me tighter and I clung to his clothes making sure he was truly here.


    ¡°Where were you?! I thought¡­ I thought you were dead!!¡± My vision became blurry as my tears flowed down my cheeks.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± My dad wipes the tears away from my eyes and knelt next to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry Catherine. I know you¡¯ve been in so much pain, and I would¡¯ve done anything to be there for you. Even now, I don¡¯t want to let go of you, but I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re, leaving me again?! You just came back, why are you leaving?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Catherine. But your mother waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Mom? But she¡¯s¡­¡± I took a step back and stared at the flower petals floating around my father.


    ¡°No. It can¡¯t be. Are those my drifter plants?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± My dad didn¡¯t respond to my question. He just looked at me, sadness clear visible in his eyes.


    ¡°I see. I get it now.¡± My body shook uncontrollably as I laugh. ¡°This isn¡¯t real, is it? This is all just a dream.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter if it''s a dream? I came here because you called for me.¡±


    ¡°Yea? Well, you should¡¯ve come when mom was crying for you. Do you have any idea how horrible it is watching your mother slowly die and being unable to do a damn thing to help?¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine the pain you been through.¡± My dad reaches for me, but I slap his hand away. He looked down at his hand hurt as if I broke it. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever told you that I was raised in an orphanage, did I?¡± My dad paused waiting for me to respond to his question, but I had no intention of speaking with a figment of my imagination.


    ¡°The living condition there was awful. The place was packed with kids who just lost their family in the war, and the adults only care about what little money the country gave them so they could buy alcohol or women.¡±


    My dad laughs like he was looking back at a fond memory.


    ¡°Yea. It was pretty bad. I remember sneaking out late at night and stealing whatever I could find just so I could buy some scrap to eat.¡±


    ¡°You used to steal?¡± I broke my silence, surprise that my father who I thought was purer than snow committed a crime.


    ¡°Yup, your old man was quite the criminal back in the day. I would do anything I could to survive. Back then, I only care about living to see another day. That is until I met your mother.¡±


    My dad''s expression became warmer and gentler when he mention mom.


    ¡°To me, she was like a star. She showed me just how beautiful this world is and that there¡¯s more to life than simply surviving. And when I found out she was pregnant with you I decided I wanted to show you and everyone else just how beautiful life is.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, huh? See? That¡¯s the problem. If you weren¡¯t so busy trying to play the hero, mom would still be here. I hate to break it to you dad, but there¡¯s nothing beautiful about this world. It¡¯s ugly and cruel. The only people that can thrive here are shitty people who will happily step on others just to get ahead.¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe that.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Yea? Well, I do believe. I¡¯m no longer the innocent little girl who used to cling to you, dad. I¡¯m a shitty and selfish person. I can¡¯t even begin to count how many people I killed just by ignoring their cry for help."


    I was right about you, kiddo.


    My hands tremble as my mind was assaulted by Crook¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you honestly believe that, then why did you save that woman and her son from Dante? You even gave her the money you risk your life to steal, why is that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know why I helped her.¡± I thought about the emaciated woman and her son who desperately clung to her.


    ¡°You can tell she was giving all her food she could find to her son. She was¡­ she is a good person. She was even willing to sacrifice herself for someone as shitty as me. And for some reason, it made me mad.¡±


    ¡°Why did her act of kindness anger you?¡± My dad reaches for my shoulder. I would¡¯ve slapped it away if I wasn¡¯t busy wiping the tears from my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know why it pissed me off. It just¡­ it just¡­¡± I could feel a lump growing in my throat as I continue to talk.


    ¡°That kid, the way he clung to his mom. It reminded me of myself. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s the only person the kid got in the world and if he loses her. He¡¯ll be all alone. Just like¡­ just like me.¡± Unable to hold back my tears anymore, I rested my head on my father¡¯s stomach and silently wept.


    ¡°You¡¯re not alone Catherine. You¡¯ve never been alone. You''ve just been in the dark for too long to have noticed. And I¡¯m here to show you the light.¡± My dad grabbed my hand and gently led me towards the edge of the roof.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°I want you to see what I see. What I''ve always seen.¡± His eyes were shining like they always had whenever he looked up at the sky. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    We stood on the ledge of the building. As I stare at the darkness below, I remember the tales of siren leading sailors to their watery demise. I always wonder how they fall for such an obvious trick. But as I stand here just one step away from falling, I¡¯m beginning to think they took the plunge knowing it was a trap, but hoping whatever was waiting for them at the bottom was better than the world they live in.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Holding hands, we leaped off the building. Rather than plummeting to the earth, we rose higher in the sky.


    ¡°What? You can fly?!¡±


    ¡°No, we can fly.¡± My dad let¡¯s go of my hand.


    ¡°Whoa! Dad?! Dad!¡± I desperately try to grab his hand scared I would fall. Yet somehow, I was hovering in place. The glowing flower petals dance around me as if they were cheering for me.


    ¡°Is this really a dream?¡±


    There¡¯s no way any of this could happen in the real world. Yet I can smell the fresh air and feel the cool wind brushing against my skin.


    ¡°Does it matter if this is a dream or not? Right now, we¡¯re together again and that¡¯s all that matters to me. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­¡± My dad smiles softly at me and then looked up at the sky.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. what I want to show you is high up.¡± My dad flew higher in air. I followed right after him. Flying was surprisingly easy. It was almost like second nature.


    ¡°This is insane! I¡¯m seriously flying!¡± I twirl and dance along with the flower petals as we rose higher. I stretch my arm hoping I¡¯ll be able to touch the stars. Yet, no matter how high we climb we never got close to them. We continue to rise until eventually the sky and the clouds vanish. There¡¯s was nothing but a vast sea of darkness. The only light we had was from the emerald glow coming from the petals.


    ¡°This is it.¡± My dad suddenly stops and turns towards me.


    ¡°This is where you wanted to take me? But there¡¯s nothing here.¡±


    ¡°Below you.¡± I follow his advice and looked down. I gasp at what I saw. It was like the moon, but much, much bigger. It felt like it would consume me if I looked at it any longer.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    My dad looks down at the gigantic blue sphere with a warm smile. ¡°That is our world.¡±


    ¡°Our world? No way, it can¡¯t be. It so huge¡­¡±


    I always knew the world was big, but I could never imagine it was this massive. It¡¯s somewhat disheartening to look at. My home that I¡¯ve been struggling to get back was nowhere to be seen neither was the town I spent my whole life in. They might as well be a grain of sand on a beach that stretches for eternity.


    ¡°We really are small, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯re like ants pointlessly crawling through dirt unaware how insignificant we truly are.¡±


    ¡°In the grand scheme of things, we are small, but we¡¯re far from being insignificant. Every single one of us can change someone''s life and the environment around us. And when we come together, we can change the very world.¡±


    The moment those words left his mouth, I notice a small bright light coming from the giant blue sphere floating in the endless black void.


    ¡°Looks like a star doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Y-Yea.¡± I was somewhat shaken that he knew what I was looking at with his back turn to me. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Look closer, and you¡¯ll see.¡±


    I follow my dad''s instruction and focus on the small light. Begin to grow brighter the longer I looked at it. until eventually, everything around me was consumed by the light.


    ¡°And, what happened after that? C¡¯mon, tell me already mom!¡±


    When the light faded, I found myself in a small room. A little boy bounces up and down on the bed trying to get the woman sitting next to him to finish the story.


    ¡°We¡¯ll continue tomorrow. You should get some sleep.¡±


    The boy puffed out his cheeks disappointed


    ¡°Sorry, that isn¡¯t going to work on me today.¡± The woman places the book down and turn the lamp off.


    ¡°Hey, mom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sweety?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that cat girl is still alive?¡±


    ¡°Catgirl¡­¡± I click my tongue annoyed. My dad covers his mouth to suppress his laughter, but it seems pointless as they couldn¡¯t see us, even though we were standing in the center of the room.


    ¡°I forgot how much you hated being compared to a cat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure everyone would hate to be compared to one. If they had to deal with kids continuously treating them like an animal. Some of those brats went even as far as trying to feed me a dead rat and a raw fish.¡±


    Just remembering how bad I used to get bully when I was a kid made me shudder.


    ¡°Anyway, aren¡¯t these the two that help me after Dante sent me flying out of a building.¡±


    ¡°They look much livelier, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yea, they look so much different.¡± Back when I first met them. They looked like they were barely clinging to life. Now, they looked like any other healthy family you see roaming the street.


    ¡°Of course, she¡¯s fine. She¡¯s your hero, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, and heroes never lose!¡± The little boy shouted while practically hopping out of the bed.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± The mom places her hands on her son to calm him down. ¡°I¡¯m sure she out there somewhere helping others.¡±


    ¡°God, this is embarrassing. I¡¯m starting to see why Dante doesn¡¯t like people calling him a hero. I¡¯ve grown used to being called ever insult in the dictionary. But being looked up to and praise is something new to me.


    ¡°There no reason to feel embarrassed. It¡¯s because of you that they¡¯re able to live happily like this.¡±


    ¡°Because of me¡­¡± I watched in silence as the two laughed without a care in the world. Despite all, they have been through. All the pain they suffer. There wasn¡¯t a hint of despair on them. Rather, there was a light in their eyes, and it shines as bright as any star.


    I was so enamored by the warm light that I didn¡¯t notice we were once again floating in the dark abyss staring at the small light coming from our world.


    ¡°You led them out of the dark and allow them to shine. And because of you, they can help others out of the dark.


    Suddenly, more light appear. They spread across the world like a wildfire.


    ¡°And if we continue to help and guide each other, we can create something truly beautiful.¡±


    Looking at the view. I finally understood why my father was always trying so hard to help others. Why he always smile despite how cruel the world is, and I finally understood what he¡¯s been looking at this entire time. A world of light, a Kingdom of Stars.


    ¡°It beautiful.¡± I could feel the warmth coming from the light. It almost felt like they were embracing me.


    ¡°Remember this, Catherine. Remember that no matter how dark it gets there¡¯s will always be a light to guide you.¡±


    As I continue to stare in awe at our world. I notice the green lights drifting around us slowly begin to fade one after the other.


    ¡°Looks like my time is up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    My dad looked down at me wearing a sad smile. I knew this was coming. I knew that I would eventually have to wake up from this dream. But not now, not yet.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay a bit longer?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. Your mom is waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Then take me with you! We can be a family again!¡±


    ¡°Catherine¡­.¡± My dad called out to me weakly. I could tell he was close to breaking. If I push a bit more, I''m sure he''ll give in.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take you with me. You still have a purpose in this life.¡±


    ¡°And what purpose is that, to suffer?¡± I grabbed my chest. I could feel a sharp pain in my heart. It felt like someone plunged a knife deep inside me, deep enough to even pierce my soul.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a day that goes by that I don¡¯t think of you and mom, and it hurts. It hurts when I wake up in an empty home. It hurts when I see other happy families, it hurts when I think of you and mom. It hurts that I¡¯ll have to go through another day knowing you no longer exist in this world.


    Once again, my vision became blurry as I pour my heart out. I could hear soft whimper coming from my dad. His hands tremble violently as he squeezes my hands.


    ¡°Please, Dad,¡± I spoke softly, trying my hardest to keep my emotions in check. ¡°I can¡¯t take this pain anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± He lets go of my hands and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace. ¡°And not only can you endure it, but you can overcome this pain¡±


    ¡°How, how do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve always been watching you, and I know you have the strength to overcome anything that comes your way.¡± Suddenly, my father pushes me away. ¡°All you need to do is believe in yourself.¡± He whispered. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he waves goodbye.


    ¡°Dad! No!!¡± I tried to regain my balance, but whatever force that allowed me to fly vanish, thus I plummeted back to my world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Dad!¡± Desperate I reach for my father who figure was getting smaller.


    ¡°Remember this Catherine.¡± Somehow, I was still able to hear his voice as clear as day even though we¡¯re so far apart. ¡°Remember that you¡¯re a star too, you can shine just as bright.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    I open my eyes and saw my hand was reaching for the familiar ceiling.


    ¡°It was just a dream?¡± Crushed, tears fell down my face that was already wet with tears. Just as my heart was about to collapse from disappointment. I notice my bed was covered with white flower petals.


    Are these from my drifters? But I left them downstairs how did they¡­? It can¡¯t be was that dream real?


    (Does it matter if this a dream or not. We¡¯re together again and that¡¯s all that matter to me.)


    My dad¡¯s words echo in my head.


    You¡¯re right, dad. The only thing that matters is we got to see each other again. And I finally got to see what you see. A kingdom of Stars.


    ¡°I wonder will I ever be able to see the world the same way you do?¡± I sat in the dark tormenting by this question until my room begins to grow brighter as the sun slowly rose in the sky.


    ¡°I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t try.¡± Gathering my resolve, I hopped off my bed and threw on some random clothes. I made my way downstairs heading straight for the exist until I notice something in the corner of my eye.


    One of the plants I left on the kitchen table has died. One by one, the blackened petals fell off the limp flower.


    It was just getting ready to bloom last night. How did it die? Was this the price it had pay for showing me that dream? If so then, ¡°Thank you.¡± I clasped my hand together and offer the flower a silent prayer. ¡°I promise that¡¯ll I never forget what you have shown me.¡±


    After I finish my prayer. I headed outside. Vowing to bury the flower once I came back.


    It was still quite early in the day. Early enough that the city looked like a ghost town. Naturally, there isn¡¯t much to do except wait for the stores to open, and since I was broke, that really wasn¡¯t an option for me. The only thing I could do was sleep until Bella threw something at my window and shouted it was time to train.


    And yet despite having nothing to do and nowhere to go my body continues to move forward with a clear destination in mind. The alley where Crook killed all those men. Obviously, I didn¡¯t want to take a step near the place. But I had to see if Crook was still alive.


    I took a deep breath when I step on the street where the massacre happen. I knew I wasn¡¯t ready to see all those mangle bodies. But I push forward, nonetheless. When I turn the corner I immediately froze in place.


    This close off space should¡¯ve been littered with bodies, but it was completely empty. I couldn¡¯t even find a speck of blood.


    ¡°Was it all a dream? No, it was real.¡± I can still remember their screams so clearly. It was worst than my darkest nightmare. There¡¯s no way any of that was fake. So then, what happened to the bodies?


    Did the soldiers take them away? No, I doubt that. They would¡¯ve sealed off the area so they could investigate the crime scene. But this looks like someone was trying to hide the evidence. Which only could mean one thing.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re still alive Crook?¡± I felt a mixture of emotions. Happy that I didn¡¯t sully my hands with his blood and disappointment that he was still out there.


    I walk into the alley looking for anything that Crook¡¯s goons might¡¯ve missed. Eventually, I notice a locket hanging out of a trashcan. At first, I thought it belonged to the noble due to how expensive it was. But to my surprise when I open it there was a picture of the adventurer in it. There was a little girl standing by his side hugging his arm. On the bottom of the picture, it simply said, ¡°stay safe Dad.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you said I still had a purpose in this life. I wonder if this is it.¡± I close the locket and held it close to my heart.


    I don¡¯t what anyone else to go through the same pain I¡¯ve been through. So please dad. Give me the strength to help people like her.


    I ball my hand into a fist and struck the wall near me. The wall easily crumbles and fell apart, creating a small dust cloud. When the dust clear there¡¯s was only a huge hole where my fist struck. It almost looked like the wall was hit by a cannon.


    I looked down at my hand surprise. The usual bruises I get whenever I attempt this technique was nowhere to be seen, and the aura wrapped around my hand was quickly dissipating.


    ¡°Alright, Crook.¡± I tightly clench my hand. Fatigue swept through my body, but at the same time, I felt a new strength flowing through me. ¡°You wanted to see my potential. Next time we meet I¡¯ll show you.¡±

 Chapter 15.5: A Warped Perspective

    Chapter 15.5


    A Warped Perspective


    The darkness fled as the sun rose over the horizon, bathing the world in soft golden light. Famers, merchants, and everyone else that woke up early all paused and stared at the view that signifies the beginning of the day. Every single one of them cherishes this moment. All except for one person.


    On top of the cold stone wall that surrounded the small town stood a man staring down dispassionately at the world below. While silently staring at the sun, the man placed a lit cigar in his mouth and blew smoke into the air, somewhat hoping the poison fumes would stain the picturesque view. But naturally, the smoke quickly dissipated, not even leaving a trace it ever existed.


    ¡°You know, my mother once told me that a man¡¯s value is determined by the amount of money he possesses.¡± The man said nonchalantly to the corpse lying next to him. Bugs swarmed the body and picked at the decaying flesh. Unfazed by the gruesome scene, the man continues to talk.


    ¡°Back then, I thought my mom was the wisest person in the world, so I always listen to her, far more than my drunk dad. But this time I had to disagree with her. You see, I believed the value of a man was determined by his resolve to protect his family. Heh, I bet you''re surprised to hear that from me, aren¡¯t you? Well back then, I was just a blind, ignorant kid who was blissfully unaware of the cruelty of this world.¡±


    The man paused and took another puff from his cigar.


    ¡°Yea, I wasn¡¯t always like this. But life, life has a way of beating lessons into you. And let me tell you, it beat the living shit out of me.¡± The man tried to laugh but was struck with intense pain in his abdominal area.


    ¡°You would think I would be used to this, but even now it disgusts me.¡± The man said, holding his stomach.


    When the soldiers spotted me dragging your body, they were quick to preach to me about justice. But their attitudes quickly changes when I offer them money. They got on their knees like a cheap whore eagerly waiting for their master¡¯s orders.


    Smoke slip from his lips when he let out an exhausted sigh.


    ¡°I suppose mom was right. Money makes the man, but you already knew that, didn¡¯t you, pretty boy?¡± The man flicks his cigar at the corpse, which scares off the bugs feasting on the body.


    ¡°Well, money can turn a boy into a man, but it sure as hell doesn¡¯t make an idiot smarter, now does it?¡± With a wicked grin on his face, the man placed his foot on the corpse. ¡°Next time, choose your enemy more wisely.¡±


    The man kicked the corpse sending it flying off the stone wall towards a pack of starving beasts. The monsters were greedily feasting on a body the man dropped earlier. Half of the creatures¡¯ race towards the fresh corpse and begin to eagerly tear it into pieces.


    ¡°Relax, I got plenty more for you ugly bastards.¡±


    ¡°Crook.¡± A man with multiple scars on his face and a dead look in his eyes approach the other man who was still watching the beasts as if mesmerized.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is this enough?¡± Crook stare into the scarred man¡¯s eyes. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t tell what was going through Scar head, but he works with him long enough to what his vague words meant.


    ¡°Yes and no. I doubt anybody gives a damn about these nobodies. We could¡¯ve left their bodies on the streets, and the town''s guard would¡¯ve probably launched a half-assed investigation that won¡¯t last even a week. The problem is the pretty boy. Since he comes from a rich family people are going to notice his disappearance, which could invite more prying eyes to our peaceful little town.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We change the narrative.¡± Crook reached into his pocket and threw a clear bag at Scar. Inside the bag was colorful jewelry that you only see wore by a noble, an adventurer id, and a bloody hand.


    ¡°Give this to one of my men and tell them to buy a cart and ditch it on one of the roads leading to New Dawn. Make sure they dump the content in that bag near the cart. The rest will take care of itself.¡± Crook suddenly raise both hands in the air like he was an entertainer getting ready to make an exciting announcement.


    ¡°A noble and his bodyguard was ambushed and eaten alive as they were heading back to the capital. See? The story writes itself. What you think?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Scar opens his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a scream.


    ¡°Boss!¡± One of Crook¡¯s men ran towards Crook and Scar shouting.


    ¡°Are you trying to draw attention our way?¡± Crook looked down at his goon, who was panting and was trembling.


    ¡°Alive, it¡¯s alive.¡± The goon stammers.


    ¡°Who¡¯s alive?¡± Before the goon could answer Crook¡¯s question, another scream could be heard in the distance. More of Crook¡¯s men race towards him and scar. Behind them, there was a beast chasing after them. No, it isn¡¯t a beast. Crook thought. It was a human, was.


    The former human skin was deathly pale, and blood poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth staining it¡¯s worn leather amour a deep dark red.


    ¡°Alive, you said? That thing doesn¡¯t look alive to me.¡± Crook took his right hand out of his pocket and prepared himself for the inevitable clash.


    ¡°Wait, are you saying it¡¯s a- ¡°


    ¡°Husk.¡± Scar answered the cowering goon while reaching for his sword.


    Husks were creatures that bring themselves back from the dead through sheer willpower, in Crook''s own words, idiots too stubborn to accept their fate.


    ¡°Damnit. I¡¯ll take him out.¡± One of the thugs stopped and drew his weapon. The husk lifted its sword it was dragging through on the ground and swung it with inhuman strength, easily cleaving the man in half.


    ¡°Great, we got more to clean up after.¡± Crook let out an exhausted sigh as he watched the upper torso of one of his men fall into the town below. ¡°If you plan on dying, then please fall on the side where the monsters are so they can clean after your mess!¡± Crook shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Scar pulled his sword and walked forward.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Crook placed his hand on Scar''s shoulder and step in front of him. ¡°Things will only get messier if you get involved.¡±


    Crook didn¡¯t doubt Scar¡¯s skills. In fact, he was confident Scar could deal with the undead creature by himself, but it would take some time. The dead don¡¯t die so easily after all.


    ¡°Plus.¡± Crook continued. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s after me.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that, um, sir?¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡± Crook clicks his tongue, causing the goon to shrivel up in fear.


    ¡°Scar, you¡¯ve been at this longer than I have why don¡¯t you explain it to him.


    ¡°Right.¡± Scar put his weapon away and then turn to face the goon. The multiple scars on his face, combined with his dead expression only frighten the cowering thug more.


    ¡°Typically, there are three desires that allow a husk to move their decaying bodies.¡± A small smile spread on Crook¡¯s face as he listens to Scar¡¯s explanation. He was only joking, but it was just like Scar to take everything he said seriously.


    ¡°A strong desire to live, a strong desire for revenge, and a strong desire to protect their love ones.¡±


    ¡°A desire to protect, what a load of bull. You¡¯re obviously the vengeful type right, Mr. adventure?¡±


    ¡°OOOOH!¡± The husk let out a bloodcurdling roar. It raised its sword high over its head and swung it downwards like it was a hammer. Crook responded to its attack by merely raising his right hand towards the blade.


    It was hard to see. Scar, with his trained eyes, was the only able to see the distortion near Crook¡¯s hand. The moment the sword met the distortion, it bent into itself, becoming nothing more than a useless lump of metal.


    But it didn¡¯t stop there. The distortion quickly spread to the husk¡¯s arm. Twisting its muscle and skin until it became an unrecognizable mess of flesh and bones.


    Any other living creature would¡¯ve blacked out from the intense pain or from the shock of seeing their body part take a gruesome new form. But the unrelenting undead press forward and swung its twisted flesh that seemed to fuse with the lump of iron it once held at Crook.


    Crook step to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. At the same time, he trips the husk, by sweeping his leg underneath its leg.


    Crook aims his right hand at the husk, preparing to finish it off but stop at the unbelievable sight in front of him. The monster that should know no fear was running away from him.


    ¡°I have to get back, get back.¡± The husk mumble as it desperately crawled away.


    ¡°I see.¡± Crook placed his right hand back in his pocket and walked towards the fleeing husk.¡± If it were motivated by the strong desire to live, it would attack anyone that it felt threatened by it. If it were motivated by revenge, it would relentlessly attack Crook until it killed him or it until its completely destroyed.


    ¡°A strong desire to protect their love ones.¡± Scar¡¯s words echo in Crooks''s head.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re the latter, huh? Now that I think about it. You were the only person trying to protect Catherine. You must¡¯ve been a good person.¡± Crook placed his foot on the back on the husk back to stop it from moving.


    ¡°I know you think I might be a villain, and you¡¯re probably right. But know this, even if you somehow manage to return home to your loved ones, the only thing waiting for you is a tragedy. Either they¡¯ll kill you out of fear, or you¡¯ll kill them as your hatred for all living beings grow. Shitty, isn¡¯t it? But that¡¯s life for you.¡±


    ¡°Go back, have to return.¡± The husk continues to mindlessly struggle underneath Crook''s foot. Realizing he might as well to be talking to a wall. Crook let out another exhausted sigh.


    ¡°Scar, make it quick.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± Scar pulls his sword out and aimed at the husk neck.¡± In a single and clean stroke, Scar easily beheaded the undead creature and


    ¡°Have to¡­ go back.¡± Even after being separated from each other. The headless body continued to struggle, and the head continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. You guys can dispose of the body. Scar, you¡¯re in charge.¡± Crook lifts his foot off the husk and walk away without looking back to see if his men had a handle on the situation.


    ¡°What a shitty way to start the day.¡± Crook reached into his pocket as he continued to walk. The cigar he was fishing for slip out of his pocket and fell on the ground. Silently cursing to himself as he reaches for it. His right hand begins to tremble uncontrollably as he tried to grab the cigar. Unable to get a grip on it, he stood back up and looked at the blue sky and the rising sun.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Crook let out a dry laugh as he listened to the sounds of birds chirping and beasts chomping on the corpses, he fed them. ¡°Honestly, what a shitty world.¡±

 Chapter 16: Graduation

    Chapter 16


    Graduation


    ¡°Life is truly full of surprises, huh?¡± I mumble to myself as I idly watch the clouds float. Hoping one of them would block the sun long enough to cool me down. The tournament is only a few weeks away, which also means summer is almost here. It¡¯s getting harder to train with the increasing heat. Honestly, I just want to sit in the shade and lazily watch the day go by. But sadly, I had no time for such luxury. Well, at least I¡¯m not suffering alone.


    ¡°Is that all you weaklings got?!¡± The Instructor yelled at the trainee.


    ¡°No, sir!¡± The trainees shouted back. Sweat flew off their body as they swung, they¡¯re wooden swords.


    ¡°Pathetic, again!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Actually, on second thought, I think I might have it easier compared to those recruits. I don¡¯t have the mental fortitude to train under the hot sun while being yelled at. Yea, I don¡¯t have what it takes to be a soldier or an adventurer too. I can¡¯t just throw myself into life-threatening situations like those two groups. And yet, here I am preparing myself for a tournament filled with strong warriors.


    ¡°Life really is full of surprises, huh. Somehow I always find myself doing things I rather not do.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but isn¡¯t that what makes it interesting?¡± An elderly man dressed in a white military uniform sat down next to me.


    ¡°And here comes the biggest surprise of them all,¡± I mutter to myself. If someone told me that I would be trained by the hero who challenges the demon king one day, I would¡¯ve called them crazy and never talked to them again.


    Surprisingly, despite his impressive reputation, Dante is easy to get along with. Thanks to his down-to-earth personality, I often forget who he is. But the furtive glance from the trainees and even instructors reminded me once again that Dante considers a legend among warriors.


    ¡°So, how¡¯s your training coming going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going great, I guess.¡± I looked at the training dummy standing beside me. There was a giant in its chest, and there was a significant dent in its abdomen area. I doubt anyone would believe I did that with my fist. To be honest, even I still can¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Looks like you have gotten quite good at controlling your aura,¡± Dante said as he examined the training dummy.


    ¡°I¡¯m at least confident I won¡¯t kill anybody if I hit them with my aura.¡±


    The problem is it''s incredibly hard to maintain my aura. Currently, I can only keep it active for a few seconds. Not to mention it''s extremely exhausting just conjuring power this regardless of the amount of energy I use. At this point, aura isn¡¯t something I can use reliably in a fight. If only I had a bit more time.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we spar for a bit.¡± Dante tapped my shoulder and stood up.


    ¡°Huh? Right now?¡± I looked up a Dante who was swinging a sword around like the trainees.


    ¡°I want to see how much you have improved these past few months.


    I hopped to my feet and threw a couple of jabs at the air. I¡¯m a bit exhausted, but I¡¯m still in good shape.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m game.¡± I bent my knees slightly and raised my hands near my face to protect my head.


    Dante placed his left hand behind his back and raised his weapon at me with his right. It was the exact stance he used against Scar in their fight. ¡°Now, show me what you learn in this past couple of months.¡±


    Once again, I¡¯m reminded how strong Dante is. Even an amateur like me can tell how solid his stance is. He almost looks like a boulder that¡¯ll never budge regardless of what I do. And those deep blue eyes of his remind me of the ocean. Strong but soothing and gentle. The more I look at him, the harder it gets for me to breathe. It feels like I¡¯m sinking deeper into the ocean. This isn¡¯t good. I¡¯m getting sucked into his pace. I need to calm down. Breathe. Breathe!


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. That was close. I almost lost the fight before it began. You really are something, Dante. Once again, without uttering a word, you show me how narrow my worldview is. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve never known how beautiful combat could be.


    I always thought fights were nothing more than senseless violence. But it¡¯s much, much more than that. Combat is a form of art. I suppose that is why martial arts is called what it is. Warriors train not because they want to beat their opponents. But because they want to beat their past selves. I can¡¯t help but wonder how many times did you overcome yourself to obtain that strength? No, I get the feeling you have done much, much more than that for some reason. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine the hell you¡¯ve been through to acquire that power. What I do know is that you are truly beautiful. Ah, I guess a guy like you wouldn¡¯t think of that as a compliment, but that¡¯s the only way I can describe that strength of yours.


    ¡°Hm? Why are you smiling?¡± Dante tilted his head and looked at me, somewhat confused.


    ¡°I¡¯m smiling?¡± I touch my face. Indeed I had quite a wide grin on my face. Wide enough that even my fangs, I tried my best to hide, were showing. To think I would be this excited. It looks like I did end up getting caught in his pace.


    ¡°Sorry, I just remember this funny joke. Want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Dante lowers his sword. I was taken aback by the childlike curiosity in his eyes. I guess he must really like jokes.


    ¡°You see, the joke is¡­.¡± I dashed towards Dante as fast as I could. Dante¡¯s eyes widened n surprise, but they immediately narrowed as he raised his guard. As expected of a veteran. Something like this isn¡¯t enough to shake him up.


    I threw a punch aim directly at his stomach. And mid-swing, I abruptly stopped and stepped backward to avoid his incoming attack.


    It''s infuriating to me to admit, but because I¡¯m on the shorter side, I got to get extremely close to hitting someone, which puts me at a huge disadvantage in a fight, especially against someone with a weapon. But if I throw feints and make him preemptively attack. I should be able to get close to him safely. Should, but the moment I took a step towards him, the sword I avoided was already coming back.


    I step back again to avoid his attack, but Dante advances towards me in the midst of his attack, significantly extending his range. I lean my head back, narrowly avoiding his sword that almost struck my chin. Before I had to chance to recover, he was already attacking again. This time he was aiming for my head.


    ¡°Ngh.¡± I gritted my teeth and ducked. A gust of wind blew past me as his sword went over my head. Once again, as I was getting up, Dante was in the middle of his next attack.


    Fucking monster! I can''t even blink! To make matters worse, each of his attacks is faster and sharper than the last. If I don¡¯t do something about that sword, I¡¯m going to get overwhelmed.


    I jump backward to escape Dante¡¯s flurry of attacks. The moment my feet touch the ground, I dash straight at him again. As expected, Dante slashes at me before I can get close to him. I raise my arm to block to his attack. I tightly clench my teeth and push forward, ignoring the throbbing pain in my left arm.


    ¡°Got- ugh!¡± Then, as I was about to land a counterattack, Dante kneed me in the stomach, forcing all the air out of my lungs.


    I stumble backward, holding my stomach. Every single fiber of my being wanted me to lay down and sleep.


    ¡°Catherine!¡± A loud voice snaps me out of my daze. I looked up to see Dante thrusting his sword at me.


    Before my mind could register how to react, my body moved on its own. I leaned back far enough I thought the back of my head would hit the ground.


    I planted both my hands on the ground and raised my lower body in the air to kick his sword out of his hand, but he lifted his weapon over his head to avoid my feet and then swung downward at me. I push myself off the ground and flip away, barely dodging his overhead strike.


    ¡°So, what was the joke again?¡± Dante rests his sword on his shoulder and looks down at me.


    I tried to speak, but only a pain groan came out of my mouth. I¡¯m glad Dante isn¡¯t going easy on me, but still. This really, really hurts!


    ¡°Woah! Hey, are spars supposed to be intense?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so. I guess this is just a quirk of being a hero. Even something as basic as training will transform into something out of an epic.¡±


    The trainees murmured among themselves as they watched us. Even the Instructor was staring at us with starry eyes.


    ¡°God, this is embarrassing. Dante, why don¡¯t we- ¡°Before I could finish speaking, I instinctively step to the side. Dante slams his sword where I am standing.


    ¡°What are you- Woah!¡± In the next moment, Dante was front of me. I tried to jump away, but I was swept off the ground by Dante¡¯s leg. As I fell, Dante swung his sword downward at me. I cross my arms to protect my head. Through my guard, I could see Dante narrow his eyes at me.


    This one can¡¯t be blocked. That is what I felt like he was trying to tell me. I twist my body around while in midair and kick his hand, changing the direction of his sword from my head to my shoulder.


    I bit my lip to keep myself from losing my consciousness from the intense pain. The moment my back slammed into the ground, I quickly crawled away while flailing my tail around, kicking dirt and rock everywhere to cover my escape.


    I know I must look pathetic, crawling around on all four like a wild animal. But right, I didn¡¯t care; I just wanted to put as much distance as I could between Dante and me.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Dante said as he calmly dusted off his uniform. ¡°You¡¯ve become quite good at dodging and mitigating damage, but I hope you don¡¯t think you can win a fight by simply evading.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Of course, I know.¡±


    ¡°You do? Then tell me, why are you focused solely dodging?¡±


    Because you¡¯re not even giving me a chance to breathe! That is what I wanted to say, but I knew that wasn¡¯t a good excuse. This is exactly what I have to deal with in the upcoming tournament. No, it¡¯ll be even worse. I¡¯ll be facing people wielding actual swords and knives. I can die if I¡¯m not careful.


    ¡°I see, so this a test, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Something of the sorts.¡±


    ¡°So, what happens if I fail?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I haven¡¯t thought that far.¡± Dante rested his weapon on his shoulder and rubbed his gray beard. ¡°As much as I hate to admit. Death is quite common in this tournament. And honestly, I rather nothing bad happens to you. So, if you can¡¯t pass this test, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make sure you can¡¯t participate.¡±


    ¡°Everything in your power? How scary.¡± Dante is a royal guard, the king''s right-hand man. This means, in a way, he holds the same amount of power the king of our country does. He can put me in prison for weeks so I could miss the sign-in deadline or have me blacklisted from the tournament.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think this spar would have stakes in it. I guess I have no choice but use everything I got.¡± I stood up and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Oh, are you saying you got a trump card up your sleeves?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a trump card. Rather it feels more like a wild card.¡± I covered my face with my hands and closed my eyes.


    Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling like a stranger in my own body. Every time I ended up in danger or when my mind was reaching its breaking point. I could feel something gnawing at me as if it were trying to break out of some sort of cage. Even now, I can feel it trying to escape from within me.


    What if I set it free?


    No, no, no. I can¡¯t. It¡¯s too scary. I get a feeling something will happen to me if I let it go. But what if I slightly open the cage door?


    ¡°Well, only one way to find out.¡±


    Creeeak


    Suddenly, a wave of calm washed over me, drowning my worries, fears, and even my pain.


    ¡°The air around you changed. What did you just do?¡± Dante said as he raised his guard.


    ¡°No idea, but I hope you¡¯re ready.¡± Then, without any warning, I zigzag towards Dante, hoping to make myself a more challenging target.


    The moment I stepped into his range, he swung his sword at me. I dip low. Somehow the wooden sword manages to cut strands of my hair. I ignore the absurdity of his strength and continue to charge forward. Dante lifted his leg. I stopped and tightened my guard, expecting him to knee me, but he jumped away.


    Ho, I never expected a hero would resort to something like a feint. Does that mean I have you on the ropes, old man?


    I chased after Dante. The moment I closed the distance, I kicked up dirt and leaped in the air. I raised my leg over my head and brought it down like it was a hammer. With his eyes closed, Dante lifted his sword and blocked my attack that had enough force behind it to crack the ground beneath Dante''s feet.


    ¡°How the hell?!¡± Somewhat startled, I jumped away, barely avoiding Dante''s hand that reached for the area I was at the moment ago.


    Before my feet could even touch the ground, Dante was on me. His sword raised over his head as if he were preparing for an execution.


    ¡°You fucking monster!¡± I shouted unintentionally. Just as I was about to be consumed by panic, another wave of calmness washed over me.


    I lifted my hands and caught Dante¡¯s sword with my hands. As expected, Dante responded by immediately counterattacking with his knee. I twisted my body around and stopped it with my shoulder. Then, I firmly plant my feet on the ground and push against Dante.


    With one of his legs off the ground, it was easy to push him away. Dante hops backward, trying to regain his balance. I resisted the temptation to chase after him and instead decided to watch him.


    ¡°What to do, what to do?¡± While scratching my head, I had my tail draw some half bake plans in the dirt.


    I can¡¯t see myself winning no matter what I do. It feels like I¡¯m up against an unscalable wall.


    ¡°An unscalable wall, huh? Right, that was the very first lesson you taught me, wasn¡¯t it, Dante?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t tell me this is all you learn from your training.¡± While I was deep in thought, Dante regained balance and wiped the dirt from his eyes.


    Well, there goes my golden opportunity. Not that anything would change even if I did attack when he was blinded.


    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m about to use the very first thing you taught me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Show me.¡± Somehow the atmosphere around Dante became firmly grip his sword with both hands.


    ¡°You''re using two hands. How scary~¡± I lower my body and pour all my strength into my legs.


    The only way to get past an unscalable is by destroying it with unbreakable resolve.


    ¡°Here I come, old man.¡± I launch myself forward, leaving a large dust cloud behind me. Dante calmly took one step. A soft white light envelops his wooden sword as he lifts it over his head.


    So, you decided to use aura, huh? That¡¯s fine with me. There¡¯s no way that stick of yours can stop a cannon.


    ¡°Third round!¡± Beads of white light formed and danced around my clenched fist as I charged forward. ¡°Fire!¡± I shouted at the top lung to spur my resolve. The beads of light burst and transformed into a transparent white light that covered my entire right arm.


    As soon I stepped into Dante''s sword range, I threw my fist imbued with aura at his wooden sword. He swung downward at me.


    Just as our aura was about to clash, Dante slightly changed the direction of his sword. He taps my wrist and brushes my hand away from him. Since I put my entire body behind the attack, I lost my balance. I tried to regain my balance, but Dante locked his arms around me and placed his wooden sword near my neck.


    ¡°If this were a real sword, you would be dead. This is my win.¡± The trainees clapped loudly as they have just seen a fantastic performance.


    ¡°Quite the lively bunch, huh? So, what did you learn from our last exchange?¡±


    ¡°You baited me. you made it look like you were going for a clash, which left me wide open for a parry.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Dante lets go of me. I slump to the ground, exhausted. ¡°Aura is a powerful technique that allows the user to break their limits through sheer willpower. Anybody who knows the technique will raise their guard if they see it in action. You can use that to your advantage.¡±


    ¡°I-I see,¡± I answer meekly. My mind flashback to the fight.


    I always knew I couldn¡¯t beat Dante, but this fight showed me that the gap between would never close. Even if I can match his strength and speed by some miracle, his experience is on a whole other level. Decades of fighting allow him to see battles from a unique perspective.


    ¡°Again. I want to fight again.¡± I tried to stand up, but I fell back on my butt.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You reach your limit.¡±


    ¡°I can keep going. I haven¡¯t shown you everything yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Someone placed their hand on my shoulder and held me down. I look behind me to see a young woman wearing the same uniform as Dante.


    ¡°Bella?¡±


    I was somewhat surprised to see her here. Usually, she keeps her distance from me, especially when Dante is training me.


    ¡°Do I need to remind you how dangerous aura is if it''s misused?¡±


    ¡°N-no needs, I¡¯m aware of the danger.¡±


    ¡°Now? It looks like you need a refresher.¡± I let out an audible groan as Bella began to explain everything I already knew about aura.


    The trainees paid extremely close attention to her as she paced back and forwarded while explaining her aura. However, judging from their hungry gaze, I doubt they were listening to her explanation.


    I shouldn¡¯t be that surprised; there''s are so many eyes on her. While Bella does have a scary personality, she is quite the beauty, and she seems to be aware of it, or at the very least doesn¡¯t seem to mind showing off her body. She wore an extremely short skirt, which shows off her smooth bare legs. The white jacket she wore slid down her arms, exposing her soft shoulders and black undershirt that tightly hugs her body, highlighting her curves and breasts.


    I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m a bit jealous of Bella¡¯s body, but at the same time, I¡¯m kind of happy I¡¯m the way I am. I don¡¯t think I can handle all the attention she gets.


    ¡°Are you listening, Cat Ears?!¡± Bella stomps the ground next to me.


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± I immediately sat up straight and looked up at her in the eyes. Bella narrowed her gaze at me. It seems she didn¡¯t believe me. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t pry and let me go.


    ¡°Anyway, as I was saying, there are two types of energy that dwell inside of us: the spirit and the soul. The spirit is what gives us the energy to go about our daily lives. Walking, eating, thinking, etcetera, etcetera. And as you know, aura allows a person to push their body past their natural limit. It¡¯s a powerful technique, but like all things in life. It comes with a cost. Mainly a piece of spirit. If you continue using aura without knowing your limits¡­.¡± Bella lowered her voice to make herself sound more threatening. ¡°You¡¯ll either die or fall into a slumber you¡¯ll never wake from. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand the danger. I¡¯m even aware of my limits.¡±


    I¡¯m so painfully aware that I can¡¯t help but want to push further. Right now, I can only use aura with my right hand, and I can only use it three times before I¡¯m rendered pretty much immobile.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Knowing your weakness is your first step to becoming stronger.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the second?¡± I unintentionally let a bit of my frustration seep into my voice. Dante smiles softly. He didn¡¯t seem phased by me snapping at him.


    ¡°The second step is to overcome your weakness steadily. And I can¡¯t emphasize steady enough. If you rush it, you¡¯ll hurt yourself or stunt your growth, you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yea, slow and steady wins the race.¡± Again, a bit of my bitterness mixed with my voice. Bella shot me an annoyed glare while Dante continued to smile.


    ¡°Exactly. Now before we conclude our little lesson, I have a question to ask.¡± Dante clapped his hands together like he was a teacher trying to get his class''s attention.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t aura a commonly used technique even though it¡¯s so powerful?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh. I know this!¡± A trainee eagerly raised his hand.


    While I was wondering when this turned into a class, the trainee pushed his way to the front of the crowd.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Theo.¡± I unconsciously muttered when I saw a young boy pop out of the crowd. Theo happily waves to me before turning his attention back to Dante.


    ¡°Aura isn¡¯t widely used because it takes an incredibly long time to master. Not to mention the extreme fatigue you have to deal with every time you use aura.¡±


    ¡°Correct, Theo. Aura isn¡¯t something that can be mastered and a day, let alone a couple of years. But that and the fatigue isn¡¯t why aura isn¡¯t a common practice.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then what¡¯s the main reason?¡±


    ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Theo rubbed his chin, clearly digging deep into his head to find the answer to Dante¡¯s question.


    ¡°Umm. I think I know.¡± For some reason, I raised my hand when I opened my mouth. ¡°Aura isn¡¯t a common practice because of its inconsistency.¡± Everyone gaze at me as I talk. I¡¯ll admit I wanted to dive into the nearest shadow and erase my presence, but I resisted my thief nature and continued to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the size and strength slightly change every time I use it. If aura manifests our resolve, then I understand why people don¡¯t rely on the aura. It¡¯s hard to accept, but the spirit is a fragile thing.


    I supposed I¡¯m the perfect example of that. I¡¯ve seen Crook do plenty of horrible things to people, and all I did was watch while trembling in. Even when he insulted my dad, I didn¡¯t lift a finger. Even now, I don¡¯t think I can face him. I¡¯m am pathetic.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Catherine.¡± I Jumped slightly when Dante called my name. For a moment, I thought he had read my mind.


    ¡°Fear, pain, doubts. All these can break a person¡¯s spirit. Indeed, Catherine. The spirit is a fragile thing.¡± Dante drew his sword from his sheathe. The sunlight reflected off his blade, which gave the sword a holy-like glow. ¡°There are times when even I wonder if this fight is worth it. But then I look at you guys. Wide-eyed recruits eager to make a name for yourself, and then I remember. Indeed, the spirit is fragile, but it¡¯s our strongest weapon. Yes, the pain might break us, but it¡¯s our resolve that allows us to endure. Fear may freeze us in place, but courage is what lets us move forward to face our nightmares. And yes, doubt may torment our mind and make us question ourselves, but it''s our will that¡¯ll allow us to break free from those dark clouds so we can see the strength that¡¯s inside us.¡±


    Dante swung his sword and pointed it at the crowd, and said. ¡°Know this, inside each, and every one of you reside a light so small and weak, it¡¯s easy to mistake it as nothing more than dying embers. But, in the darkest of hours, when all seem lost, and you feel yourself teetering towards the brink of despair. That light will shine brighter than any star. Ah!¡± Dante covers his mouth like he is embarrassed.


    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ramble. Just when I look at your recruits, I can¡¯t help but have high expectations. Perhaps a bit too high. You see, our war with the Majin is over, along with it the age of violence and tragedy. We need more than soldiers who vows to protect our citizens with swords and shields in these uncertain turbulent times. Rather we need people willing to hold the torch and guide our kingdom to a new era. Is that too much? Am I asking too much from you?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡± One of the trainees shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t hear you guys, so I¡¯ll ask again. Am I asking too much from you?!¡±


    ¡°No, sir!!¡± This time everyone, including me, shouted at the top of our lungs.


    Dante places his sword back in his sheathe and turns his back towards us.


    ¡°Thank you for humoring this old man. You¡¯re all dismissed.¡± The crowd immediately dispersed, leaving Dante and me alone.


    ¡°That was an incredible speech, Dante. Even I was moved by it even though it was for the soldiers.¡± In a way, he sounded like my father.


    ¡°That speech was mostly for you. In a way, you can say it was your graduation speech.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Graduation?


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Bella grabbed my head and roughly ruffled up my hair. ¡°He¡¯s saying you pass the test.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t even beat him.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you saying you¡¯re not satisfied until you beat the old man? You''ve gotten pretty cocky cat ears.¡± Bella rubbed my head to the point it started to hurt.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying I think I need a bit more time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re out of time,¡± Dante said, his back still facing me.


    ¡°What are you talking? We still have a couple of weeks before the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but Bella and I been summoned.¡± Dante slowly turns around to face me. He had a complicated expression that was impossible to decipher. ¡°The king has summoned us to the capital.

 Chapter 17: Depature

    chapter 17


    Departure


    ¡°You little punks! Get back here! You¡¯re training isn¡¯t over yet!¡± The instructor roar as he chased after the trainees.


    ¡°But Ms. Bella and Sir Dante said we could leave!¡± One of the trainees screamed as he ran.


    ¡°Do you think I care who dismisses you?! The king himself can come down here and say you¡¯re free to go, and I wouldn¡¯t give a damn. Now get your ass back here and give me twenty laps around the track!¡±


    ¡°How strict. Takes me back to my training days,¡± Dante¡¯s gaze became distant. I didn¡¯t bother imagining how far back in the past he was looking.


    ¡°Are you guys really leaving now?¡± I knew they eventually would leave this small town. But I thought, no, hope that they would wait until I was prepared to leave.


    ¡°To be honest, we were supposed to have left last week, but the old man wanted to make sure you were ready for the tournament. Although, I doubt the fat bastard would accept that as an excuse for why we¡¯re late.¡±


    ¡°Bella.¡± Dante raised his hand and hit her on the top of her head.


    ¡°Ouch! what the hell was that for, old man?!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call our king a fat bastard.¡±


    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s because of him and that asshole that we keep getting shitty jobs like this.¡±


    Dante hit Bella on the head again. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t call the head captain an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Bella exclaimed while rubbing her head. ¡°You knew exactly who I was talking about, which means you think he¡¯s an asshole, too, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, the captain can be a bit strict, but you should try being nicer to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be nice to him when he pulls that stick out of his as- ouch!¡± Before Bella could finish talking, Dante hit her head again.


    ¡°So, when are you guys leaving?¡± I force myself back into the conservation, fearing Bella will end up suffering a head trauma if I allow them to continue.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving tonight.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Tonight? Why not tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Because we can¡¯t keep that fat-¡°Bella quickly covered her head and looked up Dante, whose hand was still hovering above her head like an executioner ax. ¡°I mean, we can¡¯t keep the king waiting any longer.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it dangerous to travel at night?¡¯ Is what I wanted to say, but then I realize my concern was pointless. These two can travel through a monster-infested forest alone and come out completely unscathed.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s enough, chitchat. It¡¯s time to celebrate.¡± Bella scoop me off the ground and held me in a princess carry.


    ¡°Whoa! What are you doing?!¡±


    Obviously, I¡¯m carrying you. You still can¡¯t walk, right?¡±


    ¡°Yea, but this is kind of embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be holding you for long.¡± Bella carries me over to the track field, where the instructor forced the trainee to run laps around.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Bella shouted. She steps on the track stopping a group of trainees. ¡°Hey, kid, I need your help with something.¡±


    The trainees all look at a young boy who appears to be around fourteen or fifteen years old.


    ¡°Huh me?¡± Theo point at himself, confused.


    ¡°Do you see any other kids around here?¡±


    Theo¡¯s eyes wander toward me. If I could move, I would¡¯ve headbutt him. I¡¯m a full-grown woman, you know!


    ¡°Here, hold this for me.¡± Bella tosses me at Theo.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Theo utter as he unconsciously reaches out and grabs me like I was a package.


    ¡°Bring her to that new fancy restaurant in the center of town. Oh, and don¡¯t worry about your instructor. I¡¯ve already told him I¡¯ll be borrowing you for the day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Theo nodded his head, clearly overwhelmed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep us waiting!¡± Bella shouted as she dragged Dante away.


    ¡°Sorry about this, Theo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m happy I get to skip out on today¡¯s torture.¡±


    ¡°Torture?¡±


    ¡°Who told you maggots you can stop running?!¡± The instructor roar as he continues to chase after the trainees. ¡°If I catch up to any of you bastards, I¡¯ll have you running till your legs bleed!¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean.¡± Hopefully, the instructor was joking about the threat, but seeing how terrified the trainees were, he probably was serious.


    ¡°Bella wants us to meet her at a fancy restaurant, right? You want to stop by your house to change clothes?¡±


    ¡°I would like to if I had better clothes. Sadly, these are my best clothes.¡± I pulled on my oversize shirt that went down to my thighs¡ªthe only clothes I got either torn or don¡¯t fit me. I guess I could wear my cloak and thief outfit, but then I probably get arrested as soon as I step into the restaurant.


    ¡°I could go for some cold water to cool down and wipe off the sweat.


    ¡°Alright! Cold water coming right up.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Woah!¡±


    Theo suddenly broke into a sprint while holding me. I grabbed his arms, scared I might fall.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush, you know.¡±


    ¡°But, Bella might get mad if we take too long.¡±


    ¡°Knowing Bella''s personality, she¡¯ll probably be mad even if we show up earlier.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason why we should hurry. I don¡¯t want to know what she¡¯ll do if she gets too angry.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll probably test one of her weapons she''s always cleaning on us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrifying thought, but I doubt she¡¯ll go that far.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When we first met, she drugged me and threw me in a cell with the noble that tried to feed me to an ogre.¡±


    ¡°¡­. I think we should pick up the pace.¡± Theo suddenly sped up. We flew past eh training ground an ended up on the side somewhere the building.


    ¡°Here, we are fresh cold water.¡± Theo gently places me on the ground near a sink that was attached to the building. ¡°Us recruits come here to recuperate from all the hellish training.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± It hasn¡¯t rained in weeks, yet the ground around the sink was moist. I bet the recruits always try dunk half their body in the sink. I can¡¯t blame them. I feel like I¡¯ve been wandering around in the middle of the desert for days.


    I place my head in the sink, the rusted value squeak as I turn it. Water gushed out of the old pipe and splashed on my face, washing away the heat and exhaustion from me.


    ¡°Ah! that felt good!¡± I shake my head to get rid of the water from my hair.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re getting it everywhere!¡± Theo crossed his arm to shield himself from the water


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but your shirt is soaked now.¡±


    ¡°No big deal. I was planning on taking it off anyway.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Taking what off? Ah!¡± Theo, let out a shriek and cover his eyes as I took off my shirt.


    ¡°Relax, I have another shirt on.¡± Underneath my oversize shirt was a plain sleeveless white shirt.


    ¡°Oh! Thank goodness.¡± Theo let out a relieved sigh when he looked at me.


    I wipe the water off my face with my oversize shirt and then wrapped it around my waist. For some reason, Theo was still staring at me.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sorry I didn¡¯t mean to stare!¡± Theo quickly averted his gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just I notice that tattoo on your shoulder. It looks nice.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I cover my left shoulder with my right hand. I¡¯m not sure when it happened, but one day I woke up with this strange tattoo in the shape of a flower on my left shoulder. I would love to shrug my shoulder and say that it¡¯s just birthmark, but I¡¯m reasonably sure birthmarks are usually shapeless and don¡¯t just suddenly appear. Not mention, I think it¡¯s getting bigger. When I first noticed the tattoo, the flower was close. Now, it looks like the flower is opening, and thorns are growing out of it. Hopefully, this is just a strange bruise and or birthmark. The last thing I need is something else to add to my list of worries, especially since I¡¯ll have to deal with Bella¡¯s attitude in a few minutes.


    ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t keep Bella waiting any longer.¡± I shook my head once more to sure all the water was gone from my hair then stood up


    ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°I have to. You have already done so much for me. If you didn¡¯t shout my name during the spar. I probably would¡¯ve failed Dante¡¯s test.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You knew it was me?!¡±


    ¡°It was kind of obvious. There aren¡¯t that many people that know me around here. And I can¡¯t imagine Bella cheering me on or anyone for that matter.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you for cheering me.¡±


    ¡°Ah. There¡¯s no need to thank me. You would¡¯ve done well even if I didn¡¯t say anything.¡±


    I let out a sigh and punch his arm. ¡°Just accept the compliment.¡±


    ¡°I will accept it once you realize how incredible you are.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I plug my ears and walk away.


    ¡°See? You can¡¯t accept compliments either.¡±


    ¡°I can. But only when it¡¯s true.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t true, then why is someone like Dante going out of his way to training you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure that out. And honestly, the more I think about it, the more it doesn¡¯t make sense to me. I don¡¯t think I did anything special when we first met besides trying to get as far away from them as fast as possible. Also, why does Dante want me to participate in the tournament so much?  He makes it seem like its only way to deal with The Crooked Man. But after sparing with Dante a few times, I know he can easily take down Crook. The fact that Crook nor his men haven¡¯t made any moves since Dante and Bella arrive is proof of that.


    ¡°I think your overthinking things. You should relax a bit.


    ¡°Yea, you¡¯re right.¡± I close my eyes and tried to clear my thought, but I was bombarded with doubts and concerns.


    I didn¡¯ think it be this hard to relax. Actually, when was the last time I relax? I can¡¯t even remember. I feel like I¡¯m going to be bald by thirty if I keep letting stress get the better of me.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I got a chance to skip training. Today a good day to go for a walk.¡± Theo¡¯s eyes seem to sparkle as he looks around. I was a bit envious of Theo¡¯s carefree nature. ¡°Huh, What¡¯s happening over there?¡± I follow Theo¡¯s gaze towards a crowd gathering around a building. ¡°You think there some events going on?¡±


    ¡°No idea, I¡¯m bad at keeping up with current news.¡± I didn¡¯t even know our king die until recently. ¡°Let¡¯s go around them. I¡¯m not a huge fan of crowds.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that the building they¡¯re gathering around is the restaurant we¡¯re supposed to meet Bella and Dante?¡±


    I peer through the crowd to see the same restaurant Crook took me to. Of course, she would pick that restaurant out of all the others one.


    ¡°I guess we have no choice but to go through the crowd.¡± I reluctantly made my way towards the crowd.


    ¡°See you on the other side!¡± Theo shouted before disappearing among the crowd.¡±


    I wish I had at least half of his enthusiasm. The only thing stopping me is that today might be the last day I see Dante and Bella. I need to thank them for everything they have done. I just wish they pick somewhere a bit quieter.


    But seriously, why there so many people gathered? If you¡¯re not planning on eating, then get out of the way and stop blocking the street!


    With a bit of effort, I manage to squeeze my way to the front of the crowd. Everyone¡¯s attention seems to be focus on the newly built restaurant, or rather they were focused on Dante and Bella.


    Both Dante and Bella calmly ate their meal unconcern with the crowd¡¯s gaze. I guess they''re used to this kind of attention. I should come back later when the crowd thins out.


    Just as I was about to leave, the crowd suddenly exploded with excitement. I turn around to see Bella waving at everyone. At least that what it probably looked like to everyone else. For me, even though I was in the middle of the crowd, I could tell she was looking directly at me. Her sharp gaze froze me in place. I can almost hear her telling me, "you can''t run away."


    I lowered my head and went straight to the restaurant¡¯s entrance. Just as I was about to open the door, a giant of a man steps in front of me.


    ¡°Reservation?¡± Was the only thing he said. I was so stunned by sudden appearance and size that it took me a moment to register what he said.


    ¡°Ah, no, I don¡¯t have one. But there are some people I¡¯m meeting here.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The man snorted. Going by how many people are trying to get a glimpse of Dante and Bella, he probably heard that line a lot. He looks like he¡¯s ready to throw me into the nearest trashcan if I told him I¡¯m here to see Dante and Bella.


    ¡°Cool it, big guy. She¡¯s with me.¡± Bella lightly taps the giant¡¯s arm. A vein pop out on his forehead


    ¡°Listen, lady, if you¡¯re going to lie then-ah!¡± The giant froze the moment he looks down to see who he was talking to.


    ¡°Oh, you think I¡¯m lying?¡± Bella tilted her head and crossed her arm. Suddenly at that moment, when Bella took that pose, the giant was no longer intimidating. I was trying to figure out how I can calm Bella down before she hurt a guy who¡¯s just doing his job.


    ¡°No, no, not at all.¡± The giant guard back away, clearly terrified.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll be taking my friend now.¡± Bella grabbed my hand and pulled me into the building.


    ¡°have fun you two.¡± The guard said half heartily before turning his attention back to the crowd that was trying to push past him.


    ¡°You sure took your time I was hoping you get here before we gather all this attention.¡±


    ¡°You could¡¯ve chosen a more inconspicuous spot for lunch,¡± I spoke lowly making sure Bella didn¡¯t, but my effort was in vain as she causally responded to my back talk.


    ¡°If we went somewhere quieter than my plan wouldn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°Huh plan?¡±


    ¡°Take a look.¡± Bella suddenly stops and turn her attention to the table she was sitting at. Theo stood in front of Dante protecting him from the maids that were trying to get his autographs.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we help?¡±


    ¡°Naw, they¡¯ll be fine. Besides, we never hung out alone before have we?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make this the first of many.¡± Bella led me to a table that was quite a distance from the one Dante and Theo were sitting at. The moment we took our seats a man dress as a butler approach us while carrying a silver platter. Just from a glance, I could tell that his movement trained. Every single one of his steps was graceful and smooth.


    ¡°Here you go, ladies. If you need anything else please, let me know.¡± The waiter gave Bella a flirtatious wink, before leaving.


    ¡°I get the feeling the people come here for different beside eating.¡± I took a quick glance around to see the waitress and waiter flirting with the customers. ¡°Do they do this kind of stuff in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± I waited for Bella to tell me more about the capital but quickly realize ¡°no¡± was the only thing I was going to get from her when she started eating her salad. An awkward silence fell over us. I took a sip of water while trying to figure out a way to break the ice.


    ¡°That waiter was pretty hot, huh?¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± I spat my water back out.


    ¡°That was a bit unnecessary.¡± Bella calmly wipes the water off her face.


    ¡°Sorry about that. It¡¯s just that I never imagine you saying something like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Bella''s lips curl upward as she crosses her leg. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it just no offense I didn¡¯t think you were into guys or anything girly for that matter.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that.¡±


    Then why the hell you get mad?!


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer my question. Did you think that waiter was hot?¡± Bella tosses her salad around her plate while staring at me. I have no idea what she was after or why she wants to spend time with me alone suddenly. But I get the feeling she won¡¯t leave me alone until I answer her question.


    ¡°He looks fine, I guess. Not really my type.


    ¡°Oh, what exactly is your type? Younger guy? Older men? Or could it be you into girls?¡± Bella brush her braid back and gave me a seductive smile. I nearly spat my salad back out when she wrapped her arms around herself and push her breasts up to emphasize their size.  Is she flirting with me? Is that why she wanted to talk to me alone?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, but I like guys!¡± Thankfully, everyone was still freaking out over Dante, so no one heard me.


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Bella¡¯s flirtatious smile vanishes, and her visage became deadpan. ¡°I didn¡¯t know want to do if you had a thing for me.¡±


    So, she was testing me? Thank goodness. I took a deep breath and took a sip of my water to calm down.


    ¡°So, what do you think of Theo?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with these questions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I glance over at Dante¡¯s table. Theo was now struggling to get Dante¡¯s sword back from a couple of maids. Strangling enough, Dante himself didn¡¯t seem to mind that his sword got taken, as he continues to calmly eat his steak.


    ¡°Theo is a good kid. He¡¯s energetic and now he knows how to cheer people up. I think he has a bright future ahead of him.¡±


    ¡°So, you see him as a kid, huh? I kind of feel sorry for him.¡±


    ¡°Huh why that?¡± Bella giggle softly and took a sip from her cup.


    ¡°That kid got quite the hard-on for you.¡±


    ¡°Hard on?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what that means? You see, a hard-on is when a guy gets- ¡°


    ¡°I know what it means!¡± I slam my hands on the table to stop her from saying anything else. ¡°But there¡¯s no way Theo sees me in such way.¡±


    ¡°But what if he does? What will you do?¡±


    But what if he does? That question repeated endlessly in my head. There¡¯s no way he likes me. but even if he did¡­


    ¡°Even if he did. It won¡¯t ever work out.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s because of his age, then give him time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll eventually see his charm.¡±


    ¡°Why are you trying so hard to hook me up with Theo? What exactly are you after?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Bella leans back in her seat and sighs. ¡°I¡¯m not good at talking about sensitives subjects. But fuck it, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡± Bella grabbed her drink and chugged it all down in one go.


    ¡°Listen, cat ears. I know life hasn¡¯t been the kindest you and that because of circumstances, you were forced to do shady things to survive. But right now, you have a choice. You don¡¯t have to go along with Dante¡¯s plan. You can live as a normal girl, isn¡¯t that what your father would want?¡±


    I inhale sharply. It felt like a needle stab my heart.


    ¡°You knew my father?¡± I spoke slowly. Trying my best to hide my pain.


    ¡°No, but I did a bit of research. I understand why you¡¯re so obsessed with that store now. Your little flower shop did a lot of good in this community. You guys grew medicine for the war. Donated money to the orphanage, and even offer flower for funerals. Your father was a good man, which is why I don¡¯t think your father would be happy seeing you go to such extreme for a store.¡±


    My hands tremble uncontrollably, but strangely I wasn¡¯t angry. Normally I would¡¯ve been enraged if someone who don¡¯t know about my father, talk like they knew him.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Even though my father and mother put their heart and soul into that store, they¡¯ll always choose my happiest over anything else. Which is why I have to participate in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Bella¡¯s eyes widen. It¡¯s nice seeing her flustered for once.


    ¡°Because it¡¯ll make me happy, I think.¡±


    ¡°You think? Are you seriously going to risk your life for something you don¡¯t even know?¡±


    ¡°I know and to be honest even I don¡¯t understand myself. But I just got this feeling that I must do this. At least, that¡¯s what my heart and soul is telling me, and this is the first time they ever agree with each other. And besides, my parents may be happy with me abandoning the store they work so hard for, but I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Bella closes her eyes for a moment. Her gaze became even more fierce when she opened them again. ¡°You¡¯ve become a bit stronger cat ears. However, you¡¯re still too weak. At your current level, you won¡¯t get that far, but maybe I can tip the scales in your favor.¡± Bella reaches under the table, pulls out a black case that had a sliver cross etch into it. ¡°A gift for you.¡± Bella slides the case over to me.


    ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± I hesitantly accept the case.


    ¡°But!¡± Just as I was about to grab the case, she pulls it away from me. ¡°Before I give this to you, promise me you won¡¯t open this case until you leave for the capital. There¡¯s a couple of weeks before the tournament starts. Plenty of time to change your mind or lose your confidence. If you get cold feet, sell this case. The content inside should be worth fifteen gold coins.


    ¡°Fifteen gold?!¡± My heart nearly stopped. That¡¯s more than enough for me to live a decent life if I decide to give up on my family store.


    ¡°However, if you''re truly adamant about going down this road, then take that case to the weapon store across the street from us. They¡¯ll get you prepare for the journey ahead. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Yea.¡± Bella hands the case to me. I was surprised by how light it was. It almost felt fragile. I held the case close to my chest to make sure I never drop it. ¡°Thank you so much, but why you go so far for me?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re weak.¡±


    I stupidly stared at Bella, trying to figure out if she was insulting me.


    ¡°You seem unsatisfied with my answer. But that¡¯s all there is to it. My family has been protecting the weak since the start of this country, that won¡¯t be changing anytime soon.¡± Bella smiles slightly as she gently touches her earring that was in the shape of a silver cross.


    ¡°I got it! I got the hero¡¯s sword!¡± A maid happily skipped around, holding Dante¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Give it back!¡± Theo chased after the maid. While Dante took a sip from his drink.


    ¡°Seriously, that old man.¡± Bella, let¡¯s out a sigh and stood up. ¡°We should probably help him.


    .


    .


    .


    After Bella got Dante¡¯s sword back, not much happened after that. The people crowding around Dante¡¯s table immediately disperse when Bella approach. With everyone going back to their table, we were finally able to eat in peace. And so, the rest of the day went by uneventfully.


    The sun was slowly setting as we approach the town¡¯s gate. My heart grew heavier with each step I took. There was so much I wanted to say that I have no idea where to start.


    ¡°Well, it looks like this is it.¡± Dante stopped at the town¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t tell me you guys are walking to the capital.¡± Besides, the guards keeping a lookout for any monsters. There¡¯s no one else around the town¡¯s gate.


    ¡°If Dante didn¡¯t delay our departure, we would¡¯ve had a ride.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll eventually find a ride along the way.¡±


    ¡°Yea, how long that¡¯s going take? A Day?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that. You¡¯ve been neglecting your training ever since you started working on Catherine¡¯s- ¡°


    ¡°Shut up. She doesn¡¯t know yet!¡± Bella quickly covers Dante¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Heh.¡± I cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. ¡°You two, we¡¯re arguing just like this when we first met.¡±


    Both Dante and Bella silently looked at each and then separated. ¡°I guess so,¡± Bella said as she fixes her braid.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m still upset that you guys chased me around and arrested me. But if I haven¡¯t met you guys, I would¡¯ve still prowling around the streets stealing chump changes for a living. I bow my head deeply. ¡°Thank you so much. I¡¯ll never forget you two!¡±


    ¡°You make it seems like we won¡¯t see each other again.¡± Dante gently rubs my head. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again in New Dawn.¡±


    ¡°Unless she changes her mind,¡± Bella added.


    ¡°Regardless. Whatever path you choose, I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you there. I promise!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Dante patted my shoulder and then headed towards Bella, who waited for him at the entrance of the town. The two grew smaller as they travel down the winding road that seems to stretch for an eternity. Just as they were about to vanish from sight, Dante turns around, and with a faint smile, he said, ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I ran towards the gate. But Dante and Bella were already out of sight.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± Theo asked as he approaches me.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing left to do.¡± I hug the case Bella gave me and looked back at the road she and Dante were traveling on. ¡°Prepare for what¡¯s to come.¡±

 Chapter 18: The Promised Time

    Chapter 18


    The Promised Time


    The cold morning air brush against my body. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My imagination transformed the darkness around me into an arena. Thousands of people cheered as I step onto the arena. Standing on the other side of the stage was a shadowy figure of a man who''s been training in martial arts for years.


    A martial artist, huh? My imagination just loves torturing me, doesn¡¯t it? But I guess these are the kind of opponents I¡¯ll be dealing with in the tournament. So then, how do I engage?


    I only got a couple of months of half-assed training on my side. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m beating anyone in a head-on fight, especially a martial artist. If I want to have a chance against guys like these, then I have no choice but to use every dirty trick I got.


    ¡°Alright, here I go.¡± I ran straight towards the shadowy figure. I balled my hands into a fist and threw a punch. The shadowy figure raised its guard, but before my fist could reach him, I abruptly stop and dive towards the ground. I rolled past the shadowy figure and wrapped my tail around his legs to stop his movement.


    ¡°First round!¡± Small orbs of light suddenly formed and gathered around my arm. The orbs fuse together and transform into a bright white light that envelops my arm. ¡°Fire!¡± I slam my aura covered fist into his back.


    I doubt any human would be moving after taking such a hit. But what if I was up against a beastman? Will that be enough to take them down? And what if my opponent has a sword. I¡¯ll be cut to pieces before I even have a chance to throw a punch. And there¡¯s the problem with my stamina. Even after months of training, I still can only use aura three times with my right hand.


    ¡°I need to find a way to improve my chances in a fight without heavily relying on aura.¡±


    ¡°I wish the recruits took their training as seriously as you.¡±


    I jumped to my feet and stood as straight as I could. ¡°Thank you for letting me use the training ground again!¡± I shouted as loud as I could, even my tail was standing up stiff.


    Theo¡¯s instructor smiled and said. ¡°Relax, you¡¯re not one of my trainees.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± I let my shoulders droop, and my tail hovers near the ground.


    ¡°Thanks again for letting me use the training.¡± This time I bow my head to show my respect and gratitude. After Dante left, I was worried I would have to destroy the abandoned stores around my home to train my aura, but thankfully the instructor allowed me to train with Theo and the other trainees.


    ¡°No need for thanks. The hero¡¯s pupil is always welcome here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really Dante¡¯s student.¡± I awkwardly brush the hair that dangling near my eye. I¡¯m so used to hearing him yell that it kind of felt weird hearing him talking normally.


    ¡°Hm?¡± The instructor suddenly tilted his head. ¡°Did you hurt your arm while you were training?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± I look down at my arms, confused. My entire left arm was wrapped in bandages. ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± I immediately hid my left arm behind my back. ¡°This is um.¡± I tried to come up with an excuse as to why my arm was bandage but decided against it. ¡°Have you ever heard of people waking to find a weird tattoo on their body?


    ¡°All the time. However, it¡¯s mostly because of idiots who got to remember what they did last night. Is that what happen to you? I never took you as a party girl.¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°Relax. I¡¯m joking.¡± The instructor rubbed his chin while chuckling. ¡°Anyway. you really don¡¯t remember how you got the tattoo?


    ¡°No. And it seems like it¡¯s getting bigger.¡± When I first notice the tattoo, it was barely noticeable. Now it almost covers my entire arm.


    ¡°Hmm. Interesting.¡± At some point, while I was deep in thought, the instructor closes the distance between us and unwrapped the bandages on my arm. The tattoo on my arm took the shape of a thorny rose that travel down my arm. Weird symbols wrapped around the flower-shaped tattoo.


    ¡°This tattoo looks similar to the warrior marks Beastmen etch onto their body.¡±


    ¡°A warrior mark?¡± I echo his words back to him, confused.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tradition for beastman. Well, for the ones that still live in tribes. When the boys in the tribe reach a certain age, they¡¯re forced to go through a trial. If they failed, the tribe abandons them. If they pass, the elders will etch the warrior mark on the boys¡¯ bodies. After they receive the mark, the boys will undergo intensive training until they become warriors. Those who excel in combat will receive additional markings, so they stand out from the others.


    ¡°And I thought Theo¡¯s instructor was cruel. But these tribes are willing to abandon children if they don¡¯t prove themselves. I can¡¯t even imagine what those poor kids go through. Still, this doesn¡¯t explain where this tattoo. If anything, I¡¯m even more confused now.


    There aren¡¯t any tribes near us, and the only beastman I knew was my father who was a halfling that grew up in human society. There¡¯s no one around that could¡¯ve given me this mark. And even if there was how did they tattoo this on my body without me noticing? Maybe this is just a weird birthmark.


    Ding Dong!


    I was suddenly snap out of my thought by the sound of a bell. The recruits sluggishly enter the training ground as if they were in a trance. Seeing the dead look in their eyes as they march, I silently took back what I said about beastman tribes. I think Theo¡¯s instructor might be a bit crueler than any beast.


    Speaking of Theo. ¡°Where is Theo? I don¡¯t see him.


    ¡°He¡¯s investigating the sewers.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why?¡±


    ¡°To keep the giant rat population under control. And...¡± The instructor paused and scratch his cheeks. It looks like he was carefully picking what words to say next. ¡°...make sure nothing undesirable escapes.¡±


    Tilt my head confused. It sounds like he was trying to tell me there¡¯s something else lurking in the sewer besides rats.


    ¡°Is the mission dangerous?¡± The instructor laughs at my question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All he has to do check a few locations in the sewers than report back. If he can¡¯t do this then he¡¯s not cut out to be soldier. But, I¡¯ll let him know that you¡¯re worry about him, I bet that¡¯ll send him over the moon.


    ¡°I doubt that. But while you¡¯re at it can you tell Theo I said thanks for all encouragement he gave me during training. It really kept me going.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re really leaving tomorrow?¡± there was a hint of concern in the instructor¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I have to. The tournament will begin in 5 days if I don¡¯t leave now, I¡¯ll miss the deadline to sign up.


    ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± The instructor patted me on the shoulder, then headed towards the recruits that were sobbing as they ran.


    ¡°Luck, huh? I think I¡¯m going to need more than luck for the road ahead.¡± I left the training ground while thinking about the future.


    ¡°Seeing how slow you weaklings are moving I guess you want to run all day!¡± The instructor roar. Even though I left the building and was across the street from the soldier¡¯s barracks, I could still hear him loud and clear.


    I said a silent prayer for the trainees going through and then looked up at the sky. The sun lethargically climbing its way up the deep blue sky. The higher it rose, the more energetic the town became.


    "I guess. I¡¯ll take a nap. Might as well get some sleep while I still have a chance." I stretch my body and headed home. Just as I was about to crossover into the slums, I felt a cold chill on the back of my neck.


    I abruptly stopped and rubbed my neck. I knew exactly what this unpleasant sensation was. It was a warning. Someone is after me.


    I may sound paranoid, but I made it a habit to never question my instincts. It¡¯s one of the reasons why I manage to survive so long on these streets.


    While rubbing the back of my neck, I continue walking down the road that led to the slums. I didn¡¯t bother looking around for whoever might be following me. Letting them know I¡¯m aware of them will only make them more unpredictable and dangerous.


    As soon as I cross into the slum, I took a sharp turn into an alley. I quickly climb up a building and slip inside the second-story window room.


    ¡°Alright, now who could my stalker be?¡± I peeked through the broken window and waited patiently. After a few minutes, a hooded figure steps into the alley. Judging from their size it must be a kid.


    The kid¡¯s eyes darting around warily looking for a trace of me. I pick a glass shard up from off the ground and carefully climb back out the window.


    The last thing I want to do is hurt a kid, but you can never be too careful. for all I know the kid might be working for a gang.


    I slowly crept towards the kid while making sure no one else enters the alley. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I place the glass near the kid¡¯s back making sure they can feel how sharp the shard was.


    ¡°Wait! Catherine, it¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°Lily?¡± I pulled the kid¡¯s hood down. Lily¡¯s bouncing ponytail sprung free from the hood nearly slapping me in the face.


    ¡°S-Surprise.¡± Tears felled down her face while she force a weak smile on her face.


    ¡°God, Lily.¡± I toss the glass shard away. ¡°Why were you stalking me?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to surprise you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you definitely succeeded in that. I almost stab you.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lily said weakly while looking down at the ground. For a person that wants to be treated like an adult, she¡¯s quick to act like a kid when things don¡¯t go her way.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s been a while how you¡¯ve been?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been real! Even Granny has improved a lot. Oh, right!¡± Lily suddenly grabs my hand and pulls me out the back alley. ¡°Grandma wants to thank you.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t necessary.¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯s making a pie for you.¡±


    I bit my lip, barely able to keep my excitement down. I can¡¯t even remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tag along.¡±


    ¡°The other kids are going to love you.¡±


    ¡°I bet they are.¡± My excitement for the home-cooked pie immediately vanishes when she mention kids. I never been good with children. They either treat me like a kid or as a pet. I moved slowly wondering if I should just go home, but the lure of food kept me going.


    Lily dragged me through the slums to an old plaza. Almost all the buildings were boarded up except for a white house. An old woman sat on the porch silently watching the kids run around the abandoned plaza with a content smile.


    ¡°Hey, Lily back!¡± One of the kids shouted.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± I took a deep breath and prepare myself for what was about to happen. And just like I thought, the moment the kids notice me their eyes lit up with curiosity.


    Are those ears real?¡± One of the kids pointed to my ears. I silently move my ears to show they were indeed the real deal.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡±


    ¡°Oh, she can do much more than that. Despite her appearance, Catherine is quite alethic. She can do splits and can even climb buildings. Go on, show them, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°When did you become my boss?¡± I grabbed Lily¡¯s head and squeeze her head.


    ¡°Ouch! I just wanted you to show off some tricks.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you think I¡¯m some sort of dog?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! You obviously looked more like a ca- ouch!¡± I squeeze Lily¡¯s head harder making she couldn¡¯t say another word.


    ¡°Finish that sentence, I dare you.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± A Little girl nervously approaches Lily and me. ¡°C-Can I touch your tail?¡±


    Normally, I would¡¯ve said no. But it looked like it took all her courage to ask me that question. I¡¯ll look like the villain if I turn her down. This is why I can¡¯t stand kids, they¡¯re so unfair.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The little girl¡¯s expression instantly brightens when presented my tail to her. For whatever reason, the other kids crowded to touch my tail. Even Lily joined in. Maybe it¡¯s because I had a tail all my life, but I¡¯ll never understand why people are so interested in the part of me that¡¯s attached to my lower back.


    ¡°It¡¯s so fuzzy and warm.¡± A chill crawled up my spine as the kids stroke my tail.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± I tried to walk away, but the kids had a good a grip on my tail.


    ¡°Please, can we play with it a little longer?¡± A tear formed in the little girl¡¯s eyes.


    Just say so, no Catherine. Just say no, Catherine. ¡°Fine.¡± Damnit. I¡¯m really am weak against kids. At least they¡¯re not pulling my tail.


    ¡°Hey, does your tail come off?¡±


    ¡°What?! Ahh!!¡± Suddenly, an intense pain attacked my mind. Causing me temporarily to blackout. When I came to, an older lady was chastising the kids.


    ¡°Now, apologize.¡±


    All the kids, including Lily, turned towards me and bow. ¡°Sorry!¡± The kids shouted in unison.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± To be honest, I was quite angry, but it¡¯ll be immature to lash out at kids who didn¡¯t know any better.


    ¡°Lily, can you keep the kids busy. I want to talk to your friend for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Roger.¡± Lily gave the elderly woman an energetic salute then turn to the kids. ¡°Alright, who wants to play tag?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± All ten of the children eagerly raised their hands.


    ¡°last to the water fountain is it!¡± Lily dash towards the fountain in the middle of the plaza. The kids quickly follow behind her.


    ¡°I wish I had at least a quarter of their energy.¡± The elderly woman looked enviously at the kids back for a second than at me. ¡°Catherine, it¡¯s good to see you.¡± The woman extended her hands towards me. I accepted her hand and said ¡°Likewise.


    When I grabbed the woman¡¯s hand, I felt myself instinctively relax. She had a motherly aura. Not to mention wrinkles on her face made her looked more graceful, and her dark blue eyes seemed to hold a lifetime of wisdom.


    Her gentle smile turns into a small frown. ¡°You don¡¯t remember me, do you?¡±


    I dug deep into my mind and tried to remember if I met this aging woman. Sadly, the only people I remember ever meeting is thugs and soldiers.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember you.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine, you were quite young back then. I remember how you used lovely cling to your father''s leg. Your mother tried her hardest to separate you two. She always said that she wanted you to get along with kids your age, but I think she was just jealous that you weren¡¯t clinging to her.¡± The older woman laughs fondly at the old memories. I found myself joining her on memory lane. It¡¯s strange. The world seems much more peaceful back then, even though we were at war. Maybe it¡¯s because I was a kid, and the only thing I had to worry about back then was kids picking on me because I look different than them.


    ¡°Ah! Where are my manners? I still haven¡¯t introduced myself.¡± The older woman places her hand on her chest and bow slightly. ¡°My name is Isabelle, and I can bake quite a mean pie. Would you like to have a slice?


    ¡°Yes, please!¡± It was hard to hold back my excitement since we were finally moving on to the reason I¡¯m here. However, my eagerness didn¡¯t last long. I froze in place when I enter her home. There was nothing special about the house, but unlike my home, I could feel warmth. The children''s drawings on the wall and worn furniture were overflowing with memories and love. I could practically see the kids running around the house laughing, only to be scolded by Isabelle a moment later.


    ¡°Must be nice,¡± I said to no one while looking at a child drawing. A bunch of stick figures stood together holding hands in front of a white.


    There was nothing special about the simplistic drawing. Yet, for some reason it resonated with me.


    ¡°See something you like?¡± I jumped slightly surprised that Isabelle got so close to me without me noticing.


    ¡°You should be careful.¡± Isabelle said while giggling, clearly happen she manage to scare me. ¡°Amy will ask you for some coins if she see you staring at her art with such passion.¡±


    ¡°Amy?¡±


    ¡°She was the one that pulled your tail.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± I gently place the picture back down on the table. The last thing I want is get more involved with that girl. Isabelle puts down a pie near me while laughing.


    The crust of the pie was golden brown. A dark red filling oozes from the center of the pie onto the plate. It took all my willpower to not shove the whole pie in my mouth.


    I sat down at the kitchen table using what little table manners I know. Isabelle sat on the other side of table waiting to see what I think of her food.


    I took a small bite of my pie. Just like the smell, there was something familiar about the taste.


    ¡°I taught your mom how to make this pie.¡± As if she could read my thoughts, she explained where this nostalgic feeling was coming from.


    ¡°Your mom¡­¡± Isabelle started while trying to suppress a laugh. ¡°She really wanted you to cling her like you did your father. So, she constantly came to me to learn a new recipe to impress you.¡± A tear fell down Isabelle¡¯s face while she laughs. ¡°I¡­ really miss her.¡±


    ¡°Yea, me too.¡± I dug into my pie while thinking about my mother. I can still hear her humming her favorite song while she cooks. Just like my father, her very presence made me feel warm and safe. I really do miss you.


    Rub my eyes and try to get another forkful of pie, only to realize the plate was empty.


    ¡°Thank you for the food.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I should be thanking you. Thanks to that gold coin, you got me out of a financially tough spot. By the way, where did you get that gold coin?¡± Isabelle shot me a suspicious gaze, which was understandable. Gold coins are typically are mostly used by nobles who don¡¯t want to carry pounds of sliver or bronze coins. The only way a person has a chance of acquiring a gold coin is through illegal means, which is exactly how I got.


    ¡°Ah, you see.¡± I scratch my head, trying to find a good excuse.


    I wasn¡¯t about being arrested thanks to Dante and Bella bailing me out of jail (although they were the reason why I got sent to jail in the first place). I don¡¯t worry about getting arrested unless I commit another crime. What does bother me is having a friend of my parents think that I¡¯m a criminal.


    ¡°Catherine,¡± Isabelle calls my name gently. There was a hint of sadness in my eyes. ¡°I know what you and Lily have been doing.


    I could feel a lump growing in my throat. It felt like my parents caught me doing a crime.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always known. But I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything.¡± A self-deprecating smile spread on her face. ¡°Every time she brings me the money she made. I lose the will to say anything. But I won¡¯t hesitate anymore.¡± Isabelle stood up and looked down at me with a newfound conviction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to involve Lily or any of the other kids in your schemes.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I answered quickly. Since I quit being a thief, I had no intention of putting Lily or anyone else in danger ever again.


    ¡°And¡­¡± Isabelle started. I prepare myself for her next demand. If she asks me to never talk to Lily again. I¡¯ll distance myself from her and the other children.


    ¡°I want you to join my family.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I want you to join my family.¡± She repeated. But I still didn¡¯t understand couldn¡¯t comprehend what she was saying.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m a bit too old to get adopted.¡± I let out a forced laugh to try to clear the awkward atmosphere between us. But Isabelle silently stares at me, waiting for a serious answer.


    Why didn¡¯t she asked me to be a friend? I would¡¯ve happily accepted if she did. Family can never be replaced. If you lose a friend, you can find another, but that hole in your heart will never heal when you lose your family. At least that¡¯s what I always thought.


    I looked back down at the drawing. It was obvious the picture was about how Amy sees all the other kids as a family.


    ¡°All the kids outside are orphans, right?¡±


    ¡°Were orphans.¡± Isabelle corrected. ¡°But yes, they all lost their family, just like you.¡±


    In the distance, I can hear the kids laughing. It¡¯s amazing how they can laugh despite everything they have been through at such a young age. Maybe it''s because they didn¡¯t get a chance to make that many memories with their family. Lily told me once that she doesn¡¯t remember her old hometown and family anymore.


    Will that happen to me one day? Will I eventually forget the time I spent with my parents? Will I be happier if I forget them?


    I close my eyes and thought. After a few seconds, I open them. Fully prepared to answer the question.


    ¡°I¡¯m. sorry, but I¡¯ll have to decline.¡±


    ¡°Can you please think about it?¡±


    ¡± I have.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I want you to think about it for a while.¡± Isabelle reaches over the table, place her on my mine. ¡°Please.¡± She begged silently.


    ¡°You¡¯re far too kind.¡± I gently place my other hand on hers. ¡°You worked yourself to the bone taking care of all these kids, and you want to add me to your burden? I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°I can work something out. I promise you won¡¯t be a burden.¡±


    ¡°You should focus on yourself and your children rather than me.¡± I gently removed her hand of me and stood up.


    ¡°Oh, thanks for the pie. It¡¯s was really good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong about me.¡± Isabelle took a few steps away from me. Her strong gaze seems weaker now. ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember, but I visited you once when I found out about your mother¡¯s passing. I was planning on taking you in. but, in the end, my fear stopped me.¡±


    ¡°Fear? What were you scared of?¡± I asked, but Isabelle didn¡¯t say anything. She averted her gaze from and stared only at the table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispered. ¡°It¡¯s because of me you¡¯ve been alone for all these years.¡±


    I scratched my head, trying to remember what happened between us. After my mom passed away, everything became hazy. The only thing I can recall is standing in front of her shoddily built grave with Crook.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for me,¡± I said after giving up on remembering the past. Knowing me, I would¡¯ve declined her invitation back then.


    ¡°I never was alone. My parents are always with me, and the memories they gave is what spurring me forward.¡± I can feel my heart getting warmer, thinking about the dream of my father.


    ¡°Which is why you should focus on the kids. Give them a good childhood and let them make plenty of good memories so that their hearts will always be warm regardless how cold the world may get.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Isabelle stared at me, speechless. Even I was a bit surprised with myself. I have no idea where exactly those words came from. Honestly, it was kind of embarrassing. But I wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡± Isabelle nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± She said. Her eyes became more focused and determined.


    ¡°Good.¡± Satisfied with her answer, I headed for the door.


    ¡°Ethan, Deborah. I wish you can see your child. She has grown into a fine woman.¡± Isabelle whispered to herself. I left the house, pretending I didn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. They¡¯re watching me even now.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Once again, the sun crept past the horizon chasing away the darkness and announcing that this was the start of a new day, and most importantly, that the time has finally come.


    It¡¯s strange I¡¯m calm even though I¡¯m about to leave this town for the first time in my life. I don¡¯t think I got more confident. Rather, all of this still doesn¡¯t feel real. Every time I closed my eyes, I¡¯m scared that¡¯ll I wake up and find out that I haven¡¯t met Dante or Bella, and nothing has changed that I haven¡¯t changed.


    ¡°Did I change?¡± While I was thinking that. I slowly caressed the case that Bella gave me. Her words echoing in my head.


    I¡¯ll receive fifteen gold coins if I sell this case and the content inside. Not enough to buy back my family store. But I can easily live a comfortable life for a couple of years if I spend wisely.


    It sounds nice. But if all I ever wanted was money. Then I would¡¯ve taken all the money I¡¯ve stolen and left this town years ago. I still don¡¯t know what I truly want, but I feel I¡¯ll found out during this journey.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside.¡± I carefully open the case. Inside was neatly folded clothes and a knife tucked to the side. I can feel a smile blooming on me as I put on the clothes Bella gave me. The clothes perfectly fit me. Even the shorts, there was a small hole that my tail slip through.


    A bright red heart sat in the center of the black shirt. I guess this was supposed to represent me and my family. And the small cross etch onto the metal plates on the fingerless gloves and handle of the knife which meant Bella made these herself. I¡¯ve known for quite some time that Bella was skilled at making weapons, but I never imagine that this is what she was doing when me and Dante were sparring.


    After I slip on my gloves, I reach for the jacket but notice there was a note sticking out of the pocket.


    To The Stubborn Fool


    Try Not To Die.


    -Bella


    ¡°Thank you, Bella.¡± I place the paper on table and put the jacket on. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± I slam both my fists together to rid myself of all the doubts that remain. I check my clothes one more time then left my home.


    The time is has finally come. The summer festival is beginning, and warriors from all over are gathering at the capital, so all the royal guards and the king himself can see who¡¯s the strongest. Never in my life I thought I would participate in such a huge event, but it¡¯s just like dad said.


    ¡°I¡¯m a star too.¡± I stopped and took one last looked at my home. ¡°So, watch me closely. I¡¯m going to show the world just how bright I can shine.

 Chapter 18.5: The Crooked Man

    Chapter 18.5


    The Crooked Man


    It was supposed to be a simple mission. Go into sewers, check and see if the gate to the old sewer has been breach than report back to the supervisor. Plain and simple. Yet somehow, this mission became much, much worse.


    ¡°Theo, Theo! Can you hear me?!¡± A panicked voice call pulled Theo out from the darkness of unconsciousness. The moment his sense came back to him, he was greeted with a throbbing pain in his head and a smell so foul he almost wishes he didn¡¯t wake up. A solid steel wall stood in front, which stood out from damp molding walls with rusted pipes that surrounded him.


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Theo?! Thank god you¡¯re alive. I thought you were dead!¡± After a few agonizing seconds, Theo¡¯s eyes adjusted to the darkness. A young boy his age sat right beside him. Both his arms and leg were tightly bound to the chair with thick rope. Theo tried to move, but he quickly realizes that his legs and arms were tied to his chair.


    ¡°Jack, what the hell going on?!¡±


    ¡°We were ambushed. Fucking cowards attacked us before we could even draw our weapons.¡± Jack grinded his teeth in frustration. He wiggles around in his chair in a futile effort to break free. ¡°I swear when I get free, I¡¯ll make them regret picking a fight with us!¡±


    ¡°Jack, you need to calm down.¡±


    ¡°How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?!¡± Jack snapped. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill us!¡±


    ¡°Not if we stay calm and use our head!¡± Theo snapped back, shutting Jack up. Silently glared at Theo, as if he were the one that tied him up.


    ¡°Looked at you, acting at all calm and mature. Did your girlfriend turn you into a man?¡±


    ¡°What the hell you talking about? I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Everyone knows you''re going out with that cat girl.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Theo shouted unintentionally. ¡°Catherine and I aren¡¯t dating.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± A sadistic smile form on Jack¡¯s face. ¡°Then I suppose you don¡¯t mind if I take my chance with her?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± Theo shrugs his shoulders, calmly brushing away Jack¡¯s malicious attempt to anger him. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work out, though.¡±


    Theo didn''t know that much about Catherine, but he knew that she didn¡¯t have an easy life, and the last thing on her mind is love and romance.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Jack clicked his tongue, annoyed that he couldn¡¯t get under Theo¡¯s skin. ¡°She isn¡¯t my type anyway; I prefer women with more curve and busts,¡± Jack said with a filthy smile


    ¡°Ugh, do I really have to listen to kids talk about women?¡± Both Theo and Jack froze when they heard the other voice.


    ¡°Your voices haven¡¯t even deepened. What do you know about the touch of a woman?¡±


    A pale skinny man stepped in front of Theo and Jack. The man toyed with a knife while wearing a sinister grin showing off his yellow teeth.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You guys were talking with such vigor a moment ago. Why are you quiet now?¡±


    Theo silently curses himself for letting Jack distract from the real danger.


    ¡°Well, since you guys don¡¯t wanna talk, I guess I¡¯ll have to make you sing.¡± The man drew closer to Theo while brandishing his knife. Theo leans backward in a futile attempt to put some distance between.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Brick.¡± The man stopped and pointed his knife at the approaching voice.


    ¡°And why should I, scar?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re going against The Crooked Man¡¯s order.¡± A man with multiple scars on his step closer to the one wielding the knife. His eyes were empty, unfazed by the sharp object in the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°These are kids are soldiers if we don¡¯t take care of them now, more soldiers will be coming down here to mess with our operation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only say this once, Brick.¡± The scarred man stopped and looked down at the other man; the tip of the knife was now touching the scarred man¡¯s stomach. ¡°Do not go against The Crooked Man¡¯s orders.¡±


    The man holding the knife hand tremble. All it¡¯ll take is a slight movement for his knife to impale Scar. After a few seconds of tense silence. Brick clicked his tongue and withdrew his knife.


    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re watching the kids. I¡¯m tired of babysitting them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The Scarred man lean on one of the damp walls, while the guy with the knife left angrily mumbling to himself. Realizing his life isn¡¯t in immediate danger, Theo began thinking about how to escape.


    While keeping his eyes on Scar, Theo slightly wiggles around in the chair. The ropes dug deeper into his skin as he tried to slip free from his bondage.


    ¡°Whoever tied me to this chair did a superb job.¡± Theo whisper to himself. ¡°But I should be able to break free. The problem comes after I escape. Scar¡¯s eyes were closed, but Theo knew that he¡¯d be attacked the moment he escapes from his bondage.


    After suffering through intensive training, Theo became quite decent at judging a person''s strength, and he knew the moment he looked at the Scarred man he could never beat him.


    ¡°What would Dante do?¡± Theo closed his eyes and imagined himself as Dante.


    Dante easily breaks free from the chair using nothing but the strength he gains from decades of training and battle. Then, he takes down Scar before he has a chance to react. Afterward, he frees Jack then escapes the sewers while taking down anyone that stands in his way.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°No way I¡¯m pulling that off. So, what would Catherine do? She isn¡¯t that strong, so she wouldn¡¯t try to brute force her way out of this situation. Knowing her, she¡¯ll use everything at her disposal, but what do I have?¡±


    Theo carefully looked around for anything he could use, but these thugs aren¡¯t fools. The young soldiers were stripped of both of their equipment and place in an empty room. The only thing Theo had at his disposal was the chair he¡¯s sitting on.


    ¡°No way, I¡¯m beating that Scar guy with a chair, but maybe I don¡¯t have to beat him. If I used the chair as a shield, It¡¯ll but enough time for Jack to break out of his bondage.¡± Theo glances over at Jack, who was mumbling to himself. The anger in his eyes was gone, and despair was slowly taking over.


    ¡°Jack¡¯s spirit should rise when he sees me fighting.¡± Theo took a breath to prepare himself. ¡°¡¯ Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what you ready for?¡± Theo¡¯s heart froze. Slowly, he turns to the owner of the voice. A somewhat pale man with messy black hair. The dark rings under his eyes, the slouch shoulders, and the wrinkled clothes would fool most people into thinking he was just another vagabond, but Theo immediately knew who he was. The Crooked Man, the leader of the largest gang in Horizon, and the person that¡¯s been tormenting Catherine for years.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I interrupted your guys'' escape plans?¡±


    ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t plan anything, I swear!¡± Jack screams in fear.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not mad. Truth be told, I came here to apologize. My men that attacked you have been promptly punished, and I¡¯ll be releasing you guys shortly.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Jack¡¯s face instantly brightened.


    ¡°But!¡± The Crooked lifted a finger and smiled. ¡°You need to join my gang.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Jack¡¯s expression switches between confusion and despair.


    ¡°Why, are you so surprised? If I just let you leave, you¡¯ll tell everyone about my base.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t tell anyone! I promise!¡± Jack cried.¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± The Crooked Man chuckled. ¡°Sorry, kid, how can I trust a sheep that blindly listens to every lie their masters tell them?¡± The Crooked Man places his hand on the steel wall. ¡°Do you even know what¡¯s behind this gate?¡±


    ¡°A Demon.¡± Theo gritted his teeth. The military kept the Demon in the sewers a secret to ensure no one would try to free it.


    ¡°Correct! Do you know how they manage to capture it?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The brave soldiers of Morningstar lured the Demon inside the sewer and trapped themselves with it.¡±


    ¡°Incorrect.¡± The Crooked Man wag his finger at Theo. ¡°You were close, though. You see, when the military realizes they couldn¡¯t kill the creature. They sent civilians and injured soldiers into sewers, promising them safety. But they knew, oh, they knew.¡± A devious smile spread formed on The Crooked Man¡¯s face.


    ¡°They knew that the Demon had the ability to sense life and that it would come for them, and when it did, they seal it inside with all the innocent souls. Didn¡¯t know that did you? Of course, you don¡¯t. They never teach you this shit in history class.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you after? Are you trying to free the Demon?¡±


    ¡°Now, why would I do that?¡± The Crooked Man looked down at Theo as if he went insane.


    ¡°Because that what scum like you always do. You use whatever you can to make a profit even if it destroys other people''s lives.


    ¡°Shut the hell up, Theo,¡± Jack whisper under his breath.


    ¡°No, no. Let the kid talk. He¡¯s saying some interesting things.¡± The Crooked Man gently rubbed his hand on the steel wall. ¡°I never thought about using the demon. If I found a way to control it, I can easily take control of these streets, hell this entire kingdom!¡±


    The Crooked Man lets out and then turns to Theo, who was trembling in fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s interesting, but you don¡¯t need to worry. I have no intention of freeing the Demon. I¡¯ve already got a far stronger weapon at my disposal.¡±


    Theo¡¯s mind froze. He couldn¡¯t understand what The Crooked Man was saying. Majins were such a threat that every country had to come together to stand even a remote chance against the demonic threat. What weapon does The Crooked Man possess that surpasses the terrifying might of a Demon?


    ¡°Anyway,¡± The Crooked Man claps his hands together, snapping both Jack and Theo out of their thoughts. ¡°The reason I told you kids about Demon is because the superiors you follow continuously lied and break the very laws they created. So why can¡¯t you?¡± The Crooked Man extended his hand towards the two youth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit you really don¡¯t have much of choice. If you don¡¯t join me, I¡¯ll have to kill you, but if you do, I can assure you won¡¯t ever have to go through this hell again. So, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°I-I accept.¡±


    ¡°Jack!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Jack snapped at Theo. ¡°You really think I¡¯m going to let myself die because of something as stupid as honor!¡±


    ¡°Smart man. Cut him loose, Scar.¡± Scar pulled out a knife and cut the rope that bound Jack.


    ¡°So, what about you, young man? Will you join me?¡±


    Theo looked The Crooked Man dead in the eyes and said, ¡°No, I¡¯ll never join you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.¡± The Crooked Man raised his hand, stopping Scar, who was approaching Theo. ¡°Leave. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Scar nodded and escorted Jack out of the room. Leaving Crook and Theo alone.


    ¡°I have to say you have balls, kid. But you¡¯re kind of stupid. You see, if you were smart, you would¡¯ve lie to me. And when I let you go, you could¡¯ve told your superiors everything you learn from our encounter. Of course, I would¡¯ve stopped before you could blow the whistle, but still, it¡¯s far better than sitting here and looking at my ugly face, right?¡±


    ¡°No. Even if it is a lie, I would be betraying all my comrades if I join you.¡±


    ¡°Oh man, you¡¯re something else.¡± Crook chuckle to himself. ¡°What¡¯s your name, kid?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Theo didn¡¯t respond. He silent glare at Crook, who sighed as he grabs Theo¡¯s dog tags dangling from his neck.


    ¡°Theo, huh? Do you have a family, Theo?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Once again, Theo didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Going by the innocent look in your eyes, I can safely say yes. You¡¯re one of the lucky ones that have never lost anything or had to make any hard decision in your life. That¡¯s why you''re staring at me like I¡¯m some sort of inhumane monster. But believe it or not, kid, we¡¯re quite similar. The only thing different about us is that I¡¯m lying to myself. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m a piece of shit.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say I¡¯m scumbag like you?¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s a scumbag kid,¡± Crooked said as he flops down in the chair next to Theo while pulling a cigar and box of matches out of his pocket. ¡°Most people are either lying to themselves. Or have yet to face the cruel reality of our world.¡±


    Crook struck the match against the box, ignited it. Theo tilted his head as he watches the fire twist and bend until it transforms into a halo that hovers over the match.


    ¡°I supposed you¡¯re the latter,¡± Crook said as he moves his cigar towards the floating fire. ¡°But one day you will have to face reality, and when that happens, you¡¯ll realize you¡¯re not so different from all the criminals you look down on.


    ¡°What about Catherine? You think she a scumbag too?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Crooked eyes widened when he heard that name. Theo wanted to smile, but the surprise on Crook¡¯s face quickly faded before Theo could enjoy it.


    ¡°Interesting, so you know about kiddo.? How is she doing?¡±


    ¡°Better, now that she isn¡¯t in your gang anymore.¡± Crook suddenly burst out laughing, startling Theo.


    ¡°She will always be part of my crew. No matter how hard she tried to deny it. I did raise her, after all.¡±


    ¡°Like hell, you did!¡± Theo tried to lunge forward, but the ropes around his arms and legs held him in place. "All you did was make her life worse!¡±


    ¡°I made her life worse? I saved her, kid. She was nothing but skin and bones when we first met.¡± Crook took a puff from his cigar and blew smoke into Theo¡¯s face.  ¡°I fed her, shelter her, and taught her how to survive in this world. In every way, I was a better father than her real dad ever was.¡±


    The small ring of fire vanishes as Crook got up from his chair. ¡°Earlier, you asked me if I thought Catherine was a scumbag, right?¡± Crook looked down at Theo as if he were staring at a rat. ¡°And you especially know nothing about Catherine.¡± No, I think she far worse than us.¡±


    Crook raised his right hand and pulled off the black glove. Theo shudders at what he saw. There wasn¡¯t any flesh and bones on his hand, only metal.


    ¡°She did this me,¡± Crook said as he waves around his prosthetic hand. ¡°It still gives me nightmares to this day. She tore my men apart and ripped my hand off with nothing but her own strength.¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t true.¡± Theo tried looked, but Crook grab his face and force him to look in his eyes.


    ¡°And yet it is. That girl is nothing more than a beast that I fully intend to control.¡±


    Crook tightens his grip with a twisted grin until Theo begins to fear that his face was about to be crushed.


    ¡°Since I¡¯ve been so busy lately, you¡¯re going to tell me what my little pet been up to.¡±

 Chapter 18.9: Spark of War

    For far too long, the world has been at war with the Majin. Slowly, the Demons took over the world, crushing every country that stood in their way. In a desperate attempt to push them back, Countries from all over gathered their strongest warriors and launched a massive assault on the uncharted landmass the Majin¡¯s hailed from, The Dark World.


    Hundreds of the world''s strongest warriors embark on this journey, only one return. Gravely injured, the man repeatedly utters one sentence as he was carried to the nearest hospital. ¡°We won.¡±


    Weeks later, Majin¡¯s all over the world retreated to their homeland. Thus concluded, the long war and beginning the age of strife.


    With the Majins defeated, rulers could once again focus on their selfish desire. Countries severely weaken from the demonic invasion were conquer by stronger nations. Soldiers abandoned by their lords turns into bandits and pillages towns and villages.


    With each passing year, the neighboring countries that once fought together grown to despise one another. Quietly, everyone waited for the spark that would ignite the next war, and everyone believes the time finally came when the king of Morningstar was killed.


    Chapter 18.9


    Spark of War


    ¡°New Dawn. Once just an ordinary city, now the pride of Morningstar, due to the destruction of the original capital a hundred years ago. People worldwide travel to the flourishing new capital hoping to escape from the scars of the war and start a new life. Unaware of the dark side of the city.


    The Pleasure District. Only at night, this section of the town comes to life. Ruled by five gang leaders that called themselves "The Pillars." Slaves, blood sports, drugs, and other forms of illegal activity can be found here in this town''s lawless section. Due to how lucrative this district has become, officials have turned a blind eye to all the crimes in this part of the city.


    ¡°I knew it was bad, but I never imagine it was this bad.¡± A young man around the age of eighteen anxiously fiddled with his dog tags as he watches a couple of thugs beat up a foreigner in the middle of the street.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand; why is no one helping him?¡± The young soldier grinded his teeth in frustration as he watches people laugh at the man getting beaten.


    ¡°That¡¯s the pleasure district for you. Everything is a form of entertainment, even someone else suffering.¡±


    The young soldier looks over at the young woman standing at the very edge of the building. Her green eyes gave off a soft emerald glow as she looked down at the city.


    ¡°Miss Bella, permission to leave my post?¡±


    ¡°Denied,¡± Bella said without even bothering to look at the soldier. ¡°If I let you go, you¡¯ll end up spending all night trying to stop petty crime. Only to be arrested or killed by the corrupt adventurers or soldiers patrolling this side of the town.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re supposed to let bad guys do whatever they want? What¡¯s the point of us soldiers if we don¡¯t serve the country we swore to protect?!¡±


    The young soldier quickly covers his mouth when he realizes he just yelled at a superior officer.


    ¡°Your name Zane, right?¡± Bella finally looked at the young man. Her emerald color eyes cause the soldier to take a step back.


    ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°You remind me of the old man. Always preaching about justice like you¡¯re the only one that cares about others.¡± Bella approach the young man. Even though the soldier was a head taller than Bella, it feels like a giant beast was looking down on him.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m heartless? Do you think I possess no empathy¡±?


    ¡°N-No.¡±


    ¡°Then stop acting like you¡¯re the only one that wants to help people.¡±


    Zane looks down to avoid Bella¡¯s glare, only to see her fist trembling with rage. Realizing she was just as angry as him, Zane gathered his courage, looked Bella in the eye, and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s painful not being able to help those right in front of you. But you¡¯ll never be able to save anyone if you let your emotions control you.¡± Bella gently places her hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Focus on the mission. If we take down the pillars holding the pleasure district up, we¡¯ll be crushing all the scumbags here in one go. You understand?¡±


    Zane looks back at the foreigner. At some point during Bella¡¯s speech, the scumbags that were beaten the foreigner up walked away, leaving him in the middle of the street, letting other scums walk over his motionless body like it was a rug. After confirming that the foreigner was still alive. He turns his gaze back to the city. ¡°I got it,¡± Zane said while scanning the area for his target.


    There have been rumors that the pillars have been planning to assassinate the king in retaliation to the crackdown on crime. In response to this rumor, multiple teams were dispatched to capture the five pillars and confirm this rumor.


    Bella and Zane''s target was a pillar who simply goes by the name Skull. A beastman whose rumor to smuggle illegal weapons like bombs and poison.


    ¡°We know his name, what he looks like, and his operation, but how we¡¯re going to find him?


    ¡°By looking.¡± Bella once again took a position on the edges of the building. Her eyes rapidly darted around back and forth.


    ¡°Easier said than done. There are thousands of people roaming these streets. Not to mentions, the pillars rarely show themselves in public. If they did, we would¡¯ve been fou-


    ¡°Found him.¡±


    ¡°What, really?¡± Zane looked over at Bella, thinking she was joking, but she was dead serious. Zane tried to follow Bella''s line of sight, but everyone looks the same when your six-story high. ¡°What do we do? Should we call for help?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll handle myself. You¡¯re free to backup me up whenever you catch up to me.¡± Bella took one step forward, letting one of her legs dangled off the building.


    ¡°Bella, wait!¡± Zane ran towards, but it was too late. Bella closed her eyes as she fell from the six-story building. A soft white light enveloped her body. The light shielded her from the impact. The moment she slammed into the ground, she dashes forward, her eyes fixed on the large back in front of her. The man she was chasing abruptly stop and turn around, swinging a knife. Bella jumped over the man. As if he knew that would be her response, the man pulled out a gun and aimed it upward. But before he could pull the trigger, Bella threw a dagger knocking the weapon out of his hand.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?!¡± A woman screamed. Bella glances down to see she landed on top of a dining table, smashing a couple¡¯s dinner and quickly becoming the center of attention in the outdoor restaurant.


    Somewhat embarrassed, Bella tosses a few coins at the supposed boyfriend without ever looking at him. Humiliated, the man opened his mouth but immediately closed it when he sensed Bella''s tension and the approaching beastman.


    ¡°I think we should leave.¡± The boyfriend grabs his girlfriend, and forcefully dragged her away.


    ¡°Bella Hellsing. I¡¯m honored that they sent someone as strong as you after me.¡± The beastman bow slightly. His fancy black suit tightly hugged his tone body that it looked like it would rip if so, much moved a muscle.


    ¡°Before we do this. I suggest you turn yourself in. It¡¯ll make your life easier, and I won¡¯t have to drag your half-dead body across the city.


    ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t be fun at all.¡± The beastman slowly undid the buttons on his suit. ¡°There are two things I love the most in the world. Women and fighting. So, getting to fight a strong woman like you, I can¡¯t think of a greater ecstasy.¡± With a wide grin showing off his fangs., the beastman tosses his shirt away, revealing dozens of skull-like tattoos etched into his dark skin. Bella knew exactly what the skulls on the beastman meant. They represent all the people he has killed. ¡°Don¡¯t make this a boring fight.¡±


    The beastman lunge forward. Bella reached into her pouch and pulled out a gun. The beastman eyes widen as he helplessly watched Bella pulled the trigger.


    Bang!  The moment he heard the explosive, he found himself lying on the ground, blood spilling from his leg.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Did you enjoy our little fight?¡± Bella said as she approaches the injured beastman.


    ¡°You fucking coward!¡± The beastman roar while pressing down on the bullet wound in a futile effort to stop the bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Coward? What a childlike insult are you going to call me a cheater next?¡± While looking down coldly at the injured man, Bella places one of her on his wound and presses down, causing him to howl in pain. ¡°Going by your tattoos, I¡¯m assuming you came from a warrior tribe. Which means you should know better than anyone else that anything goes in a real fight.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh.¡± The beastman howls of pain turn into cold laughter. Startled, Bella tried to back away, but the beastman grabs her leg and squeeze hard enough to make her wince. ¡°You¡¯re right. There are no rules in a real fight. So, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind if I invite friends to our little battle.¡±


    Suddenly, Bella sense something approaching her from behind. She turns around to see a fist coming right for her face. Before her mind could react to the threat, her body was already in motion. She raised her arm, stopping her assailant¡¯s attack with her elbow. The attacker¡¯s bones smash into pieces. Before he could scream, Bella fired her gun at the assailant''s leg to keep him from running.


    ¡°So, you had guards hiding among the crowd. I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± While her attacker hugged his leg screaming, Bella carefully scanned the crowd that gathered to watch the fight. ¡°Well, does anyone else want to join this fight?¡± Everyone took a step back when Bella¡¯s intense gaze fell on them.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys doing?!¡± The beastman roar. ¡°I¡¯ll add your skulls to my collection if you don¡¯t do what I paid you for!¡±


    Gathering their courage, a small group of armed guards emerges from the curious crowd. Bella raises her gun but then immediately lowered it when she realizes a stray bullet could injure a bystander.


    Time slows to a crawl as Bella raises all six of her senses to their zenith. ¡°Carefully, she identifies who her attackers were and who was innocent. ¡°Eight of you, huh?¡± Bella reaches into one of her pouches. The thugs charging at her froze when Bella pulled out and threw five needles. The thugs scatter to avoid her projectiles, but Bella''s aim was true. Each one of the needles hit its mark. The thugs fell unconscious as soon as the needle pierces their skin.


    ¡°Five down. Three to go.¡± Bella reaches into her pouch again. One of the assailants kicks a dining table at Bella to stop her from grabbing any more needles. Bella easily sidestep table, just like the thug expected.


    ¡°Got you!¡± The thug shouted as he swung his knife. Bella grabbed the man¡¯s wrist and pulled him close enough to knee him in his stomach.


    ¡°!¡± The man opens his mouth as if he wanted to scream, but nothing came. The knife he held fell out of his hand. Bella kicks the knife before it touches the ground, sending it flying towards the second thug charging towards her. The knife sank into the man¡¯s thighs, sending him tumbling to the ground. While still holding the first guy''s wrist, she spun her pistol around and smack on the side of the head with her handle knocking her attacker unconscious.


    ¡°One more to go.¡±


    ¡°!!!¡± A giant of a man let out a beastly roar. Bella leaps into the air, barely avoid the enrage beast fist, which slams into the concrete where she was standing a moment ago. While still in the air, Bella fire a couple of rounds at the man. The giant of a man charge at Bella, her bullets bouncing off the dark scales on the man¡¯s body. The giant stopped where Bella would land and swung upward. Unable to dodge in midair, Bella readjusted her body and planted her foot on the giant¡¯s fist. The force of the punch launch Bella into the air once more.


    As she fell, Bella kept fire her gun to stop him from giving. A smile begins to creep on the man¡¯s face as the bullets continue to bounce off his body.


    ¡°Surrender, little girl. You can¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Unfazed by the scaley man''s resilience, she took the magazine out of her pistol. There¡¯s were only two bullets left. ¡°Two, huh? I guess that¡¯s all I really need to take you down.¡± Bella said as she calmly put the magazine back into her gun.


    ¡°Arrogance. Fine, I¡¯ll force you to submit.¡± The beast charges forward, knocking down everything that stood in his way. Bella kicked a table at the enraged man.


    ¡°Pointless!¡± The beast shouted, smashing the table into pieces with one punch. ¡°Your attacks can¡¯t hurt me!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Bella instantly closes the distance between the two using the table debris as cover. She places the barrel of her gun under the man¡¯s chin. ¡°One.¡± An explosive sound ran endlessly in the man¡¯s ear. The bullet didn¡¯t pierce his skin, but getting shot point-blank, caused the man to stagger backward, daze.


    ¡°I¡¯m borrowing your trick for a bit cat ears.¡± Multiple beads of light suddenly formed and dance around her arm.


    Aura is a technique that allows one to surpass their natural limit. This powerful technique can only be master by those who rid themselves of the plague called doubt. Normally it would take years for a person to be able their aura at a competent level. However, Catherine manages to learn the technique in three months. Not because she¡¯s a natural genius or she trained harder than anyone else. It all came down to creativity.


    Unable to completely conquer her insecurity, she fuses the little aura she could conjure with her imagination creating an attack that could rival veteran aura users.


    ¡°First Round.¡±  Bella chanted. The orbs fuse, transforming into a blanket of soft white light the covered her arm. ¡°Fire,¡± Bella said as if she was getting ready to shoot in an actual cannon. Bella slammed her fist into the giant man¡¯s stomach with enough force to lift the giant off the ground.


    ¡°Well, did this hurt?¡±


    ¡°Gah!!¡± Unable to speak, all the man could do was wheeze loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Bella removes her fist, letting the man dropped to his knees. While the man gasps for air, Bella places the barrel of her gun on the back of the man¡¯s head.


    ¡°Two.¡± Another gunshot rang through the pleasure district. The bullet didn¡¯t penetrate the man¡¯s thick skull. However, the impact snatches away what remains of the giant¡¯s fading consciousness.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± Bella turns her attention back to the crowd. The people that simply came to watch a fight were now terrified. And the remaining of Skulls¡¯ guards lost their will to fight after watching Bella taking multiple people down, including an armored beastman.


    ¡°I would like to face you one more time.¡±


    ¡°You just don¡¯t learn, hu-¡°Bella froze when she turns towards Skulls. The guy who should¡¯ve been on the ground hugging his injured leg held a knife to a woman¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Coward.¡± Bella snarled


    ¡°Coward? What a childlike response. Are you going to call me a cheater next?¡± Skulls chuckle as he repeated Bella''s words. ¡°You said it yourself. Anything goes in a real fight. So be a dear and drop your weapon.¡±


    Skulls smiles widen Bella, watching reluctantly toss away her gun. While Skulls enjoyed defeating his opponent in a fair fight. He also found it entertaining to humiliated prideful warriors.


    ¡°I dropped my weapon now, let the hostage go. Before I lose the little patience I have left.¡±


    ¡°So cocky. You still think you¡¯re in control, despite the situation your in.¡± Skulls look over at the crowd. ¡°To the cowards, still hiding. Come out of hiding and show our little friend her place.¡±


    Two guards hesitantly approach Bella. They slowly realized that Bella wouldn¡¯t make a move as long as skulls held the hostage with each step they took.


    ¡°About time you came.¡± A small smile blooms on Bella¡¯s. A sliver staff flew through the crowd and hit one of the men on the side of their head, knocking him unconscious. A young man dash towards the last goon. The young man suddenly dropped to the ground avoiding the goon¡¯s panic punch. The young man swept his foot across the ground the knock goon off his feet.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t dive off a building like a certain superhuman!¡±


    ¡°Do you not understand the situation you¡¯re in.¡± Skulls press the knife closer to the woman¡¯s neck. The woman went pale as she felt blood trickle down her neck.


    ¡°Let her go!¡± Zane roar. Bella grabbed Zane¡¯s collar to stop charging at Skulls. ¡°Let me go. He¡¯s going to kill her!¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re going to kill her if you don¡¯t control your emotion.¡± Remembering the conservation they had earlier, Zane took a deep breath. So what do we do.¡± Despite his best effort to sound calm. Bella could still sense the urgency in his voice.


    ¡°Watch.¡± Bella slowly approached Skull and said, ¡°Should be aware now that you have no chance of winning. Let the girl go, and I¡¯ll guarantee your safety.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t defeat you. But you know, you¡¯re not really in a good position yourself. What do you think will happen if I kill this woman in front of everyone¡± Skull''s grin grew impossibly wide as he watches Bella¡¯s expression darken.


    ¡°The people''s faith and their new king is already low. Once word gets out that one royal guards, the king¡¯s elite fail to save a woman begging for her life, people all over will demand the king¡¯s head.¡± Skull grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her close.


    ¡°Now scream, let everyone know how your protector failed you.¡±


    ¡°Please, someone save me!¡± In between her sobs, the woman begged for her life. Bella tightens her grip on Theo, who was desperately trying to break free from her.


    ¡°Let go of me! He¡¯s going to kill her!¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not.¡± Bella¡¯s eyes begin to glow a bright green. Chill travel up Skull¡¯s spine. He could feel a presence behind him. Time seemed to stop completely for Skull as he unconsciously looked behind him. The moment he looked the thing in the eyes, he found himself high in the air. The world spun slowly around Skull, allowing him to occasionally catch glimpses of his body still holding the hostage, seemly unaware that it lost its head.


    As Skull''s vision darker, the last thought that went through his head before his life came to an end was trying to figure out what exactly he saw.


    Skull¡¯s headless body went limp like a puppet that had its string cut.


    ¡°What? What just happen? Did you do that, Bella?!¡±


    ¡°Does it matter?¡±


    ¡°Yea, it matters! Wasn¡¯t he our only lead to the other pillars who are planning to assassinate the king?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather I let the hostage die?¡±


    Zane glances over at the trembling woman sitting next to the headless body. Even a toddler would be able to tell she isn¡¯t having a good night.


    ¡°Take her home. I¡¯ll handle things here.¡± Bella turns attention back to the crowd, not bothering to check if Zane was tending to the woman. Satisfied with the blood bath, the audience begins to disperse.


    Bella didn¡¯t want to think about it, but Skull''s words echoed endlessly in her head. As much as she hates to admit it, Skull was right. The people''s faith in their king and soldier is at an all-time low. Even though Bella manage to stop Skull from creating a riot, the powder keg was still ready to blow.


    ¡°And to make matters worse, there¡¯s been rumors of Majins being spotted near the capital.¡± Bella let out a sigh and looked up at the starless night sky. ¡°It seems one way or another the spark that¡¯ll set this country ablaze is going to be lit. The question is, who¡¯ll be the one to light it?¡±


    .


    .


    .


    A lone man clad in worn armored climb his way up a steep hill underneath the starless night. At the top of the hill was a field of rusted swords stabbed into the dried dirt. Dog tags dangle on the hilt of each sword. A bitter smile forms on the man when he realizes the names on the tags were eroded.


    ¡°So, this is how they honor your sacrifice? By burying you on a random hill forgotten by time itself. You deserve better, my brothers.¡± The armored man grabs the hilt of a sword impales into the ground.


    ¡°Brothers, please lend me your strength.¡± The ground begins to tremble as he pulled the sword from the dirt. ¡°Let me be their reminder that regardless of the era, be it war or peace, warriors like us will always be needed.¡± The armored man raised the rusted sword in the air then swung downward, splitting the ground in half.


    ¡°For conflict is eternal.¡±

 Chapter 19: New Dawn

    Chapter 19


    New Dawn


    ¡°Did you know that almost every star we see in the night sky is dead?¡±


    ¡°What? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yea, I heard that the stars are so far away that it takes hundreds of years for their light to reach our world.¡±


    ¡°Woah.¡±


    A young boy and girl sat on top of a lone grassy hill admiring the starry sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of creepy,¡± The young girl tightly hugged her body. ¡°Knowing that all stars I¡¯ve been looking at ever since I was a kid is dead.¡±


    ¡°Really? I think it''s kind of amazing. Even after the stars passed away, they continue to shine their light down on us. Every time I look at them, I can¡¯t help but wonder those a piece of us lives on after we die? Maybe the memories we made and the mark we left on history is our light shine after death.


    ¡°Wow, Aden, that was quite something.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, did I say something weird?¡±


    ¡°No, everything you said was beautiful. ¡°The young girl smiled. Boy¡¯s heart skipped a beat. To him, everything about her was stunning. Her long hair that flowed in the wind, her deep blue eyes, and even the mole on the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re beautiful.¡± The boy said unconsciously. Realizing his thoughts slips out of his mouth, he immediately tries to backpedal. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I meant to say-¡°


    ¡°Do you really mean that?¡± The girl¡¯s face became flushed red.


    ¡°Yea. I do. You¡¯re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.¡±


    Silence fell upon the two. The boy found himself drawn towards her quivering lip. The girl closed her eyes and waited for her first kiss.


    ¡°Um, I guess I¡¯ll come back later.¡± Just as the two were about to kiss, a red-headed boy with a bloodthirsty looked in his eyes. Reached the top of a hill. Both the girl and boy immediately separated and shouted at the same. ¡°Lock?!¡±


    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s me.¡± The red-headed boy crosses his arms. The glare and the scar on his forehead made his innocent gesture look more menacing than he intended. ¡°Why you guys acting so surprised. Didn¡¯t you two invite me?¡±


    Both the boy and girl silently looked at each other, their face still flushed red.


    ¡°I can leave if you guys want.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± The boy grabbed Lock¡¯s sleeves. ¡°I want to spend what little time we have left together.


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense. No matter how hard they tried to deny it. Deep down, this may be the last chance the three could be together.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to be the last time we meet.¡± The girl broke the awkward silence between the three. ¡°We can run away, go somewhere far from here.¡±


    ¡°Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cool with the plan.¡±


    ¡°Lock!¡±


    ¡°What? Why should we sacrifice ourselves in this stupid war?¡±


    ¡°Because everything we know and love is in danger. You guys have seen it for yourself. People from all over the world are fleeing to our country. Their homes and villages were destroyed by the Majins. If we lose this war, there¡¯ll be nowhere for us to run.¡±


    ¡°you talk as if you can make a difference if you join the war. Surely, you¡¯re not that prideful, Aden.¡± Lock glare at Aden, hoping his natural intimidating look will cause Aden to backdown. But to his surprise, Aden return his glare with a soft smile.


    ¡°I think I can make a difference.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah? How?¡±


    ¡°Simply by helping others. Every person I help will, ,save someone else in need, and that person will help someone in need of saving. It¡¯s just like using a matchstick to light all the candles in a room. Even after the fire on the matchsticks dies out, the candles can be used to light the others until the room is glowing with light.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Lock was speechless. He dug deep in his head, deeper than he has ever done before, to find a way to stop his friend from this suicidal path. But he knew he couldn¡¯t stop him. He never could.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Lock click his tongue and starch his rough red hair in frustration. ¡°If only you were stronger, then you might have a chance at changing the world.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to come with me, Lock. With your strength, we might be able to make a difference.¡±


    ¡°Me make a difference? But I¡¯m just a¡­¡± Lock fell silent.


    But I¡¯m just a street rat. That is what Lock wanted to say, but the words got caught in his throat. Lock lived on the streets longer than he could remember, and he was confident he would die on the streets, too, until he met Aden.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably the only person that¡¯ll have faith in a no-name thug like me.¡± Lock quietly, making sure the other two couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll come along. Someone needs to watch your ass.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lock.¡±


    ¡°Aden, please think about what you¡¯re doing.¡± Charlotte squeezes Aden¡¯s hand, making sure he couldn¡¯t escape from her grip. ¡°You c


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time, but I decided this is what I want to do. And, besides I got Lock with me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Promise me!¡± Charlotte squeezes Aden¡¯s hands harder. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back to me!¡±


    ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll come back to you, and I¡­¡± Aden¡¯s face became red as he tried to force the words out his mouth. ¡°I¡­ I would like to spend the rest of my life with you.¡±


    Both Charlotte and Lock''s eyes widen at Aden¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°I mean, if you don¡¯t want to, I understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I would love to!¡± Charlotte pulled Aden close to her. ¡°I would love to spend the rest of my life with you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Tears begin to well up in Aden¡¯s eyes. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll make you the happiest girl in the world.¡±


    While the two confessed their love for each other underneath the starry sky. Lock silently made a vow to help the boy who saved him accomplish his dream, no matter what.


    20 years later


    A lone man in worn armor climbs up lonely hill, carrying a rusted sword. On top of the hill, the man got a good view of the famous city, New Dawn.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long, Aden, but I finally come back to fulfill my promise with you.: The armored man, squeeze the dog tags whose name have long been erased by time. ¡°It¡¯s time to make a change.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    This may sound strange, but lately, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about the heroes in fairy tales. You know the one where the main character goes on a journey to save the world. I can¡¯t help but wonder where their confidences come from. Even if some goddess gave me the power to help everyone, I probably still hesitate to leave home. I guess it¡¯s a good thing the world isn¡¯t resting on my shoulders. I¡¯m not ambitious as my father, nor am I as strong as Dante. I don¡¯t want to save or change the world either. I¡¯m just a girl trying to find her place in this world, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°I¡¯m also looking for something to eat too.¡± I rub my stomach that¡¯s been growling at me for hours.


    Five days has passed since I left my hometown, and the capital isn¡¯t anywhere in sight. I didn¡¯t take a wrong turn somewhere, did I? no, I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been following this road ever since I embarked on my journey. I couldn¡¯t of made a wrong turn.


    ¡°Traveling sucks!¡± I flopped down on the gravel road, exhausted and hungry. On the left side of the road, there¡¯s a river as blue as the sky, and on the right side is a lush green forest. You think me being a part beastman, I would thrive in places like this, but you would be wrong. I¡¯m a pureblooded street kid. I have no idea what to do if I was suddenly thrown into nature. I guess I¡¯ll know what plants poisonous and what edible thanks to my upbringing.


    ¡°Ah, speaking of plants¡­¡± I reached into my pouch and pulled out a yellow seed. I immediately plop the seed in my mouth and swallow it, not even bothering to savor the taste.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°God, that¡¯s sour!¡± I rolled around the ground, barely stopping myself from licking the dirt to get rid of the sour taste out of my mouth.


    Sour seeds really live up to their name. The hunger and fatigue that clouded vanish. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for this fruit, I probably would¡¯ve collapsed on the road a while ago. But I feel like I¡¯m going to go insane if I eat any more of these seeds. I need something real to eat. Like, like, ¡°fish?¡±


    Suddenly, the smell of cooked fish entered my nose. I instinctively followed the delicious aroma, which led me to the bank of the river. A small campfire with fishes impaled on a stick sat near the river.


    I carefully examine the area looking for the person who made the little camp, but no one was in sight.


    ¡°They must¡¯ve left to gather more supplies,¡± I mumble to myself. I could feel a small smile spreading on my face. Before I knew it, I was creeping towards the small campfire. I soundlessly made my way body easily glided across the rocky ground while keeping an eye out for the person who made the campfire.


    I was surprised at how easily I slipped back into my thieving habit and disappointed that I had to rely on them again.


    ¡°Sorry, I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for this.¡± I picked up a piece of fish. The enticing smell washes away all my guilt. ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡±


    I open my mouth to swallow the fish whole. A small voice in the back of my head broke through my starved mind and whispered to me.  Something is after you.


    The sky suddenly darkened, against my better judgement, I looked up, an act I immediately regret.


    ¡°No, no, it can¡¯t be! It can¡¯t!¡± I stagger, unable to accept what I was seeing. The sky grew darker as the silhouette of dragon loom over.


    ¡°This is a joke, right?¡± I continue to stare dumbly at the dragon silhouette, hoping my eyes were playing tricks on me, but the dragon continue to get closer to me.


    A moment later, I found myself in the air, my breath knocked out of me from the dragon¡¯s charge. Another moment later, I found myself at the bottom of the river. The cold water awakens my dazed mind.


    While underwater, I debated if I should come up for air or wait till the dragon left. My lungs forced me to choose the former. I cautiously poke my head from out the water.


    The thing that I thought was a dragon was actually a wyvern, a slightly oversized lizard. Drool dripped endlessly from the wyvern¡¯s dark scaley mouth as it approached the fish I dropped.


    ¡°That¡¯s mine!¡± I jumped out of the river and snatched the fish from the overgrown lizard.


    ¡°Kaaah!¡± The stupid lizard screech at me, but I paid no attention to it.


    ¡°Mine! Mine! Mine!¡± I shouted as I ran for the woods on all fours. The lizard won¡¯t be able to use its wings with all the branches and trees in the way. At least, that what my half-starved brain came up with. But I gave up on the plan before I could enact it.


    A woman emerges from the forest carrying a few apples and a cane. The woman wore a deep wine color cloak that covered her entire body. Both her hair and the little bit of skin I could see were white as snow.


    ¡°Hm?¡± The woman abruptly stopped in the middle of the road and stared at me. At least it seems like she was staring at me, but strangely I couldn¡¯t feel her gaze at all.


    ¡°Who¡¯s. There?¡± The cloaked woman spoke slowly. I should¡¯ve known immediately when I saw the cane, but I only realized after watching her look for me even though I was right in front of her.


    ¡°She¡¯s blind.¡± My heart ached when I realize this.


    Here I was, on all four like a beast, carrying a piece of fish in my mouth that I stole from a blind girl. Even if I was hungry was no excuse for my deprave action.


    I open my mouth to speak, but the only thing that came out was a pained groan. The wyvern snuck up behind me and bit my tail.


    ¡°Why is it always the tail?¡± I fell to my knees, barely trying to hold back my tears. The cloaked woman stood over me. She slammed her cane into the road, scaring away the lizard holding my tail.


    ¡°Sor. Ry¡± The woman enunciated her word, so slowly it took me a moment to realize what she was apologizing to me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to me. I¡¯m a thief that- ugh, tried to take food from you.¡± Halfway through my speech, my stomach begins to rumble.


    ¡°Here.¡± The hooded woman knelt next to me and handed me an apple.


    ¡°I can have this?¡± The hooded woman nodded. Maybe it because I¡¯ve been eating nothing but sour seed the past few days, but the apple was the sweetest thing I have ever eaten.


    As soon as I finish eating the apple, the woman grabbed my sleeve and dragged me to her little camp. ¡°Here.¡± She said, shoving a fish into my face. I silently accepted it. The fish didn¡¯t have any taste, but I didn¡¯t care. At this point, I could eat anything.


    After I finish eating, I moved closer, hoping it would dry my clothes faster. The wyvern wrapped itself around the cloak woman¡¯s body while nibbling at the fish in the woman¡¯s lap. If birds suddenly land on her shoulders, she would look like a princess from a fairy tale or a forest witch.


    I took another looked around our little camp area. It¡¯s hard for me to believe that a blind person is traveling alone. Even with the oversize lizard protecting her, she¡¯s still a huge target, especially when carrying such a fancy cane.


    The cane was mostly black with a strange sliver vine-like design going down the shaft. The handle was made of silver, shaped like a goat head with red jewels embedded into both eye sockets. If my old self ever saw such an object, she would¡¯ve done everything in her power to steal it, even if the cloaked woman needed to get around. The old me was quite the ass, then again, I did try to steal her food, so I guess I¡¯m still an ass.


    ¡°Jez.¡± The woman said while placing a hand on her chest. It took me a moment to realize she was telling me her name.


    ¡°Oh, Jez, is your name?¡± The woman nodded her head then place her hand on the wyvern.


    ¡°Dark.¡± She said while gently petting the winged lizard as it ate.


    ¡°Dark, that¡¯s a cute name.¡± I place my hand on my chest. ¡°My name is Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Cat. Derith. Cat. Thrift. Cat. Dirt. Cat-¡°


    ¡°On second thought, you can just call me, ugh, Cat. Just call me Cat.¡± It hurt my soul calling myself one of those four-legged felines, but it''s equally painfully seeing Jez struggle to say my name.


    ¡°Cat,¡± Jez said. A bright smile blooms on her face.


    How cute. At least what little I can see of her face, she looks incredibly beautiful. Honestly, the more I looked at her, the more I find it hard to believe she¡¯s traveling alone.


    ¡°So Jez, are you heading somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Yes. New. Dawn.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence! I¡¯m heading there too!¡± Knowing we were both heading to the same place got me excited for some reason. I guess not seeing anybody for a few days made me a bit lonely. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go together? I¡¯ll even act as your bodyguard!¡±


    ¡°Guard?¡± Jez quizzically tilted her head. ¡°You. Strong?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um, I can throw a really mean punch probably.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Sure.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± In my excitement, I jumped to my feet and grabbed Jez¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡±


    ¡°Ksss!¡± The wyvern, or Dark lungs at my hands, separating me from Jez.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jez shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s. go.¡± She grabbed the last piece of fish and tossed it high into the sky. Dark unravel himself from around Jez and leaped in the air, grabbing the fish with his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to play catch. Huh?¡± When I looked back down, Jez was already back on the road and was heading for the forest.


    ¡°Whoa! Hey, you¡¯re heading the wrong way!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jez shook her head at me. ¡°This. Fast. ter.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? You¡¯re bl-¡°I stop myself before I said anything I would regret.


    I follow Jez into the woods. Strangely, she seems to know exactly where she was going. Seeing her push away branches that got in her, I begin to question if she was actually blind.


    ¡°Cat?¡± Jez abruptly stopped and turned to me. I was surprised to hear a hint of concern in her voice. Did she think I abandoned her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m right behind you, Jez.¡±


    After she heard my voice, she continues to walk. Eventually, we exited the forest, and there it was past the field of colorful flowers. Underneath the bright blue sky was a giant stone that stretches across the vast land below with even taller buildings that threatens to pierce the sky.


    ¡°My god, so that¡¯s the capital.¡± I couldn¡¯t even begin to fandom how many people live there or how many came for the tournament.


    While I was getting lost in thought, I felt some soft and warm wrapped around my hand. I look down to see a pale hand holding mines.


    ¡°Are you trying to cheer me up, Jez?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jez nodding at me.


    ¡°Honestly, we just met, yet I already own you a lot. I guess the least I can do is get you to the city safely.¡±


    I squeeze Jez¡¯s hand and guided her towards the massive city with Dark hovering just above her head.


    Each step we took, the gigantic wall seemed to get bigger, to the point I thought it would block out the sky.


    If the wall is this big, then the city must be a labyrinth. I thought that being easily able to maneuver around the city. Now, I feel like I need a guide otherwise, I¡¯ll never get anywhere.


    ¡°Hey, Jez, have you been to New Dawn before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± My heart grew heavy with disappointment. I was hoping she could guide me around the capital as she did in the forest.


    ¡°So, what exactly are you doing here? You know someone living here?¡±


    ¡°No. Guild.¡±


    ¡°Adventure guild?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Jez nodded her head. My disappointment turns into excitement.


    ¡°I guess we get to travel together a bit longer because that¡¯s where I¡¯m heading too!¡±


    While I was happy that we both heading to the same place, I begin to worry about Jez. She said she doesn¡¯t know anyone living here, and her main destination seems to be the adventure guild. I¡¯m heading to the guild that that is where you sign up for the tournament, but the usual reason people go there is finding someone to deal with their problem.


    I barely stop myself from asking her why she was heading to the guild. It was none of my business, besides. I had problems of my own to deal with, like signing up for the tournament in time. Today¡¯s the deadline, and the line in front of the metal maw, otherwise known as the city gate, was long. Thankfully, the guards seem used to this amount of traffic. As they quickly and efficiently checked everyone.


    ¡°Next.¡±


    Finally, it was my turn to be inspected. The soldier at the gate looked down at me with an exhausted gaze. ¡°You alone, kid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid!¡± I unintentionally snapped at the guard. I usually ignore


    ¡°Right.¡± The soldier rolled his eyes at me. ¡°So, are you alone, kid.¡±


    ¡°Fucker.¡± I whispered underneath my breath. ¡°No, I¡¯m not alone. As you can see, Jez is right next to me.¡± I reach for Jez¡¯s hand only to grab nothing but air. ¡°Huh?¡± I looked behind me Jez was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone? But she was right here!¡±


    ¡°A missing person?¡± The soldier let out an exhausted sigh while pulling out a notebook and a pen. ¡°What¡¯s do they look like?¡±


    I quickly explain what Jez looked like. The soldier gave me a weird looked when her wyvern. I guess shouldn¡¯t be surprised. While wyverns is not as rare as dragons, they cost a lot to find, cost even more to find an egg since the only way to raise a wyvern as a pet is to take care of it while it¡¯s still an egg.


    ¡°Your girl seems to have quite an interesting appearance. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll find her soon. You can wait here by the gate while I have my men search.¡±


    ¡°No, can you show me the way to the adventurer guild?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where we promise to meet up.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± The soldier gave me a direction to where the guild was located. ¡°Just don¡¯t leave the guild so we can reunite you with your friend.¡± The soldier said, handing me a map.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I accepted the map and headed into the city. To be honest, I didn¡¯t have any intention of reuniting with Jez. She¡¯s in better hands with the soldiers. Although, as I said that, I found myself looking around for Jez. But even with her unique appearance, it impossible to find her in this festive environment. It even took me forever to get to the guild, even though it was located right next to the city gate.


    The smell of alcohol immediately assaulted me. I thought that the place would be just as energetic as the outside. However it was extremely gloomy. The supposed adventurer all sat in the corner of the room whispering to themselves.


    ¡°Hello, how may I help you?¡± The receptionist gave me a forced smile, but she had the same tired smile on her as the guard.


    ¡°Jez isn¡¯t here?¡± I took another look around the guild while approaching the receptionist.


    ¡°So, what do you need? An escort or someone no


    ¡°No. I¡¯m here to sign up for the tournament.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Suddenly, the entire building fell silent, and everyone''s eyes fell on me.


    ¡°Um, did I say something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, but you should be careful what you say.¡± A man that sat alone in the corner of the guild stood up and approached me. My heart nearly stopped when; I saw the scars on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re late, Catherine.¡± Scar said to me in his usual monotone voice. ¡°The trials have already begun.

 Chapter 20: The First Trial

    Chapter 20


    The First Trial


    He was like a nightmare that follows you into the waking world. No matter how matter times I blink, the scarred man never vanishes. Realizing he wasn¡¯t going to go away, I decided to talk to him.


    ¡°Scar, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Same reason as you. I¡¯m interested in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Interested?¡± I barely contain my laughter. I found it hard to believe that a guy with empty eyes could be interested in anything.


    Crook definitely sent him after me. But how did he know I was coming here? I never told him I was participating in the tournament.


    ¡°Whatever thoughts are going through your head, abandon them. This trial has a time limit. You have don¡¯t time to waste.¡±


    ¡°You keep mentioning a trial. What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Right, not only is this your first time participating, but you have never seen The Rising Star tournament.¡± Scar turns his attention to the window near the entrance. Over a hundred people can easily be seen outside the guild going about their day.


    ¡°During this time of year, thousands of people come to the capital for the summer festival. And of those thousands, hundreds have come to enter in the tournament. Obviously, a tournament with hundreds of people isn¡¯t practical. So, every year the King comes up with a trial that weed out the weak. And it seems this year''s trial is to find where the real sign-in.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± I look back at the receptionist who eyes were darting around rapidly like she was looking for someone to help.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She stammer.


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°You should be careful who you speak to from now on.¡± Scar said as he headed for the exit. People all over this city has been paid to mislead if you ask them about the tournament. Including officers and other officials.¡±


    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Scar suddenly stopped. ¡°Why am I doing this? Why does anyone do anything? Why?¡± Scar looked back at me. There was a glimmer emotion in his usual dead eyes. Maybe I¡¯m going crazy, but it almost looked like he was coming to me for guidance.


    My mind went blank, and I could feel my throat drying as I try to find an answer to Scar¡¯s question.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Scar turns his back to me, perhaps disappointed I couldn¡¯t answer him. ¡°¡­I do it for the money. Isn¡¯t that most people''s motivation?¡±


    A better person would¡¯ve told Scar that money wasn¡¯t everything or something like that, but all I did was watch as Scar left the guild with a heavy gait.  After all, the shady and shameless things I did for money, I had no right to preach.


    ¡°Um, is there anything you need help with, miss?¡± the receptionist gave me a forced smile. The other people sitting in the dark corners continue to glare at me. At first, I thought that I might¡¯ve wanted to pick a fight with me, but after listening to Scar. Now, it feels like they¡¯re eavesdropping. They¡¯re looking for whatever information to find where the real sign-in is.


    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Good luck!¡± Was the last thing I heard before I left the guild.


    If what Scar said is true, I¡¯m going to need much more than luck to get through this so-called trial. I¡¯m going need to be smart.


    ¡°First thing first. I need to get a better view of the town.¡± With all the people roaming the streets and the towering building, it was nearly impossible for me to see in front of me. I slip my way into a nearby alley. I grab onto one of the steel pipes that were connected to the building. Despite how tall the buildings were, I found myself on the roofs in a few seconds.


    The clear view I was hoping for was obstructed by the cluster of buildings that seem to stretch past the sky.


    ¡°How the hell do people not get lost in this town? I¡¯m going to need a map. Oh, a map!¡± I reach into my pocket and pull out the map the gate soldier gave me. I could feel a headache growing in the back of my head when I looked at the map.


    ¡°This city is too huge. There¡¯s no way I could explore all of this in a day. Hell, not even in a week.¡± I reached into my pocket again and pulled out a sour. ¡°Ugh.¡± The sourness from the seed made me want to rip my tongue out of my mouth. But I could feel the dark clouds brewing in my head clear away, thanks to the seed. Now that I could focus again, I took another look at the map.


    From the looks of it, New Dawn can be broken down into eight districts. Each one is separated by rivers that flow through the city. The Tourist district, Royal District, Central District, Residential District, Air Dock District.


    The tourist district is where I¡¯m currently located. It¡¯s also where the guild is at. So, I don¡¯t think they hide the actual sign-in here. I can¡¯t imagine it being at air docks since there are only warehouses located there. Maybe it¡¯s at the Royal District that¡¯s where the castle is located and where most noble mansions live. Or maybe the central district.


    ¡°Agh.¡± I rub my temple to calm my nerves. I¡¯m not going to get anywhere if I sit here and play a guessing game all day. I need more information. Asking for help won¡¯t get me anywhere, as the soldier will lie to me. But, if soldiers are ordered to lie to anyone asking about the tournament, then that means they know exactly where I need to go. I just need to eavesdrop until I get the information I need.


    I walk towards the edge of the building. While I couldn¡¯t see the whole city, I got a good view of the tourist district and the city''s entrance.


    ¡°To think I have to have relied on another thief technique. I never going move past my thieving days at this rate I¡¯m never going to move past my thieving days.¡± I sat down and listened to the cacophony below.


    Simply straining your ears on the noise isn¡¯t going to work here. The only way to any information out of this crowd is to focus on not focusing. I guess the best way to describe it''s like forming a net in your mind. All the useless noise goes through the net while you piece together the important information that stuck.


    ¡°EuhjosnfkfmapsrknmfkdldlkfnjfTourmanetmflfphuhkdlaloopafpaloevejflnlflvnDisrtictkfaslButI¡¯ve been there already!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not looking hard enough.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve been looking for around Central District for two days, and everyone I ask for direction keeps telling me to look somewhere else!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    My mind blocked out all the noise in the city, thus making it easy for me to find where the voice was coming from. Standing near the guild was a young kid around twelve years. The young boy wore worn farmer clothes with a long wooden bow strapped to his back. There was a strange symbol carved onto the bow. Even stranger, the kid didn¡¯t possess a quiver or any arrows despite running around with a bow.


    ¡°You know, I think I heard that the tournament sign-in is in the royal district.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The boy raised an eyebrow at the guard.


    ¡°Y-Yea, that¡¯s what one of the higher-ups told me.¡±


    ¡°Hm, if one of your higher said it, then I guess it''s true. Thank you!¡±


    Kid not that smart, but thanks to him, I got some good information. The tournament sign-in location isn¡¯t in the Central District, and it¡¯s probably not at the Royal District. And I doubt it''s here in the Tourist District. So, that¡¯s three districts down, only five to go.


    Still, given the size of this city, that¡¯s still a lot of ground to cover. Maybe, if I- no, that¡¯s a bad idea, this is a tournament, which means it''s every man and woman for themselves. But still, unlike me, that boy didn¡¯t receive any help. If Scar never informed me, I would¡¯ve been running clueless just like him.


    ¡°At very least, I should give him a little hint. It¡¯s painful seeing him walk around so oblivious.¡± The kid was leaving the city''s entrance and was heading towards the main road that breaks off into multiple streets that leads to different parts of the city. If I don¡¯t catch him now, I¡¯ll lose him quickly.


    ¡°No choice but to use the buildings.¡± I took a step back from the edge.


    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve parkour. Thankfully, these buildings are cluster together, which will make it easier to get around.


    ¡°Here I go.¡± I ran towards the edge and then leaped. I easily clear the gap between the buildings. I grabbed the window ledge and quickly climbed the building. As soon as I reach the top, I immediately ran towards the next building. This time I manage to build enough momentum to reach the next building roof in one jump.


    Once I reach the next building, I walk over to the ledge and jump down. Landing on the pole which held the flag of our country.


    ¡°Still light as a feather.¡± The thin pole didn¡¯t even shake when I dropped on it. ¡°I guess I still got it.¡±


    A few people passing by stop and looked up at me. I normally don¡¯t like standing out. However, acrobats were one of the few things I was proud of.


    The people below gasped as I lean backward. I wrapped my legs around the flagpole before I could fall to the ground.


    ¡°Hey, kid with the bow up here!¡±


    ¡°Huh me?¡± The boy looked up at me, obviously confused as to why a girl hanging up upside down on a flag was talking to him.


    ¡°Whoa, a dark skin cat girl wants to talk to me?! Man, this city is so cool!¡±


    ¡°Catgirl?¡± I unwrap my legs from the pole fell to the ground. Calmly, I spun my body around, landing on my feet.


    ¡°Who are you calling a catgirl, monkey boy!¡±


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m not a monkey boy.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Humans share the same ancestor with monkeys, right? that makes you as much a monkey as I¡¯m a cat.¡±


    ¡°I never thought about it that way. I guess I am a monkey.¡± The boy said with a beaming smile. I rub my temple to calm myself down. Getting angry at a kid isn¡¯t very adultlike.


    ¡°Anyway, that soldier you talk to earlier lied to you. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why would soldiers lie to me? Isn¡¯t their job to help civilians out?¡±


    ¡°Normally, that¡¯s their job. However, the king order every soldier to lie about the location of the tournament sign-in, apparently to weed out the weak.¡±


    ¡°So, where do we go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still trying to that out.¡± I pull my map out again. I groan silently when looked at the large labyrinth that is this city.


    ¡°Do you really understand all of that?¡± The boy hovers behind me, staring intently at the map in my hand.


    ¡°It looks overwhelming at first with all the names and intersecting lines, But, if you read it slowly, it¡¯s easy to understand.¡±


    ¡°Read, huh?¡± A strained smile spread on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± The kid awkwardly brushes his hair.


    ¡°Do you have a map? I can teach you how you read it.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I-I can¡¯t read.¡± The boy¡¯s face became flushed red.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I look back at the map, trying to find a way to cheer him up.¡±


    I guess it isn¡¯t that uncommon for kids to be illiterate. However, most usually attempt to learn, since you won¡¯t get that far even as a thug if you don¡¯t know how to read or write.


    ¡°My country doesn¡¯t believe in education, or anything really.¡±


    ¡°What backwater country you come from?¡±


    ¡°Ath.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry for asking.¡±


    Ath is one of Morningstar''s neighboring countries. The government is ruled by a cult called the Church of the Ascendant, a bunch of idiots who believe that the only way to achieve godhood is through suffering. Because of this stupid ideology, the people never received help from their government.


    Is your hometown getting raided by monsters or humans? You better know how to defend yourself. Some form of plague spreading across the country? Pray your body is immune to the disease. Your village suffering from famine? Have you ever heard of cannibalism?


    It¡¯s incredible that the government hasn¡¯t been toppled yet. Then again, when you every day is a literal fight for survival, I guess you wouldn¡¯t be time to overthrow a corrupt government.


    ¡°Hey, why are there areas on the map blank?¡± The boy point at one of the few areas on the map that didn¡¯t have a name.


    ¡°Those are probably this city slums and the Pleasure District. Both are places guides wouldn¡¯t want to show to visitors.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure District sounds like a fun place. Why don¡¯t they want to show it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun, alright, fun for criminals. The pleasure District is a lawless section of the city run by multiple powerful gangs whose influence stretches across the country and probably other nations. It¡¯s basically a place you don¡¯t want to go to unless you¡¯re that desperate to add some spice in your life. Or¡­ perhaps if you¡¯re trying, sign up for the tournament.¡±


    A lawless area where no one will save you if you''re attacked. I can¡¯t think of a better way to weed out the weak. Even if I¡¯m wrong, I think it¡¯s worth a look.


    ¡°We just need to find out which one of the area blank areas is the Pleasure District. I guess we should ask one of the soldiers passing by.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they going to lie to us?¡±


    ¡°No, probably not. I think they¡¯re only ordered to lie to anyone asking about the tournament. So, we should be fine as long as we don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s smart. Pretty smart, um¡­¡± The boy frowned while looking into my eyes like he forgot something.


    ¡°it¡¯s Catherine. And I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m smart. I would¡¯ve been running around in circles if it wasn¡¯t for your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Aaron.¡± He said with a beaming smile. ¡°And I probably would¡¯ve never figured out the guards were lying to me. I guess it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re working together.¡±


    I wonder how long this little partnership going to last. This is a tournament, after all, which we will eventually have to backstab or fight each other.


    I shook that thought out of my head and focused on the main issue.


    ¡°By the way, Aaron, even though the guards probably won¡¯t lie to us. We should still be careful about asking for Pleasure District. It¡¯s pretty much the capital of the underworld. A kid asking about that place will be quite suspicious.


    ¡°Excuse me, can you tell me where the Pleasure District.¡±


    At some point during my explanation, Aaron approached a guard and did exactly what I didn¡¯t want him to do.


    ¡°You fucking idiot!¡±  I quickly jumped in between the guard and Aaron. ¡°Sorry about that. He¡¯s new here, so please ignore him.¡±


    The soldier looked down at me, clearly suspicious.


    ¡°And why are you kids interested in that filthy place?¡±


    ¡°Kid?¡± I grit my teeth to hold back my anger. ¡°You see, my friend really admire you, soldier, and he¡¯ll be joining the army in a week. So, I want a lot of memories before he leaves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! We¡¯re- pfftpfft!¡± I slapped Aaron with my tail to shut him up. ¡°Arrgh! I think some of your fur got in my mouth!¡±


    ¡°And-and. I was planning on¡­ you know.¡± I took a deep breath to prepare myself for what I was going to say next. ¡°I-I plan on making him a man tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The soldier back away from me. For the first time in my life, I was happy about my height. If I looked my actual age, I would¡¯ve been arrested.


    ¡°It¡¯s my job to keep kids like you out of trouble, but¡­¡± The soldier grabbed my map and scribbled something on it. ¡°I believe kids should be reckless and enjoy their youth.


    ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± I took my map back, my cheeks burning red with embarrassment.


    ¡°Have fun, you two!¡± The soldier said as he waves goodbye.


    ¡°Catherine, what do you mean about making me into a man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re older.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t we the same-¡°


    ¡°No, no, we¡¯re not.¡± I rubbed my temples to calm my nerves.


    I knew when I set out on this journey. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy. But I didn¡¯t expect it to be this annoying. I haven¡¯t even signed up for the tournament yet, but I¡¯m already exhausted. And I doubt whatever is waiting for me in the Pleasure District is going to be pleasant.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s where it''s at.¡± Aaron peers over my shoulder again, looking at the area the soldier mark on my map.


    ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Aaron ran off before I could say anything. ¡°You don¡¯t even know where to go.¡± I let out a weary sigh and slowly following him. ¡°Yea, it¡¯s definitely not going to get any easier.¡±

 Chapter 21: The Pleasure District

    Chapter 21


    The Pleasure District


    ¡°Whoa, what the heck is that?!¡± Aaron pointed at a giant monstrosity in the sky. The sky darkens, and the air itself shook as the metallic beast flew over our heads.


    ¡°You brats must be new here.¡± An older man laughed. The old man adjusted his hat on his head and looked up at the ship with a prideful expression like a father watching his kid grow before his eyes. ¡°That ship is called ¡®The Enduring Light!¡¯ the pride of our country!¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes were practically glowing with excitement. I can¡¯t blame him. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from it either.


    ¡°Man, this country amazing!¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like this country the only one with an airship.¡± I interjected. ¡°Every developing country possesses airships. They¡¯re the fastest and safest method for trading and traveling.¡± Not to mention they¡¯re the perfect machines for war.


    ¡°I guess my country the only one that sucks.¡± Aaron¡¯s looked down at the ground dejected. Aaron comes from Ath, a country that hasn¡¯t made any technological advancement in centuries because of the church that rules the country believes that the only way to ascend is through hardship. Whatever the hell that means.


    ¡°No need to feel bad. Only kings and nobles get to use airships. People like us are forced to use the roads infested with monsters and bandits.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then I guess we all suck!¡± Aaron happily shouted for some reason.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The old man laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re quite the energetic boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I bit too energetic.¡± I said under my breath.


    With the airship gone, the old guy went back to fishing. I don¡¯t know a thing about fishing, but I feel like there are much better places to go fishing than on a bridge, especially one connected to the Pleasure District. But what¡¯s weird me out, even more is how quiet it is. We''re in the middle of the city, but we¡¯re the only ones on the bridge. I guess this part of the city only comes to life at night.


    ¡°Do you come here often?¡±


    ¡°Are you hitting on me miss? Sorry, I¡¯m a faithful man who got a wonderful wife waiting at home for me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry for assuming, I got a bit excited thinking someone might take an interest in this old man.¡±


    For an old guy, he just as energetic as Aaron.


    ¡°Yes, I come here quite often. Since this bridge is so closed to a dangerous area, it¡¯s quiet during the day. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not one of those grumpy old people that finds everything too loud. I love the sound of the city, listening to people talk about their day while vendor shouts about their products is music to my ears.¡±


    The old man''s eyes become distant as he talked about the city.


    ¡°And watching people go about their life chasing their dreams and ambition makes it feels like I¡¯m part of something bigger.¡±


    All I asked was a simple question why do I have to listen to his monologue? I would love to interrupt him, but I¡¯ll miss out on important information if he thinks I¡¯m some impatient brat. I¡¯m honestly surprised Aaron hasn¡¯t gotten bored listening to him. I guess the city life really interested him.


    ¡°But as much as I love this city. There are times when you just need to get away from it all. Whenever I come out here and listen to the flowing water and the chirping of the birds always reminds me how beautiful this world is and how insignificant my problems are.¡±


    The old man let out another laugh.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean to ramble.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just want to know have a lot of people cross this bridge? I mean more than usual.¡±


    ¡°Oh yea, a lot of tough-looking guys came through here. I think another gang war is about to happen.


    That or pleasure District is where tournament participants are gathering. Like I thought. I looked over at Aaron, who silently nodded. It looks like we are on the same page.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re looking for trouble.¡±


    ¡°More like preparing for the trouble to come us.¡±


    ¡°That so? I guess the only thing I can do is say good luck.¡±


    ¡°I doubt luck going to help, but thanks anyway.¡±


    ¡°I hope you manage to catch some fish, mister!¡± Aaron shouted as he waves goodbye. ¡°It really is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Aaron said as he looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Yea, it is.¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking up, I know how beautiful the world is, but I can¡¯t bring myself to love the world like my father. There are far too many things that ruin this world of ours, like this place, for example.


    The pleasure District. At night, the kings of the underworld open their shops so the commonfolk can indulge their darkest desire. During the day, the streets seem to be filled with wannabe punks loitering around closed stores, looking for trouble since they don¡¯t have anything better to do. It¡¯s disturbing, how much this place reminds me of home.


    ¡°From here on out, try not to look anyone directly in the eyes. The people here will use any excuse to start a fight.¡±


    ¡°I got it!¡± Aaron looked down at the ground as he walked.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t look down at the ground either. The people here will take that as a sign of weakness. Just walk like you¡¯re taking a stroll through the park.¡±


    ¡°R-Right!¡± Aaron stood up straight and marched forward like a soldier. His stiff walk made him stand out more, but no one seems to have the intention of bothering us, yet.


    ¡°it¡¯s going to be hard to get the information we need here.¡±


    ¡°Yea, even I can tell the people isn¡¯t that friendly.¡± Aaron suddenly stopped. ¡°Are we sure where in the right place?¡±


    ¡°Yea. At least I¡¯m confident that we are. The old man said he saw more people than usual passing through here.


    ¡°I see.¡± For some reason, Aaron¡¯s smile widen. ¡°Then leave the rest to me.¡± He said, proudly pointing to himself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how do you plan on finding the meet-up location?¡±


    ¡°First, we need to find a better location.¡± Aaron quickly glances around. ¡°This way!¡± he shouted as he ran towards the alley.


    I purposefully walk slowly to keep some distance between us. I doubt Aaron going backstab me, but still, I should be careful.


    ¡°Where exactly are we going?¡±


    ¡°Higher!¡± Was all he said as he climbed a ladder attaches to a building.


    I was hoping he would tell me more of his plan, but it seems he doesn¡¯t have anything attention of elaborating until we were on top of the building.


    I reluctantly climbed the building. Thankfully, nobody seems to be using this building. The last thing I want to see is the illegal activity they be doing in this part of the city.


    ¡°Yea, I should be able to cover a wide area up here.¡±


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me what the plan is?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Aaron looked at me with an annoyingly cocky smile. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I plan on using my bow!¡± He shouted as he raises his bow into the sky. ¡°You see my bow, has a special ability that¡¯ll hunt down anything I desire.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice ability.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°My bow. Most people would be surprised if I told them my bow had an ability or think I¡¯m crazy.¡±


    ¡°I was a bit surprise when you said that, but I kind of figure your bow was special.¡± Being a thief for a good part of my life gave me the ability to tell when an item is special. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary bow. But if you look close enough, you can see that despite how simple it looks, it was made with love and care. The wood is smooth and clean like it was made recently, even though the engraving on the side of the bow is clearly some ancient forgotten language.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Looking strangely disappointed, Aaron aimed his bow at nothing in particular. ¡°Can you tell me what we¡¯re looking for? Please be as specific as you can.¡±


    As much as I wanted to say hunt down the tournament location, I couldn¡¯t. While I was confident that we were in the right area, there''s still a chance for it isn''t here.


    ¡°Try to find anyone that¡¯s looking for the tournament like us.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Aaron shouted. The marking on his bow lit up one by one as he pulled the string. An arrow seemly made of energy forms in his hands. ¡°Hunt.¡± Aaron released the arrow, letting it soar through the sky. I know it may sound like I¡¯m crazy, but I swear I saw wings sprout from the arrow as it flew through the sky.


    ¡°Pretty cool, huh?¡±


    ¡°That bow is a living armament, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What the heck is that?¡±


    ¡°mmm.¡± I rub my temple, figuring out how this kid is unaware of the powerful artifact he possesses.


    ¡°Living armaments are powerful artifacts that have been imbued with the soul of those that once wielded them. I don¡¯t really get it myself, and to be honest I didn¡¯t really believe it until recently. But It seems these souls are what gives the artifacts their power.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I guess the best example would be Dante¡¯s sword, Penance. Although he didn¡¯t inherit that sword from anyone it was created from his own soul apparently, same with his spirit Minos.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how they work? Someone from my village found it a nearby ruin although, for some reason, I was the only one capable of using it.¡±


    Sounds like the bow is very picky. I wonder if the artifact has an anti-thief ability that prevents people from stealing it. Of course, I have no intention of stealing it. I¡¯m just curious.


    ¡°Anyway. How long do we have to wait for your arrow to come back?¡±


    ¡°Not long. My arrows only last for a few minutes. I hoped we get the information we need. I won¡¯t be able to use this ability for a while.


    ¡°You should keep that information to yourself, I might use it against you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. You don¡¯t look like a bad person.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t blindly trust people you just met. I know you came from a place where you had to trust one another to survive, but here you¡¯ll be lucky to find a friend that won¡¯t backstab you.¡±


    ¡°Are you the same? Are you going to backstabbed me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I looked down at my left arm that I wrapped in bandages in order to hide the tattoos that¡¯s spreading on my body. ¡°To be honest, I really don¡¯t trust myself that much. ¡°I have no idea what I¡¯ll do if I find myself in a stressful situation.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll do the right thing. I mean, I don¡¯t think a bad person would go so far to help me and teach me about city life. Am I right?¡± Aaron said with a bright smile.


    ¡°It must be nice to have such a simple black and white view of the world.¡± Or perhaps, I¡¯m just thinking too much.


    In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a blueish light. Before I had a chance to turn around. The light whizzes past me and pierces Aaron.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I race towards him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Aaron raises his hand to stop me. The light slowly sinks into his head, until there was nothing left.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I slowly approach Aaron.


    ¡°No.¡± He groaned while holding his head. ¡°No, no, no, no. Catherine, we need to move now!¡± Aaron suddenly grabbed my hand and leapt off the building. As soon as we landed, he immediately sprinted down the street while dragging.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°We need to move now. She¡¯s in danger!¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is she?¡±


    ¡°Are only lead for the tournament! Some bad people took her.¡±


    ¡®So, what it¡¯s none of our business?¡¯ Is what I wanted to say. But if what he said is true and that she¡¯s our only lead, then it looks like we have no choice but intervenes.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do this.¡± I increase my speed to keep up with Aaron. After taking a few turns, we arrive at an abandoned-looking apartment surrounded by dilapidated buildings.


    ¡°This building!¡± Aaron shouted loud enough to alert everyone in the area.


    ¡°Wait.¡± I grab Aaron¡¯s hand to stop him. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, then we¡¯re going to do this the smart way. I¡¯m going first.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°No. but it¡¯s better than you busting in and getting us killed.¡±


    I pulled out my knifed and slowly crept up to the creepy building. Now that I think about it. If this goes the way I think, then this may be my first fight. Am I ready for this?


    I look down at my weapon Bella gave me. As you would expect from a survival knife, it looked sharp enough to easily cut through anything that¡¯ll stand your way, including the tough hide of a beast. Knowing I got such a reliable weapon in my hand calm me down a bit.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Catherine. We need to move now.¡± Aaron grab my shoulder and violently shook me. snapping me out of my thoughts. I found myself standing in front of a closed door.


    ¡°If we take too long, she¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°Relax, have you seen any dead bodies on the street?¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°This may be a lawless area, but that doesn¡¯t mean people just go around killing people for fun. Even criminals have rules they followed. If they didn¡¯t, then the military would get involved if things got too out of control.


    ¡°So, why they capture her?¡±


    I could think of plenty of reasons why a bunch of scumbags would want to kidnap a woman, but it''s probably not a good idea to tell someone as emotional as Aaron.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably to use her as a hostage or something.¡±


    ¡°Scum!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but at least we have time to save her. So, let¡¯s take this slow.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Aaron back away and aimed his bow at the front door.


    Slowly, I open the door making sure it didn¡¯t make any noise, just like I fear the floors inside of the building made of old wood. A single careless step would create a noise that would echo throughout the eerie building.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do this, but I¡¯ll go in alone. If you hear any loud noises, then feel free to bust in do your hero stunt.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Aaron grunted while keeping his bow trained at the door. I guess that means yes.


    I slowly walk into the building, making sure not to make any noises. As soon as I enter, I was immediately greeted with two choices. Directly in front of me was a hallway that led deeper into the building. And to the left, there was a staircase that goes to the second floor.


    If I was planning on stealing like I usually do. I would¡¯ve ignored the hallway since I can hear a noise down that way. However, this time my target was a kidnapped woman. I had to check the noise to see if she was there, even though I don¡¯t want to.


    Don¡¯t think just keep moving forward, just keep pushing onward. You have to, if you back down now then¡­ don¡¯t think about it! just keep moving.


    The noise got louder as I crept down the hall. It was beginning to sound like someone was fighting. Is the group arguing or is the captive trying to escape? If it¡¯s the latter, should I get Aaron? Or should I check the situation?


    Before I had a chance to decide. A plump man burst through the wall in front of me.


    ¡°Woah!¡± I jumped back, startled by the noise.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± The somewhat plump man lets out a weak groan.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I like to confirm with you¡± A woman with short black hair steps out of the huge hole in the wall. Calmly, she dusts off the dirt off her white dress shirt as she approaches the man.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± The man pulled a knife out of his pocket and lunge at the woman. I winch at the knife as it went straight for her stomach.


    ¡°What the?!¡± The man''s eyes widen as the knife that should¡¯ve impaled her hit nothing but air despite her not moving. It almost like the knife slip off her body. The Woman raised her knee planting it into the plump man¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°!¡± The plump man gasps as he flew backward like a deflated balloon.


    ¡°Last time I¡¯m asking.¡± The woman pick up a sharp piece of wood that came from the broken wall. ¡°Tell me is what you said is true or were you lying?!¡± The woman plunges the wooden stake into the man¡¯s thigh.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± The man howled in pain.


    ¡°Hurry up and speak or do you want to walk with crutches for the rest of your life?¡± The woman twisted the piece of wood, making him scream even louder.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! It¡¯s true!¡± The man screamed.


    ¡°Um Catherine?¡± Aaron tugged on the sleeve of my jacket. ¡°I think I might¡¯ve been wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I think the thugs were the one that needs help.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What are you kids doing here?¡±


    Both Aaron and I backed away from the woman holding a bloody stake.


    ¡°Go home this isn¡¯t a game.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± I step forward, using what little courage I had. ¡°But that won¡¯t stop me. Now, tell me where the location of the tournament meet up.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you guys trying participate in the tournament?¡± The woman laugh. ¡°Here.¡± Suddenly, she toss the piece of wood at us.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aaron unconsciously open his hands and accept the piece of wood. In an instant, the woman closes the distance between us and slams her palm into Aaron¡¯s chest sending him flying. The woman immediately turn thrusting her palm at me.


    I placed my back towards the wall and crossed my arm to defend. The woman abruptly stop and duck low. As she ball her hand into fist as she rose.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I grit my teeth and brace myself for the attack. Her full-body uppercut easily lifted me off the ground. Her fist broke through my guard and was coming for my chin. I lean my head backward, barely avoiding her strike. While holding onto her arms, I raised both my legs up and put everything I had into my kick, aiming at her chest.


    In the next moment, before my kick could reach her. I was slammed into the hard wooden floor. I bit down hard on my lip to keep fading conscious from slipping. Through the dull pain that was ringing endlessly in my head, I could hear some part of me shouting at me. Even before I could decipher what my instinct was telling me, my body was already following its order. I quickly rolled away from the woman, just barely avoid her foot which slammed into the spot I was a moment ago.


    ¡°Scatter!¡± Aaron shouted as he releases energy from his bow. The energy split apart and transform into multiple arrows that flew towards the woman.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± The woman said with a small grin. Just like the knife, the arrows seem to slip past her.


    Why the hell is none of the arrows hitting her? Does she possess an ability that makes her untouchable? How do we beat something like that?! Calm down. If you panic, you die. Focus. Focus!


    I stare intently at the woman looking for anything that could give us the edge. It¡¯s very subtle, but I can see her body moving ever so slightly, dodging the arrows at the very last moment, making it look like attacks sliding off her body.


    It must¡¯ve taken years of training for her to be able to move her body with such precision and timing. Taking her down isn¡¯t going to be easy, but now that I know what she¡¯s doing, we have a chance now!


    ¡°Here, I go!¡± I extend my right hand and shout, ¡°First Round!¡± Orbs of light suddenly materialize and dance around my right arm. The woman abruptly turns around charge straight at me. The arrows that were raining down on her eventually stopped.


    She''s using me as a shield to stop Aaron from shooting. As much as I want to run away, I doubt I¡¯ll be able to get away from her.


    I dash straight towards her. The orbs dancing around me smash into each other, creating a blanket of soft light that covered her arm. The woman thrust her palm at me. Time seemed to slow as our attacks grew closer. At the very last second, the woman slightly adjusted the course of her attack, which cause my fist to slide past her hand.


    Yea, I figure that would happen.


    I gritted my teeth and waited till her palm was right in front of my face. At the very last moment, I duck low swung my knife. The woman expertly steps to the side, narrowly avoiding my slash. I use the monument of my miss strike to dive towards the ground to avoid her counterattack.


    Sorry, but I never had any intention of fighting you head-on. I just wanted to get out of his shooting range.


    ¡°Now!¡± I shouted as I roll towards Aaron. Instead of energy, lighting formed in between Aaron¡¯s bow as he pulled the bowstring back.


    ¡°Strike Down!¡± Aaron releases his bowstring, letting the arrow fly at blinding speed. The lighting roar and exploded, swallowing the entire world in a bright white light.


    When the light finally faded, I found myself laying down staring at the ceiling. I look over at Aaron, who was still kneeling, ready to fire again.


    ¡°Did you get her?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I quickly turn around. The woman stood frozen, looking at the huge burning hole where the entrance should¡¯ve been.


    The arrow didn¡¯t seem satisfied with just destroying this building as I can easily spot the same hole in multiple buildings.


    ¡°Holy- Don¡¯t you think you went a bit too far?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. No one was in those buildings.¡±


    ¡°that still doesn¡¯t make it right. Have you never heard of property damage?¡± I guess it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re in the lawless part of the city. If we were anywhere else, we would¡¯ve been arrested and forced to pay for the destruction.


    ¡°You two are interesting. Why don¡¯t you join my school?¡± The woman tosses two cards she pulled out of her pocket.


    ¡®Emma School of soft Defense.¡¯ Was written on the card.


    ¡°Tired of getting bullying? What to become stronger? Then join my school! I promise when I¡¯m done with you, no one will be able to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°The school location isn¡¯t on the card.¡± I flip the card around, looking for the address.


    ¡°There¡¯s no address because the school doesn¡¯t exist. But that¡¯ll change when I win this tournament!¡±


    So, she made a business card before she even created her business? I can¡¯t tell if she a dumbass or cocky. Going by how strong she is. I¡¯m just going to say she confident.


    ¡°So, you want to join?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it after.¡± I slip the card with the intent to throw it away when she isn¡¯t looking.


    ¡°Think about it real hard and remember when you find yourself in a dire situation, the only person you can count on to protect you is you.¡±


    ¡°I got it. Now, can you tell us about the tournament?¡±


    The woman whose name I assume is Emma, narrows her eyes at me, clearly annoyed.


    ¡°Hm.¡± The woman crosses her arms which emphasize her chest. ¡°Going by the scumbags¡¯ information, apparently the meetup is at an abandoned theater nearby. It might be a trap, but seeing how this trial is going¡­¡±


    ¡°It might be true.¡± I finished what she was going to say.


    ¡°After what I did, I¡¯m pretty sure you guys don¡¯t trust me. So, I won¡¯t try to convince you. But if you believe me, you¡¯re welcome to follow.¡± The woman turned around and left out of the hole that was once the apartment entrance.


    ¡°You make it sound like we have a choice.¡± I click my tongue, annoyed.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re following her?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    We both left what was left of the building and follow Emma from a good distance. It didn¡¯t take that long for us.


    ¡°Is this really the location?¡± Aaron looked up at the boarded-up theater with suspicion.


    ¡°I hope so. I¡¯m tired of running around.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯m ready to take on some competent fighters.¡± Emma tightly clenches her hand. I could feel the excitement emanating from her.


    Without any warning, Emma kick opens the double doors. I immediately took my knife out, expecting someone to attack us. Thankfully, the building seemed to be empty. Then again, maybe.


    ¡°I swear if that bastard lies to me.¡± Emma storm towards another double door. I fully expected her to kick the doors down, but strangely she froze.


    ¡°Huh? This is interesting.¡± Emma turned around, holding a piece of paper.


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Await further instruction.¡±


    ¡°Await? So, this is the right place!¡± Aaron¡¯s face instantly brightens.


    ¡°Which means¡­¡± I look over at the double doors the paper attached to. ¡°Behind that door is where everyone been gathered.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Emma balls her hands into fists crushes the piece of paper. ¡°It¡¯s about damn time.¡±

 Chapter 22: The Waiting Room

    Chapter 22


    The Waiting Room


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Wait, give me a second to pre-¡°


    Emma pushes the double doors wide open before I could mentally prepare myself.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Aaron let out a sigh of admiration.


    It was a dark and massive room shaped like a dome. Broken and headless gargoyles cling to the wall looking down at the center of the room where the stage laid. At the center of the stage was a statue of a man clad in pristine white armor, holding a giant war hammer. Red dog tags dangle on the statue''s neck, signifying it¡¯s a royal guard. Or at least it would be if it were alive.


    ¡°This place is quite impressive. I wonder why they shut it down?¡±


    ¡°Probably because this place is in the most dangerous part of town.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right.¡± Emma awkwardly scratches her.


    Still, this place is quite something. I bet this place was quite something before all the gangs move in and took over the pleasure district.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Aaron paused and looked around. ¡°¡­What are we supposed to do now?¡±


    ¡°The paper said await further instruction. So, I guess we just wait.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, why the hell do we have to wait?¡± Emma let out a sigh and flop down on the ground. ¡°If all the strong are gathered here, why don¡¯t we just kick each other ass right now?¡±


    ¡°Can you keep it down a bit? I don¡¯t want to draw any attention.¡±


    ¡°Too late, looks like someone looking for a fight.¡±


    ¡°What? Already?!¡±


    Emma stood back up and cracked her fingers. ¡°So, you want a piece of me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The voice sounded empty but familiar.


    A man climbs up the steep steps towards us. When I noticed the deep scars on his face, I immediately knew who it was.


    ¡°Scar?¡±


    ¡°You know this guy?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Looks like you made it.¡± Scar said, ignoring Emma, who was directly in front of him.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your hint, I probably still be at the adventurer guild.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the one that helped Catherine?¡± Aaron suddenly jumped into the conservation. ¡°Thank you for helping her. I would have never got this far if it weren¡¯t for her help or yours. Oh, my name is Aaron, by the way.¡± Aaron lifts his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Scar silently looked down at Aaron¡¯s hand like it was an object he never saw before. While the atmosphere between Scar and Aaron became more awkward, I looked around the room for anyone else that may be familiar to me.


    ¡°The Crooked Man isn¡¯t here.¡± Scar said as if he could read my thoughts. ¡°He¡¯s still in Horizon.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± My body instinctively relaxed when Scar told me that. I immediately perk up again when I realize I was letting my guard down.


    The Crooked Man may not be here, but his right-hand man is. I have no idea why Crook sent Scar after me, but I won¡¯t let him get in my way.


    ¡°I guess handshakes don¡¯t exist in your culture.¡± Aaron brushed his hair while letting out an awkward laugh.


    ¡°No, it does.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Aaron looked at Scar, then at me, confuse. I simply shrug my shoulders at him. I¡¯ve known Scar for a good part of my life, but I still don¡¯t understand him.


    Creaak¡­


    Everyone suddenly went silently and turn towards the door that was slowly opening.


    ¡°Another contestant?¡± Someone in the theater whisper.


    ¡°I wonder who¡¯s it going to be this time.¡± Another voice jumped in the conservation.


    ¡°Hopefully, it¡¯s someone strong.¡± Emma chimes in.


    ¡°Kaaa!¡± A dark color lizard slipped through the door crack and flew right past me.


    ¡°Whoa! Is that a dragon?!¡± Aaron shouted as the lizard fly around the theater.


    ¡°No, it a wyvern.¡± I unconsciously answer Aaron¡¯s question. ¡°Wait, is that Dark? If so that means¡­¡± I look back at the door that was now wide open.


    A woman draped in wine color cloak. Her pale skin white hair was the only thing that peeking out from under her hood.


    ¡°Jez? What are you¡­How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Fol. Low.¡± She said slowly and softly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been following me?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± Jez nodded her head.


    ¡°This entire time?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    That can¡¯t be possible. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t notice a woman in a red cloak and flying lizard following me. I look over at Aaron, who looked as confused as me.


    ¡°Man, a lot of weird people are gathering here.¡± Emma blurted out,


    ¡°Can you keep your thoughts to yourself before you get us into trouble? No, wait, that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re after, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Mmaybe.¡± Emma gives me a mischievous wink. I looked away from her, not bothering to give her the attention she desired.


    To be honest, I agree with Emma. A lot of interesting people seem to be gathering here. And strangely, most of the people that caught my eyes were people standing by the entrance.


    A man in a gray kimono sat alone by another double door. The man had long black hair tied into a loose ponytail that reaches his lower back. Thanks to his soft and womanly face, I honestly thought he was a girl until I heard his deep voice when he shut down one of the contestants that were hitting on him.


    Even though he¡¯s resting, I get the feeling he¡¯s going to be a tough opponent. However, the person that worries me the most is the man standing at the corner of the room. The man was clad in rusted armor. The sword he held in his hand had nicks and cracks in every part of the blade.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Multiple alarm was going off in my head warning me to stay away from the man in broken armor.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a bit over my head.¡±


    ¡°A bit? Kid, your way over your head.¡± A young boy in a dark red suit approaches our little group. ¡°Since you¡¯re the only one in your little group that possess some common senses, why don¡¯t you convince your friends to leave before you all get yourself killed.


    The gaudy outfit and the cocky attitude made it abundantly clear he was a noble. Great, just when I thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Catherine. I think you''re quite strong.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    My cheeks grew hot from Emma and Aaron''s intense gaze.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you think?¡¯ She was able to dodge your attacks.¡±


    ¡°True. She¡¯s quite fast on her feet, but she¡¯s an amateur when it comes to actual fighting. I can change this, though, if you join my school.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have a school.¡± And besides, I rather not get trained by someone who attacks people they meet. Wait, didn¡¯t Dante attack me when we first met? Bella even knocks me unconscious. Is this how warriors introduce themselves?


    ¡°You guys got a lot of balls to ignore me.¡± The noble stomped the ground like a kid trying to get his parents¡¯ attention.


    I wish we could ignore you. God, I swear every single noble is annoying. All of them act like they¡¯re the center of the world just because they¡¯re rich.


    ¡°Listen, clearly no one here has any intention of leaving. So, if you really want us gone, you¡¯ll just have to kick our ass in the tournament. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re looking forward to that, right?¡± I tried my best to keep my growing anger in check.


    ¡°And here I thought you were the smart one, but it looks like your brain is just as small as you.¡±


    ¡°The hell did you say?¡± I felt something inside my mind snap.


    ¡°Huh? You didn¡¯t hear me? Could it be those furry ears of yours are just as useless as your brain?¡±


    ¡°You talk a lot of crap for someone who was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. I bet without your family influence, you wouldn¡¯t have got this far.¡±


    ¡°What you say?¡± The vein on the noble¡¯s forehead begins to bulge.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t hear me. It looks like your ears are just as bad, mines.¡±


    ¡°Be careful what you say, little girl.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen if I don¡¯t? you going to get your daddy or butler take care of your problem like you always do?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll shut you up myself.¡± The noble spoke so low it almost sounds like a growl.


    ¡°I¡¯ll love to see you try.¡±


    I ball my hands into fists as the noble kid silently approaches me. The only thing going through my mind was figuring out how to reach his face so I could rearrange it.


    ¡°Second roun-¡°


    Before I could finish my chant, Jez step in between the noble and me. She silently nodded her head at us like a disappointed mother.


    ¡°Get out of the way Jez, this spoiled brat needs a good pummeling.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a brat midget?¡±


    ¡°You. You spoil little-¡°


    ¡°Shh.¡± Jez places a finger on both of our lips. ¡°Re. Lax.


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The last thing I want was to hurt Jez because I couldn¡¯t control my anger. It seems the noble didn¡¯t want to hurt her either. He clicked his tongue, annoyed, and looked away. I can see the anger burning in the noble¡¯s eyes. Knowing how petty his kind can be, I¡¯m confident he¡¯ll do whatever he can to pay me back for disrespecting his honor or something stupid like that.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve let them fight. It would¡¯ve been a good time killer.¡± Emma let out a sigh as she lazily looked around the room. ¡°Seriously, though. How long are we going to wait here? When will the tournament start?¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re as dumb as the feline. The tournament won¡¯t be starting anytime soon.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Emma turns to the noble irritated.


    ¡°Take a good look around. There are over three hundred people here. Do you really think a tournament can be held with this many people?


    Scar did tell me that these trials were made to weed out the weak. if there are this many people here¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re most likely going to have to endure more trials.¡± The noble finish my thoughts.


    ¡°Are you saying we¡¯ll have to run around looking for crap like we did in the last trial?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± The noble responded curtly.


    ¡°Fuck That!¡± Emma shouted loud enough. I¡¯m sure everyone in the theater heard her. ¡°C¡¯mon! We all came here to fight, right?! So, let¡¯s fight! The last person standing wins the tournament!¡±


    I held my breath, fully expecting a brawl to break out, but to my surprise, all we got were awkward stares.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAH!¡± A deep laughter echo through the theater. A man in the front row stood up. He wore a simple black jacket with nothing underneath, proudly showing off the numerous scars and tattoos etched onto his well-toned body.


    ¡°Aw.¡± I accidentally gasp when I saw the dog-like ears on top of his head.


    He¡¯s a beastman. There are really others like me.


    My father was the only beastman I have ever seen, and he didn¡¯t have a tail or the same ears as me. At some point, I started believing all the things the kids were saying about me that I¡¯m a freak.


    There¡¯s so much I want to ask him. Like what tribe he¡¯s from and what these tattoos on our body mean, I doubt I¡¯ll get a chance to do that with the way things are going.


    ¡°You find something funny about what I say?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m just wondering if you like to become one of my wives?¡±


    ¡°Wait, did he say wives? Meaning he has more than one wife?!¡±


    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s exactly what that word means.¡± Once again, I unconsciously corrected Aaron.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not interested in men. However, I am interested in a good fight.¡±


    ¡°Now that something I can give you.¡± The beastman said with a grin so wide I could see his fangs.


    ¡°I wonder about that.¡± Almost everyone in the theater begins to clap as Emma boldly descends the stairs towards the beastman.


    ¡°Hey, shouldn¡¯t we stop her?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. She¡¯ll probably kick your butt if you try to get in her way.¡±


    ¡°Ah, your right.¡± Aaron¡¯s concern immediately vanishes. ¡°I¡¯ll just wish her luck.¡±


    The applause and cheers stopped as Emma drew closer to the beastman. Only the sounds of her footsteps could be heard echoing through the theater. Suddenly, Emma leaped off the stairs, soaring over the beastman¡¯s head.


    The moment Emma landed, she ducks, barely avoiding the beast''s wide swing. Emma balled her right hand into a fist and threw a punch aimed at his side. Still recovering from his wild swing, the beastman step forward, throwing his entire body at Emma. The beastman muscular frame was easily able to overpower and push back Emma¡¯s slender body.


    The beastman lunged forward and threw a straight punch at Emma, who was still sliding backward uncontrollably. At the very last second, Emma turns her head, making the beastman¡¯s fist brush past her cheeks.


    The beastman threw a wild left. Emma quickly raised her hand and guided the massive fist away with the back of her hand. Emma thrust her palm at the beastman¡¯s wide-open chest. Just before her attack connected, she abruptly stopped and jumped away, avoiding the beastman¡¯s rising knee.


    ¡°If this keeps up, the fight will be ending soon.¡± Scar said to no one in particular.


    ¡°Yea is Emma pretty much toying around with him.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, actually. The beastman is toying with her.¡±


    Another voice jumped suddenly in our conservation. I turned around to see the samurai from earlier looking at Scar with great interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed you notice the beastman''s trap.¡±


    ¡°Only an amateur wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I grab my chest. Scar¡¯s response backhanded the little confidence I had in myself.


    Sorry, I¡¯m not a professional killer like you two.


    ¡°Can you guys stop being cryptic and explain what happening for people who don¡¯t understand, like Aaron.¡±


    ¡°Wait, huh?¡± Aaron looked at us confused.


    ¡°How would you feel being at the opposite end of the beastman punches?¡±


    I cross my arm and thought about Scar¡¯s question. The answer was so simple it felt like a trick question. Obviously, I will be terrified. His arms are so massive that I¡¯ll be panicking even if he misses. ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°So, you finally figure it out? The girl dodging his attacks, but they¡¯re hitting mentally.¡±


    ¡°The beastman is purposefully throwing wild punches to make her focus on retreating.¡± Scar continued where the samurai left off. ¡°And if she continues retreating, she¡¯ll fall right into the beastman¡¯s trap.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Emma glance at the wall behind her. ¡°So, this was your plan?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, and you fell for it beautifully. So, what are you going to do now?¡± The beastman opens his arms wide making sure Emma doesn¡¯t slip past him.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I can do, fight.¡± Emma charge forward threw a punch aimed at the beastman¡¯s exposed body.


    ¡°Too predictable.¡± The beastman easily catches Emma¡¯s fist. ¡°Looks like this is it.¡±


    ¡°Yea, for you.¡± Place her other hand on the Beastman arm¡¯s and then jumped in the air.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Aaron shouted in surprise as he watches Emma use the beastman thick arm to handstand on. The heel of her foot smashes the beastman¡¯s nose causing him to release Emma while staggering backward.


    ¡°You¡¯re not that bad.¡± With a wide grin, he casually snaps his broken nose in place.


    ¡°Your pretty good yourself.¡±


    ¡°Heheheh.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahah!¡±


    Both Emma and the beastman suddenly started to laugh.


    ¡°I wonder what they find so funny?¡± Aaron tilted his head and stared at the two like they lost their mind.


    ¡°For a warrior, there¡¯s nothing more joyful than facing someone that pushes you to your limit, although, I guess that¡¯s something you kids won¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I get it.¡± I thought back to the time when I train with Dante. I remember how excited I use to get when we spar.


    ¡°Looks like you might have a future as a warrior. I¡¯ll keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°I honestly prefer if you ignored my existence¡± It¡¯s already bad enough I have to worry about the Scar and that noble kid the last thing I need is a samurai coming for me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I get serious, do you?¡± The beastman said as he took off his jacket.


    ¡°Go ahead, I was just planning on going all out myself.¡± Emma pulled two brass knuckles from her pocket and slip them on her hands. ¡°You ready.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yea.¡± With wide grins on their face, the two charge at each other.


    ¡°Stop.¡± A statue in the center of the stage pounds his war hammer on the floor causing Emma and the beastman to freeze in place.


    ¡°Whoa, that statue is moving!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a statue, Aaron.¡± My gaze shift towards the red dogs¡¯ tags dangling on his body. ¡°He¡¯s just like Dante and Bella, he¡¯s a royal guard.


    ¡°Silence.¡± The Royal Guard slams his hammer on the ground again silencing all the murmuring. ¡°The second trial is about to begin¡­¡±

 Chapter 23: The Massacre At The Art Theater

    Chapter 23


    The Massacre at the Art Theater


    ¡°This trial won¡¯t be as difficult as the last one.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I doubt that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    My heart nearly stopped when the royal guard turned to me. For a moment, our eyes met. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t seem to hear me. Quietly, the armored royal guard scans the theater.


    ¡°There are three hundred and sixteen people here. Kill each other until there¡¯s only ninety-nine of you remaining.¡±


    ¡°Catherine, can you repeat what he said? I think I might have misheard him.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Aaron. I think I might¡¯ve misheard him too.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell are you guys standing around for? Did you not understand me?¡± The armored royal guard slammed his war hammer on the ground and shouted. ¡°Fight and kill and each other until only ninety-nine of you are remain!¡±


    ¡°Harden!!¡± The double doors behind me suddenly kicked open. A petite woman stood by the entrance, wearing a jacket that went all the way down to her thighs, nearly covering her shorts. Multiple gold bangles were wrapped around her ankles and tail.


    ¡°Another beastman,¡± I said; my eyes were naturally drawn to her giant white fluffy tail, which was almost as big as her body. And her fox-like ears that had multiple piercings in them. Unlike the beastman that was fighting Emma, her skin was pale, and she didn¡¯t possess any noticeable tattoos that show she was a warrior. However, despite her dainty appearance, anyone who glances at her can tell she was strong by simply looking at the crimson dog tags that hung on her neck, which proved she was one of this country''s elite warriors.


    ¡°You were trying to make them slaughter each other, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This is the fastest and easiest way to thin out the weak.¡±


    ¡°Honestly.¡± The new royal guard shook her head in disappointment. ¡°This is the exact reason why you¡¯re not allowed to be near the new recruits. You¡¯re too extreme.¡±


    The new royal guard stomp down the steps barefooted. The bangles on her feet jingle, and her pigtails bouncing as she walks.


    ¡°Wait one second.¡± Emma step in front of the stairs, blocking the royal guard¡¯s path.


    Don¡¯t tell me Emma is trying to pick a fight with a royal guard now. I know she¡¯s strong, but I can¡¯t imagine her beating someone like Bella. Let alone Dante.


    ¡°Could it be you¡¯re, Sky?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s me~¡± The royal guard wink and threw up two peace signs. ¡°Are you perhaps a fan of mines?¡± Suddenly, without warning, Emma threw a punch at the petite royal guard. While still holding her pose, the royal guard easily catches Emma''s punch with her two fingers.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The petite beastman cutely tilts her head. ¡°Do you have a grudge against me?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± Emma quickly back away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to see if you were the real deal.¡± Emma bows her head deeply. ¡°You¡¯re an inspiration to me. if it weren¡¯t for you, I would have never made it this far.¡±


    ¡°Who exactly is Sky?¡± I ask no one in particular. I kind of figured she was someone important due to the red dog tags, but she must be really special to have Emma''s respect.


    ¡°Sky is said to be the father of martial arts.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡± Scar simply nodded his head at me and continue his explanation.


    ¡°During his younger years, he popularized Aura. A technique many at the time believed to be impractical in combat. He also travels around the world teaching martial arts to the weak and defenseless. Apparently, Dante was one of his disciples.


    Wait, she trained Dante?! Just how old is she? She got to be over a hundred years old, but she looks like she¡¯s around seventeen.


    ¡°Please, there¡¯s no need for the praise.¡± Sky bashfully scratch the back of her head. ¡°The person you should be praising is yourself. I can tell by looking at your body. You worked hard to become strong.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you very much!¡± Emma bows her again. I¡¯m not sure if I were seeing things, but I swear she¡¯s blushing.


    ¡°The same can be said about you. Big guy.¡± Sky suddenly turns her attention to the beastman. Her blue eyes focus intently on the muscular frame in front of her. ¡°A steel body forge from countless battle. Those scars on your body are proof you faced death countless times, which only made you stronger, and a bit cocky.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I have nothing to say to a markless beastman.¡±


    ¡°Going by that response and those tattoos, I¡¯m going to assume you hail from the Thousand Isles, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Keeping his word, the beastman gave Sky the silent treatment.


    ¡°My, my, my. You tribesmen never changed, but I guess that¡¯s to be expected since you guys are obsessed with your old tradition, even though those tattoos don¡¯t mean a thing.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue, or I¡¯ll rip it out!¡± The beastman practically growled. Sky giggle unbothered by the man towering over her, baring his fangs.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I like to see you try, little boy.¡± Sky¡¯s voice deepens. Suddenly, the room felt colder. Both Emma and beastman back away from Sky, who had a bright smile. ¡°Anyway,¡± Sky clapped her hands together. Instantly, the tense atmosphere she created dissipated like it never existed. ¡°let begin the second trial.¡±


    Sky jumped onto the stage and spun around before striking a pose and shouting, ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Sky! And the blockhead next to me is Harden. We will oversee the second trial. Harden, you mind explaining the rules.¡±


    ¡°I already did.¡±


    ¡°Like hell you- oops.¡± Sky, quickly covering her mouth like it would hide her voice that was becoming deep again. After a split second of awkward silence, she cleared her throat. ¡°Harden~,¡± She said, in an amorous tone. Can you please explain the rules? Properly this time.¡± Sky flirtatiously flutter her eyelashes at Harden.


    ¡°If it¡¯ll make you stop doing that, fine.¡± Harden shook his head before turning to everyone. ¡°This trial is an elimination round. You will fight each other until only ninety-nine of are standing.¡±


    ¡°Standing, meaning you don¡¯t have to kill each other. You just need to knock your opponent out or make them admit defeat.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Relieved, I place a hand on my heart.


    ¡°However.¡±


    ¡°Oh great.¡± I clench my teeth, preparing myself for the worse


    ¡°Murder won¡¯t get you disqualified; accidents happen, we understand that which is why Harden and I will be actively taking part in this trial to stop as much bloodshed as we can. But there¡¯s only two of us and over three hundred of you. We won¡¯t be able to save you all. So if you¡¯re not willing to risk your life, then please step onto the stage. You¡¯ll be safe up here, but you¡¯ll be disqualified from the tournament.


    ¡°You hear that? This is your guys¡¯ last chance to quit.¡±


    Right, I almost forgot about the noble brat. As much as I would love to ignore him, I get the feeling he¡¯ll only become more annoying. So, I decided to speak my mind.


    ¡°I doubt anyone going to quit. We all came too far just to give up now.¡± I look at Scar, who was silently watching me. As always, his expression was unreadable. I can¡¯t afford to back down. The only thing waiting for me at home is The Crooked Man. Perhaps that¡¯s why Scar is here. They somehow found out I¡¯m trying to leave the gang, so they sent Scar to sabotage me. No, wait, if that was the case, Scar wouldn¡¯t be helping me, would he?


    ¡°Nobody going to quit, huh?¡± Sky scanned the room. As I expected, no one got on the stage.


    ¡°Good.¡± Sky¡¯s smile widen. ¡°Looks like you all have spirit.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see who has the strength to overcome this trial.¡± Harden steps up and begins to speak. ¡°I will now explain the rules. Listen and understand. I will not repeat myself.


    I focus intently on the armored royal guard. Making sure I won¡¯t miss any details.


    ¡°If you step on the stage or leave the theater, you¡¯re disqualified. If you attack anyone that¡¯s on stage or has surrender, you¡¯re disqualified. If you ask for our assistance or are rescued by us, you¡¯re disqualified. And if you attack us. Well, there¡¯s no penalty for that. In fact, if you manage to defeat one of us, you won¡¯t have to participate in the rest of the trial since you¡¯ll have a free seat in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh!¡± I could practically feel the excitement in the air. However, I knew better. After seeing a royal guard action and getting my butt handed to by one, I knew full well taking one down was impossible. In fact, I go so far as to say this is a trap.


    "Attention!" Sky claps her hands to silence everyone. ¡°We will be shutting the lights off for a few seconds. When the lights come back on, the trial will begin. Use the little time you have in the dark to reposition and prepare yourself.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s about to begin.¡± I stretch my body, making sure it was ready for whatever was coming next. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was trying to break out of my body. Unlike the first trial, which began the moment I enter the city. This one gave me time to prepare, which made me realize I was seriously competing with some strongest people in the world to get in one of the most famous tournaments ever created.


    ¡°Look like we won¡¯t be able to work together anymore.¡± Aaron¡¯s shoulders dropped as he looked at me with puppy dog eyes.¡±


    ¡°We may not be working together, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t root for each other. So, good luck.¡± I place my hand on Aaron¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You too!¡± The moment Aaron¡¯s face brighten, the lights shut off, plunging us into the dark.


    Thankfully, I can see clearly in the dark. While everyone was shuffling around adjusting to the darkness. I quietly move far away.


    I¡¯ve already created a plan to get through this trial. It was quite simple. Hide until the fights over. I know this isn¡¯t honorable or cool, but I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to win.


    I sat down in a corner of the theater, which gave me a good view of everything. And it looks like everyone''s eyes finally adjusted to the dark. Most spread out trying to get as far from each other as possible, while others group up near the stage.


    I guess ganging up on the royal guards is about the only way to take them down. Wait, are they allowed to work together? Now that I think about it, they didn¡¯t mention any penalty for working together. Maybe I can work with Aaron. Where is he?


    ¡°!¡± Suddenly, the theater was flooded with bright light forcing me to close my eyes. The first thing I notice was a head flying in the air. The head looked down, confused at the man in rusted old armor.


    Seemly not satisfied with just taking his head, the man in rusted armor swung his badly chipped blade, cleanly cutting the headless body in half and somehow cleaving the person behind him too. Panic consumes the entire theater as the man in rusted armor continues to swing his sword. Every time he swung, people near and somehow far away from him were cut into pieces.


    ¡°I told them killing was necessary.¡± Sky shook her head and let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°We should go help them, is what I like to say, but unfortunately, we got problems over here too.¡± Directly in front of the stage, a group gathered, waiting for the two royal guards to come down. ¡°Why did you create a rule that allows people to attack us again?¡±


    ¡°Because the only people who have the right to judge a warrior is another warrior that been through the same ordeal.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you almost convince me with that lie, but I can tell your smiling underneath your helmet. Be honest. You just wanted to fight.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Harden let out a small grunt. He easily lifts his hammer which was almost the size of his body, over his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you know me, old Man.¡± Harden casually swung his hammer sending five people flying.


    ¡°They¡¯re killing each other for no reason at all.¡± I hugged my body tightly to stop the trembling. I saw death before. I even saw people murder each other, but never like this, never with such indifference.


    ¡°I tried to warn you. This isn¡¯t a place for kids.¡± A boy in a gaudy red suit climbs the step towards me.


    This is the last person I want to deal with, but I figure it was going to be either him or Scar. I really wished it were Scar. At least he doesn¡¯t give me a headache when he talks.


    ¡°If you want to quit. I¡¯ll personally escort you to the stage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of repeating myself and I¡¯m tired of your voice too. So, do me a favor and shut up and fight me.¡± I took a fighting stance which had my left arm extended and my right tucked to my side, my right hand balled into a fist ready to strike anyone who got close.


    ¡°Very well, but don¡¯t blame me for what happens next. The noble¡¯s eyes begin to glow brightly. I immediately jump backward, sensing something big was coming. A ball of fire formed in the palm of the noble¡¯s hand. The flame quickly spread to his arm.


    This could be bad. No, this is bad.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you can control fire.¡±


    ¡°No, what you see before you is Prometheus¡¯ Gift. The primordial light that crafted are very stars and chased the demons back to their Dark World.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Cool.¡±

 Chapter 24: Prometheus, The First Flame

    Long ago. Long, long, long ago. After the age of Ascension came the era of Darkness. A turbulent time that began when the Immortal Demon King took the throne. Young and burning with ambition, The Demon King conquer countries one by one. It was only a matte a time till the world would¡¯ve been consumed if it wasn¡¯t for the arrival of a man name Prometheus.


    It is said Prometheus wielded an undying flame which he used to create our very sun to chase the Majins back to the Dark World, thus ending the era of darkness.


    Chapter 24


    Prometheus, The First Flame


    It¡¯s a stupid fairy tale parents tell their kids to help them sleep. I never believe the story when I was a kid. Now, after everything I saw and been through, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I were fighting someone that can create a literal sun.


    ¡°Behold! The first flame!¡± The noble lifts his hand over his head. I bent my knees in preparation to dodge in any direction. The noble hurl his ball of flame at me. I throw my entire body weight to the floor. The fireball flew over me, smashing into the door before violently exploding.


    ¡°So, you manage to dodge that? Let¡¯s see if you can do it again.¡± Another ball of fire formed in the palm of his hand. I place my feet on the nearby chair and kick myself away from the fireball. I curl myself into a ball and roll until my back slam into a chair. Another ball of fire was flying towards.


    I grabbed the armrest and flipped over the chair. Giving me no time to rest, the noble continues to hurl balls of flame at me. I hop backward, jumping from one chair to the next until my back was to a wall.


    Shit, it¡¯s hard to move around with all these stupid chairs and narrow aisles. Why the hell did they choose a theater for us to fight in?


    ¡°Finally, got you.¡± The noble flash me a wicked grin as he formed another ball of fire in the palm of his hand.


    ¡°I guess I have no choice but to fight.¡± I pull my knife from it sheathe.


    ¡°Oh, and how will you fight me?¡±


    ¡°Simple, like this.¡± I threw my knife at the noble.


    ¡°What?!¡± The noble jumped backward to avoid my knife, but my blade still manages to hit its target: his fireball. The ball of flame enlarged, shallowing the noble¡¯s entire body before exploding.


    After seeing his ability in action, I figure they¡¯re set to explode when they come into contact with anything. But I never imagine it be this effective.


    ¡°Strange. I don¡¯t feel anything even though I killed someone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t kill me.¡±


    Suddenly hearing the noble¡¯s voice made me jumped backward. The smoke vanishes, revealing that the noble was completely unscathed.


    ¡°How are you unharmed?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really not that smart if you think could harm me with my own ability, did you?¡±


    I figure fire couldn¡¯t hurt him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use his ability if it did, but it looks like he¡¯s immune to all heat-based attacks, including explosions.


    ¡°Now, back to where we left out.¡± Two fireballs formed in the palm of his hands.


    More fireballs, huh? You think he changes his strategy after seeing I can dodge his attacks. Is throwing fire the only thing he¡¯s capable of? Still, even if that¡¯s the limit to his ability, he can easily set all my escape routes on fire. If I had to guess, his powers probably have the same restriction as aura. Once the flame leaves his body, he can no longer control them. It explains why he hasn¡¯t created a wall of fire or change the direction of the fireball in midflight. It¡¯s either that, or he¡¯s underestimating me. I guess I¡¯m just going to have to find out.


    ¡°You seem to like calling people an idiot. But it¡¯s clear to me that you¡¯re not that smart if you think you can hit me with those weak little flames of yours.¡± I flash the noble a confident smile, hoping to piss him off.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re quite agile. Half-assed attack like these won¡¯t work on you.¡± The flames in the palm of the noble¡¯s hand vanish along with the intense heat emanating from his body. ¡°What¡¯s your name, girl?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care?¡±


    ¡°My evaluation of you went up a bit. Before, I thought you were just a weak little kid, but I guess some competence is to be expected from someone who made it this far.¡±


    Is he complimenting me or not?


    ¡°Your name, kid.¡± The noble asked in a more demanding tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid. And the names Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly looked like a kid.¡±


    ¡°And you look like an ass. Act like one too.¡±


    ¡°Careful, what you say, peasant. You¡¯re speaking to Maximillian Phoenix, the rightful heir to the House of Phoenix!¡± The noble puffed out his chest full of pride.


    As much as I want to say, I never heard of him to destroy his pride. I, unfortunately, know that family name all too well. Anyone born in this country should know that name.


    Phoenix is one of the founding families that created this country. Obviously, they possess fame and money and holds a lot of influence in this country. Sadly, this results in many people using their name to intimidate people or get a taste of that good life.


    ¡°Do you have proof that your member of the Phoenix family?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do.¡± The noble kid raises his right hand showing off a silver ring with beautiful ruby embedded into it. On the side of the ring was a symbol of a bird surrounded by fire, the insignia for the Phoenix clan.


    That ring looks incredibly expensive. This means he either stole that from the Phoenix family, or he¡¯s actually legit.


    ¡°Be proud, Catherine. For I¡¯m about to show you my true power.¡±


    Ignite, Prometheus!


    Flames erupted around the noble¡¯s body shallowing him whole. The fire spiral upward breaking through the ceiling reaching far into the heavens.


    Small child-like hands emerge from the spiral of fire. The hands spread apart creating a small path inside the pillar of fire. A little girl with long fiery red hair stood alongside the noble in the inferno. The little girl wore a short red dress. A sliver tiara adorns her head. A red jewel that looks identical to the one in the noble¡¯s ring was embedded in the center of her tiara.


    An intense heat radiated from her body,, and flames sporadically formed and dance around her tiny frame.


    ¡°So, what do you think of my spirit?¡±


    That little girl is a spirit? Just like Minos?


    ¡°Fufu.¡± The little girl place both her hands on her hips and puffs out her chest.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°She, she¡¯s cute!¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Both the noble and his spirit¡¯s face became red from embarrassment. ¡°Prometheus, why don¡¯t you show her our strength.¡±


    ¡°Fu!¡± The little girl puff her cheeks out and pointed her finger at me like it was a gun. Fire shot out of her finger and flew right past me. The small fire easily sears a hole through the wall.


    ¡°So, you think my spirit is still cute?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I still do. However, I am terrified now.¡±


    That attack was far faster and stronger than all fireball the noble¡¯s been throwing at me. And to make matters worse, it looks like she can shoot fire without any warnings.


    ¡°Fu!¡± The girl pointed her finger at me. I dive to the ground to avoid her attack.


    ¡°She¡¯s not the only one you need to worry about!¡± The noble hurls a ball of flame at me.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I toss a coin at the flame. The ball of fire exploded right in front of me, blasting me off my feet. A swarm of fireballs flew through the black smoke. I kept low and crawl underneath a chair.


    The barrage of fireballs continues to endlessly pound the area where I was standing until nothing remain of the chairs and walls.


    This is insane! It¡¯s bad enough dealing with one person throwing fire at me, but now I got two. Not to mention their attacks are far faster and stronger than before. How am I supposed to beat someone like that?


    Focus, Catherine. Focus.


    I followed Dante¡¯s advice and took a deep breath to calm my panicked mind.


    I will now teach you. How to kill a spirit


    .


    .


    .


    1 Month Earlier


    Looking back. One way or another I would¡¯ve eventually ended up down this path. Almost like I was destined for this. Running away was never an option. If I fled, the Crooked Man would burn down the only place I ever called home. I can¡¯t ask anyone for help since soldiers are either paid to look another way or simply don¡¯t give a damn. My only option is to fully join his gang and lose what remains of my heart and soul, or fight and break free from his grip. The path I chose wasn¡¯t an easy one, but when has anything ever been easy?


    ¡°Yea, when have it ever?¡± I lift both my arms and took a defensive stance.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to continue?¡± I can see the guilt in his eyes as he looked at my badly bruised body.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m in so much pain that I just want to curl up into a ball and cry. But there isn¡¯t time to do any of that. So, let¡¯s keep going. I¡¯ll endure.¡±


    ¡°You heard her, Minos.¡± Dante step to the side. Standing behind him, like it was his shadow was a beautiful woman in a white robe. I would¡¯ve called her angel if it wasn¡¯t for her black wings and halo which gave her a somewhat sinister appearance. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, Minos. She can take it.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Minos nodded her head and then charged at me. Even though she wore a blindfold, her attacks were fast and accurate. Before my mind could register what was happening, my body was already in motion. I raise my arms and block her sheathed sword.


    ¡°Ha!¡± Somehow, I manage to force a smile even though I was in a lot of pain.


    Minos continues her assault. Thanks to getting one-sidedly beaten by this angel for a whole week, I finally can block her attacks. But I won¡¯t be able to keep this up for long. Every single one of her attacks was heavy and powerful. I can feel my arms becoming heavier with each attack I manage to successfully block. It was only a matter of time before I lose all feeling in my arms.


    I jumped backward and putting some distance between us.


    ¡°First Round!¡± Minos immediately back away from me when she saw aura gathered around my right hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Too scared to fight me when I can fight back?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Minos extended her wings and placed all her weight on her right leg.


    Yea, I knew you do that. This is your answer every time I use this technique. According to Dante, my aura is abnormally powerful. Most people who see it will either try to escape my attack range or counter with an equally powerful attack. Meaning, I can force people to take predictable actions when I use my technique.


    However, knowing her move doesn¡¯t make anything easier. Because she¡¯s Dante¡¯s spirit, she can move at blinding speed too. This is why I allow myself to take a beating all this time so I can memorize your attack.


    ¡°C¡¯mon! I¡¯m ready!¡±


    Minos kicks herself forward, creating a large dust cloud. With a single flap of her wings her speed increase to the point she was only a blur.


    Okay, maybe I¡¯m not ready. But still, I¡¯ll stop your attack no matter what!


    I clap my hands together. Minos¡¯s sheath sword appears in between my hands.


    ¡°I did it! I caught i- ah!¡± Suddenly, I felt something cold go through my body. Sapping me of all my strength. I look down and saw a tip of a sword sticking out of my chest.


    ¡°You died.¡± Dante pulled his blade from out my body. I gasped and placed my hands on the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. However, there was no blood, nor was there any wound. Instead, I can feel the dull pain and fatigue weighing me down subsiding.


    ¡°Please, give me a warning before you heal me. I nearly had a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°Catherine. You¡¯ve made three mistakes in this fight.¡± Not caring that he might¡¯ve given me a mental scar, Dante began his report on my training.


    ¡°Your first mistake is you¡¯re not taking advantage of your talents.¡±


    ¡°Talent? What¡¯s my talent?¡± The only thing I can think of is stealing, but I don¡¯t see how that¡¯ll help me in a fight. I seriously hope he doesn¡¯t say anything cheesy like ¡®your talent is you never give up.¡¯


    ¡°You possess incredible reflexes and agility.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± I have always been able to outmaneuver even the most trained guard back during my thieving days. Even as a kid, I was good in pretty much every sport. It¡¯s one of the reasons why the other kids didn¡¯t like playing with me. Ugh, why did I have to remember that shitty part of my childhood?


    ¡°You also seem to possess an acute sixth sense. Have you ever dodge an attack without being aware of it? Or felt like you were in danger long before you actually were?¡±


    ¡°Yea. sometimes.¡± I touch the back of my neck. Every time I felt danger, I would feel a chill crawl up my spine, or some voice in the back of my head warning me of danger. Although it rarely happens, so I never thought much about it.


    ¡°If you train your talents more, you¡¯ll be able to overwhelm most opponents. This is the exact reason why I didn¡¯t bother teaching you how to use a sword or any advanced hand-to-hand techniques because I know you would obsess over learning them instead of improving what you¡¯re good at. Which brings me to your second mistake.¡± Dante held up two fingers before continuing his explanations.


    ¡°You tunnel vision quite a lot whenever you find a goal to work towards. While in most scenarios this can be seen as a positive trait. In a fight, this will lead you wide open to a surprise attack. As you saw. You were so focused on getting used to Minos¡¯ speed that you completely forgot I was your opponent.¡±


    ¡°It already hard enough to deal with you and your speed, there¡¯s no way I can fight both of you at once.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s your third and final mistake. You fell for the trap most spirit users employ. They use the fact they have an extra person to overwhelm their opponent and make them panic even though they have a glaring weakness. Which is both the spirit user and the spirit share the same body. Taking out the spirit will paralyze the spirit user and prevent them from using their ability for a short time. This phenomenon is called ¡®Soul Shock.¡¯ Alternatively, attacking the spirit user and giving them a concussion will weaken the spirit if not outright destroying it. Apparently, the brain influences the powers gifted possess, although researchers still don¡¯t know exactly how.


    ¡°Question!¡± For some reason, I raise my hand like an obedient kid at school.


    ¡°Go ahead, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°If the spirit is such a massive weakness for spirit users, why do they even bother summoning them? Can¡¯t they use their ability without summoning their spirit?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they can. And in most scenarios, they¡¯ll try to defeat their opponent on their own. But against a strong foe, they¡¯ll have no choice but call upon their spirit. Since they¡¯ll only be able to use their power at forty percent efficiency without calling their spirit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Dante, you¡¯re a spirit user, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve only been using forty percent of your strength this entire time?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Question!¡± once again, I raised my hand like a school kid.


    ¡°Go ahead, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Are you really human?¡±


    Dante took a step back and looked at me like I hurt his feeling. ¡°I appreciate if you didn¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m a monster.¡±


    ¡°Kind of hard to see you as human. Even someone like me who¡¯s new to fighting can tell you''re invincible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m far from invincible. There¡¯s plenty of people in this world who can defeat me in battle. You can become one of them too if you keep training hard.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I doubt that.¡± No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t imagine someone beating Dante, especially not me.


    ¡°Ah, that reminds me.¡± Dante suddenly kneeled next to me and looked directly in the eyes, and said, ¡°Your fourth mistake¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh, four? I thought you said I only made three?¡±


    ¡°You only made three mistakes in the fight. However, the fourth one is a mistake you constantly make even outside battle.¡± Wearing a gentle smile on his face, Dante places his hand on top of my head.


    ¡°You have a good head on your shoulder, but you have a bad habit of using it to put yourself down. I know telling you to stop looking down at yourself won¡¯t change anything. So, I¡¯ll say this instead. Whenever you start to doubt, yourself remember, I have faith in you.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I¡¯m just a no-name thief. How can you have faith in me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Dante¡¯s eyes became distant, like he was looking through me and looking somewhere far, far away. ¡°When you get to the capital, you¡¯ll see how strong you are.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Ever since I got here, I have only seen how much stronger everyone else is. But still, I won¡¯t give up now. Not when someone else has faith in me.


    ¡°!¡± My neck suddenly started to tingle. I immediately rolled from under the chair. A moment later, the chair was enveloped in flames.


    ¡°Fufu!¡± A little girl jumped out from the wall of fire and landed on top of the burning chair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you notice now that you can¡¯t keep running forever.¡± The noble emerge from the wall of flame wearing his usual cocky expression. ¡°Eventually, one of my attacks will get you.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing I have no intention of running away.¡± I snagged my knife from off the ground with my tail and tossed it back into my hand. ¡°My counterattack begins now.¡±

 Chapter 25: The Counterattack

    Chapter 25


    The Counterattack


    ¡°Your counterattack? And how exactly will you attack me when you can¡¯t even get near me?!¡± Both the noble and his spirit hurls a storm of fireballs at me. I jumped down towards the stage, hopping from chair to chair to dodge the flames.


    How frustrating. I know that little gremlin by his side is his weakness, but all I can do right now is focus on dodging.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ll never be able to attack me if you keep dodging!¡± The noble shouted as he bombarded the area around me.


    ¡°If you want me to attack you so bad, then why don¡¯t you call off your spirit and fight me like a man!¡±


    ¡°You seriously expect me to fall for such an obvious lure? I wasn¡¯t born yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You sure as hell act like it! Whoa!¡± I dive out of the way of flames.


    It¡¯s just like I thought. People who can attack from range are a pain in the ass to deal with. This is the reason I created my own range technique, but it¡¯s still incomplete. Using it now will only be a detriment to me. The only thing I can do right now is keeping dodging until I can find an opening.


    The moment I landed on top of the chair, I hopped to the next to preemptively dodge the noble¡¯s next attack. However, strangely there was no more fire chasing me. The noble abruptly stopped his attack and was now quietly observing me.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re tired already?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I have grown tired of this little game, which is why I¡¯m ending this now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and how will you do that? You can¡¯t even hit me.¡±


    A smirk spread across his face like he was waiting for me to ask this question. ¡°Simple, like this.¡±


    ¡°!¡± For a moment, my mind blanks out as something hot slammed into my back. ¡°How?¡± That was the only thing I could utter. I strained my head and looked behind me. The noble¡¯s spirit looking at me with a wicked grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you possess incredible agility. I probably never be able to hit you in a head-on fight. However, the downside to your talent is a small injury will significantly dull your movement.¡± Another fireball formed in the palm of his hands. ¡°Now, try to avoid this one in your current state.¡±


    The noble threw the fireball at me incredibly slow as if to taunt me. The searing pain preventing me from moving properly. The only thing I could do was cross my arms and prepare myself for pain.


    The fireball exploded right before it touches me. The intense heat dwelling inside the ball of flame enveloped my body, burning my skin. I poured all my strength into my legs and threw myself away from flame, slamming into a nearby chair.


    ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡± I escape the flames, but my body still felt like it was on fire. As much as I wanted to scream, all I could do was groan in pain.


    ¡°Hurry up and surrender so your injuries can be treated.¡±


    ¡°N-no. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me this stupid prize money is worth more than your life?!¡± Seeing the noble seething with anger and confusion made the pain a bit more tolerable.


    ¡°To you, it¡¯s nothing more than prize money, but to me, it¡¯s much more. Although I guess someone who was born with everything can never understand my desperation.


    ¡°Even if I could understand, I wouldn¡¯t care.¡± Flame form in the palm of the noble¡¯s hand. ¡°Since you want to die so badly, I¡¯ll gladly end your life.¡± The fire slowly flew towards me. In the corner of my eyes, I spotted what looks to be a sheathe to a sword flying towards the ball of fire, prematurely making it explode. A man ran and jumped over the explosion. It only took me a minute to identify who the guy was, Scar.


    Scar throws his sword. The noble ducks left, causing the sword to plunge into the wall next to him. Scar pulled his sword and swung in one swift motion the moment he landed. The noble threw himself to the ground to avoid Scar¡¯s slashes. Almost instantly, Scar repositions his sword and thrusts downwards. Desperate, the noble conjure another fireball in his hand.


    ¡°Fu!¡± The little fire spirit disappears and then suddenly burst out from the fireball in the palm of the noble. The little girl raised her hand to stop the sword. Scar¡¯s sword easily pierces through the little girl¡¯s hand. Rather than blood, flames gush out of her wound. Unfazed by the flames consuming his arms, Scar plunges his sword deeper into the girl¡¯s hand until it reaches her throat.


    ¡°Like I¡¯ll let you take her!¡± The noble roar as he slams his newly created fireball into the ground, creating an explosion that consumes both the noble and Scar.


    They, they killed themselves. No, the noble guy doesn¡¯t seem to be affected by any heat, including explosion, which means only Scar would¡¯ve been injured by that attack.


    I stare intensely at the smoke hoping to see Scar¡¯s silhouette.


    Scar, I never liked him, but I also never hate him. He¡¯s the only person in The Crooked Man¡¯s gang that doesn¡¯t go out of his way to bothered me.


    A figure jumped out of the smoke. I let out a sigh when I saw that it was Scar. Flames still covered his arms. Scar quickly tore off the burning sleeves off his shirt, revealing his burnt arms. Unfazed by the pain, Scar pointed his blade at the smoke, which quickly dissipated to reveal the noble completely unharmed and extremely piss off.


    ¡°What, what the hell is wrong with you guys?! Do none of you fear death?!¡± The noble shouted.


    ¡°The mission always comes first.¡± Scar said in his usual monotone voice.


    ¡°Mission? Are you a mercenary? Did someone hire you to take me out?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not my target. My job is to keep you busy until Catherine decides to fight you seriously.¡±


    ¡°Fight seriously? Are you saying she¡¯s holding back? You must have lost your mind.¡± The noble lets out an obnoxious laugh. As much as I can¡¯t stand the guy, I had to agree with him.


    Your first mistake is you¡¯re not taking advantage of your talent.


    Dante¡¯s words echo in my head.


    ¡°I used everything Dante taught me these past months. What else do I have?¡± I looked down at my left arm. The bandage on my hand burnt off. Somehow, the flower tattoo on my hand is unharmed even though my skin has been burnt.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I¡¯m not sure when this tattoo appears, but I¡¯m pretty sure it was around the time I started training with Dante. At the same time, I can feel something inside me trying to break. I don¡¯t know what the hell this something is, and to be honest, I don¡¯t ever what to know, but if I had to choose between relying on The Crooked Man or this unknown, I would choose the latter.


    ¡°Back off, Scar. He¡¯s my prey.¡± I force myself back to my feet.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yea, the last thing I want is to increase my debt to The Crooked Man.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly are you going to do in your state?¡±


    ¡°Just shut up and watch.¡± I close my eyes and focus on the unknown inside me.


    Bloom:10%


    Slightly, ever so slightly, I open the gate to the unknown in the back of my mind. Almost instantly, I can feel a surge of power course through my body. Washing away all my doubts and fear.


    ¡°What, the hell?¡± The noble watched in amazement as the burns on my body begin to heal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so surprise yet. I''m just getting started ¡± I dash towards the noble. In a panic, the noble backed away from me and hurled fireballs at me. In an instant, there was nothing but blazing fire.


    It¡¯s strange, I¡¯m standing in the center of an inferno, but all I can feel is confidence swelling inside me. I push forward. My sixth sense became sharper, allowing me to tell which attacks were in actual threat to me, letting me dodge with minimal movements. In mere moments I manage to close the distance between us. I jumped and landed on the top of the stairs near Scar.


    It was only for a moment, but the surprise of seeing me land near him the noble wildly throwing fire in our direction distracted Scar longed enough for me to snatch his sword from out his hand.


    After stealing what I needed,d I ducked to avoid the flame before charging after him. The noble backed and threw a couple more fireballs at me. His cocky smile widened when I evaded his attacks.


    Sensing something was, I abruptly stopped and turned around. The noble¡¯s little spirit suddenly pop out one of the fireballs he threw at me. I flung Scar¡¯s sword at the little girl before she had a chance to attack.


    ¡°Hiee!¡± Surprised, the little spirit let out a shrill cry before blasting the sword with fire, creating a small explosion that consumed her.


    ¡°Crap.¡±The firee appeared in the palm of the noble¡¯s hand. Before it could form into a ball of fire, I closed the distance between us.


    ¡°Second round.¡± I struck the noble in the face with my aura-clad fist. The noble staggered backwards.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± The noble shouted as he pointed his palm at me. I grabbed my knife and slashed this hand before he had a chance to form any fire.


    That punch should¡¯ve knocked him out. Did I hold back too much? Thanks to my fight with Emma, I can only use Aura one more time. And it¡¯ll be a waste to use it on him. I guess I have no choice but to finish him off with my knife.


    ¡°Fu!¡± The little spirit jumped in between the noble and me. Her body trembles with fear, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°Why the hell are you acting like you¡¯re the victim? You started this fight!¡± I move my knife towards the trembling spirit¡¯s throat.


    C¡¯mon Catherine. She¡¯s not real. She¡¯s just a spirit, a physical manifestation of the stupid asshole power. All I got to do kill her and finish, and I¡¯ll easily be able to finish off the noble.


    Catherine, you¡¯re scaring me.


    ¡°M-Mom?¡±


    It was only for an instant, but I swear, instead of the little spirit, I saw my mother standing in front of me, terrified.


    I shook my head, hoping to catch a glimpse of her again. However, only the noble was standing in front of me. Tears flowed down his face as he held his bloody hand.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, I won¡¯t lose!¡± the heat around his body became so intense that I had to back away. Multiple alarms went off in my head to get as far away from him as possible. But I also can feel that I won¡¯t be able to escape this attack.


    ¡°Move.¡± Scar ran past me and planted his feet into his chest, knocking him away. In the next moment, Scar turned around and swept me off my feet before jumping away. Flame erupted from the noble¡¯s body. The flames quickly turned into a spiral of fire that consumes everything in its path.


    ¡°That bastard isn¡¯t even trying to control his power anymore! We need to stop him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Scar said curtly.


    ¡°The hell you mean, ¡®no?¡¯ He¡¯s going to burn down the whole theater if we do nothing.¡±


    ¡°Sit.¡± Scar threw me into a chair. Sitting next to me was a corpse with a sword impaled in his chest.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I let out a yelp and try to get up, but Scar pushes me back down.


    ¡°You had a chance to kill him, but you froze. Why?¡±


    I thought back to when the spirit jumped in front between us. I heard before that spirits take the shape of the person soul.


    ¡°Underneath all that bravado he¡¯s a just a kid. A terrified kid.¡±


    No what¡¯s bother me isn¡¯t the kid. It¡¯s the fact this happen before. I did something in the past. Something so bad that I even scared mother. What, what the hell did I do?


    ¡°So, what he¡¯s a scared kid? It shouldn¡¯t bother you at all, or perhaps you¡¯re not as desperate to win this tournament as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I should just kill everyone that stand in the way of my goal?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to achieve anything if you concern yourself with other.¡±


    ¡°I bet that must be easy for you?¡± I stood up and push him back. ¡°Someone like you can easily kill others for your goal because you never care about anything, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± I waited for him to say something back, but he just silently stare at me with his dead eyes.


    ¡°Listen, Scar. You clearly don¡¯t care about this tournament, so just go home and tell Crook to fuck of-¡°


    A wall of flame cut into between Scar and me. Almost immediately I was surrounded by flames.


    ¡°Max.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Maximilian Phoenix!¡± A hole opened in the wall of flame which the noble and his spirit walk through. The bruise on his cheek have swollen to the point it force his left eye shut.


    Looks like I was wrong about him. To fight me in that state, he must be just as desperate as me. That or he just really hate me. Either way, I¡¯m going must beat him if I want to escape.


    ¡°So¡­¡± The noble back away from me when I tried to approach him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter you¡¯re afraid of me now?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m wary of you now.¡±


    ¡°I can see.¡± I took a glance around me. He probably did this to stop me from jumping around and now that he knows I can use aura he¡¯ll do everything he can to make I sure I don¡¯t close the distance. Looks like I¡¯ll no have to use the other technique.


    ¡°Final Round.¡± Beads of light formed and dance around my arms before colliding and transforming into veil of light that covered my arm. ¡°This time I¡¯m taking your head!¡± I charge straight at him. As I expected, he immediately retreated and created more fire in his hands.


    I abruptly stopped and punched a chair next to me with enough force that I sent flying even though it was bolted to the floor.


    The noble¡¯s eye widen at the chair I sent flying towards him. The noble easily destroy the chair with a fireball. I gather what remain of my aura to cover my fingers and a coin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this work. Slug Round!¡± I flick my aura infused coin at the smoke. Perhaps sensing the noble was in danger, the spirit jump in front of me. My coin easily pierce through her head and stuck the noble in the stomach. The spirit burst into flames and vanish, and the noble was sent flying backwards before slamming into ground.


    The wall of fire disappeared alongside the noble¡¯s spirit. I dropped to my knees. The last bit of my strength vanish with my aura.


    ¡°What? What happen?¡± The noble weakly groan while straining his head to look at me.


    ¡°I won that¡¯s what happen!¡± I shouted triumphantly.


    ¡°I lost? No, that can¡¯t be. I can¡¯t lose!¡± Blood gush from his left hand as he try to force push himself back to his feet.


    Are you serious he still trying to fight me? Do we really have to kill each other for our own goals?


    ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± Sky chop the noble on the back of his knocking him down. ¡°Sorry but this fight over.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I refuse to lose.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry you didn¡¯t lose. You both past the trial. Congratulation!¡± Sky¡¯s bangles jingle each time she clapped her hands.


    ¡°Does that mean the second trial is over?¡± I guess I should be happy that I manage to survive, but its hard to do that with all the dead bodies laying everywhere and the murderous gaze coming from the noble.


    I manage beat him, but barely. And now that he seen all my tricks, I doubt I¡¯ll be able to take him down again.


    ¡°Heh, heh. You guys are going to love the next trial.¡± Seeing Sky cover her mouth to hide her mischievous grin only gave me a bad feeling.


    ¡°Attention, survivors!¡± The armored royal guard slammed his massive hammer onto the ground grabbing everyone attention. ¡°Take a good look around you. The two people next to you will be your partners for the upcoming trials.


    ¡°Wait, what!¡± Everyone in the theater shouted in unison. I franticly looked around theater hoping someone else was nearby.


    Do I really have to work together with that asshole? Wait, who else do I have to work with? The only other person who was near should be Scar.


    ¡°Kaaa!¡± I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the beast roar. Sitting in the chair next to me, somehow escaping my notice was a woman draped in a red hood with dark scale wyvern rested on her lap.


    ¡°Hel. Low.¡±

 Chapter 26: An Uneasy Alliance

    Chapter 26


    An Uneasy Alliance


    ¡°Jez? How long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°All. Ways.¡± Jez spoke so slow that it took me a moment to understand what she was saying.


    ¡°Are you trying to say you were always in that seat?¡±


    ¡°Mhn.¡± Jez slowly shook her head. It was impossible to see what expression she was making thanks to her red hood, which cover most of her face, but I¡¯m sure she wasn¡¯t lying to me.


    How is she doing that? That¡¯s twice that I somehow didn¡¯t notice her next to me. Three times if you count the time, I lost her when we were about to enter the capital together.


    ¡°Is this some sort of joke? You seriously expect me to work with a blind person who can barely speak and a weak little feline?¡±


    ¡°Ignore him, Jez. He just mad that I defeated him.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t beat me. Our fight is far from over.¡± The noble grunted as he tries to get back on his feet.


    ¡°Honestly, watching you kids is always exhausting.¡± Sky lets out a sigh and flop down on the noble¡¯s back. ¡°So many young people with talent die today, even though I said killing wasn¡¯t necessary. It really breaks my heart.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your feeling! Get off me so I can kill that stupid feline.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to your elder more. Especially when they are as cute as me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing cute about you. Now get off me, old man!¡±


    ¡°Old man?¡± I glance over at Sky. Everyone keeps saying she¡¯s an incredibly old person that popularizes martial arts and aura. Apparently, she even trained Dante. Even now, it''s hard for me to believe that story. To me, she looks like a petite girl that seems to really love jewelry.


    ¡°Fine, if you really want to kill her, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± My heart nearly stopped when I saw her stand stretch so causally. A wicked smile spread across the noble¡¯s face.


    I¡¯m not in any shape to fight. Both aura and bloom increase my physical capability in their own way. However, they¡¯re both incredibly exhausting to use. It¡¯s taking all my effort just to stand here.


    ¡°Are you sure you really want to do this? The reason why we have you guys team-up is that the last two trials are incredibly dangerous.¡±


    ¡°So what? I don¡¯t need anyone''s help.¡±


    ¡°My, such hubris. Although I guess I can understand where your confidence is coming from, you possess an incredibly powerful gift. However, your power is still immature. I¡¯m sure you realize that more than anyone during your last fight.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The noble fell silent. His gaze fell to the ground like a kid who got caught stealing.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to have pride in yourself.¡± Sky kneels next to the noble and petted his blonde hair. ¡°However, never fool yourself into thinking your superior to anyone. For arrogance will only lead you down a painful and lonely road.¡± Sky moves closer to the noble and softly whispers something in the noble¡¯s ears. Thanks to my sharp hearing, I manage to hear what she said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never surpass him if you follow the same path he took.¡± The anger and tension emanating from the noble completely vanish when Sky whispers those words to him. Sensing I''m not in danger, I put my knife back in its sheathe.


    ¡°Hey! Catherine!¡± I immediately knew who that energetic voice.


    ¡°Aaron, you¡¯re still aliahhh!¡± I turn around, expecting to see a young boy with a bow. Instead, it was a massive muscular body cover in wounds. ¡°A-Aaron?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up here!¡±


    I took a step back so I could get a better look at whatever I was staring at. The giant man in front of me was the beastman Emma fought earlier. A young boy dressed in some old and worn farmer garments sat on top of the beastman¡¯s shoulder, energetically waving at me.


    ¡°Catherine! Meet my new friend Leo!¡±


    ¡°New friend? When did this happen? No, how did this happen?!¡±


    ¡°I was on my way to help you when I saw all those flames, but then this giant guy with dog ears jumped in front of me shouting that I was a coward.¡±


    ¡°I thought he was running away from the battlefield, but boy, I was wrong about that!¡± The beastman laughed. He pointed towards a small hole in the center of his chest. Blood continuously seeping out of the hole, yet he didn¡¯t seem bothered by the injury. In fact, he was gleefully laughing like he was proud of the wound. ¡°That bastard didn¡¯t hesitate to shoot. I honestly thought he was going to kill me.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I was trying to kill you.¡± Aaron laughs while bashfully rubbing his head.


    ¡°Are you sure you guys are friends?¡±


    ¡°Of course! We¡¯re brothers now bonded by battle!¡± The beastman shouted proudly.


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡± I glance over at the noble who was still giving me the death glare. I guess it¡¯s just a guy¡¯s thing.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The heavily armored royal guard slammed his giant Warhammer into the ground, silencing everyone. It was impossible to see who he was looking at thanks to his helmet, but somehow, I could feel his icy gaze silently judging all the survivors. ¡°The third trial will not be that difficult.¡±


    I¡¯m pretty sure he said that for the last trial.


    ¡°All you have to do is leave the theater, alive.¡±


    I don¡¯t like that ¡®alive¡¯ part. That means there¡¯s something in the theater trying to kill us.


    Each team will go through the iron door and try to find a way to escape. If you¡¯re not out the theater by nightfall, you¡¯re disqualified.¡±


    In the corner of my eyes, I caught a glimspe of something shiny. To my right, an iron door stood tall against the black wall. Carved into the iron door was a blacksmith holding up a hammer, ready to strike down on a sword.


    Am I blind? Not only did I fail to see Jez sitting next to me, but somehow, I never spotted the fancy door that pressed to the side of the theater.


    ¡°This trial is stupid!¡± A young woman with short brunette hair march towards the stage where the armored royal guard.


    ¡°Quiet Emma, you¡¯ll get us killed!¡± A scrawny guy in thick glasses covered Emma¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Is there something you have to say?¡±


    ¡°Yea!¡± Emma headbutts the scrawny guy covering her mouth,, cracking his glasses. ¡°I refuse to be a part of a team, especially with this psychotic tin can?!¡± Emma shouted while pointing towards the man clad in rusted armor.


    ¡°If you have a problem with these rules, you can leave.¡±


    ¡°Why you¡­¡±


    ¡°Emma, stop!¡± The scrawny guy grabs Emma¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you really going to let yourself get kick out tournament because of a petty argument?¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡± Emma clicked her tongue before shaking her hand free from the man¡¯s grip. ¡°When this whole thing is over, I¡¯m coming for you, big guy!¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The armored royal guard snorts at Emma¡¯s threat.


    ¡°Okay, everyone!¡± Sky loudly clapped her hands to get everyone''s attention. ¡°Hurry up and get moving! Remember, you have until nightfall to complete this trial. The faster you move, the better.¡±


    The theater exploded with noise as everyone rushes to the mysterious iron door. It was quite interesting to see warriors carrying various weapons line up towards the iron door like it was the only bathroom in a hotel.


    Are we really going to start the trial already? Can¡¯t we at least get a break?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Catherine. I¡¯m sure your team will keep you safe!¡± Aaron flashes me a bright smile. I know he was trying to cheer me up, but my worries only grew when he mentions my team. The noble still looks like he wants to pounce on me. And Jez was still sitting down petting the wyvern resting on her lap, seemly unaware of what was happening around her.


    ¡°By the way, where your other teammate at?¡± I peek around the beastman expecting another person to be hiding behind his giant body.


    ¡°Good question, where is he? Ah! There he is!¡± Aaron energetically points towards a guy wearing a gray kimono. ¡°That samurai is pretty strong. He would¡¯ve taken my head if Leo didn¡¯t punch me out the way.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°The only one who can kill you is me, brother!¡± The beastman guffawed.


    ¡°¡­.¡± I fell silent, feeling stupid for thinking I had the worse team.


    ¡°Good luck, Catherine!¡± Aaron shouted as the beastman carried him off.


    ¡°You too. Seriously, good luck.¡±


    ¡°H-Hey! Want the hell are you doing?!¡±


    I turned towards the commotion to see Sky throw the noble over her small shoulders. ¡°Alright, slowpoke, let¡¯s get moving!¡± Sky marches towards the iron door.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll kill every single one of you for this humiliation!¡± The noble roar as he was tossed into the room. Jez slowly follows behind him, rhythmically tapping her cane on the ground.


    ¡°Well, are you going to keep your teammates waiting?¡± Sky said, turning to me.


    ¡°I really wish I could,¡± I mumble.


    It¡¯s going to be hard to complete this trial when I got a teammate who wants me dead and Jez, who I¡¯m confident doesn¡¯t even know where she¡¯s at.


    ¡°Sounds like you need some motivation. How would you feel if I told you Dante is waiting for you at the last trial?¡±


    ¡°What, how did you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I know about you, Catherine. If you¡¯re Dante¡¯s student, that also makes you my student.¡± Sky giggle. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how well you perform in this trial.¡± Sky pushes me into the room. ¡°Good luck, everyone!¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± I race towards the door, but Sky slammed the door shut on me.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± The noble¡¯s sounded shaky and weak. His body became pale as blood continues to flow from out his hand.¡±


    ¡°Let me treat your hand.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, unfortunately, we¡¯re teammates now. And I can¡¯t have you dying. At least not until this is all over.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Silently, the noble extended his hand towards me. I nearly gasp when I saw how grievous his wound is. The gash was far too big for simple bandages to fix.


    ¡°Here.¡± Jez hands me a jar filled with green gel.


    ¡°Is that ugh, yep it¡¯s definitely soothing gel.¡± I was assaulted by a foul stench when I open the lid to the jar.


    ¡°Ugh, what the hell is that?¡± The noble¡¯s contorted from the awful smell.


    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s a bunch of herbs smash together so it can be applied on wounds.¡±


    ¡°And you plan to smear that disgusting concoction on me?¡±


    ¡°The worse it smells, the better it is for you.¡±


    ¡°I rather bleed out than have that gel defile my skin!¡± The noble try crawls away from me. But Jez grabbed both his shoulders and held him in place.


    ¡°Stay. Still.¡± Jez commanded.


    ¡°Kaaa!¡± Jez¡¯s wyvern landed on top of the nobles and wrapped its scaly tail around the noble¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Get off me, you barbarians!¡± The Noble screamed.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll be done in a bit.¡± I smear gel onto his hand then bandage it. Once I finished wrapping his bandage. I put some gel on his swollen cheek.


    ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t bad, was it?¡±


    ¡°My skin is ruin.¡± The noble tightly hugged his shivering body.


    I ignore the little drama queen and finally decided to look around the room. Well, a hallway. We were standing in a very long hallway that seems to have no ending in sight. There were multiple iron doors the same as the one enter except each one has a unique design to them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s everyone? We all enter through the same door, but we¡¯re the only ones here.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, they went to find the exit. Something we should be doing.¡± The noble try to stand, but Jez pushes him back down.


    ¡°Rest.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to her. You and I are useless in our current shape.


    ¡°So, we should just waste our time sitting here?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that. We have plenty of time till nightfall.¡± Thanks to the glass ceiling, I was able to see the orange dye sky. ¡°Since we have nothing better to do right now, we might as well introduce ourselves.¡± I sat down next to the noble and Jez. ¡°My name is Catherine Heart. Jez, you can just keep calling me, ugh, cat.¡± It physically hurt giving myself that nickname.


    ¡°Cat, huh, that¡¯s a fitting name for you.¡± The noble snicker.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself, ass.¡±


    ¡°Gladly.¡± The noble took a deep breath which filled me with regret for allowing him to handle his introduction. ¡°My name is Maximillian Phoenix, the rightful heir to the house of ph-


    ¡°Just call him Max, Jez.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare shorten my magnificent name!¡±


    ¡°Hi. Max.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Max lets out a groan. ¡°Fine, if we¡¯re going to give each other nicknames, what should we call you? Red hood?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jez dismissively shook her head and then pointed at herself. ¡°I¡¯m. Jez.¡± Then she pointed at the wyvern perch on her shoulder. ¡°Dark.¡±


    ¡°I like Red hood better. By the way, why are you covering your face with your hood.¡± Max reach for Jez¡¯s hood, but the wyvern snapped at his fingers.


    ¡°Bad. Scars.¡±


    To be honest, I became more curious about Jez¡¯s face when she mentions her scar. But unlike Max, I had no intention of pressuring her. However, there is something else I¡¯m curious about I need to know.


    ¡°Jez, you do realize you¡¯re participating in a tournament, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s good.¡± I felt a huge burden lift from my heart. Before we enter the city, Jez told me her main destination was the adventure guild. So, I felt guilty when I heard she followed me to this dangerous place. But it seems she also wants to but here.


    I wonder what she¡¯s trying to achieve taking part in something so dangerous. Same with Max. If he¡¯s really a part of the Phoenix clan, why is he participating in this tournament? He should already have everything he ever wanted.


    ¡°Ahh!¡± I let out a sigh and looked at the clouds drift past the window.


    I know this my first time in a tournament, but something feels off. These trials don¡¯t make any sense to me. Scar said that these trials were designed to weed out the weak. If that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t they just have us keep fighting until there were only twenty or ten of us left? Instead, they are making us work in a three-man team with people who were most likely trying to kill each other.


    It doesn¡¯t feel like these trials were simply designed to find the strength. Rather it feels like they¡¯re looking for something else. What exactly that something is, I have no idea.


    ¡°Hey, what are you kids doing in our turf?¡± I snapped out my head by the sounds of footsteps and snickering.


    ¡°I heard the tournament trials were being held in the area, so they must be participating.¡± Four rough-looking men walk down the hall. Every single one of them had their hands on their weapon.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys also in the tournament?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not. They¡¯re from a local gang.¡± I slowly reached for my knife. ¡°We don¡¯t want any trouble.¡±


    ¡°How funny. You say you don¡¯t want trouble, but you guys came to our territory and caused a commotion. Sorry, but blood must be paid with blood, and we fully intend on spilling the blood of every bastard in this theater.¡±


    This isn¡¯t good Max still can¡¯t move properly because his spirit hasn¡¯t returned, and I¡¯m too exhausted to run or fight.


    ¡°Jez, take Max and call for help! Aaron or Emma should be nearby!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jez step in front of me. ¡°I. Fight.¡±


    ¡°You guys hear that? She plans to fight us.¡± The thugs burst out laughing. ¡°Go ahead, girl. Give it your best shot.¡±


    "Fade.¡± A soft white light enveloped Jez¡¯s entire body.


    ¡°Shit, she can use aura!¡± The men rush down Jez.


    ¡°To.¡± The aura around her cane suddenly became darker. ¡°Black.¡± Jez slammed her cane into the ground. Her blacken aura spread from the cane quickly spread across the ground, then right before my eyes, Jez¡¯s darken aura and the floor vanished. Somehow, we were floating over a bottomless black hole.


    ¡°Dark.¡± During everyone we was all staring at the black hole beneath us. Dark launch off Jez¡¯s shoulder and flew towards men. Slamming into one of the goon¡¯s chests, knocking the men to the ground gasping for air. The three swung their weapon at the wyvern that flew dangerously close to them.


    Jez, slowly approaches the group while holding her cane up to her face. Carefully, she pulled her cane apart, revealing it wasn¡¯t a cane. It was sheathed, holding a beautiful black blade. Once her sword was fully unsheathed, she vanishes from everyone''s sight.


    ¡°Where the hell did that blind bitch go?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! Kill the other two.¡± One of the thugs pulls out a gun and aims at me and max.


    ¡°Crap, get down!¡± I grabbed Max''s sleeve and threw both of us to the ground. The man readjusts his aim, just as he was about to pull the trigger, Dark swoop down on the thug and claw at his face.


    ¡°Get it off me!¡±


    ¡°Stay still. I¡¯ll get it!¡± The thug next to the man getting attack reaches for the wyvern. However, before he could grab it, blood splashes on his face. ¡°What?¡± confused, he looked down to see his arm on the floor covered in his blood. The man opens his mouth wide, but before he could utter a word, he was sent flying by a mysterious force. Jez appears where the dismembered man was originally standing, her black blade covered in blood.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± The last guy charges Jez. He raised his sword swung downward. Jez calmly blocks the overhead strike with her sheathe. Then, with a slight twist of her wrist, Jez moves the sword aside, leaving the man wide open.


    Dumbfounded, the thug silently stares at Jez, who thrusts her blade into his stomach.


    ¡°Gah!¡± The goon grabbed his stomach in shocked. However, strangely, there was no wound, nor was there any blood. Confuse, the man looked down to see Jez¡¯s blade was hovering inches near his stomach.


    ¡°Run. Now.¡±


    ¡°R-Right! Of course!¡± Both the man who got clawed by dark and the one who was nearly impaled turn and made a run for it.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Dark flew in front of the fleeing men stopping them in their tracks.


    ¡°W-What is it?¡± The man turns towards Jez. His face was ghostly pale.


    ¡°Take. Them.¡± Jez pointed her sheathe at the injured men next to her.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± The two men picked up their injured comrades and fled down the hall as fast as they could. Once they were out of sight, the floor return to normal.


    ¡°Whoa, Jez.¡± I stare, stunned at Jez as she wipes the blood off her blade and puts it back into her sheath, once again, taking the appearance of a walking cane that has a silver goat head as a handle.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Max rubbed his chin while observing Jez. ¡°So, you possess a gift just like me. And from the looks of it, your power is invisibility, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jez nodded her head.


    I guess that explains how I never notice her following me. And how she appears right in front of me during the second trial. I never thought Jez would be the one I consider to be the greatest threat in the tournament. Still, with that ability, she can easily take people out without anyone ever notice she was there, and what more impressive is her aura. It looked like she used it to strengthen her ability. I always thought aura was just a technique to increase a person''s strength. But it looks like it has much more utility than that.


    ¡°So, are you guys planning on following those losers, or are we just going sit here like an idiot?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± I turn to Max, who quizzically tilts his head.


    ¡°If those thugs just enter the theater, then that means they know where the exit is.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Both Jez and I let out a dumb sound.


    ¡°Did you two really not realize that?¡±


    ¡°!!!!!!!¡± A blood-curdling scream echo through the hallway.


    ¡°What¡­. was that?¡± I pointed my blade in the direction the noise came from while slowly backing away.


    ¡°I think that was the gang from earlier. Crap, if another team found them, then we need to move now. We can¡¯t let another team found the exit before us. They might seal it and trap us in here.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Jez nodded her head and ran towards the direction the noise was coming from with her pet leaving Max and me behind.


    ¡°Why the hell you still standing around here like an idiot? Jez may be strong, but she can¡¯t take on a team by herself. She needs you.¡±


    ¡°And so do you. You can barely move.¡±


    ¡°Me needing you.¡± Max chuckles. ¡°I¡¯m not that desperate.¡±


    ¡°Listen, I know you hate me, but we¡¯re a team now, so we need to- ¡°


    ¡°Work together, right.¡± Max snickers. ¡°What bullshit. Did you forget that only one person can win this tournament? We¡¯re not a team. We¡¯re merely using each other so, be useful and secure my exist for me.


    ¡°Wow, you really can¡¯t but to be a douche. But you¡¯re right. So be useful to me and survive your powers will come in handy.¡± I backed away from Max and ran towards Jez to back her up.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°After the horrifying scream. An unsettling silence fell over the hallway. A young man dressed in a gaudy red suit constantly opens and closes his hand, anxiously waiting for his strength to return. Then, after what felt like an eternity, flames appear in the palm of his hand.


    ¡°Welcome back Prometheus, let¡¯s get to work.¡± Max stood up and straightened his tie. He headed towards Jez and Catherine''s direction but then abruptly stopped and looked at the door they enter.


    Ninety-nine people enter through that door, yet the only people I saw when I enter is my team and some gangsters that broke in. Not only that but, this trial is competitive by nature, yet I haven¡¯t heard any skirmishes at all, only silence.


    ¡°Could it be?¡± Max open the iron door he entered through. ¡°!¡± What he saw made him gasp. ¡°I-I see now¡± Max stagger backward, unable to accept what he¡¯s seeing. ¡°This isn¡¯t a theater anymore; this is a labyrinth."

 Chapter 27: The Fable Labyrinth

    Chapter 27


    The Fable Labyrinth


    Against my better judgment, I followed a literal trail of blood that led me to an iron door that had feral beasts etch into it. A pool of blood seeps through the crack of the door.


    ¡°What the hell happen?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s. Check.¡± Jez, walk straight towards the room.


    ¡°Whoa! What are you doing?¡± I quickly grabbed Jez¡¯s hand pulled her away from the door. Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s at the door?¡±


    Jez turns to me. She wasn¡¯t looking directly at me, but I could tell she focused on me. ¡°No. Can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. Sorry.¡± Wait, if she can¡¯t see, how did she fight all those guys blind? I shake that thought out of my head and focus on the grotesque scene.


    ¡°There¡¯s literally blood coming through the door.¡±


    ¡°I. See,¡± Jez said as she boldly walks to the door.


    ¡°Are you really going in there?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Goddamn it.¡± I pulled my knife out and followed Jez. The door opens to the outside. In front of me was a dark forest. The dirt road was cover with blood which led deeper into the woods. Jez confidently walks on the bloody road.


    ¡°Man, it must be nice not being able to see the crap I see,¡± I mumble underneath my breath as I follow her. ¡°Seriously, where are? Weren¡¯t we in the middle of the capital? How did we get out here?¡±


    I looked at Jez, who silently continues to venture down the road. The trees began to look more wither and wicked the further we went into the wood. The branches of the trees stretch, looking almost like gaunt hands attempting to snatch unsuspecting travelers, pulling them deeper into the forest.


    Eventually, the dirt road opens, revealing an ancient castle. Overgrown plants wrapped around the castle¡¯s wall. On top of the walls were gargoyles covered in blood. Each gargoyle has a limb or someone''s guts dangling from their mouths.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Jez places her hand on my mouth and then looked up. I follow her eyes upwards. The gargoyles that were perch on top of the castle were gone. Instead, they were up higher, flapping their stone wings flying straight towards us.  I open my mouth to scream, but Jez quickly covered my mouth.


    Fade to black.


    Something warm wrapped around my body. A gargoyle lands right next to us. Blood dripped from its mouth as it looked left and right, somehow unable to see us.


    ¡°Shh!¡± Jez places a finger on her lips.


    I nodded my head and back away, holding Jez¡¯s hand. The other gargoyles begin to descend from the sky, searching for us.


    I held my breath and continue to back away. It took all my self-control to stop myself from running down the road screaming.


    As soon as we lost sight of the gargoyle. I ran through the wicked woods and heading straight back to the theater holding Jez¡¯s hand. As soon I made it back inside, I carefully closed the door, making sure not to make any noise.


    ¡°What was that?!


    ¡°!¡± A gunshot echo through the hallway.


    ¡°Move." Jez grabbed my hand and ran down the hall, practically dragging me. My thoughts froze when we got back to the area where Max was supposed to be.


    ¡°I knew I should¡¯ve dragged that dead weight with me.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the dead weight?¡± Max¡¯s voice came from behind an iron door. The door open and Max came walking out of the room, adjusting his clothes. ¡°So, did you two find the exit?¡±


    ¡°I¡­. don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± Max tilted his head.


    ¡°The door led outside; but, we weren¡¯t in the city. It led to an old creepy castle somehow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Things are starting to make sense¡± Max places a hand on his chin.


    ¡°How the hell does this make sense?¡±


    ¡°Take a look.¡± Max silently open the door and gesture for me to enter. I walk into the room and scan for anything out of the ordinary, but the only thing that stands out is a giant picture that hung on the back of the wall. The picture was a painting of a little girl looking solemnly through a glass window, watching the other kids happily play with each other. On the bottom of the painting was a plaque that said, ¡®you can¡¯t escape.¡¯


    ¡°What so special about this room?¡± I turn to Max, who was flashing me a condescending smile.


    ¡°This room doesn¡¯t look familiar to you?¡± Max knocked on the iron door. ¡°This is the door that led us to this hallway.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. If that¡¯s the door, then this room should be the theater we fought in.¡±


    ¡°It is. Or I should say it was. It seems like we¡¯re stuck in different dimensions.¡±


    ¡°Do you not realize how absurd you sound?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really that absurd. Gifted people like Jez and me can alter reality slightly.¡±


    ¡°You know your only confusing me the more you talk.¡±


    ¡°Haah.¡± Max lets out a sigh and shakes his head. ¡°I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised by your ignorance. Most countries try to keep it a secret. Even my great family only knows the partial truth.¡± The reality we exist in is weak and mendable. It can easily be bent by those who possess a strong soul and will.


    ¡°You seriously expect me to believe all that?¡±


    ¡°And how else will you explain all the things you have seen? Magic?¡±


    ¡°Makes more sense than what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you believe me or not. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re stuck in a different dimension. So, take me to the place I like to check it out.¡±


    ¡°I rather not.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Those thugs ran into that room because the exist might¡¯ve been there.¡±


    ¡°Did you not hear me when I said that door led to an old creepy castle? there¡¯s nothing there for us.¡±


    ¡°Right now. But the exit might appear when more goons come to check on their missing crew.


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this because you live in a nice neighborhood, but most gangs aren¡¯t that organized. So I doubt anyone coming for those guys.¡±


    And even if they did, there are thirty-three teams currently roaming around the theater. And if what Max said is correct, then every team is currently stuck in their own dimension. Meaning if someone tries to enter the theater, there¡¯s a one in thirty-three chance they¡¯ll enter the reality we¡¯re inhabiting. But, of course, I¡¯m making a heavy assumption dimension-hopping works like that.


    ¡°All I wanted to do was compete in a tournament and get my family store back. ¡±I rub my temple, trying to wrap my head around everything that¡¯s happening to me. ¡°How did I get stuck in a different dimension?¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve left when I said so.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Jez step in front of me just as I was about to give Max a piece of my mind and probably a fist too.


    ¡°Fo. Cus.¡± Jez spoke said, giving me a stern¡­ well, I¡¯m assuming it was a stern look. Hard to tell with her hood in the way.


    ¡°Jez, right. We need to focus. We don¡¯t have time for arguing.¡± I took another looked around the room, hoping I catch something. Eventually, I look back at the sky to see how much time has passed. ¡°Oh!¡± It was at that moment a brilliant thought sprung in my mind. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we just break through the ceiling. It¡¯s made of glass, so it should easily bre-


    ¡°Tried it already.¡± Max dangle a pistol between his fingers before dropping it onto the ground. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be much of a trial if we can escape that easily.¡±


    ¡°Crap, what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We. Look.¡± Jez walked out of the room, tapping her cane on the ground. Max, dark, and I follow Jez to a nearby iron door that had clouds engraved on it.¡±


    ¡°You do realize there may be more monsters waiting for us, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be much of trial if we can escape that easily.¡±


    ¡°You just said that.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just remind you to be prepare.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± I grabbed my knife and watched as the Jez open the door, which led to another hall. No, just simply calling it a hallway would be a disservice. What we were seeing is something you can only find in a fairy tale. Before my eyes was a grandiose hall that led to a giant iron door. Standing near the walls where knights in armor. At the end of the hallway were three thrones that blocked the path to a massive iron door. On each throne sat a set of armor. A pure set of gold armor rested on the throne to the left in its hand was glaive. On the right throne was pitch-black armor. In its hand was a massive battle-ax. And in the center, sitting on the biggest throne, was a set of white armor. In both hands were a spear and shield; on his was a long sheathe sword.  Every single knight in the hall was looking up towards heaven.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°What the¡­.¡±


    ¡°Whoa¡­.¡± Both me and Max stared at the ceiling, unable to process what we were looking at.


    Through the glass ceiling was¡­ I know this will sound strange, but there¡¯s an ivory castle standing atop a floating cloud. The setting sun hid behind the castle, imbuing it and the clouds with a majestic glow and bathing the hall in soft golden light.


    ¡°I have never seen someone bend reality to such an extent. The only people who can do this are the royal guards or the Demon King.¡± Max said, his mouth agape as walk into the hall.


    ¡°Wait.¡± I place my hand to stop him from taking another step. ¡°I¡¯m not falling for this again. Max, destroy one of those statues. They probably monster pretending to be statues.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t ever order me around again.¡± A ball of fire forms in the palm of Max¡¯s hand. The fire flew from his hand and struck one of the many knights staring at the sky. The ball of fire explodes, knocking the knight. The armor fell into pieces revealing nothing was inside. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re just paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Paranoid? I love to see you casually stroll past armed inanimate objects after getting attack by gargoyles.¡±


    ¡°Just stick close together. We should be strong enough to handle anything that¡¯s come at us.¡±


    ¡°I wonder about that.¡± With doubt in my mind. I follow Jez and Max into the hall. The warning alarms in my head grew stronger with each step I took.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t take another step.¡± I stopped in the middle of the hall causing Jez, and Max to bump into me. ¡°The reason I manage to survive this long is that I listen to my gut feeling, and right now, my gut feeling is telling me that there¡¯s something here trying to kill us.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Two fireballs formed in Max¡¯s hands. ¡°I¡¯ll destroy all the armor if it¡¯ll shut you up.¡± The fire went straight towards the two armor. The two knights raised their shields, blocking the attack. Suddenly, all the knights turned their heads towards us.


    As much as I wanted to shout out, ¡°I knew it!¡± I was far too busy panicking over the fact that around fifteen knights were approaching us with their weapons drawn.


    Ignite, Prometheus!


    Flames erupt from Max¡¯s body, spiraling upwards. The fire stops once it reaches the ceiling and then immediately disperses. Standing next to Max was a little girl in a short red dress. Her fiery red hair flutters in the air as she places both her hands on her hips and confidently puffs her chest out.


    ¡°Dark.¡± Jez¡¯s wyvern lands on her shoulder as she pulls her dark blade from out of its sheathe.


    Bloom: 10%


    I close my eyes and imagine a gate opening ever so slightly in the back of my mind. Then, a surge of power course through my body, and all my fear and doubts faded away.


    ¡°What do we do? Should we breakthrough?¡± I bent my knees slightly, eager to use my newfound strength.


    ¡°No.¡± Max places a hand on my shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s may be more of them waiting for us ahead.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°Not for me.¡± Max¡¯s eyes began to glow as both he and his spirit raised their palm towards the knights. A flame erupts from their hands, consuming multiple knights. I¡¯ll handle the small fries; you girls handle the three on the throne!¡± Max and his spirit clasp their hands together simultaneously. The flames they shot earlier spread, forming a wall of fire that cut Jez and me off from Max and the knights.


    I turn my back towards the fire and approach the three knights on the throne. A single knight jumps out in front of me, blocking my path. A fireball flew over my head. The knight leans to the left, dodging the fireball. The ball of flame explodes just as it passes over its shoulder, causing it to stagger towards me. Both me and Jez move out the way, letting it stumbles into the wall of fire.


    With the only obstacle out of the way. Jez and I approach the three thrones. The black knight and the gold rise from their throne as we got closer.


    The world grew silent as we prepare for battle. The roaring flames and the clanking of amour all of it faded away. The only thing I can hear was the pounding of my heart. Then, after an eternity, our battle started. Surprisingly the first to make a move was me.


    My eyes widen as I found myself charging straight at the two knights. I lower my body to the ground, practically running on all four. The black and gold knight sweep their glaive and ax at me. I dive over their sweeping attack and then jump at the white knight. The white knight raised its shield. The shield clangs loudly as my fist came in contact with it.


    ¡°You really think I¡¯ll just let you sit there and watch?!¡±


    The white knight grips its shield and pushes me away, then thrust its spear at me. I intercepted the spear with my knife; however, his strength pushes me away. As soon as I landed, the golden knight swung its glaive at me. In mid-swing, it stops and then turned to stop Jez¡¯s sword. Without even looking, Jez places her sheathe behind her back, blocking the black knight battle-ax. The two knights press down on their weapons, trying to overpower Jez. Finally, the white knight stands up from his throne and dash at Jez with its spear.


    Jez lets go of both her sword and sheathe and then jumps away, avoiding all three knights¡¯ attacks. Dark swoops down from the sky and grabs Jez¡¯s sword and sheathe and returning it to her hands.


    The white knight pounds its spear on the ground and then walks to the right while staring at me. The gold and black knights walk to the left, eyeing Jez.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Die.¡± Jez said to me as she walks to the left with the gold and black knight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± I walk to the right where the white knight was waiting for me. ¡°Sorry, you didn¡¯t mean to ruin your shield.¡± I pointed towards his shield, which now has a small dent in it.¡±


    ¡°The white knight thrust its spear at me. I lean to the left to avoid the strike. I grabbed the pole to hold it in place. However, he easily overpowered me and pulled me towards its shield. I manage to block it with my arm; however, the force of the blow knocks me off my feet. When I look up, the knight thrust its spear downward at me. Dark swoops down from the sky and charges at the white knight spear, changing the directions from my head to the floor near me.


    I rolled back to my feet and threw my knife. The knight moves his shield. I jumped in the air and grabbed my knife that bounces off his shield. I landed on top of his shield and thrust my knife through the slit in the white knight¡¯s helmet. The knight leans backward, then suddenly lunge its head forwards, slamming its head into my chest.


    ¡°Agh!¡± I flew backward. The air knocked out of my chest. The white knight aims its spear at me while I was in the air.


    ¡°Kaaa!¡± Dark bites the collar of my jacket and pulls me, and slightly moves me out of the way of the knight¡¯s attack. As soon as I hit the ground, I roll on the marble floor to put some distance between the white knight and me. Dark continues to fly around the battleground, waiting to assist anyone who needs help.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume your not human.¡± I look down at my knife. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of blood of it.¡± Probably not beastman either. You¡¯re something that doesn¡¯t exist in the real world, right?¡± I glance over at Jez¡¯s fight. Both the black and gold knight swung their large weapons with vicious ferocity. Jez parries and block their attacks with her sword and sheathe. While her face shows no sign of distress, it was clear she was stuck on defense.


    Why doesn¡¯t she go invisible? She can easily turn the tide of the fight with her ability. My answer came to me immediately when Dark landed next to me, ready to pounce on her, the white knight.


    She¡¯s protecting me. If she went invisible, then those two knights she¡¯s fighting would attack Max or me.


    ¡°Hey, Dark.¡± I put my knife away and looked down at the wyvern near my leg. ¡°Go help Jez. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take this fight more seriously.¡± Dark nodded at me and then flew off.


    ¡°Alright, here I go.¡± I close my eyes.


    Bloom: 25%


    I open the gate in the back of my mind even more. I could feel my body growing stronger. When I open my eyes, the world seems so much brighter and clearer I feel like a butterfly that emerges from its cocoon.


    I dash forward with my newfound strength. My eyes widen in shock when I almost immediately closed the distance between the knight and me. The white knight moved its shield in front of me. I placed my hand on the shield and shoved it out of the way. The sound of metal rang through the hall as I slammed my fist into the knight¡¯s, denting its armor.


    Immediately, the knight stabs downward at me. The spear impales the floor as I step to the right. I wrapped my tail around the spear and launched a flurry of blows into the armor. The white knight tries to pull its spear out the ground, but my tail held it down. The knight jumped away, reaching for the sword on its back.


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t.¡± Once again, I¡¯m surprised at how quickly I closed the distance between us. I pulled the spear out the ground and then drove it into a gap in the knight¡¯s shoulder. I leap off the ground putting all my body weight and strength into the spear, knocking the knight to the ground. Its helmet felled over, revealing nothing was inside.


    What surprised me most was how unsurprised I was. The only thing going through my head was figuring out to take it down efficiently.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re nothing but armor, I guess the only way to take you down is to immobilize you.¡± I grabbed the sword from the knight¡¯s now limp hand. The white knight tries to use its other hand to pull the spear out. I kick the knight¡¯s arm and place my foot on its hand.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing you don¡¯t feel any pain.¡± I impale the knight¡¯s arm. The sword plunges deep into the ground pinning the armored warrior to the ground.


    I relax a little seeing how I manage to trap him successfully.


    ¡°Well. Done.¡± Jez¡¯s soft and quiet voice causes me to perk back up again. I look back to Jez¡¯s battle. The two knights continue their relentless attack trying to break through Jez¡¯s impressive defensive. The aura around Jez¡¯s darkens until she vanishes.


    The two knights turn towards me. The black knight tries to advance, but it tilted over. Its legs severed from its body the arms and head were also served as it fell to the ground. The suit of armor fell to the ground in pieces.


    Jez reappears behind the golden knight. The golden armor quickly spun around, but it was too late. Her black sword easily sank into the armor, cutting it cleanly in half. As the open torso fell to the ground, the knight swung its glaive downward. Jez raises her sword cutting the glaive and the knight in half.


    Still clinging to what¡¯s left of the glaive, the knight¡¯s severed hand threw its glaive. Jez places her sword back in its sheathes while stepping out the way. The glaive flew past Jez embedded itself in the throne. What remains of the golden knight crawl towards Jez using its remaining arm.


    ¡°You guys still haven¡¯t finished yet?¡± Max places a foot on the knight. The armor burst into flame, immediately turning into golden goo.


    ¡°If you guys can¡¯t handle a few enemies, then you should just leave,¡± Max said as he tightens his tie. While Max was trying his hardest to be cool, I glance over at the little flame spirit that was happily jumping around celebrating her victory.


    Sensing I was no longer in any danger, I allow myself to relax, something I immediately regret. The weight of the battle and all my near-death experiences came crashing down on me at once. I fell to the ground, my body trembling uncontrollably, my dark complexion becoming a bit paler.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been one day, but I¡¯ve lost count of how many times I nearly died. There¡¯s still one more trial after this.¡± My eyes became blurry as I thought of all danger that awaits me.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m really, really scared. I want to quit, but I can¡¯t. Going back to that cold empty place that used to be my home, knowing there for me is far more terrifying.


    ¡°Which is why I can¡¯t quit.¡± I grab my left hand, trying to control my shivering. ¡°This is my best chance to make a change.¡± I stood up and walked towards my team, waiting for me. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. There isn¡¯t much time left till nightfall, and we have no idea what¡¯s waiting for us ahead.¡± Max looks towards the massive iron door behind the three thrones. For a moment, I could see a hint of fatigue and concern in Max¡¯s eyes.


    I took a deep breath and walked forward, leading the team. ¡°Well, whatever is waiting for us, I doubt they¡¯ll be able to stop us.


    .


    .


    .


    As the sun sank into the horizon, shadows loom larger as if threatening to consume the dilapidated theater. Two beings clad in white stood in front of the theater. One of them stood perfectly still, its eyes slowly scan the surrounding through its iron helm. While the other anxiously pace back and forward it. The golden bangles on the person''s tail and leg ring sweetly as they move.


    ¡°Did you go easy on them?¡± Sky anxiously turns towards the armored soldier.


    ¡°You ask this multiple times, and the answer remains the same. No, I didn¡¯t. We were ordered to show them no mercy.¡±


    ¡°I know, but still, this is too cruel. Why do we have to ruin so many people''s future?¡±


    ¡°Because we have no choice. Our King is ambitious and young, which paints a big target on his back. Many will use this tournament to get close to him. This is the perfect chance to collect information and eliminate enemies who are after our majesty¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°I know why we¡¯re doing this, but¡­.¡± Sky¡¯s voice trail off as a fog roll in. The air became unnaturally cold-causing Sky and Harden''s breath to become visible.


    ¡°Speaking of enemies.¡± Harden grabs his massive war hammer and takes a step forward. Multiple predatory eyes shine through the fog, eager lunge at the two royal guards.


    ¡°Hmmm~ Hmmm~ Hmmm~¡± A young man dress in a fine azure suit emerges from the fog. He walks towards the two guards with a confident gait. ¡°Now, this is a weird sight. Two puppies lost in my city of pleasure~¡± The man spoke seductively. ¡°Normally, I let my servant fulfill all your desires, but for renowned warriors like you, I¡¯ll take care of you personally.

 Chapter 28: Skybound

    I doubt words will ever properly describe the things I have seen. But if I were forced to put it into words, I would say it feels like the world I once knew is melting away, and I¡¯m falling head-first into a fairy tale.


    Chapter 28


    Skybound


    The massive iron door opened to a grand staircase that climbs upwards to the clouds and perhaps even further.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going up.¡± Max¡¯s little spirit begins to skip up the stairs. Max, Jez, and Dark followed after her.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re just accepting things don¡¯t make sense?¡±


    ¡°For the sake of your sanity, just accept this is how our world works.


    ¡°Sure. Let me just rewrite my understanding of this world.¡± Everyone continues to climb upstairs, ignoring me. I jog up the steps to quickly catch up to them. As I went up the steps, I begin to realize just how exhausted I am. My body was heavy. Each step I took felt like I was trying to climb a mountain under the ocean with weights tied to my ankle.


    ¡°Hey.¡± I begin to speak to Max to distract myself from my fatigue. ¡°You said the leaders around the world are keeping all this reality-warping and dimension-hopping stuff a secret, right? Why?¡± Max stopped and looked at me, confused like I said something dumb.


    ¡°How do you think people will react if they find out the world they knew can be so easily manipulated by someone who possesses a strong soul and will?¡±


    ¡°I guess there¡¯ll be a massive panic. But I think most of the outrage will come from the fact that people kept such a massive secret from them. I¡¯m sure over time; people will come to accept the truth despite how absurd it is. People are quick to adapt, after all. I guess.¡± I look down the stairs. We climbed high enough that we were above the building. I could even see some clouds floating by.


    ¡°Yes, perhaps over time, people could come to accept this fact. But pandemonium isn¡¯t most governments'' concern. What they fear is the birth of another Demon King.¡± Then, suddenly, everyone stopped and fell silent. Even the wind stopped blowing as if the world itself was terrified by that name.


    ¡°What¡­ What do you mean by another Demon King?¡±


    ¡°You heard the tales of the Demon King, right? How do you think he manages to perform all those impossible feats?¡±


    ¡°I thought those were all myths but seeing where I¡¯m at now. I guess those tales were true.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the Demon King united his people, and created a prosperous kingdom, and nearly conquer the world; however, these ¡®accomplishments¡¯ didn¡¯t come from charisma nor a strategic mind. Instead, all his feats originated from his morbid experiments and his forbidden knowledge which allowed him to alter reality and change what would¡¯ve been crushing defeats into overwhelming victories.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s that strong, then how come he hasn¡¯t conquered the world yet?¡±


    ¡°Another question with an obvious answer.¡±


    ¡°Fufu!¡± Prometheus hops onto the next step, then turns around struck a pose. Fire shot out from her finger that pointed to the sky. The fire twisted and swirl, taking the shape of a demonic monster. The flaming beast opens its maw and roars.


    ¡°Yes. The Demon King is immortal. Indeed, it is said that he can darken skies and rot the lands with a snap of his finger. But he¡¯s not omnipotent, nor is he invincible.¡± As Max continues to speak, his spirit shot more fire in the air. The flames morph into humanoid shapes. Each flame held a weapon that they brandish towards the flaming monster.


    ¡°In every era, there¡¯ll always be those who stand against monsters who threaten our world. Their unbreakable will and determination grant them the strength to face any who attempt to warped are reality into their twisted design. So, there¡¯s no need to be afraid. Even though the darkness is vast, know that there¡¯ll always be a light in the dark to and guide and protect us from evil.


    For a moment, as I gaze into the flame, I found myself thinking back to the time when my father used to read stories to me when I was a kid. But then, my mind drifts as I imagine my dad telling me a story and in the tale was a Bella, Sky, Harden and, Dante Stood tall clad in their white uniforms, which shine brightly against the overwhelming darkness, ready to strike down the foe.


    As I return from my reverie, the raging flames begin to die out, turning into black smoke that faded into the ember sky.


    ¡°That was incredible, Max. You know if this tournament doesn¡¯t work out for you, I bet you¡¯ll make a lot of money if you enter the entertainment business.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that to entertain you,¡± Max said as he begins to climb the steps again.


    ¡°So, why did you make your explanation so flashy?¡± I got my answer when I looked at Max¡¯s little spirit, who was puffing her chest out, proud of the little light show she created.


    We silently continue going up the steps. As we ascended, I begin to realize just how long these staircases were. We walked for a good twenty minutes, but I still couldn¡¯t see the end. Finally, realizing we¡¯ll be here for a while, I decided to spark a conversation with Jez, who kept up with me quite well despite her disability.


    ¡°Jez.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Jez turns her head slightly to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this sounds rude, but how are you able to fight so well? Aren¡¯t you blind?¡±


    ¡°Mhmm.¡± She nods her head affirmatively at me. A soft, almost ethereal white light enveloped her body. The aura expanded until I was eventually engulfed in it. My body was warm. It feels almost like Jez was embracing me.


    ¡°This. Helps.¡±


    I nodded my head, trying to figure out what Jez was trying to show me. ¡°Ah! You use your aura like a sonar, right?¡±


    ¡°Mmhm.¡± Jez nodded her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. Not only are you a talented swordswoman, but you also use aura in such a unique way.¡±


    ¡°Big. Sis.¡± Jez begin. ¡°Taught. me¡±


    ¡°You have a big sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jez happily nods at me. ¡°Real. Strong.¡± Jez¡¯s face brightens as she spoke of her sister.


    ¡°Is she also in the tournament?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°After this is over. Do you think you can introduce me to her? I like to learn some of her aura technique.¡± Jez¡¯s smile vanishes. Even though I can barely read her expression, I could tell she was thinking really hard about my question. After nearly a minute of silence, she finally said. ¡°One. Day. I. Hope.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ The hell¡­ are you two not tired.¡± I turn around, surprised to see how far behind Max was. He tightly grasps his chest while gasping for air. His spirit stood beside him with both her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. I walk down the steps wondering if spirits could get tired or if she was just mimicking Max.


    ¡°You should try exercising a bit more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the last thing I want to hear from someone who possesses such an odd body?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my body?¡± I instinctively hid my tail behind my back and pressed down on my ears.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re dumb or trying to make a joke.¡±


    ¡°Will you just tell me what¡¯s wrong with my body!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I slam my tail on the stair, getting annoyed that he wasn¡¯t getting to the point. Max sigh then looked up at me. ¡°Tell me, are you in any pain?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find that strange? You have been in multiple fights today, but you don¡¯t have any wounds.¡±


    I thought back to all the battles I have been through today. I reflexively wince at the time Emma slammed me to the ground. The time I was burned by Max and just recently when the knight bashes his shield into me.


    ¡°I guess it is strange. But I am part beastman. Aren¡¯t beastman naturally tougher than humans?¡±


    ¡°I never heard of any living beings capable of recovery from a first-degree burn in seconds. And from the looks, you don''t possess a gift like Jez and me. An aura isn''t capable of improving regeneration. So what exactly are you?¡±


    I looked down at my bandaged arm, which was still singed from Max¡¯s flame. I shakily reach for my wrapped hand, debating if I should show him.


    ¡°You seem to know quite a bit about things. You mind explaining to me what this is.¡± I unravel the bandage showcasing my tattoo, which seems to have changed a bit again. Before, it resembled a flower with a vine that travels down my arm. Now it looks more intricate. In addition, symbols are spreading on my arm, making it look like some tribal markings.


    ¡°It¡¯s a tattoo,¡± Max said deadpan.


    ¡°I know that. but what does this tattoo mean?¡±


    Max places raises an eyebrow and says ¡°I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s a warrior mark. Why are you asking me this? Your tribe should know the meaning behind your tattoo.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I¡¯m not a part of a tribe, and I¡¯m not a warrior. I just woke up one day, and this was on my body.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Max stares at my arm intently. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t know a thing about beastman culture. However, I can tell you the origin of the warrior marks and why beastmen are so obsessed with decorated their bodies with tattoos.¡± Max took a deep breath, and Prometheus struck a pointed upward, her finger turning into pure flames.¡±


    ¡°Um, why don¡¯t you explain it to me while we¡¯re walking. Remember, we don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Max continues up the steps. His spirit follows him, looking sad she couldn¡¯t do another presentation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to assume you know about the Ascendant.¡± Max glances back at me, gesturing for me to following him.


    I immediately thought about The Church of Ascension. While their main base of operation is in Ath, Aaron¡¯s home country. They have chapels in almost every country to spread the word of the ancient race called the Ascended who manage to reach godhood and how apparently, we can follow in their footsteps.


    ¡°Yea, I know of them. Seeing how things are going. I¡¯m going to assume they¡¯re real.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they existed. So did the Titans. The titans were massive and powerful beings. It is said they shook the world with each step they took. The titans were the guardians that protected the Ascendant who eagerly searched for the truth of our world. It is said before the Ascendants vanish from our world, they gave their most loyal and powerful warriors a gift in the form of a mark which etch to their bodies. Back then, beastmen saw the titans as divine creatures, especially those that earned the Ascendants'' marks. And so, eventually, a tradition was created. Beastman engraved tattoos on their warriors to honor the powerful Titans.¡±


    I rubbed the tattoo on my arm. ¡°Why would an ancient and powerful race give a tattoo as a gift?¡± Max shrugs his shoulder at me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Most of the Ascendants'' and Titans'' history was lost in time. Is what most people will tell you.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the real truth?¡± A small smile appears on Max. It seems like he enjoys explaining the history: that or he likes showing off how smart he is.


    ¡°Some believe the Dark World was the Ascendants homeland. The Demon King corrupted the land so he could keep the secrets to himself. So, if you would like to learn more about Titans and the meaning of the marks. You¡¯ll have to head north and cross the Blacken Sea and traverse the malignant and fetid land of the Dark World. A place so foul it is said the earth there is malicious to life.¡±


    ¡°I guess calling it a tough journey would be an understatement.¡±


    ¡°Calling it an impossible journey would also be an understatement. Many countries sent expeditions to the continent none succeeded. Even the hero of Morningstar failed.¡±


    Even Dante failed, huh? I guess it¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t have any intention of going there.


    ¡°Oh, and be careful who you show your tattoo to. As you know, beastmen are prideful beings, and they¡¯re most proud of their markings. If they see your tattoo and find out you¡¯re not part of a tribe nor a warrior, they¡¯ll take it as an insult. And seeing how the church considers beastman¡¯s markings as a blasphemous to their gods, they¡¯ll probably be after you too if you¡¯re not careful, especially since you don¡¯t have the protection of a tribe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in the back of my mind.¡±


    With another worry added to my list, I silently continue my journey up the sky stairs. The reddish-orange colors of the sky begin to turn a dark purple. As the light begins to fade, sparkling lights begin appearing in the sky.


    We quicken our pace. Finally, we manage to reach the end of the staircase. At the top of the stairs was a sea of clouds. In the center of the white sea was a painting of a little girl looking solemnly through a glass window, watching the other kids happily play with each other. On the bottom of the painting was a plaque that said, ¡®you can¡¯t escape.¡¯


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s a dead-end!¡± Max punches the steps. ¡°If we run back down the steps, maybe we might have time to search another room.¡±


    I grabbed Max¡¯s sleeves to stop him. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to go back down the steps.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do? Give up?


    ¡°No, let¡¯s looked around a bit.¡±


    ¡°Looked where? It¡¯s nothing but clouds!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± I flip a coin. I watched it intensely as it landed on top of the cloud. ¡°I knew it.¡± I jump onto the cloud. The cloud was surprisingly hard. It felt like I was walking on a solid floor. The floating castle still looked to be the same distance as we begin our climb. It was almost like the castle was moving away from us.


    ¡°A moving castle? Just like a fairy tale, no, perhaps a fable.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you on about?¡± Max cautiously places his foot onto the cloud.


    ¡°This place, this setting. It reminds me of a fairy tale my mom use to tell me. It is a story of a prideful king who uses his immense wealth to decorate his kingdom to make it shine brighter than any other land. Then, one day, a castle appeared above his kingdom. Enrage at the flying castle for overshadowing his kingdom. He begins to build stairways to destroy the floating castle. However, no matter how many stairs he built, the king could never reach the castle in the sky.


    Realizing he could never reach the castle, the king decides to build a castle on the clouds to prove his kingdom was better than the flying castle. But, unfortunately, the castle the king built was far too heavy for cloud to hold it up, thus fell from the sky and crushed his flourishing kingdom below.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of this story?¡±


    ¡°The main point was teaching kids humility.¡± I cross my arms and look up at the floating castle. ¡°I get the feeling there¡¯s a lesson we¡¯re supposed to learn here.¡± I walk towards the painting. My hand bounces off the air as I try to touch the painting.


    ¡°What the?¡± I try to walk forward, but something preventing me from getting any closer.


    ¡°It seems like there¡¯s some sort of invisible wall in front of us.¡± Max and Jez both place their hand on the invisible force.


    ¡°A wall?¡± I thought back to my aura training with Dante and Bella. ¡°I get it now.¡± A smile spread on my face as I look down at the plaque that said, ¡®you can¡¯t escape.¡¯ ¡°Everybody back up.¡± I gesture for Max and Jez to get behind me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Simple. What would you do if there was an obstacle standing in front of you?¡±


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯ll destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, if there isn¡¯t an escape, then all we have to do is make one. That¡¯s what those who possess a strong will do.¡±


    Once again, I could feel how exhausted I was as I try conjuring my aura. Multiple beads of lights materialized and spun around my hand.


    ¡°Last Round!¡± I slam my fist against the invisible wall. The wall shatters into pieces before it vanishes. The cloud beneath our feet begins to shake violently.


    ¡°Cat, what the hell did you do?!¡± Max roar at me.


    ¡°I solve the puzzle!¡±


    ¡°No, you fucking kill us!¡±


    ¡°Hold. On!¡±


    ¡°To what?! Clouds!¡± Max snapped at Jez.


    Too exhausted to argue with Max, I fell to the ground, clinging onto the cloud with little strength I have left.


    The wind begins to blow fiercely, pulling us towards the castle in the sky. As we soar through the twilight sky, the clouds underneath us dissipated. However, some unknown force continues to pull us towards the castle. The massive sliver doors to the castle slowly open like a maw.


    My eyes widen as we enter the castle, only to end up at the theater. The unknown force continues to pull us through the theater and threw us out of the building and into a thick fog.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I let out a grunt as I roll on the pavement.


    ¡°Are you okay, miss?¡± A hand appears in front of me. I reflexively grab the hand.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I let out a yelp as I was suddenly lifted and pull me into a tight embrace.


    A sweet but strong fragrance clogs my nose. A big hand gently stroke my head, further weakening my exhausted mind.


    ¡°What a cute little creature. Would you like to live with me?¡± My groggy mind snaps awake. The man¡¯s voice was warm and comforting, but there was a hint of malice hidden within his sweet-talking.


    I wiggle my body around until I manage to slip from his grip. Standing before me was a handsome man dressed in a fine blue suit.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. I promise to take care of you.¡± The man in blue approaches me, his arms wide open. There was a wide grin on his face. However, his eyes were cold and calculating. I could feel him staring at me like I was a pet.


    ¡°That¡¯s how far as you go.¡± Sky steps in between us. ¡°Get any closer, and I¡¯ll consider you a threat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a threat?¡± The man laughs. ¡°You come to my territory, caused a disruption, you kill my men, and I¡¯m the threat?¡±


    ¡°I know who you are, Valentine. You kidnap and sell women and children. You¡¯re nothing but a threat. The only reason why I haven¡¯t attack you yet is that the King himself plans on dealing with you and the other pillars soon. So¡­¡± Sky smacks her tail against the ground, cracking the pavement. Her childlike aura vanishes, and her voice became cold and hostile. ¡°I suggest you leave while I still have patience.¡±


    The man in blue grin widens as he snaps his finger. The fog around us grew thicker. Snickering and growls could be heard all around their forms, just barely out sight.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like hurting new products, but I need to show you that here I am, the king.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me this is part of the trial.¡± I slowly pulled my knife out while backing away.


    ¡°Afraid not. But there¡¯s no need to worry¡­.¡±


    ¡°I got him!¡± A thug emerges from the fog. With a mad glint in his eyes, he races towards Sky with a dagger.


    Sky lightly taps the air. A ripple appears where her finger was as if she dipped her hand into a pond. The ripple spread, trapping the thug like a web. With a flick of her finger, the rippling air burst like a bubble sending the thug flying backward into the baffled man in blue.


    Sky energetically spun towards me. Then, brimming with childlike vigor, she winks while sticking up two peace signs ¡°¡­I¡¯ll handle the rest!¡±

 Chapter 29: Mayhem in Capital

    Chapter 29


    Mayhem in Capital


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the rest!¡± Sky twirled around struck a pose despite how silly and childish his pose was, no doubt his declaration. Thanks to his display a moment ago, he easily sent two men flying with a finger flick.


    ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Sky places both her hands on her hips. ¡°Anybody else wants to challenge me?


    ¡°Such confidence, but I understand where it comes from now. ¡°Valentine calmy dust off his suit as he stood back up. ¡°I always thought the tales of the royal guards was a lie to boost soldiers'' morale, but it seems I was wrong. Good.¡± A wicked grin spread on Valentine¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun turning you into one of my pets.¡±


    The tension from the would-be battle dissipated as the ground shook. Screams and cheers could be heard coming from the theater.


    A massive wave of water surges out from the theater. On top of the wave was Aaron, the beastman, and the samurai clinging to a giant shark with their lives.


    ¡°What¡­ the¡­¡± Catherine stood dumbfounded at the weird sight before her. Sky sweeps Catherine off her feet and jumps high into the air, easily shooting past the building.


    The wave crashes onto the street. The massive volume of water could¡¯ve easily flooded half of the pleasure district, but strangely it seemed to sink into the ground, seemly vanishing from the world.


    While still holding onto Catherine. Sky happily hums to herself as she skips towards the ground. A ripple appeared underneath his feet as if he was walking in a pond with each step he took.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Still stunned by what she just witnessed, it took me a moment to realize she was now on the ground and that Sky was examining her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± Catherine jumps out of Sky¡¯s arm and tries to compose himself.


    ¡°Where is it? Where did the shark go!?¡± Aaron frantically looked around with his bow drawn. However, there wasn¡¯t a sign of a shark or even water passing through the streets.


    ¡°Catherine! You won¡¯t believe what I saw!¡± Aaron excitedly ran up to Catherine and started shouting about his strange journey. ¡°¡­And then we open another door which somehow led to an underwater city. First, a bunch of weird humanoid fish things attacks us, then Leo punches a fish tank for some reason.¡±


    ¡°The shark was going to break the glass, so I decided to break it before he could!¡± Leo exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. ¡°But I¡¯ll admit I didn¡¯t expect us to be swept away.¡±


    ¡°What did you think would happen when you broke the glass?¡± The samurai drew his sword and pointed at Leo¡¯s throat. ¡°If you put this team in danger again, I will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need to fight!¡± Aaron stepped in front of the samurai sword. ¡°It''s because of Leo we manage to get back to our world. But, wait, this is the real world, right?¡± Aaron looks to Catherine for answers. She shrugs her shoulder at him and then looks at Sky, who kept his eyes on the fog, keeping a watchful gaze on the shifting shadow moving in the mist. Finally, he glances back at the royal guard in white armor while silently weaving hand signs.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Sky clicked her tongue, annoyed at Harden''s disapproving headshake. ¡°You still plan on continuing the trial even now?¡± She mumbled under her breath. ¡°Everyone gather near me! I¡¯m going to punch a hole through the fog. Use this chance to get out of the pleasure district! The final trial awaits you at Remembrance Hill in the royal district!¡±


    ¡°Wait, does this mean we pass the trial?¡± Aaron¡¯s face glowed with excitement.


    ¡°!¡± A gun goes off simultaneously. Everyone drops to the ground looking for where the gunshot comes from, everyone except Aaron. Slowly, Aaron touches his side. Blood seeped through his shirt, staining it a dark red.


    ¡°W-What is this?¡± Aaron staggers backward-looking at his blood. ¡°Is¡­ is this bad?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s just a little blood...¡± Leo grabbed Aaron and placed his hand on the wound. ¡°Just relax and put pressure on the wound.


    ¡°O-Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good, keep that up.¡± Leo pat Aaron¡¯s head as he tries to steady his breathing. Leo¡¯s voice was comforting, but his expression was grim.


    ¡°Sky, can¡¯t you heal him?!¡± Catherine tugged on Sky¡¯s sleeve to try to tear his attention from the fog.


    ¡°I can¡¯t! But there¡¯s someone who can heal him in the final trial!¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s alive?¡± Valentine emerges once again from the fog holding a white pistol. ¡°My aim has gotten sloppy. I guess this is what I get for relying on ability too much.¡± The man in blue eyes begins to glow as he places his pistol underneath his chin. ¡°This time, I won¡¯t miss.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, get behind me!¡± Sky screams as he jumps in front of everyone.


    ¡°!¡± Blood sprays from sky¡¯s head as the gun goes off again.


    ¡°What?¡± Catherine¡¯s eyes rapidly darted between Sky''s limp body and Valentine, who had still had his pistol underneath his chin.


    ¡°Nooo!¡± A high pitch scream pierces the air. Emma ran out of the theater and charged straight at Valentine. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!!¡± Emma roar as she pours all her strength into her punch. Her fist slams into Valentine¡¯s face, instead of being rewarded with a satisfying sound of bones cracking the ground next to Emma shatters. Valentine did he flinch. He simply looks down at Emma with predatory eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look that bad, how about you- ¡°Before he could finish speaking, Emma spun her body around, striking his face with feet. Again, despite putting everything into the kick around put her entire body weight into a kick that hit Valentine¡¯s temple. Again, despite placing everything into the kick, he remained unfazed, and the ground next to her cracked slightly. Valentine simply sighed and pointed his gun at Emma.


    Bloom: 5%


    Catherine rolls towards Emma and tackles her to the ground with the bit of strength she has left. A fireball flew over both Catherine and Emma''s heads as they dived to the ground. The blazing ball of heat suddenly dissipated, almost like it was sucked into an invisible whirlpool. A moment later, flames erupt from the ground behind Valentine.


    ¡°Max! Cover!¡±


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m on it!¡± Max throws multiple fireballs at Valentine as Catherine tries to pull Emma away.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to get it.¡± Valentine, approach the fleeing girls, ignoring the flames. Each fireball vanished and exploded somewhere else. ¡°The reason why I¡¯m standing here without any guards by my side is because none of you is capable of hurting me.


    ¡°And you said I was cocky.¡± Valentine froze when he heard the voice of someone who should be dead.


    And in what seemed like a single step, Sky closed the large gap between him and Valentine. Sky easily knocks the gun out of his hand with deft hands while striking his side with his elbow. The ground beneath Sky¡¯s feet crack from the force of the blow; however, Valentine remains unfazed.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t work, huh? Let¡¯s try a different tactic.¡± While tightly gripping his arm, Sky gracefully spun behind him. Valentine''s cocky visage turn to one of agony as the bones in his arm begin to snap.


    ¡°Get him off me!¡± The fog begins to shift as wolves Leap out from the mist and aim their fangs for Sky¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Are you sure¡­You want to fight me?¡± For a moment, the air grew cold as Sky turned his head towards the wolves. In the eyes of the feral wolves, what stood before them was a massive white fox bearing its fangs.


    The wolves ran away, whimpering to themselves.


    ¡°Everyone, go now!¡± Sky shouted.


    ¡°Hold on, Aaron!¡± Leo lifts Aaron and charges straight through the fog. The other contestants follow behind the giant beastman leaving Sky alone. After seeing everyone successfully escape from Valentine''s clutches, Sky lets out a relieved sigh before turning his attention towards the threat in front of him.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t relax just yet, little pup. The entire pleasure district is your enemy. Every gang, every mercenary will be after you and your little contestants¡¯ necks.


    ¡°What exactly do you gain from earning the King¡¯s ire?¡±


    ¡°To prove a point. This district is ours. None of your little soldiers belong here!¡±


    The fog begins to thicken; Sky¡¯s eyes widen in disbelief as the man in front of him vanish from his arms. In a panic, he reached out in front of him only to grab air. A gun goes off, and Sky¡¯s head reels back as a bullet strikes a thin veil of aura protecting his head.


    ¡°Amazing, not even bullets could stop you. You royal guards are monsters. Say, why don¡¯t you become my pet? I¡¯ll treat you much better than your current master.¡± Valentine lets out a cruel laugh. However, none of his words reach Sky¡¯s ears. Hundred of thoughts rush through Sky¡¯s thanks to decades of experience, the welling panic disperses, allowing him to analyze the situation before him calmly.


    It is evident to Sky that the fog is supernatural. However, he didn¡¯t believe it originated from Valentine. After seeing his ability in action a few times, he concluded that Valentine possesses a gift that can teleport attacks away from him, including his attack. Which could only mean there¡¯s Gifted here who can produce a fog that disoriented the senses.


    A bullet struck Sky¡¯s aura snapping him out of his thoughts. Unfortunately, the mist is disorienting the gunshot, making it impossible for Sky to track down. And Valentine¡¯s ability to teleport attacks made evasion impossible.


    ¡°What a troublesome combination.¡±


    ¡°You like it? I came prepared in case you Royal guards are as strong as they say.¡± Multiple gunshots echo through the mist. Each bullet teleported and directly hit Sky. While Sky¡¯s aura prevents the shots from piercing his flesh, the impact from the bullets still bruises his body.


    ¡°This must be frustrating. You have all that power, yet you can¡¯t do thing a thing.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary. You¡¯re starting to make my old blood boil.¡± Sky punches the air in front of him, a ripple where his fist struck. The ripple burst like a bubble creating a shockwave dispersing the mist around him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Standing before Sky was Valentine and another finely dressed man. The finely dressed man raises his hands in a panic. However, he buckles in pain as another shockwave goes off, striking him in the chest. As the man leans forward, holding his chest, Sky dash towards him. With a twirl, Sky lands a kick with the man slamming him into the pavement.


    With man conscious rob from him, the mist begins to dissipate.


    ¡°So, now that you can¡¯t hide anymore, what other plans do you have up your sleeves?¡±


    Valentine back away as Sky inches towards him with a mischievous grin


    ¡°D-don¡¯t think you won just yet. Did you forget any attack against me is useless?


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t forget. Let¡¯s see how invincible you are?¡± Sky¡¯s eyes begin to glow a bright blue. He lifts his foot and stomps the ground. A ripple appears on where Sky struck the ground. Multiple ripples begin to appear on the ground. It looks as if someone were skipping the stones on a lake.


    Each ripple burst, destroying the ground. Debris rises into the air and then suddenly stops, frozen in time.


    ¡°Good luck redirecting all this?¡± With a flick of his finger, Sky sent hundreds of debris hurtling towards a screaming Valentine.


    Blood ran down Valentine¡¯s nose as he concentrated all his powers to redirect the shrapnel flying towards him. Focusing solely on defense, he couldn''t notice Sky, who went low and swept Valentine''s feet from under him. His concentration is broken; multiple shrapnel pierces his skin as he falls.


    A groan slips from Valentine''s lip as he tries to get back on his feet.


    ¡°Wait right their young man.¡± Sky places a finger on Valentine¡¯s forehead. ¡°Before you get up and try something stupid, there¡¯s something you need to know about my ability.¡± Sky gently places his finger on one of the Shrapnel sticking out of Valentine¡¯s body. Valentine¡¯s heart nearly stopped when he looked down saw multiple ripples on the debris in his body.


    ¡°My ability has two effects, nullify and amplify. Whatever action I take I can choose either to amplify my action or nullify it, or both. The only reason why you didn¡¯t suffer any severe injuring is because of my ability and good grace. So be a good boy and don¡¯t move we have a lot to talk about.


    ¡°You finally finish your little bout?¡± Harden stomps his ways towards Sky who simply frown at the heavily armored man approach.


    ¡°You know the whole reason the captain orders us to move in groups of two is to assist each other.¡±


    ¡°I did help you. I kept the contestants and your fan from running into the mist and getting themselves killed.¡±


    ¡°Fan?¡± Sky tilts his head slightly. Harden answers his question by simply stepping to the side. Standing behind the heavy armor man was a short hair woman wearing a simple white dress shirt and black pants. The woman nervously looks down at Sky.


    ¡°Oh, Emma you¡¯re still here?¡± Emma¡¯s face lit happy that Sky remember her. However, that happiness almost immediately faded when she look still dripping down his face.


    ¡°Um, are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m super strong you know!¡± Sky energetically puffs his chest out. If someone else were to stumble onto this Sky would look like a kid who¡¯s bragging about chasing away a starving goblin with a stick. It took all of Emma¡¯s strength to stop her maternal instinct from taking over and snatching the boy in front of her.


    ¡°To think I lost someone as pathetic as you. No, I refuse to accept this.¡± Valentine struggles to get up to his feet his eyes bloodshot. He lifts his gun and aims at its Sky. ¡°I win.¡± As Valentine pulls the trigger the ripples on the shrapnel suddenly burst causing the debris sticking into the body to dig deeper piercing multiple organs.


    Valentine let out a grunt before dropping to the ground, his body riddled with holes.


    ¡°What an arrogant fool. To the very end, he thought he could beat us.¡±


    ¡°This is all our fault.¡± Sky looks towards a street that eventually leads back to the center of the Pleasure District. Even being five blocks away he could hear gunshots and other commotions coming from the center of the district. ¡°It¡¯s because we turn our gaze away from this place and allow them to do whatever they want their ego grew uncontrollably.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I guess it¡¯s our job to humble them.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    After a long, long, long, day my body finally begin to break down on me. Each step I took felt slower than the last. Against my better judgment, I look behind me. There were four men in black suits following me. Their faces were twisted with rage and hatred.


    ¡°Why? Why are you chasing me?!¡± I wanted to scream out, but all that came out was a gasp for air. My legs burn as I try in vain to increase my speed. Little by little I could feel them closing the distance. Desperate, I begin to knock down any table, stands, and anything else that litter the street.


    ¡°There¡¯s one right here!¡± Two men burst out from a building on the left side of the street, both men held rifles which they aim at me.


    ¡°Fucking¡­ seriously?!¡± I threw myself into the nearest building. I tumble down a couple of steps landing on my back. The world spun around me as I try to get back to my feet. Through my blurred vision, there was a woman standing before me.


    ¡°H-help¡­. please.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The woman didn¡¯t respond to my weak pleads. She simply continues to stare off into space.


    My vision begins clear. There were dozens of people aimlessly wandering around the halls of this dilapidated building.


    ¡°¡­¡± Even after I got close to her and wave my hand the woman didn¡¯t respond. Their eyes were glazed over, and their faces were twisted with ecstasy. Multiple alarms were going off in my head telling me to get out of here, however, I had bigger problems to worry about.


    Behind me, I could hear multiple people storming the building. I made my way through the dazed crowd.


    ¡°There she is!¡± Someone shouted. I slam my shoulder against a door. I nearly fell over again as the door swung open. I quickly regain my balance and slammed the door shut behind me and locked it with multiple bolts it had attached.


    They bang relentlessly on the door. Knowing full well the door will break eventually I looked around what seems to be an old dingy kitchen. The shelves and table were covered in herbs and sickly yellow dust. And in the center of the kitchen was a table that had all vials with different color liquids in them. After being a part of a gang for years, I immediately knew where I was, a drug lab.


    I cover my nose. Thanks to my sharp sense of smell, I can easily be affected by the substance just by simply being near it. I make my way to the door on the opposite side of the kitchen. The door opens just as I was grabbing the knob a man in scrubs suddenly open the door. Before I had a chance to even utter a sound. The man lunge at me, in the next moment I was on the ground.


    I bury my fangs into his hand. The man grabbed his hands and screamed. I crawl from under him as I try to get back to my feet, he grabbed my leg and dragged me back. Enraged, he punches the ground. I lean out of way, his fist slammed into the cold ground. The man reels away. I roll backward pouring all my strength into my legs before thrusting both into his stomach.


    The man onto his back the air knocked out of him. As he struggles for air he reaches into his pocket. I could feel scream at me to move. I threw myself at the man, a gun falls from his hand as we slam into the ground. A bullet flies out the pistol as it slides under the table.


    For a moment I stare at the weapon shock. The man push me off him and dove under the table scrambling for the weapon. I force my exhausted body back onto its feet and hop onto the table. Pots and glass crash onto the ground as I ran on the table.


    I jumped off the table and stomp on the hand reaching for the gun. As he scream, I reflexively spun my body around before kicking his face. As his head whip back from the blow, I spun around once more and leap into the air. As I twirl landed another on him. The force of my attack planted his face into the ground.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I let out a groan. My back into the cold stone floor. Seeing that my assailant was out cold I let out a relieved sigh. As soon as I allow myself to relax a little the thugs kick down the door. I reach for the gun and then time seems slow when I pull the trigger. I swear I could see the bullet flying from the pistol sinking into the closes thug head and leaving out the back. Blood and brain splatter onto the ground.


    There were no final words, no screams, not even a grunt. He simply fell to the ground dead like a marionette that had his strings cut. The other thugs scream at me, but I couldn¡¯t hear a thing. There was a ringing in my ear and a searing headache was beginning to form.


    ¡°Stay where you are!¡± Fear was evident in their eyes when I pointed the gun at them. I back away from them while keeping the pistol on them until my back hit a door. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± I stumble my way out the door stepping into a backstreet. As the door shut, I caught another glance of the body lying lifeless in his own blood.


    My stomach turn and my vision blur. I lean against the building to keep myself from falling.


    Not bad kiddo, now do it again.


    Crook¡¯s voice echo in the back of my head. I took a few nervous glances but there was nothing there.


    ¡°Keep it together Catherine. They were trying to kill you and you rightfully defend yourself. Yea, it was self-defense.¡± I force my body to keep moving trying not to think about what transpired.


    Bullets flew past the alley. A shadow dip into the backstreet taking cover from the gunfire. The person raises his hands in the air and froze when he notice me aiming the gun at him.


    ¡°Are you a gang member?¡±


    ¡°N-no! I¡¯m a tourist that was interested in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a contestant?¡± I took a closer look at him. The man was quite scrawny and wore thick glasses. Honestly, it was hard to believe he was a fighter. As doubt grew in my mind, I took a good look at myself and realize I don¡¯t really look like I belong here either.


    ¡°Hey, I know you! You¡¯re the feline that fought the flame guy at the theater.¡± The man''s shoulders dropped in relief. ¡°Luke, What¡¯s your name?¡± He extends his hand towards me. I look at his hand and then past him. A group of thugs running towards a building on the opposite side of the street.


    ¡°Crap.¡± I took cover behind a trashcan and beckon for Luke to follow me. Realizing there was a bunch of goons behind him. He quickly duck behind me.


    ¡°Check these buildings there may be people hiding in them.¡± One of the thugs kicks open the door.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Luke pulls out a notebook and pen and begins to vigorously jot things down.


    ¡°What the hell are doing?¡± I snatch the notebook out of his hand. At first glance, the maddening scribbles looked like a journal entry, but upon closer inspection, I realize this much, much more. There is incredibly detailed information on multiple countries'' military movements, the trials we just went through. It even had the names of the gang leaders and the operation they run in this city.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s history. Or at least it will be.¡± The man excitedly thrust his hands into the air. ¡°Take a good look around you, a historical moment is happening right before our eyes, and I¡¯ll be the one to document it!¡± I quickly cover his mouth. Thankfully the gunfire drown Luke¡¯s excited shouting.


    ¡°Since you seem to know so much tell me why every gang in the city is hunting us down.¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess they¡¯re afraid of Rigel most people in a position of power are terrified of him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Rigel?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Luke looks down at me incredulously. ¡°I heard Beastmen had one-track minds, but I didn¡¯t think it was this bad. I guess I should be that surprised you don¡¯t know him. While he is the current king of the country, he hasn¡¯t made any public appearance since the former king died.¡± Luke looks down at the notebook in my hand.


    ¡°He really is a mysterious person. I¡¯ve been keeping track of his movement but all I know is that he¡¯s looking for someone, and this tournament is going to help him find that person.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s looking for someone?¡±


    ¡°Why, the reward for this tournament give it away. Whoever stands victorious from these trials will be granted an audience with the king himself.¡±


    Luke¡¯s words swirl in my head. All this is happening, the bloodshed, these stupid trials is because the king is looking for something.


    What should I do? I didn¡¯t sign up to be part of some king crazy scheme, but if I go back now then everything I did will be pointless and I¡¯ll never know why Dante got me involved in this.


    For a moment I thought back to the corpse


    ¡°Got to keep moving.¡± I crept towards the end of the alley. I could feel a huge weight fall off my shoulders when I peek around the corner. A man clad in white armor walked up the streets. The gangsters on the streets and on top of the buildings fire their guns at the armored man.


    A soft white light envelop his body and shielded him from gunfire. The aura around Harden quickly grew and enveloped the entire city in a dome of light. Harden raised his hammer and slams it on the ground.


    Reality Shift: Phantasia


    The very earth shook from the force of the attack. The dome of light shatters like glass revealing a purple sky and bright green stars.


    A castle floating in the sky looms over the district. The sky darkens as dozens of gargoyles fly from the castle and dive straight towards the gangsters. Screams filled the streets as the thug was snatched off the ground and carried away.


    ¡°Listen and understand!¡± Harden''s yell echo across through the city. ¡°Any surviving contestant head to the nearest sliver gate! It¡¯ll lead you to your next destination!


    I looked down the street. The bridge that was connected to the other district was replaced with a massive shiny silver gate.


    I took a deep breath and gather what little strength I had left.


    ¡°Hey, are you seriously planning to run out in that chaos!¡± Luke reaches for my shoulder which I slap away with my tail.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see this through to the end.¡± I dash out of the alley and sprint through the warzone. Bodies fell from the sky, arrows and bullets flew across the street.


    ¡°Keep moving, just keep moving,¡± I mumble to myself, trying to ignore the dead bodies on the floor, the screams and monstrous roar behind me. In pure desperation and exhaustion, I slam my shoulder against the silver gate. The gate creaks open and then the sound of battle vanishes, along with the entire city.


    I found myself standing in between an old, rusted gate that led up a hill impale with a myriad of swords.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°This is the place where those who the forgotten are buried.¡±


    I move as fast as I could, practically dragging my exhausted body up the hill. desperate for answers, desperate to meet the voice. Standing on top of the hill was an old man dressed in a white military uniform. He looked down at the capital a portion of which was hidden in a dome of light.


    ¡°You made it,¡± Dante said as he turns towards me. ¡°I always knew you would.¡±

 Chapter 30: The Final Trial

    Chapter 30


    The Final Trial


    ¡°I always knew you would make it, Catherine.¡± Dante turns towards me. There was an ache in my heart when I looked into his eyes which radiated kindness.


    ¡°Dante¡­¡± I tried to take a step forward, but my legs gave out on me. The weight of the battle and the crushing guilt pressed down on my shoulders.


    My chest tightens as the memories of all the times I nearly died flash before my eyes and the moment I took the life of another.


    ¡°Deep breath Catherine, deep breath. Let your body relax.¡± Dante gently places a hand on my back.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Somehow, I managed to cough out some words while I was choking. ¡°You knew this would happen, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about the trials then, yes, I was aware they would be tough this year.¡± Dante turned his back towards me and looked down at the capital, a portion of which was trapped in a dome of light. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re asking about the gangs in the pleasure district, I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m aware that they¡¯re not fond of any military presence, but I didn¡¯t know they would do something so drastic.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? There are so many people dead, and all you can say is you don¡¯t know?¡± My blood begins to boil. I tightly clench my teeth to stop myself from saying anything I might regret later. ¡°What happens if I win? What happens when this is all over? Do you even know?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Dante fell silent. His gaze went skyward towards the stars. Even with his back towards me, I could tell he was looking at something far in the distance, something I couldn¡¯t begin to imagine.


    ¡°A new era. Or at least that¡¯s what the king¡¯s hoping for.¡± Dante turns back towards me, his eyes filled with hope. ¡°For me, I hope that after this tournament. Regardless of whether you win or lose, I hope you find out who you really are.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean who I¡¯m really am? I¡¯m a girl who just wants her home back, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°After everything, you¡¯ve been through these past few hours, do you really think you¡¯re just a normal girl?¡± Dante¡¯s eyes lowered towards my heavily bandaged arm. If I still had any strength, I would¡¯ve jumped to my feet and grabbed Dante by the neck+ demanding answer. But in the end, all I could do was weakly ask.


    ¡°Why is The Crooked Man so obsessed with me, and what the hell are these marks on my arm?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could tell you, but it¡¯ll only hurt if you heard the truth from me. You need to find the answers for yourself. You need to remember.¡±


    ¡°Remember? Are you telling me I have amnesia?¡±


    ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t say that more like you have gaps in your memory.¡± Dante kneels next to me, his eyes staring deep into my soul. ¡°Why are you here, Catherine? Why are you so obsessed with getting your family store back?¡±


    ¡°In the back of my mind, I could feel the gate slowly opening again. But, this time, instead of being filled with strengths, I could hear my mother¡¯s voice. At first, her voice was soft and inviting, but her tone became louder and panicked as the gate opened more, until there was only screaming.


    ¡°Stop! Please!¡± I tried to push Dante, but with no strength in my body, I just ended falling face-first into the dirt. ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let your memories come back to you naturally.¡± He pats my shoulder before heading down the hill towards a panic Leo. In his arms was an unconscious Aaron. Blood still flowing from his bullet wound.


    Leo was shouting something, but I couldn¡¯t hear a thing. My mind was still focusing on the question Dante asked.


    (Why are you so obsessed with getting your family store back?)


    The answer to his question was obvious. It¡¯s because I want to cherish the happy moments I spent with my family. But along with that answer came another question.


    Was there a time I was ever happy?


    .


    .


    .


    Yes, there was time, but it was a long, long, long time ago. Back when I was ignorant of the world''s cruelty.


    I still remember it clearly, my child-self laughing as she tosses a ball towards my dad. Even after a long and hard day at work, my dad still finds some time to play with me.


    ¡°Go long, Catherine!¡± My dad pulled his arm back and threw the ball towards me, or at least he tried. Unfortunately, the ball flew high in the air. My father would¡¯ve probably blamed the bad throw on fatigue, but the truth is he was never good at any physical sports, unlike me, who seem to excel at it. One of the many reasons why the other kids didn¡¯t want to play with me.


    I chased after the ball my dad overshot. I hopped on top of an empty stand and leaped towards a lamppost. I grab onto the lamp and swing into the air. The ball slammed into my chest, knocking the air out of me.


    ¡°Catherine!¡± My dad rushes over to check on me. I held the ball in the air and triumphally shout.


    ¡°I caught it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡± My dad¡¯s expression softens as he scoops me up and places me on his shoulders. ¡°Since that was such an amazing catch, how bout I treat you to a snack.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ooh. I want a pie!¡±


    ¡°Okay, but save some room for dinner.¡±


    Free of any worries, we travel down the streets. Indeed, these were some of the best days in my life, yet I felt hollow, like something was missing for some reason.


    ¡°Is something wrong sweety, you¡¯re quieter than usual.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, dad. I was just wondering, where¡¯s mommy at?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± My dad looked down at the ground, making it impossible to see what expression he had. ¡°Hey, sweety, how would you like cake with your pie?¡± My eyes widen from excitement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, dad! Let¡¯s go!¡± I roughly patted my dad¡¯s head to urge him forward.


    ¡°Catherine¡­¡± A soft and lovely voice called to me. I looked in the direction where the voice came. A woman in a simple purple dress stood at the entrance of an alley, happily waving at me.


    ¡°Dad! Dad! Its mom!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡± I pointed towards the alley, but no one was there.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re seeing things, sweety.¡±


    ¡°No, she was there.¡± I hopped off my dad¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Catherine, where are you going?


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± I ran straight for the alley before my dad could say anything else.


    ¡°Catherine¡­¡± Mother¡¯s voice was close yet at the same time sounded so far.


    ¡°Mom, where are you?¡±


    ¡°Over here.¡± I turn around, but there¡¯s no one there. Even stranger, the street was gone now. Instead, standing before me was a glass window that separated me from a pure white room. In the center of the room were two people: my mother and a faceless man in a doctor uniform.


    The doctor looked down at the notepad in his hand. Despite not having eyes, the doctor scans his paper intensely.


    ¡°Please, doctor¡­¡± My mother¡¯s voice was hoarse and shaky. Tears were forming from her redden eyes. It pains me to see her on the verge of breaking down, and yet I couldn¡¯t look away. ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s wrong with my daughter. She won¡¯t eat. She won¡¯t even talk to me. She is just wasting away in her bed¡± My mother balled her hands into fists. blood drip from her hand onto the ground staining the pure white floor red.


    ¡°The trauma from the incident caused her to forget all of the events of the past twenty-four hours.


    ¡°What¡­ What is this?¡± I back away from the glass window. In my haste, I ended up bumping into something. Behind me was another glass window.


    My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw a little version of me sitting behind a window. A group of faceless doctors crowded around me, murmuring something to themselves.


    ¡°Poor thing. She never really got over her father¡¯s death.¡± One of the faceless men says.


    ¡°She¡¯ll make it. Time heals all wound.¡± Another faceless man said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Grief is a pain that never truly leaves you.¡±


    ¡°Stop, please.¡± I cover my ears silence the noise.


    ¡°You¡¯re a thief, and in the end, that¡¯s all you¡¯ll ever be.¡± Even with my ears covered, I could still hear them loud and clear. It was as if they were speaking directly in my head.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be real. This is just a dream.¡± So I closed my eyes and prayed for the nightmare to end. I prayed that when I opened my eyes, I¡¯ll be back home with my family.


    The voices grew louder and louder, and then suddenly it went silent. I slowly opened my eyes to a massive silver gate with an absurd number of chains and locks attached to it, half of which were already broken or unlocked.


    I move my hand towards the gate. The locks shook violently as I got closer. An unknown fear seized my body, and I quickly pulled my hand back.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± I look behind me only to see what I can only describe as an endless black void.


    ¡°Some doors are locked for a reason. You should know that better than anyone. After all, you did a damn good job of locking that gate.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°That really hurt my feeling. We¡¯ve known each other for quite some time.¡± Heavy foot echoes in the darkness. With each footfall, there was a small spark of light.


    ¡°You know me. I¡¯m the wound time can never heal. I¡¯m the thorns wrapped around what remains of your heart. I¡¯m every twisted thought that dwells in your head.¡± The voice chuckled. ¡°Or perhaps I should say crooked.¡± A pale man emerges from the darkness. ¡°Hey there, kiddo. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Crook struck a match against the matchbox creating a small spark that turned into a small fire. Crook¡¯s wooden right-hand trembles ever so slightly as he lifts the flame towards the cigar in his mouth.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I tried to back away, but the sounds of the chains loosening behind caused me to freeze in fear again.


    Crook slowly pulled the cigarette out of their mouth and blew out noxious smoke. Before saying, ¡°I¡¯m here to warn you. The floodgate is opening, but it can still be stopped if you turn back now and give up on this quest. Then everything will go back to normal, and the gate will remain close.¡±


    ¡°What inside the gate?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Crook silently stare at me. It was uncomfortable, but for some reason, I found myself looking deep into his black eyes. And then suddenly, amidst the endless darkness, I saw it, a vision.


    Before me was my mother. Pale, bleeding. She weakly reaches out for me. Overwhelming guilt washed over me when I looked down at my bloody hands. I opened my mouth to scream, but the only thing that came out was a silent cry. I dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. My teeth clattered as I whispered.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be real. This can¡¯t be real. This can¡¯t be real. This can¡¯t be real. This can¡¯t be real.¡±


    ¡°And yet, it is.¡± The vision faded, and I once again found myself in a black void with Crook. ¡°This is only a taste of the hell that awaits you.¡± Crooks leans toward me and whispers in my ears. ¡°The more you fight, the stronger you¡¯ll get. And the stronger you get, the more the gate will open. And when the gate fully opens, all your memories will come back to you, and you will have to face a cruel revelation. One that will destroy what remains of your heart and soul.


    ¡°And you expect me to believe all that crap you just said? All you ever did is lie to me.¡±


    ¡°And yet you know what I say is true.¡±


    I tightly clench my teeth. No matter how badly I wanted to deny what he said, deep down, what he said and what I saw was true.


    ¡°Wh- what happen to my mom?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong question, kiddo.¡±


    Just answer the question!¡± I reached for his shirt, but my hand faded right through him.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re out of time.¡±


    I could feel some unknown force trying to pull me out of this world. I frantically grasp at Crook, but my hands continue to phase through him.


    First-round!


    In my desperation, I conjure an aura around my hand. The soft veil of light around seems to have solidified my hand, allowing me to grab Crook¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away that easy! Now, answer my question!¡± I violently pulled him down towards me so I could look him directly in the eyes. What happened to my mother? What is this cruel revelation?¡±


    ¡°Again, you¡¯re asking the wrong question. If you continue down this path, all these questions will eventually be answered So, what you should be asking is, are you ready for the answer?¡±


    Before, I had a chance to respond. An invisible force pulled me away, dragging me into the black void. And then I opened my eyes.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I let out a sigh of admiration to the thousands of dazzling lights adrift the endless black sea.


    ¡°Quite the sight to wake up to, huh?¡± A deep voice came to the right of me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I continue to stare at the night sky blankly. ¡°After everything that happens, I can¡¯t tell if I¡¯m awake or still- ouch!¡± Something smacks the right side of my face. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± I turn over to the massive man sitting next to me. Leo shrugs his shoulders like he didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    ¡°What? Now you know you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Pain and exhaustion wash over me as I try to sit up. Leo chuckles softly as he watches me.


    ¡°Looks like you went through hell today.¡±


    ¡°Same to you.¡± I glanced at his bare chest, which was covered in blood, bruises, and cuts. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know how he¡¯s still conscious.


    ¡°Indeed, I got my ass handed to me today.¡± Leo looks down at his wounded body like it was a trophy. ¡°I¡¯ll admit I expected all the warriors in this flourishing kingdom to be fat and lazy, but boy did they prove me wrong. Did you see that giant castle in the sky, that was crazy¡­ You did see that¡­ right?¡± Leo turns to me, worried.


    ¡°Yes, yes I did. Kind of hard to miss.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness.¡± Leo heaves a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought my blood loss was making me see things.¡± The childlike grin formed on Leo¡¯s face. ¡°Man, I can¡¯t wait to see what the last trial has in store for me.¡± Seeing the adventurer glint in his eyes, I can kind of tell how he and Aaron became friends so quickly.


    ¡°Ah, what happens to Aaron?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s right here.¡± Leo turns to the right of him. I lean forward to see past his huge frame. Aaron lay next to him. Seeing him snore soundly, it was hard to imagine that he was bleeding out a moment. ¡°That old man has an interesting medical technique. First time I have ever seen someone heal a person by stabbing them.¡±


    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s not a pleasant experience.¡± I glance over at Dante, who was carefully examining the injured contestant. The ones that were healed by Dante all looked like they were traumatized.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Aaron is unconscious,¡± I mumble underneath my breath as I look over the wounded. My eyes eventually fell on a lone figure in a red hood standing near the top of the hill.


    I stood up slowly and dragged my exhausted body towards Jez. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m glad to see your alive.¡±


    ¡°You, too.¡± Jez turns towards me, half her face still covered by her hood. She gives me a weak smile which quickly vanishes. She glances at a sword impaled into the ground.


    ¡°Is something wrong? ¡° I look down at her pet wyvern, who was nuzzling his head against her leg.


    ¡°This. Place.¡± Jez picks up Dark and pets his head. ¡°Feels. Sad.¡±


    ¡°I mean, this is a graveyard, kind of the point.¡±


    ¡°A. grave?¡± Jez kneels and gently trails a finger against the rusted blade. ¡°For. Who?¡±


    ¡°No, one. That sword represents thousands of nameless soldiers who died.¡± A man in rusted armor approached us.


    ¡°The Majin war went on for a hundred years. Few soldiers made it back from the war. Even fewer are remembered for their heroic deeds.¡± The armored man kneels next to Jez and stares at the grave. ¡°All your sacrifices, and this is your reward, a grave without even a name. You deserve better than this. All of you do.¡± The man begins to tremble with rage. ¡°I promise you, brothers, I¡¯ll carry your memories with me, and I¡¯ll make sure no one else ever forgets the deeds you¡¯ve done.¡±


    His promise felt more like a threat. It seems like Jez got the same vibe. She stood up and slowly backed away. I followed Jez¡¯s lead and left as quietly as I could.


    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier?¡± I jumped at the sound of Dante¡¯s voice. Without a word, Dante gently moved me to the side.


    ¡°Not anymore. I¡¯ve retired.¡± There was a hint of anger in the man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°And yet you¡¯re still wearing your old military equipment.¡± Dante narrows his eyes at man¡¯s damaged and worn chainmail.


    The man lets out a hollow laugh and turns slightly to face Dante. ¡°I wear this, so I can never forget the hell we went through.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name, soldier?¡±


    The man stands up and turns to face Dante. Malice emanated from the man as he said his name. ¡°Lock.¡±


    ¡°Lock? I feel like I heard that name before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have.¡± An uncomfortable silence. Jez tugged at the sleeve of my jacket. She silently gestures for me to follow her before I could respond to her; a bright light floods the entire hill.


    I squint at the light from above. The very air itself seemed to shake as a metallic airship shaped like a giant whale slowly lowers itself until it hovers near the hill''s edge. A metallic door slides open. Standing at the entrance of the airship was Sky riding on Emma¡¯s back.


    ¡°Dante! Dante!!¡± Sky jumped off Emma¡¯s back and leaped off the airship. ¡°Your master is here!!¡± As soon as she lands, she dashes straight down the hill. Sky pushes past Lock and lunges at Dante with open arms.


    Dante raises his hand and blocks a sudden punch from Sky.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I slowly blink at what I thought was going to be a heartwarming reunion.


    A mischievous grin appears on Sky¡¯s face as a ripple forms on the palm of his hand. Sky lowered herself and threw another punch aim Dante¡¯s lower body. Dante takes a step back and moves his hand to intercept the attack. The ripple on his palm suddenly burst, forcing his hand into the air.


    ¡°I got yo- ¡°before Sky could land her attack, Dante brings down his other hand and smacks Sky into the dirt.


    Another silence fell onto the area as everyone stared at the royal guard lying face first in the ground.


    The first to break the silence was Lock. His armor clanks loudly as he walks away from the awkward scene.


    ¡°It seems I have nothing left to teach you,¡± Sky mumbled, her face still in the dirt.


    ¡°Sky, I haven¡¯t been your student for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Sky lifts her face from the dirt. ¡°Even if you are stronger than me now. You¡¯ll always be the little boy who came to me asking for strength.


    ¡°I love to hear that story.¡± I chuckle at the thought of a little Dante begging Sky to teach him how to fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll love this. Did you know, our little hero was a troublemak- ah¡± Dante grabs Sky¡¯s jacket and lifts her off the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation in the Pleasure District? Is everything under control?¡±


    ¡°Oh, speaking of Pleasure District. I took down a gang leader. He wasn¡¯t that strong, but he had quite an interesting ability. It¡¯s a shame I would¡¯ve loved to train him.


    ¡°So is the Pleasure District under control?¡± Dante repeated, slightly more annoyed.


    ¡°I have no idea how you senile old men are still in the military.¡± A slender woman hops off the airship. Both her skirt and braid sway as she marches towards the other two royal guards.


    ¡°The gangs have settled down. So harden decided to stay behind to make sure it stays like that.¡±


    ¡°So, we can begin the final trial?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Bella averted her gaze from Dante.


    ¡°I see.¡± Dante closes his eyes. And for a few seconds, he and the other two royal guards stood in silence.


    It was uncomfortable seeing the tense look on their faces. It almost felt like they were planning our execution. And after everything I have seen today, I supposed that isn¡¯t far from the truth.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Bella.¡±


    Bella nodded at Dante and took a deep breath before shouting. ¡°Listen up, everyone! every single one of you past the third trial.¡± Bella stopped and scanned for our reaction. No one said a word. After everything we¡¯ve been through, I doubt anyone of us had the strength even to cheer.


    ¡°This airship will take you to the final trial. But before you get on board. I would like to say something first.¡± Bella grabbed the red dog tags dangling on her neck and held them high over her head.


    ¡°My name is Bella V. Hellsing. If you heard of my family names, you would know that we were the first hunters and held a special seat in the adventurer guild.


    ¡°We get it. You use your family influence to get position your current position.¡± Bella glares at the crowd.


    ¡°I was getting to that.¡± Bella huffs. Almost immediately, her frustration turned to pity. ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you this next trial will be significantly harder than what you face today. Half of you will die, and the rest of you might go insane, which is why I¡¯m offering an alternative. I can use my family influence to give you access to rich clients in the adventure guild. But don¡¯t misunderstand! ¡°Bella raises her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not underestimating any of you. The reason I¡¯m willing to do this is because you prove to me that every single one is a capable warrior. So, ask yourself, what do you desire? If all you want is fame and money, I can offer you this, but if you desire more than continue with this endeavor, and perhaps if you survive maybe, you¡¯ll be able to attain it.¡±


    I placed a hand on my heart and anxiously and glanced at the people around me. Everyone is either discussing Bella¡¯s deal or was deep thought.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide now.¡± Bella claps her hands loudly to get everyone''s attention. ¡°It¡¯ll take two days to get our designation.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± I reached out to Bella, who was heading towards the airship. ¡°Where exactly are we heading?¡±


    ¡°Black Dawn.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I think I might¡¯ve misheard you.¡± I took a step towards Bella, unable to believe what I heard? These trials have been insane, but they can¡¯t be crazy enough to send us to the destroyed capital.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t mishear me.¡± Bella stopped and looked me dead and the eyes. ¡°We¡¯re heading straight for The Demon King territory.¡±

 Chapter 31: For no ones sake

    Chapter 31


    For No One''s Sake


    ¡°Okay, heads, I leave. Tails, I¡¯ll stay.¡± I flipped the coin in the air as soon as the coin fell to my eye level. I snatch it and then close my eyes.


    ¡°Okay, what¡¯s my fate, coin.¡± I open my eyes to see the coin landed on tails. ¡°Shit. Does this mean I stay?¡± I pace back and forth inside my small dark room. ¡°No. I can¡¯t allow a single coin flip to decide everything.¡± I nervously looked around like a kid trying to be sneaky. ¡°Okay, best two out of three.¡±


    I flipped the coin again and then closed my eyes when it landed on my hand. Then, I slowly opened my eyes to see the coin on the head''s side.


    ¡°A tie? Of course, it¡¯s a tie.¡± I took a deep breath before saying, ¡°Okay, one more time.¡± I flip the coin in the air. My heart begins to race as I watch the coin slowly fall. I quickly tried to catch the coin, but in my haste, it bounced off my hand and flew towards the door, sliding underneath the crack of it. I guess that¡¯s what I get for trying to allow fate to decide for me.


    ¡°So, what do I do?¡± I look up at the clock hanging above the door as if I was expecting an answer from it. Instead, the clock continues to tick, clearly not giving a damn about any of my problems.


    ¡°Seriously, what do I do now?¡± I repeated the question to myself. Then, I sat down and thought back to everything that had happened.


    If I keep going, I might end up remembering something traumatic, but there''s nothing waiting at home for me.


    ¡°Ha.¡± I let out a little sigh. Up till this point, I thought moving forward was the right thing to do. But now, it feels like the only reason I¡¯m moving forward is because there¡¯s no other road for me to take.


    As I lose myself in my thoughts, a small light pours into the crack of the room. I dedicated all my attention to the light, desperate to escape my dark thoughts. I slowly open the door to see Prometheus sneaking down the hall or at least attempting to sneak.


    Carrying two bottles of alcohol, Prometheus tiptoes down the hall, apparently forgetting the fact that she was the literal personification of fire. Her body brightly lit the hallway.


    With nothing else better to do, I decided to follow her. My thief instinct kicks in, and I find myself slipping into the dark.


    As Prometheus tiptoed down the hall, she occasionally stopped and looked around until she eventually reached a door. Before she could knock, the door swung open. A young man in dark red suit stood at the entrance. The guy grabbed the tiny spirit wrist and pulled her into the room. He nearly shut the door until he caught, he caught a glimpse of me.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Max backs himself into the door.


    ¡°That was quite the reaction¡± I step out of the shadow. ¡°Did you think I was a guard?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± I peek into Max¡¯s room. Prometheus whistles to herself, clearly hiding something behind her back. ¡°I doubt the guards will be happy seeing you drunk since tomorrow is the big day.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell them?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But if you treat me to drink, I won¡¯t say a thing.¡±


    ¡°Are you even old enough to drink?¡±


    I let out an annoyed sigh and looked up to the young man, that was somewhere around seventeen or eighteen years old.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading to the literal city of the dead. Does age even matter at this point?¡± Before Max could answer my question, I pushed my way into his room. ¡°By the way, I am an adult, not sure how many times I have to repeat this.¡±


    I look over at Prometheus, who shrinks away from me, still hiding the wine bottle behind her back. Honestly, if her body weren¡¯t composed of her fire, I would¡¯ve loved to pet her red hair.


    ¡°Well, are you just going to stand by the door awkwardly?¡± I sat down in one of his chairs and waited for Max to come into the room.


    Max groans before shutting the door. Prometheus poured alcohol in two cups and handed me one. The liquid was clear, but it had a pungent stench. I take a small sip. Like the smell, the drink was strong and bitter, which reminded me why I dislike alcohol. It tastes awful, and it dulls your thoughts and reflexes, but after nearly dying five times in one day, the last thing I want to do is be able to think.


    I look over at Max, who winces as he raises the glass to his mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh yes, I do.¡± Max takes a swig of his drink. I turn my attention over to Prometheus, who fidgeted around while shooting nervous glances at Max. If Dante had never taught me about spirit¡¯s behavior, I would¡¯ve just assumed she also wanted a drink, but now I know that she¡¯s simply expressing Max¡¯s genuine emotion: fear.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Prometheus¡¯ eyes met with my mine. The room seemed warm as Prometheus¡¯ face turned a rosy red. She nervously looked around like she was looking for something to hide in, and then she poofs out of existence, taking the light with her.


    Almost instantly, my eyes adjusted to the darkroom just in time to catch Max creating a small fireball which illuminated the room.


    ¡°I appreciate it if you didn¡¯t stare at her too much. She¡¯s quite shy.¡±


    ¡°Sure, she is.¡± I thought back to when Dante got embarrassed when I stared at Minos for too long. I took a sip of my drink to keep myself from smiling. Even though the alcohol tasted terrible, I chugged it down. I push my empty cup to Max, who is already pouring himself another shot.


    As I waited for him to pour me a drink, I looked out the small circular window¡ªthe occasional clouds flying by reminded me that we were in an airship flying high above the ground. I would be glued to the window, taking in all the views in most other situations. But right now, I didn¡¯t even want to look, fearing I might catch a glimpse of the accursed capital.


    ¡°You think there are any demons in Black Dawn?¡± For a moment, the ball of fire hovering around Max flickers when I mention the old capital.


    ¡°No, they abandoned the area ten years ago.¡± Max pours my drink, clearly


    ¡°How can we be sure? No human has been there in years.¡±


    ¡°A military base was created near the city after the Majin left. Its main job is to keep watch. There are also boats off the coast, constantly making sure nothing escapes.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I lean back in my chair, somewhat relieved to know there¡¯s some human presence at the old capital.


    ¡°However.¡±


    And just like that, whatever confidence I just gain instantly shatter.


    ¡°It is still unknown what resides insides the capital currently as all expedition inside the city has failed.


    ¡°And let me guess, they want us to explore the city?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± Max looks down at me and smirks. ¡°You can always quit, you know.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I should.¡± I took a sip of my drink, debating if I should flip a coin again to decide my fate.


    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously thinking of leaving?¡± The smirk on Max¡¯s face faded.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Max jumped out of his bed and reached out towards me. I reflexively punch Max in the stomach. He let out a grunt and fell backward onto his bed. I jumped out of my seat and rushed over towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! My body moved on its own!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Max raises his hand to stop me from getting close.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s the reason you can¡¯t leave. I need to beat you. If I don¡¯t, then this tournament will be pointless.¡±


    For a moment, I thought he hated me until he looked up at me. There was no hatred or resentment in his eyes. Instead, he had the looked I probably had a day ago. The look of someone determined to accomplish the goal in front of him.


    ¡°I took another sip of my drink before asking him. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you here? As a noble, you should have everything you ever need and desire.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Max silently looks down at his cup, clearly to avoid looking at me. ¡°This power.¡± Max grabs the ball of flame and holds it towards me like it was a trophy. ¡°Is proof that I¡¯m the next head of the Phoenix family. But my father and brother don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy.¡±


    I swirl my drink around, thinking about what I should say to him. I¡¯ve heard horror stories of nobles who put unrealistic expectations on their kids. Seeing how Max is still willing to participate in these trials to prove his family wrong, I guess the story is true.


    I supposed I should feel bad for him. I can¡¯t imagine the stress of trying to live up to your parents¡¯ expectations. But even now, ¡°I¡¯m still envious.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Max looks up at me, confused. It took me a moment to realize I ended saying my thoughts aloud. Perhaps, it is because of the drink, but I continue to let my thoughts spill out.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Jez told me she had an older sister. It must be nice having a sibling.¡±


    ¡°I wonder about that,¡± Max mumbles as he averts his gaze from me. I chuckled to myself as I took another sip of my drink.


    ¡°I guess what they say is true. People don¡¯t know how good they got it until it''s gone.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Max glares at me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a thing about your family, but seeing that determine looked in your eyes, I get the feeling that you care about them enough that you want their approval. That¡¯s what I envy about you. I don¡¯t have anyone I want to impress. No one at all.¡±


    The weight of my words pressed down on my heart, threatening to crush me. I raised my glass, hoping the alcohol would wash the pain, but I was meant with immeasurable disappointment when I looked down to see my cup was empty.


    ¡°Catherine.¡± Max raises the bottle. I offered my cup so he could pour me more. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    His question felt like a punch that hit me directly in my heart. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. It¡¯s funny. Just a day ago, I could¡¯ve easily answered this question. All I wanted was to get my family store back to honor them. Now I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s what I ever truly wanted.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s not that. It just that¡­.¡± I take a deep breath to calm myself down. ¡°Max, have you ever killed someone?¡±


    Max''s eyes widen at my question, and then almost immediately, they narrow.


    ¡°Yes, I have, and I will probably do it again. It¡¯s my duty as a Phoenix to protect this country and my family.¡±


    Hearing the resolve in Max¡¯s voice, I once again felt a bit jealous.


    ¡°I think you are strong, Max, far stronger than me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I fail to see how I¡¯m stronger than you when you beat me in a duel.¡± The ball of fire grew seemed to grow bigger and brighter.


    ¡°I¡­¡± My tail repeatedly slapped the chair as I tried to speak. ¡°I killed someone for the first time yesterday.¡± I began to talk faster so Max wouldn¡¯t interrupt me. ¡°After the third trial, some gang members chase me to what I only could assume was a drug house. I tried to barricade myself in, but they broke, and then¡­.¡±


    ¡°You had no choice.¡±


    ¡°I know, it just¡­ it just felt pointless.¡± I wipe the tears forming in the corner of my eyes and continue to speak. ¡°There¡¯s a purpose behind every action. Even criminals have their reasons. Even though they may not have good reasons, at least they have a reason. Unlike me, I don¡¯t have such a thing. Everything I have done up until this point has been utterly pointless.¡±


    Once again, my own words hit me. What have I¡¯ve been doing these past ten years?


    ¡°What have I been doing?¡± I grabbed my chest. My heart began to race as I looked deep within myself for questions that I didn¡¯t have an answer to. The more I looked, the more I could feel a hole opening inside me, sucking all the air out of my lungs.


    ¡°Ha!¡± I drop my drink and grab my throat. It felt like something was wrapping around my neck squeezing the air out of me.


    Was it all for nothing? No! it wasn¡¯t all for nothing! Everything I did was for my family''s sake. It was for-


    ¡°Catherine!¡± Max grabs my shoulders, pulling me out thoughts. Max looks down at me, terrified. I tried to assure myself I was fine, but I ended up violently coughing when I tried to speak.


    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± I gasp. ¡°I guess I got a little lost in my thoughts.¡± I smile, but it was apparent he didn¡¯t believe me. Hell, I doubt I even managed to smile. Thankfully, a knock at his door stopped him before he could say anything.


    The ball of fire floats towards the door. As it drew closer to the doorknob, it expanded until it burst. A little girl in a red dress emerges from the flames. Prometheus opened the door, a woman in a simple white dress shirt and black pants stood at the door.


    ¡°Oh, what is a cute girl like you doing on the ship?¡± Emma kneels and tries to pat Prometheus¡¯ head but immediately pulls her hand back like she just touches something hot.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t treat my spirit as a pet.¡± Both Max and Prometheus cross their arms simultaneously and look sternly at Emma.


    ¡°So, this is a spirit? I didn¡¯t know they were this cute.¡± Emma reaches for Prometheus but stops remembering the spirit is the embodiment of fire.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re having a little party in the mess hall. You¡¯re welcome to- oh.¡± Emma raises her eyebrow as she finally notices me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, am I interrupting something?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I get up from my seat. Max grabs my shoulder as I approach Emma.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Max whispers in my ears. I gently placed my hand on his and peeled it off me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°If you guys want some alone, I can go-¡°Not even in the mood to fix Emma¡¯s misunderstand, I gently pushed her out of the room and gestured for her to lead us to the mess hall.


    ¡°A noble, huh? Not bad a catch, kid.¡± Emma playfully punches my shoulder. ¡°You should be careful, though. I heard most noblemen aren¡¯t satisfied with just one woman.¡±


    Annoyed, i tried to change the topic


    ¡°¡­ Last time I checked, the royal guards wanted to go sleep early and prepare for tomorrow. Are we even allowed to be in the mess hall at this time?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Emma said curtly. ¡°You should enjoy yourself a bit more


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    We quietly walked down the hall, making sure not to alert any guards, although it seems others didn¡¯t get the memo. Shouts and cheers could be heard coming from the brightly lit mess hall.


    ¡°Finally, some women to liven up this sausage party!¡± Someone shouted, clearly drunk.


    ¡°Women? I only see one babe and two brats!¡± Another person yelled.


    I ignore them and walk over behind the counter. The metal cabinets that held the drinks were wide open, the lock laying on the floor. I ignored the obvious sign of vandalism and grabbed a bottle before heading towards a lone table in the corner of the room.


    I pop open the cork, intending to enjoy a drink while looking at the night sky. However, that plan is quickly ruined when I felt an intense heatwave. Prometheus sits next to me. Her very presence made the area feel like a sauna. I moved my chair away from her to escape the heat, but she simply scooted towards me.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I look down at Prometheus, staring at me with a childlike wonder. Realizing she would keep following me, I let out a sigh and turned my attention to Emma sitting on the other end of the table.


    ¡°So, what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°To advertise.¡± Emma slides one of her business cards towards Prometheus.


    ¡°You¡¯re a spirit, right?¡±


    ¡°Fu!¡± Prometheus nodded.


    ¡°If you want to defend your other half properly, you should join my school!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a school.¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°Not yet. When this tournament is over, I¡¯ll have my dojo. You two will be my first students.¡± Emma said as she pointed towards Prometheus and me.¡±


    ¡°When did I become your student?¡±


    ¡°When I gave you my business card.¡±


    ¡°Fu.¡± Prometheus curiously touches the cards. The card catches on fire and burns away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t see that coming.¡± Emma rubs her chin deep in thought.


    Suddenly, flames erupted from Prometheus¡¯ engulfing her. The wildfire spread and then suddenly vanished like it never existed. Max sits in the chair Prometheus was in. ¡°I have no idea why you told my spirit about your school and not me.¡±


    ¡°Obviously because I care about her more than you.¡± Emma whisper.


    ¡°Catherine! Catherine!¡± A young boy around fourteen years old ran across the room and flopped down next to me. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re still alive!¡±


    ¡°You too.¡± I examine Aaron closely, specifically his stomach, where he got shot. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°Nope! I¡¯m fine!¡± Aaron proudly hits his chest. I stare at Aaron, trying to figure how he has so much energy despite nearly dying a day ago.


    ¡°You know you nearly died, right?¡± I spoke slowly, making sure he understood what had happened to him.


    ¡°Yea!¡± Aaron nodded.


    ¡°And you know there¡¯s a high chance you might die in the trial.¡±


    ¡°I heard. We¡¯re heading to the old capital of this country, right? Is it that dangerous?¡±


    I look over at Max, who let out a sigh before saying, ¡°Yes, incredibly so. Even though the Majin has long since abandoned the area, anything can now reside in that city.


    ¡°Sounds dangerous.¡± Aaron closes his eyes and crosses his arm. ¡°Still, I have to go.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± I lean back in my chair. ¡°You must have something worth fighting for.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my whole village is counting on me.¡±


    When Aaron mentions his village, I again remember that Aaron is from Ath, a neighboring country ruled by the Church and overrun with bandits and monsters.


    When he told me where he came from the first time, I should¡¯ve immediately known the reason he¡¯s here is to earn money to feed or protect his family.


    Once again, I¡¯m reminded that everyone has a reason to fight.


    ¡°As expected of my brother!¡± Leo stomps to the corner of my room and tightly hugs Aaron. ¡°You know I have three kids of my own!¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you come here to support your kids?¡± I lean forward, curious about Leo¡¯s story.


    ¡°Nope!¡± Leo happily yells. ¡°I left my kids with my four wives so I could go out and see the world!¡±


    ¡°Cute way of saying you¡¯re a deadbeat dad!¡± a drunkard shouted.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m doing this for my kid! I went on this adventure so I could have stories to tell them!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re going to mention all the asses you were checking out to your kids too, right?!¡± The whole cafeteria bust out laughing.


    ¡°Okay, you assholes, what are you fighting for!¡±


    As if anticipating Leo¡¯s question, one of the contestants stomps onto the table and loudly proclaims, ¡°I want every man wants. Money! Fame! Women!¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Leo pointed towards the man. ¡°You¡¯re even shallower than me.¡±


    ¡°Even if it''s shallow, it''s worth fighting for, am I right, guys?!¡± one by one, people stood and shouted out what they wanted, and each time I felt a slight twinge of pain. It almost feels like someone is stabbing multiple needles into my heart.


    ¡°I would like to fight one of these royal guards.¡± The samurai said as he took a sip of his drink before saying. ¡°I heard they¡¯re quite strong.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that one!¡± Everyone laughed. I also raised my glass to wish him luck on his lofty dream.


    ¡°So, you got any big dreams, cutie?¡± A drunkard flops next to Jez. ¡°You are cute, right?¡± The man reaches for Jez¡¯s hood, but her wyvern quickly crawls on her shoulder and growls. The man jumped away.


    ¡°You should be careful, friend. All the women here have teeth.¡± Another drunk guy approached Jez.


    ¡°Sorry about my friend, but can you tell us why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Jez puts down her drink and turns to the two drunk men.


    My ears perk up. Out of everyone here, Jez is probably the person I''m the most curious as to why she¡¯s here.


    ¡°New. Age.¡± The room fell silent as they waited for Jez to continue. However, she simply grabbed her cup and took another sip.


    Used to Jez¡¯s short and simple words, I knew she wasn¡¯t going to elaborate. I look over Max, the only other person who spent time with Jez. The newly formed Prometheus sitting on his lap shrugs her shoulders.


    Realizing Jez wasn¡¯t going to say anything else, the two drunkards moved to the opposite end of the cafeteria, where two guys sat alone at their table. One of the men wore old, rusted armor, and the other one had their backs to everyone.


    ¡°Hey, you two, stop being shy and tell us your dreams!¡±


    ¡°My dream?¡± Lock with his helmet still looks down at his cup, clearly deep in thought. ¡°I will make sure everyone remembers the sacrifices my comrades made.


    A shiver went down my spine. Once again, for some reason, I felt threatened when Lock spoke. And it seems the two drunks felt threatened, too, as they quickly went towards the other loner.


    ¡°¡­¡± The guy turned to the two drunks. I nearly dropped my cup when I saw the familiar scars on his face.


    ¡°What¡­ do you want?¡± Scar turns towards the two men, his eyes hallow


    ¡°We just want to know your aspiration.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± Scar said in his usual monotone voice.


    ¡°Oh, come on. Every man has a dream or someone to fight for.¡±


    ¡°With if I told you I don¡¯t have any inspiration nor anything to fight for?¡±


    I wince at Scar¡¯s word. Everything he said felt directed at me.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re a fool for risking your life for no reason.¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m a fool, then what does that make you?¡± Scar rises from his seat. Even though he was about the same size as the two men, he seemed to loom over them. ¡°Please tell me, what¡¯s different between someone who has a purpose and someone who don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Well, obviously, a person who has something to die for well always be stronger than a hollow man.¡± One of the drunks pounds their chest, proud of his answer.


    ¡°I see.¡± Without warning, Scar pulls a knife and thrust it at one drunk¡¯s neck, stopping just before the blade pierces his neck.


    ¡°Hey, you assh-¡°Scar grabs other the one¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s wrong? Unlike me, you have resolved a purpose which means you should easily be stronger than me, right?¡±


    ¡°Ack.¡± One of the drunks tries to speak; however, Scar squeezes his neck, squeezing the air out of him.


    ¡°I see, so there¡¯s no difference between us. ¡°Scar lowers his knife and lets go of the other guy. Without a word, he stomps out of the room.


    ¡°What a mood killer, so what are you here for, little one?¡± Leo places his heavy hand on my shoulder. I kept my eyes on the window, staring off into the night sky.


    Why is it so important to have a dream? Is it wrong to live without a purpose?


    I thought back to Scar. His eyes were empty like usual. However, before he left the room, there was a looked of disappointment and sadness on his face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, tell us what you want!¡± Leo squeezes my shoulder. I continue to stare out the window. Through the reflection, I vaguely saw a girl staring back at me with empty eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Unable to answer his question, I said what I desired right now. ¡°I just want a stronger drink.¡±

 Chapter 32: Into the Dark

    Chapter 32


    Into the Dark


    The sounds of snoring echoed throughout the cafeteria; after partying their hearts out, everyone was sound asleep¡ªeveryone except me.


    I slam my cup onto the table and lean back in my chair, enjoying the silence. The sensation of the alcohol going down. A ghostly pale light pours into the darkroom. I shield my eyes as I look out the window. The moon loomed over the airship bathing everything in soft white light.


    ¡°Is there supposed to be a full moon tonight?¡± I looked through my hazy mind trying to remember the last moon phase, but I quickly gave up and grabbed the nearest bottle. Overwhelming disappointment flowed through me when I realized there wasn¡¯t even a drop left in the bottle.


    I slowly get up from my seat and stumble across the empty cafeteria, making sure not to step on any of the drunks sleeping on the floor. Broken glass and liquid that stink of alcohol cover the counter and the floor. I dropped to my knees and searched through the waste for anything drinkable.


    ¡°There has to be something here. There has to be.¡± In my desperate search, I ripped open one of the cabinet doors, tossing broken bottles and anything else that was in my way. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to think anymore.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for something good to drink, then I got exactly what you need.¡± The moonlight glowed brighter as a familiar voice spoke to me. I would¡¯ve happily run towards the voice any other time, but right now, I held my breath and hoped it would go away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, not now.¡±


    ¡°Catherine, turn around, please.¡± The voice begs weakly. I take a deep breath and turn around. Before me, bathed in the moonlight, was a dark skin man with gold that shone brightly in the dark. Dirt caked his face and overalls. Everything about him was exactly how I remembered it ten years ago.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s like I¡¯m looking at a mirror.¡± The man said while snickering. ¡°You know your mom was always sad that you didn¡¯t inherit any of her looks.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I unintentionally raised my voice. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like this is fucking normal. You¡¯re dead! And this is probably a hallucination or a dream.¡±


    ¡°And does that matter? Right now, at this very moment, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I..¡± I dug deep into my very self for the answer.


    What do I want? Right now, what do I desire more than money and even our family home?


    ¡°I¡­ just want us to be together again.¡±


    ¡°Then sit with me. let¡¯s enjoy this moment while it''s last.¡± Dad pats the chair next to him, gesturing to sit in it.


    ¡°Sure, why not. I don¡¯t have anything else left to lose.¡± I listened to my delusional and sat down.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s been bothering you?¡± Dad asked as he poured a cloudy white liquid into a cup before passing it to me.


    I snicker a little.


    ¡°If you¡¯re a part of my delusion, then you already know the answer to your question.¡±


    ¡°I do, but still, I want to hear it from your mouth.¡±


    I grabbed the cup, knowing full well it¡¯s not real, and took a sip. A memory came back to me as the liquid went down. A memory of mom humming to herself as she baked a pie. The pie¡¯s aroma of waft through the cafeteria, and the familiar taste of mother¡¯s cooking danced on my tongue.


    ¡°For most of my life, I¡¯ve been fighting to keep hold of this. For these memories, but now every time I think about the past, I just see mom dying, and this overwhelming guilt consuming me.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just quit? If it''s causing you so much pain, then just quit. ¡±


    I looked up at my dad. His words were simple, yet I couldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    My dad snickered and said, ¡°Why do you look so surprised?¡±


    ¡°The store is you and mom life¡¯s work. All your dreams and every memory we made is there.¡±


    ¡°I loved the store. I really do. But I love you more, Catherine. I would give up everything to see you happy. Besides, you seem to be misunderstanding something.¡± My dad leans towards me and places a finger on my forehead.


    ¡°The store doesn¡¯t hold our dream nor our memory. You do. As long you never forget us. We¡¯ll always be alive.¡±


    ¡°But, but I stole, lied, I even killed someone all for our family home. What will I do if I quit now?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want. The world is yours.¡± Dad pointed at the window. The sky seemed so much larger and wide. I tear my gaze away, afraid I¡¯ll be swallowed if I look any longer.


    ¡°I know it may seem overwhelming, Catherine, but if you take your time and look within yourself, you¡¯ll find it. Your purpose.¡±


    As dad spoke, the sea of clouds split open, revealing thousands of stars. Then, one by one, the stars lit up, flooding the entire world in a blinding light.


    ¡°Never forget this, Catherine.¡± Dad¡¯s voice echoed faintly in the white I now found myself in. ¡°If you¡¯re ever lost looked within yourself. You¡¯re a star, too; you can shine just as bright.


    .


    .


    .


    Even with my eyes closed, the light was painfully bright. I weakly waved my hand to push whatever was shining in my face, but the nuisance persisted.


    Annoyed, I open my eyes to see the rising sun. But, unfortunately, before I had a chance to admire the view, a searing headache began to form, blurring my vision.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I let out a weak moan as I rubbed my temple. The pain continued to intensify. Eventually, it became impossible for me to think.


    ¡°Here, drink this. It should help with the pain¡± A cup slides onto the table. I snatched the cup and chugged down its content.


    ¡°Egh.¡± I stuck my tongue out, a disgusting taste sticking to my taste bud. The liquid went down slow. It almost felt like it was crawling down my throat. It took quite a bit of willpower to stop myself from spitting it back up.


    ¡°Taste like shit, huh?¡± Bella flops down in a chair next to me, wearing a shit-eating grin. ¡°At least your headache was gone, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is.¡± I tilted my head left and right, relieved the pain was gone.


    ¡°Slime tea is what we call it. We mostly save for men who party a bit too hard before an operation. And it looks like we¡¯ll have to make more.¡± Bella glances over at the drunks sleeping soundly on the floor and tables.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± I look down at Leo and Aaron, sleeping on a table they broke.


    ¡°Oh, no need to apologize to me. I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s going to clean this up. Still, I never expected you to be a heavy drinker.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Cat ears.¡± Bella chugs her drink down before continuing. ¡°You mind showing me your aura?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but I can only use aura a certain number of times before I exhaust myself.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about the last trial, don¡¯t. You¡¯ll have time to rest up before we make it there.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± I nervously place my hand on the table. It was kind of awkward showing off a technique, especially since it¡¯s a flawed one.


    First Round!


    Three orbs materialize around my hand as I concentrate my very will into my hand. The orbs slam into each other, forming into a small blanket of light that dissipates as fast as it appeared.


    ¡°Just like thought. The spark you had is gone.¡± Bella places her hand on the table. A soft light forms around her hand and quickly travels up her arm. ¡°Aura.¡±  Bella raised her arm imbued with aura. "Is a manifestation of our will. And as you know, willpower allows us to move this shell, which we call our bodies. It¡¯s why motivated people tend to be more energetic, and those who suffer from depression are lethargic. Aura follows the same rule. This is the reason why aura is such a difficult technique to master. It''s quite hard to stay optimistic when someone is trying to kill you.¡±


    Bella crosses her leg. I shift uncomfortably in my chair in a futile attempt to avoid her piercing gaze.


    ¡°And yet, and just a few months, you were able to a master aura.¡±


    ¡°Master? Did not see what I created?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Bella leans forward, wearing a wicked smile. ¡°Tell me, why do you think you can use aura only a certain amount of time?¡±


    ¡°Because I suck at using it."


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Bella snaps her finger at me. I tilted my head, trying to figure out what she was getting at.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you suck at manipulating aura that you unconsciously found a work-around.¡± As she spoke, a soft light enveloped her entire body. ¡°Aura is a utility that boosts a person''s strength and defense, but you seemed to convince yourself that your technique is a special move that you can only use a certain amount of times. Because of this mindset, you¡¯re able to use a technique that would typically take years and why your punches are abnormally strong.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I nodded my head, not fully understanding what she was saying.


    Listen, Cat ears. This place is full of freaks and geniuses, so you¡¯ll never hear this from them, but I want you to know that you are talented. It¡¯s the reason why Dante decided to train you. But you see Dante is¡­ well¡­¡± Bella twirls her braid around her finger. Knowing her, she is probably trying to say something without coming off as rude.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Dante, no, all the royal guards are abnormal superhumans who have a crooked¡­.¡± Bella stopped and looked at me. I kept a blank expression pretending I wasn¡¯t bothered by the word.


    ¡°The royal guards have a skewed perspective of things. When they see someone with talent, they¡¯ll throw them to the wolves and expect them to survive. While I do believe in tough love. This time I think they went too far.¡± For a moment, Bella¡¯s expression soften. Behind the hardened exterior was a worried woman.


    ¡°Catherine, I know why you¡¯re here. You fight for the memories of the ones you loved. But seeing as you lost your spark, I¡¯ll remind you. You don¡¯t have to go along with Dante¡¯s plan; there are many things a talented person like you can do the adventurer guild would happily take someone like you. And if they don¡¯t then I¡¯ll vouch for you.¡±


    I chuckle at the thought of Bella trying to convince a reception to hire me. And knowing Bella¡¯s personality, it¡¯ll somehow turn into a fight, perhaps a full-on brawl.


    ¡°And¡­¡± Bella stands up and saunters over to a chair next to me. I resisted the urge to move away as she leaned in towards me, her breath blowing on my ear. If you¡¯re worried about the Crooked Man and his gang chasing you down. Then if you want, I¡¯ll take care of them.  Personally.¡±


    My mind went blank for a moment. The answer to a problem that¡¯s been plaguing me for years suddenly sprang up in front of me.


    ¡°Why, would you go this far for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what anyone in my family would do.  And I have no intention of disappointing them.¡± Bella touches the silver cross dangling from her ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot like Max.¡±


    ¡°In what ways?.¡± Bella scowls.


    ¡°Both of you seem to want to live up to your family''s expectations.¡±


    ¡°The Phoenix clan only cares about serving the king. My family''s loyalty is to the people, but I guess that¡¯s hard to tell with me in this uniform.¡± Bella pinches her skirt and lifts ever so slightly, giving me a glimpse of underneath shorts.


    ¡°I was never a fan of this uniform.¡± Despite saying that. The outfit looked good on her even though she sloppily threw it on.


    ¡°W-What happened here?!¡± A shrill voice snaps me out of my thought. One of the airship workers steps into the room, Her face pales the moment she looks at the mess that is well the mess hall.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Bella grabs my arm and drags me out of the room before the worker can say anything else.


    ¡°So, what do you think about becoming an adventurer?¡±


    I thought back to my dream last night, ignoring the screaming behind me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit while these trials have been eye-opening and fun in a weird and strange way.   I don¡¯t think I can handle a job that involves me risking my life every day. After this tournament is over, I¡¯m never fighting again.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re not quitting?¡±


    The more you fight, the stronger you¡¯ll get.  And the stronger you get, the more you¡¯ll remember.


    ¡°No.¡± I look forward, the words Crook told me echoing in my head.  I¡¯ll admit. I don¡¯t know what I truly want, but the only way I¡¯ll ever learn is by understanding myself, and the only way I can do that is by keeping moving forward. Oh, but I¡¯ll appreciate it if you still took care of the Crooked Man and Scar.¡±


    ¡°So, you turn down my offer, but you still want me to deal with your problem?¡± Bella lets out a small sigh before looking down at me. Sure, I¡¯ll take care of them, and their little gang after the tournament is over.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I stopped walking; Bella stopped too. Scar on the ship, can¡¯t you take care of him now?¡±


    ¡°Trust me; I wish I could. But none of the royal guards are allowed to harm the contestants, nor are we allowed to help them during the trials.¡±


    ¡°That sucks.¡±


    ¡°It does. And believe me. If I didn¡¯t have to follow the king¡¯s order, then I would¡­.¡± Bella¡¯s voice trails off as she begins to walk down the hallway.  With nothing else better to do, I decided to keep following her.


    Since I locked myself in my room the moment I got on board, I¡¯m once again surprised at the size of the airship. The grated floor twists and turn and split into different directions.


    ¡°So, where are we going?¡± I look up at Bella, who confidently navigated the steel labyrinth.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find my partner. And knowing him, he¡¯s probably in the training room.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a training room?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there is. We¡¯re on a military ship.¡± Bella said matter of factly.


    ¡°You know this is my first time ever on an airship.¡±


    ¡°That so? I guess I¡¯ll be your tour guide.¡± Despite saying that, Bella didn¡¯t say anything about the rooms or weird machinery, we passed by. Instead, she just kept strolling through a metallic behemoth until we reached a door. Bella lightly knocks on the door and then unceremoniously kicks it open before anyone can respond.


    The room was big, almost as big as the cafeteria. But, besides the matted floor, the room was bare. The only thing that stood out in the room was the grown woman chasing a boy that¡¯s throwing fire at her.


    ¡°Bring her out already?¡± Emma shouted.


    ¡°So, you can try to kidnap her again? I refuse!¡± Max snapped back while throwing another fireball.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap her. I just wanted to teach her how to defend herself.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s made of fire! She doesn¡¯t need your self-defense. Also, she doesn¡¯t even like you!¡±


    Despite how absurd the situation was, I have to say it¡¯s impressive seeing Emma masterfully evading the fire. Not even her clothes got singe.


    ¡°Seeing how bad your aim is, maybe I should train you too.¡±


    Max¡¯s eyebrow twitches from Emma¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Since you can handle a bit of heat, I guess I don¡¯t need to go easy on you.¡±


    Ignite, Prometheus


    A column of fire burst into existence. The fire twisted and contorted into itself until it took the shape of a little girl in a simple red dress.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Emma dashes past Max and tackles the newly formed spirit to the ground.  I¡¯ve been looking all over for you!¡±


    ¡°Fu!¡± Eyes wide with fear, Prometheus desperately tries to wiggle her way out of Emma¡¯s grapple before giving up and poofing out of existence.


    ¡°See, told you she doesn¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you!¡±


    ¡°Looks like the old man was here.¡± Ignoring the two in the background, Bella kneels, examining the floor.


    ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°Look.¡± Bella raises a black feather towards me. Unless someone snuck a bird on board, then there¡¯s only one thing that leaves feathers like this behind.¡± Bella lets out a sigh as she walks towards the door. I turn around to follow her, but two arms wrap around my waist and lift me off the ground.


    ¡°Where are you going? Don¡¯t you wanna learn martial art?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not interested!¡± I frantically dangle my legs to break free out of her hold.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯ll even teach you how to break out of this grapple.¡±


    ¡°Try not to overdo it, you two. The trial will start later today.¡± Bella said heartlessly as she left the room. In the corner of my eye, I caught a glance of Max attempting to sneak out.


    ¡°You bastard, are you really going to leave me!¡± I screamed. Max flinch slightly and then sprint out of the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t want to know how to hit without getting hit?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not curious.¡± I stopped struggling and took a deep breath.  It¡¯s just once these trials and tournament is over; I have no intention of fighting again.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something.  I don¡¯t want to teach you so you can get into fights. Martial arts was created to teach people how to defend themselves.¡± Suddenly, Emma let go of me.


    ¡°When a person finds themselves in danger they will either take action or freeze up. Sadly, most people fall into the latter. They¡¯ll sit there trembling, hoping a hero or some white knight will save them. But the truth is no such thing exists in this world. If it did, there¡¯d be less home burn down and fewer people being taken advantage of by cowards who claim they¡¯re strong.¡± Anger begins to seep into Emma¡¯s voice as she speaks, and her expression darkens.


    Realizing she is getting sucked into her emotion, Emma pauses to clear her throat.


    ¡°In the end, when you are in danger, the only person you can truly count is yourself.  And I hoped to by teaching self-defense, there¡¯ll be fewer people taking advantage of by cowards.


    I thought about what Emma said. As much as I want to deny it, I¡¯m without doubt the latter. Ten years. I spent ten years under The Crooked Man¡¯s thumb, and I didn¡¯t do a damn thing about it. I just did what he told foolishly, expecting him to keep his promise and give my family store back.


    Even now, I¡¯m still not doing anything to fix my situation. Instead, I¡¯m relying on Bella to do it. While I¡¯m confident Bella can easily take care of Crook and his gang, she isn¡¯t always going to be there to help me when I¡¯m in danger. If I want to live a normal life free of worry, I¡¯m going to have to get stronger.


    ¡°Alright, you convince me. I guess I¡¯ll join your school.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widen with joy. Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Huh?  right now? Won¡¯t the last trial be starting soon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have time.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at her. "Do we really? Doesn¡¯t it take weeks just to learn a single technique?"


    ¡°Oh, we should stretch first before getting started.¡± Emma began stretching, clearly not listening to a single word I said.


    I looked at the door, debating if I should sneak out while she lost in her reverie.


    ¡°I guess it''s better than sitting around and worrying about things to come,¡± I mumble to myself as I start to stretch. During the warmup, Emma stopped stretching and watched me closely.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I unconsciously hug my body to hide it from her glare.


    ¡°Now that I get a good look at you, your body pretty limber.¡± Emma grabs my arm and gently pokes it with her finger.


    ¡°Yep, they¡¯re hard to see, but you got some nice muscle, and your stomach quite tone¡­.¡± I wince at the cold finger touching my abdomen.


    ¡°I appreciate it if you didn¡¯t touch me so casually.¡± I slip through her grip and quickly put some space between us.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I was just impressed with your physique. You must work out quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°Not really. I kind of always been like this.¡± Emma frowned slightly at my statement.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re one of those lucky bastards that don¡¯t have to try to maintain your figure.¡±


    ¡°I would say you¡¯re luckier than me.¡± I looked up at Emma''s well-endowed chest pressing against her white dress shirt.


    ¡°Oh, these.¡± Emma grabs her chest. You¡¯re not missing out on much. The only thing these bags do is slow me down and earn me uncomfortable stares.


    Hearing her say that is equivalent to a noble complaining to a starving person about how bad his chef''s cooking was.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± Claps her hands together.


    ¡°Right, so what are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Good question.¡±


    I raise an eyebrow at Emma, who fell deep into thought.


    ¡°Hey, have you ever trained someone before?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Emma, who was giving me a wide grin. "And you want to open up a school?¡±


    ¡°Think of this as a learning experience for both of us. Besides, you¡¯re a special case. You¡¯re already in shape. And seeing how you made it this far, I¡¯m assuming you know how to fight.¡±


    ¡°I know a thing or two, I supposed.¡±


    Dante taught me a little about hand-to-hand combat. Although his main focus was teaching me aura and how to deal with troublesome opponents.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll skip to the advance lesson. Prepare yourself, my little pupil. I¡¯ll be teaching you soft defense.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°It''s best if I show you. Come on¡­¡± Emma confidently puffs her chest out. "Try to hit me.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Apparently, I hit pretty hard.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be able to hurt me?¡±


    ¡°Ok then.¡± I wind my arm back and throw a half-assed punch at Emma. As my fist touches her stomach, Emma turns ever so slightly, giving off the illusion that my punch slid off her body.


    ¡°You see that?  Instead of blocking or dodging, I follow the flow of your attack to negate any damage you would¡¯ve done.  It¡¯s quite a simple technique, really.¡±


    Simple, but probably hard to master. I¡¯m sure it takes more than just reflex to use that technique. More than likely, you¡¯ll have to intensely train your body to react to an attack that hit you.


    ¡°Alright, now you try!¡±  Without warning, Emma threw a punch at me.  I jumped back to evade it. What are you doing?!


    ¡°I¡¯m training you!¡± Emma shouted as she charged at me to continue her attack.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least give me a few more examples or at the very least a hint?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that!¡±


    ¡°Then what the hell is the point of this?!  Whoa!¡± I lean backward to evade Emma¡¯s punch. But, before I had a chance to recover from evading, another attack was already heading towards me.


    Her attacks weren¡¯t necessarily fast, but her body was in constant motion. Each of her attacks flows seamlessly into the next one. It probably would¡¯ve been mesmerizing if I wasn¡¯t on the receiving end.


    ¡°Shit.¡± I silently cursed myself when I felt my back hit a wall. Emma quickly closed the distance, ensuring I couldn¡¯t escape and threw a wild left. I raise my left arm to block it.  A moment before her punch could connect, she stopped. I caught a glimpse of her foot coming towards me in my peripheral. I quickly lifted my right arm, but I was too late.  Her kick easily slips past my guard and stops near my head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say you made a mistake attempting to predict my attacks.¡± Emma pulls her leg back as she begins to lecture.  However, as you can see, skilled opponents can use that against you.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think. React instead. When you¡¯re dancing with someone, you don¡¯t think about what they¡¯re going to do next. You simply react to their movement.¡± Emma gently waved her arms through the air while swaying her hips as she spoke.


    ¡°Most people think of martial arts as nothing more than punching and kicking. But just like dancing, martial art requires every part of your body, so relax your body and follow my movements.


    ¡°Like a mirror, I mimicked her movement.  Our hands seemed to float across the air, and our feet glided across the floor. Before I knew it, I found myself in the combat stance Emma used.


    ¡°Very good, Catherine. Now, let¡¯s continue our dance.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Underneath the black sky so dark, neither the star nor moon could be seen.  A dilapidated chapel was at the end of the barren street that once was brimming with life. Inside the old ruin, a pinkish flesh-like substance covered the walls. A woman draped in torn white gown caked with dried blood stood in the center of the desolate building, her hands clasped together in prayer.


    ¡°Let us praise the Demon King and all those who have ascended before him. The time has finally come.  Dante and his blind disciples will soon arrive in this blessed land.¡±


    The walls around the chapels begin to squirm at the mention of Dante¡¯s name. Hands stretch from the wall as if trying to break free but are pulled back into the fleshy substance.


    ¡°Calm down, my children. When the time is right, we¡¯ll give the sheeps a proper introduction to the Demon King Domain.¡±

 Chapter 33:Black Dawn

    Chapter 33


    Black Dawn


    ¡°Minimize your movement!¡± Emma roared as she threw a barrage of punches at me.


    It took all my focus to evade her attacks at some point in the middle of her barrage; she threw a wild swing. I plant my feet firmly on the ground, fully intending to counter her blow.


    Emma unclenched her fist and grabbed my arm. An instant later, I was swept off my feet with a low kick. Emma easily lifted me in the air. I twist my body around landed back on my feet. I returned the favor and kicked her legs as hard as I could. To my surprise, her legs gave out easily, but I quickly realized this was set up for a counter.


    As she fell, she twisted her hip and swung her leg at me. I duck low, evading her attack. Emma placed her hands on the floor and used the monument to spin her body around for another kick.


    Knowing that another attack would be coming after this one, I let her kick hit me in the side. Emma''s eyes widened when I grabbed her leg, stopping her flow of attacks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I¡¯m impressed you stopped my kick. However, that wasn¡¯t the point of the exercise. You¡¯re supposed to evade my attacks with minimal movement.


    ¡°You seriously don¡¯t expect me to learn this technique in a single day.¡±


    ¡°I mean, you made it this far with minimal combat knowledge. So, I figure you were a fighting genius who can learn a technique from a single glance.¡±


    ¡°Does someone like that exist? Actually, never mind, forget I asked.¡± As soon as I asked the question, I immediately thought of the royal guards. I¡¯m sure one of them who ignores common sense can easily do that.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue our little dance- on second thought, it looks like we¡¯re out of time.¡± Just as I got back into our fighting stance, the door to the training room opened. The hungover contestant sluggishly enters the room.


    ¡°Is that all of them?¡± After the last person enters. Dante turns to Bella.


    ¡°It¡¯s all the ones that still want to participate.¡± Bella shrugs her shoulders.


    ¡°Then I guess we begin explaining the operation.¡± Dante was speaking to Bella. However, he spoke loud enough that everyone could hear him.


    ¡°Operation? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a trial?¡± Max step forwards


    ¡°It is, but if you want to survive. You should think of this as a mission. After all, you will all be hunting a Pale wing.


    ¡°What?! Is this a joke!¡± Fear, panic, and sheer disbelief swept over most of the contestants.


    A pale wing is a massive flying beast that can easily destroy a village and perhaps even a small town with the beat of its wings. Calling them a threat would be an understatement. They¡¯re a force of nature that requires quite a large military force to take them down.


    ¡°You can quit whenever you want. No one is keeping you here. Besides, I gave you an alternative, but all of you standing here decided to stay.¡±


    Bella¡¯s word silences the crowd. I thought back to how Bella tried to get me to quit the trial and become an adventurer.


    Taking advantage of the silence, Dante took a step forward and continued to speak.


    ¡°I understand your concern. But know this isn¡¯t a punishment. I fully believe every one of you is a capable warrior who can accomplish this task. But do keep in mind this will not be easy. The Pale Wing is a dangerous threat, but your true enemy will be the city itself. While the majins may have left the city. The Demon King presence still lingers here. For the sake of your safety and sanity. Assume everything down there is your enemy, including yourself.¡±


    Dante leaves the room before anyone could ask a question or even respond.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving at Black Dawn in one hour. Use that time to prepare yourself and form your team. Oh¡­.¡± Just as Bella was about to leave, she abruptly. ¡°If you change your mind, then come visit my room. I¡¯ll set up an appointment with the adventurer guild later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll love to visit her room.¡± Leo''s tail wags energetically as he stares Bella back.


    ¡°Well, at least we don¡¯t have to fight each other.¡± Aaron¡¯s eyes seemed to sparkle with hope despite where we were heading.


    ¡°Yea, but now we have to deal with a monster that¡¯s almost on par with a dragon.¡± Max brushed through his hair, clearly annoyed at Aaron¡¯s foolish optimism.


    ¡°If we all work together, then we should easily be able to defeat him! Right guys?!¡±


    I looked away from Aaron, debating if I should remind him that this is a tournament and some people will do anything to improve their chances of winning, including sabotaging their own teammates. Luckily for me, Max seems to be fully committed to fixing Aaron¡¯s naivety.


    ¡°Even if by some miracle you manage to get everyone to work together, it wouldn¡¯t be wise. We¡¯ll be fighting in narrow streets, not to mention our opponent can create a large gust of wind with their wings. We¡¯ll all be wiped out if were clump together.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°If that is the case, then you should join my squad.¡± Emma grabs my shoulder and pulls me close. ¡°I can train you during this trial.¡±


    ¡°That sounds good. But¡­¡± I look towards the man clad in old and rusted metal armor. Even with his face covered by his helmet, I was still getting bad vibes from him.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll work with my old team.¡± Emma frowns for a moment but quickly brightens up.


    ¡°I guess we can make this a competition. Let¡¯s see which team can defeat the big bird first.¡±


    I turn down her offer. Even though I decided to participate in the trial, I had no intention of racing to my death. Nor did I have any intention of facing the Pale Wing either. From the little information I got from Dante and Bella, it sounds like everyone will pass the trial if someone kills the monster.


    After saying farewell to Emma, I search for Max and Jez through the crowd. I was surprised how fast people were grouping up. But then again, I guess everyone here realizes that exploring the old capital alone is a death sentence.


    ¡°So, you decided to stay?¡± Both Jez and Max looked down at me and crosses his arms. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I swear I could see a slight smirk on his face.


    ¡°Against my better judgment.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m. Glad.¡± Jez placed a hand on her chest and gave me a small smile. It''s quite a pleasant feeling to have someone genuinely happy to have me around. Then again, she could just be happy to have an extra body to protect her. For the sake of my mental health, I¡¯ll choose to believe the former.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± I looked up at Max expectedly at Max.


    ¡°Now that the whole team is here, we have a decent chance of taking the Pale Wing down.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, ah. Never mind.¡± Seeing the burning look in his eyes, I remember the sole reason he came here was to impress his family. And there¡¯s nothing more impressive than killing one of the Apex predators of the sky. Maybe I should join Emma¡¯s team after all.


    I looked over to were in Emma direction. I immediately felt a chill when my eyes fell on the man in armor.


    I don¡¯t want to work with Aaron either. While I think he¡¯s a good person, I get the feeling he and Leo will try to jump off a five-story building and attempt to hit the flying monster.


    ¡°There¡¯s really no one sane here? Is it?¡± I grumble to myself.


    Max begins to explain his plan, which basically boils down to him burning the monster while I and Jez distract it.


    While Max continues to spew nonsense, I silently observe everyone as they form their team and plans. It dawns on me. At the start of the trial, there were around three hundred contestants now there¡¯s only around fifty. A reminder we¡¯re nearing the end.


    I honestly never thought I would make it this far. I simply join this tournament in a desperate attempt to get my store. But now, regardless of whether I win or lose. I want to see this through to the end.


    After about an hour pass, a feeling of sheer horror washes over me. It felt like the jaw of a beast was hovering just above my neck. And it seems I¡¯m not the only one who feels this way. Even Emma, who was eager to fight, was now ghostly pale.


    ¡°W- What is this?¡± I hugged my body to stop the trembling.


    ¡°This is the Lingering presence of the Demon King.¡± Bella steps back into the room wearing a grim expression. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the old capital. Anyone who¡¯s still feeling brave followed me.¡± Bella walked out of the room, but no one followed her. Instead, we all stare at the door, frozen in fear.


    The first person to move was one of Emma¡¯s teammates. His rusted armor creak as he put one foot in front of the other.


    After nearly dying countless amount of times in a single day, it¡¯ll be stupid if I give up just because I got scared.


    I took a step forward. Each step I took, the fear holding me weakened. Eventually, I could leave the room along with everyone else who gained control of their body.


    Bella and a few other soldiers stood in the hallway, waiting for us. The soldier approaches us, carrying bags. They dug into the bag giving each team a lantern and a strangely shaped pistol.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so I¡¯ll explain as we move.¡± Bella moved briskly down the hall, fully expecting us to follow her.


    ¡°Black Dawn is permanently cloaked in darkness. That lantern will be your only source of light. It also may scare away some creatures, may piss some off too, so be careful how you use it.¡±


    ¡°And the gun?¡± I raised the pistol in the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s a flare gun. Shoot it in the air if you feel like you¡¯re in danger or if you¡¯re too injured to continue. Keep in mind you will be disqualified if you leave before the Pale Wing is killed.¡±


    ¡°In that case¡­.¡± Max snatches the gun out of my hand.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if I hold something as important as this.¡±


    Yeah right. I bet he¡¯s holding it, so we won¡¯t be able to run away.


    ¡°Dante and I will also be taking part in this trial. However, our main job is to protect the airship, so don¡¯t expect us to save you when you¡¯re in need. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°Yea.¡± Aaron meekly raised his hand. ¡°Where is the Pale Wing?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. But we have teams on the ground that¡¯s been monitoring the situation. They¡¯ve been ordered to stay out of your way, but you can ask them for assistance. However, keep in mind they have been there for a while.


    I nearly asked if that was a bad thing, but then I remembered that intense feeling of dread that overcame me when we entered Black Dawn. Even now, this unpleasant pressure is hanging over me. I doubt I¡¯ll be able to last a day, let alone a week here.


    ¡°Now then.¡± The floor in front of us is open. The ruins of the capital lay below us. ¡°Find the Pale Wing and kill it. You only have a week to complete this trial.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you not expecting us to jump, are you?¡±


    ¡°This airship is our only ticket out of here. Staying airborne is the best way to keep it safe. But, of course, you¡¯re more than welcome to stay on the ship if you want.¡± Bella said, giving me a smug grin.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m going to hate myself for this later. Actually, probably in a few seconds.¡± I turn to Max and Jez. ¡°You guys ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am!¡± Both Max and Jez nodded their heads at me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do this!¡± I hop out of the airship and dive straight into the ruined city.


    I let out a grunt as I rolled onto the cracked ground. The airship continues to fly low over the city, dropping the rest of the contestants off.


    ¡°Yea, I already hate myself.¡± The dread I felt earlier intensified to the point my sixth sense that warned me of potential danger was constantly going off.


    ¡°You know you could¡¯ve warned us you were going to jump.¡± Max jumped to his feet and dusted off his suit.


    ¡°Sorry about that. If I didn¡¯t jump right then, I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve been able to do it at all.¡±


    ¡°Yea, I can understand that.¡± Max looks away


    I expected Max to chew me out, but he quickly dropped the subject to my surprise. It looked like this place was getting to him too.


    ¡°So, how exactly are we going to find the Pale Wing in this mess?¡± As I looked around, I noticed a light in the corner of my eyes. A red light flew high into the air, temporarily brightening the night sky.


    ¡°A flare already? But we just landed.¡± Max''s face pales.


    ¡°Maybe, they shot it by accident.¡±


    ¡°Yea, maybe that¡¯s it.¡± My excuse seems to settle Max down. However, just as we begin to relax. Jez wyvern let out a screech.


    ¡°They¡¯re. Here.¡± Jez placed her hand on the hilt of her staff.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s here?!¡± I reached for my knife while nervously scanning the area.


    A second later, a monstrous roar reverberated through the lonely streets.


    A hooded woman wearing what appears to be a priest cloak emerges from the building. Sickly pale humanoids stood behind her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The woman looked at us like she was looking at an insect. ¡°You¡¯re not Dante.¡±

 Chapter 34: City of Beasts

    Chapter 34


    City of Beasts


    ¡°You¡¯re a not royal guard either. You must be one of his minions.¡± The woman clicks her tongue annoyed. ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve expected as much from an old wrinkly man. They always brag about their accomplishments, but when it¡¯s time to step into action, they always send someone else to do their dirty work.


    The woman continues to grumble to herself angrily.


    ¡°Um, excuse me, are you a soldier?¡±


    ¡°Cat.¡± Jez placed a hand on my chest as I tried to take a step forward. I could see concern from the little I could see on her face.


    ¡°Oh, a beastman, how rare.¡± The woman removes her hood. What I saw was terrifying. She looked like a broken doll that was poorly put together. The woman was bald and had two different color irises: one yellow and one blue. There were stitches all over her face, no. Perhaps they¡¯re better described as patches. Each patch of skin was a different color.


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice shade of brown you got there. I always wonder how dark skin would look on my body. Hey, can you share some of your flesh with me?¡± Her yellow eye glow brightly


    ¡°¡­¡± I took a step back, trying to slip away from her mad gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I would¡¯ve loved to have a piece of you while you¡¯re still alive.¡± The woman snapped her finger, and two pale figures behind her took a step forward. The pale creatures¡¯ entire bodies were covered in stitches just like the woman¡¯s face. They possess elongated arms that scrape across the ground as they approach.


    ¡°Catherine!¡± Max yell.


    ¡°Yea, I¡¯m on it.¡± I jumped in front of Max and Jez. I immediately regretted this decision and wanted to scream at my past self for agreeing to this position.


    I shakily raise my guards towards one approaching pale monster. A cruel smile spread across the creature¡¯s face revealing their jagged teeth.


    In my current state, I¡¯m far too nervous to use aura. I guess I¡¯ll no choice but to use the other.


    Are you sure?


    The Crooked Man¡¯s voice echo in my head.


    The more you fight. The more the bad memories you avoided all your life comes back.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here.¡± I took a deep breath and murmured, ¡°Bloom.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    And at that moment, the nervous girl was no more. Instead, her round gold pupils narrow into slits, and an unnatural calmness washes over her.


    The monster paused, unsettled by the girl''s sudden change. But it quickly recovered and dashes on all four eagers to take a bite of her. However, it was met with a boot to the face. The creature fell on its back, confused as to what happened. The beast looks up to see the little girl staring down at him. Enraged, the beast jumped on all fours and swung its long arm. Before its claw could reach, a jab struck his face. The blow disoriented the creature long enough for Catherine to land another blow on its face.


    ¡°Aeii!¡± The creature lets a weird shout as it reels from the attacks. It places one of its hands on the ground to stop itself from falling again and then lunges at Catherine, desperate to push her onto the ground.


    Catherine twists her body and bashes her shoulder into a hideous beast. Their bodies collide. The monster''s eyes widen as it realizes that it failed to push a girl far smaller than him onto the ground, but it was also overpowered and pushed away.


    Catherine reels her arm back and throws a punch with her entire body weight behind it. The blow knocked the creature back onto the cobblestone.


    Catherine looks down at the creature, somewhat surprised. Up till this point, all her fights have been an uphill battle.


    ¡°You¡¯re kind of weak. No, maybe you¡¯re not.¡± Catherine thought back to all her fights and realized all our opponents were royal guards, master martial arts, or possessed abilities that deify logic.


    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re not weak. You¡¯re just weaker than me.¡±


    The creature didn¡¯t understand what the little girl was saying. But he could tell she was looking down on him.


    How dare you. How dare someone as small and pathetic as you look down at me. You should be on your knees begging just like my other prey.


    ¡°!!!¡± The pale beast lets out a roar fraught with frustration and rage. Catherine raised her guard and prepared herself for the second round.


    In the corner of her eyes, she spotted the second pale monster rushing her. The creature thrusts its claw at Catherine. However, he never reached her.


    The beast''s arm fell onto the ground. A beat later, a slit opens on his neck. Blood gushes from his neck and the served arm.


    Catherine dashes towards the remaining pale beast, knowing Jez was the one that protected her. Catherine leaps into the air and her knee the beast¡¯s face.


    The monster leans backward, blood oozing out of its now crushed nose. Still, in the air, Catherine reels her arm back once again.


    First Round


    Beads of light suddenly formed around her arms. The lights created a soft white aura that covered Catherine¡¯s arm. The aura imbued fist smashes the creature''s head into the cobblestone. The impact of the blow sounded like a cannon firing.


    The monster¡¯s body twitches slightly before going completely still. Its head is now buried in a small creator created from the attack.


    Panic begins welling up from within as Catherine realizes she took another life. However, this emotion quickly subsides, and once more, she found herself in a calm state.


    ¡°Good. Job.¡± Jez appears next to Catherine and places a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Thanks, but we¡¯re not done yet.¡± Catherine turns her attention to the woman.


    ¡°I guess I should¡¯ve expected this much from Dante¡¯s minion. I would¡¯ve loved to kill you guys myself, but sadly we¡¯re out of time. You guys woke up the children of the city. If I were you, I would leave.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until you explain who you are.¡± Max threw a fireball at the woman as the woman turned to leave, stopping her in her tracks. Right now, all Max wanted to do was burn her until not even her ashes remained. But there were too many mysteries around her, like how she seemed to know where they landed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand how much danger you guys are in.¡±


    ¡°Just answer the damn question!¡± Max raises his hand, ready to incinerate her. Catherine grabbed Max¡¯s hand and dragged him away.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Max roared.


    ¡°Something is coming! A lot of something!¡± Catherine¡¯s ear twitches violently. Max looked behind them, wondering what frighted her.


    The cacophony of screams and footfalls eventually reached Max¡¯s ears. Then, from the darkness, childlike humanoids emerge.


    ¡°Goblins.¡± Max murmur.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be green?¡±


    ¡°It depends on the region. Their skin color changes, so they could-¡°


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for a lesson!¡± Catherine tightens her grip on Max¡¯s, urging him to move faster.


    ¡°!!!¡± The goblins let out a howl, and in the distance, they could hear more goblins shouting.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Catherine¡¯s face pales. She heard horror stories of how fast goblins breed even as they were being hunted. She couldn¡¯t imagine, no, she didn¡¯t want to imagine how many could be here in a place without human intervention.


    ¡°Max, can¡¯t you do something about these guys?!¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± As Max ran, he threw fireballs behind them. The fire incinerated the goblins in the front, but more goblins quickly replaced thems.


    ¡°Call Prometheus! You should be able to take all of them out with her!¡±


    ¡°I rather not waste my energy taking out some goblins only to be ambushed by another monster.¡±


    Catherine bit her lip. There¡¯s ittle bout with that patch-face woman, and those pale beasts show her that fighting in this place will only attract more monsters.


    Against her better judgment, she looked behind her. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw how far behind Jez was. One of the goblins leaps towards Jez. Dark swoops down from the sky and bashes it into a store¡¯s window.


    After seeing Jez fight. Catherine nearly forgot she was blind. For Jez, running at full speed was probably more dangerous than fighting monsters.


    ¡°Max! can you create a bright light?!¡± Catherine turns towards Max, desperately searching for a solution.


    ¡°Yeah, I should be able to do that.¡±


    ¡°Good, do that and take Jez into a nearby building.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to lead goblins away from you guys.¡± Catherine turns around and dashes towards the hordes.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Max shouted at Catherine. He threw a fireball in the air. The ball of fire explodes, creating a bright light, forcing the goblins to close their eyes. Catherine quickly takes advantage of the situation and kicks one of the goblins, sending him flying.


    Still blinded, the goblin next to Catherine swung its crude ax randomly in her direction. The ax slams into the ground near her. Before he could pulled his weapon out, Catherine swung her leg, landing a kick on its face and planting him into the cobblestone.


    Catherine glances behind her to see Max leading Jez by the hand towards a store. After seeing them hide, She dashes through the crowd taking out any goblins in her way.


    The light eventually faded, and the goblin looked back and forward for their prey until they heard a whistle. They turn their hateful gaze behind them towards Catherine. She places her foot on the head of one of the goblins she knocked out.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s next?¡± Catherine cracks her knuckle and waves her tail gesturing for them to come at her.


    Goblins are cruel creatures; however, they care deeply for each other or at least care about the goblin in their pack. Seeing their comrade on the ground


    sent them into a blind fury. The pack charged at Catherine while letting out a mad howl.


    ¡°Good, come at me!¡± Catherine fled down the street, leading the goblins away from her team.


    Catherine was a woman with many insecurities, but there¡¯s one thing she was confident about: her ability to escape from any pursuers.


    ¡°Come on! Is that as fast as your little legs can move?!¡± Catherine shouted, making sure their attention is only on her.


    ¡°Aiaf!¡± One of the goblins shouted while pointing in a different direction as if giving orders. Some of the small pale creatures went down a side street while others climbed up a building.


    Are they trying to cut me off?


    It didn¡¯t take long for her question to be answered. Multiple stagecoaches came barreling down a side street, blocking her path.


    Going around will give the goblins taking the side roads enough time to intercept her. So, she jumped inside through the broken window and dove out the other side of the stagecoach.


    ¡°Aiet!¡± One of the goblins on top shouted while pointing at her. Catherine figured they were cursing at her for easily slipping past the blockade, or they were giving away her location. Either way, she realized slipping away from these creatures wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Alright, let¡¯s see, well, you can keep track of me.


    Catherine sprints towards a nearby building, kicking open what appears to be an apartment, and then slams it shut and barricades it with a nearby dresser.


    The goblin pounded on the door, eager to get in and tear apart the only occupant in the building. It didn¡¯t take long for them to break the windows.


    The goblins let out a filthy laugh as they pour in through the window. Catherine retreated up the stairs. Her ear twitches at the sound of thumping above her. Three goblins came rushing down the stairwell. Behind her, she could hear more goblins coming up the steps. With both ways cut off. Catherine grabs her knife and press forward.-


    ¡°Hiee!¡± The goblin in front of her lunges at her. Catherine ducks, letting the creature fly down the steps. Then she raised her knife, blocking the second goblin¡¯s club. She wraps her tail around the goblin leg and pulls his feet from underneath him, sliding down the steps. The third goblin tackles her attempting to push her into the horde below.


    ¡°Eii¡± The goblin let out a shriek, surprised to see it fail to make Catherine budge and see the petite woman easily lifting him off the ground.


    ¡°Move,¡± Was all she said as she threw the goblin over her shoulder into the horde behind her. More goblins were moving above, making their way down the stairs. Retreating to the roof like she originally planned was no longer possible. Catherine kicks open the door to the third floor. All the doors in the hallway were either locked, barricaded, or broken down except for the second to the last door at the end of the hall, which was slightly ajar. Catherine took advantage of her small frame to slip into the room. Immediately she barricades the room with nearby furniture.


    As the goblins beat on the door, Catherine crawls out the already broken window and climbs up to the fourth floor, using the window ledge and loose brick sticking out of the apartment as a foothold.


    By the time goblins broke the door down, Catherine had already slipped into a room on the fourth floor. She hugs the floor and listens as the goblin stomp around the room, searching for her.


    Carefully, she wrapped her tail around a shard of glass and flung it out the window down the back alley.


    ¡°Hie!¡± The goblins scrambled out the window and ran in the direction where they heard glass shattering.


    Catherine lets out a sigh and flops down onto the bed. Goblins were somewhat clever creatures; however, she doubted they were smart enough to realize that all she did was escape to a higher floor.


    ¡°Now, I just need to regroup with Max and Jez.¡± After a brief respite, Catherine begin moving the bed and the other furniture that was blocking the door. After removing the barricade, she peeks into the hallway. It was pitch black. However, her eyes easily cut through the darkness. An ability she highly favors during her thieving career. But, now, a part of her wishes she couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Dried blood caked the floors. The blood trail leads out of destroyed rooms, indicating that something broke into the rooms and dragged the people away. Catherine tore a gaze from the sight and found herself staring at a strange fleshy substance growing on the wall. She swore she could see human faces in the wall and ceiling upon closer look.


    ¡°Just keep moving.¡± Catherine looks forward and focuses solely on finding Max and Jez fearing she go mad if she look any longer.


    Slowly, carefully she made her way upstairs. Going back onto the street was too dangerous since the goblins was hunting her. Thus, she went toward the roof as she had initially planned. Once again, her ears perk up, picking up the sound¡¯s goblins coming from behind the roof door.


    ¡°Give me a break,¡± Catherine moaned as she, her knife. She opens the door slightly. Two childlike creatures stood on the roof''s edge, looking down at the streets.


    ¡°There¡¯s only two of them. I can do this.¡± Catherine grips her knife tightly and dashes toward the goblin. Her footsteps were silent despite her running towards them. The creatures didn¡¯t notice her until she was already on top of them; her blade easily sliced open one of the necks of the unexpected goblin.


    The second one let out a scream as it swung its club at the back of Catherine¡¯s head. Only to hit the air as she simply ducks and kicks him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. The last thing the goblin saw was a knife going into its throat.


    Calmly, Catherine wipes the blood off her using the dirty rags on the goblin. After clearing the rooftop, observe her surroundings, even five stories up. She couldn''t see the entire ruin. The veil of darkness that swallowed the entire region was far too thick. Not even her sharp eyes could pierce through all of it. However, she could see dozens of goblins on the streets hunting her.


    ¡°Keep it together. This was just like when the town¡¯s guard had been searching for me for a week. I just need to keep to the side street and stay quiet. Catherine took another look at the city before quickly climbing down the building into the backstreets.


    The moment she steps into the alley, her thief instinct kicks in. She moved swiftly and quietly it almost felt like her body had melted and become a part of the shadows. As she moves through the darkness, she quickly realizes that her tactics against the town¡¯s guard are ineffective against the creatures that lurk here in these ruins.


    ¡°Eii!¡± The goblin yelled, spotting Catherine trying to sneak across the street. The little creature screams as loud as it can to alert everyone. She grabs her knife, debating if she should kill the goblin or run. Before she can come to a decision, a massive hand burst through a brick wall, grabbing the screaming goblin and pulling it into the nearby store.


    Screams and  the sound of bones cracking echoed through the store, and then there was silence. Catherine backed away, never taking her eyes off the building.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± A freighted woman¡¯s voice came from the store the goblin the was dragged into. The voice cause Catherine to freeze in place.


    ¡°Please, you have to help me. You have to  help us!¡±


    ¡°Us?¡± Catherine utters thoughtlessly, immediately regretting her action.


    Multiple arms emerge from latching onto anything they can to pull themselves out of the building.


    Catherine quickly slid next to an overturned cart to hide. Against her better judgment, she peeked. A simple act that nearly drove her to madness


    A massive fleshy abomination drags itself out of the store using its many appendages attached to its melty form. Human-like faces covered the body. Their mouths were open as if they were trying to scream, but it spoke over them.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± this time, a husky man¡¯s voice came from the creature as it looked for Catherine, who ducked behind the cart. The beast slowly moves towards Catherine¡¯s position.


    ¡°Please, just leave me alone.¡± Catherine stays low to the ground and crawls towards a nearby alley, using all the carts and rubbles to keep out of the creature in sight. An arrow lands in front of her before she can cross the street.


    ¡°Gigi!¡± The goblin on top of a building point at Catherine while grabbing another arrow. Before it could shoot another arrow again, the mass of flesh hands stretched towards the building, grabbing the goblin. Catherine watched in horror as multiple hands grabbed onto the goblin, pulling it into its body. More goblins came running down the street, throwing whatever they had in their hand to free their comrade from the abomination.


    The objects sink into the creature¡¯s flesh and the goblin it grabbed. The flesh beast charges at the goblin horde with surprising speed.


    Multiple hands sprang out of the fleshy body, grabbing the goblins and pulling them into its body. Catherine took advantage of the situation and made a run for it.


    ¡°Max! Jez!¡± Catherine shouted not bothering hide her presnce.


    ¡°Over here!¡± Max kicks open a door waving to get Catherine. ¡°Hurry up and- whoa!¡± Catherine dives into Max, knocking him onto the ground. Enraged, Max opened his mouth to yell at her but stopped when he saw the fear in her eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yea¡­ yea, I¡¯m fine. Somehow.¡± Catherine¡¯s voice is weak and shaky. She gets off Max and shuts the door behind them. Relief washed over Catherine as looks at both Max and Jez. But that relief quickly turned to horror when she heard knocking at the door.


    ¡°Hello.¡± A woman''s voice came from behind the door. ¡°Please help me.¡±