《Perfect Avatar》


 An Undisciplined Fool

    Many people are firm believers in the notion that "Persistence beats talent." This saying encourages those without inherent skills, pushing them to excel. However, what happens when talent is combined with hard work?


    Emerging at the entrance of the petite village of Sofiya, a boy in his sixteenth year, bearing the name Anesidora but affectionately known as Dora, His cascading mane of silver-gray hair, coupled with a visage that possessed an alluring femininity, was a sight to behold.


    Clad in a sleek tracksuit of ebony hue, accentuated by lightweight athletic pants, he carried upon his shoulders a sizable bag brimming with the bounties of medicinal flora.


    As he ventured closer to the bustling village market, the astute merchants manning their vibrant stalls couldn''t help but be captivated by his arrival.


    "He''s here, look... Hey, Dora, how much are you selling these plants for? I want all your stock."


    The young man stopped, looking surprised.


    "... Really? Finally! So... Huh... I just want to get rid of it quickly so if you want... What does that mean?"


    Hearing the shopkeepers laugh, he realized they were teasing him. His serene expression shifted to a hint of bitterness.


    "Each leaf is worth 1000 lyre, there are a total of 1682 plants with several different leaves, I will send the invoice to your weird daughter who can not count."


    "Oi, brat, who are you calling weird?"


    The shopkeeper''s companions burst into laughter as they restrained him, thoroughly enjoying his embarrassment.


    "Hahaha, calm down, Mr. Rohn, you know he''s like that, it''s between friends."


    "Friend? That brat is my daughter''s age, he owes me respect!"


    "I can''t respect someone who owes me money, but I like you and your daughter, she can''t count, you can''t read, you''re the ultimate combo."


    Laughter erupted from the group as Rohn, held back by the other salesmen, attempted to lunge at Dora. This amusing incident seems to be a common occurrence in this location.


    Anesidora is a valued emissary within the village, belonging to the esteemed emissary team.


    He has played a vital role in safeguarding the town and is praised for his humility and friendly attitude.


    His dedication to helping others has garnered him widespread respect and affection from the community, establishing him as a beloved member.


    "If only his mouth were as noble as his heart." The merchants resumed their discussion as he walked away. "He''s a great boy, but I wouldn''t give him custody of my children, he''s too unpredictable!"


    "By the way, what''s the deal with what he''s carrying? You said it would be wood or rocks."


    "Huh? You don''t know?... Ah! Yeah, you''re usually out hunting at this hour, you can''t know. You see, this kid leaves the village every day, nobody knows where he goes but on the opening day of the big market, every week, he shows up with a weird bag of goods that no one wants to buy."


    "How come? Does he need money? He''s an emissary, right? He should be loaded with money."


    "Not that kind of emissary, he''s still E-rank, at that level he must earn less in a month than the rest of us."


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    "Ah, that''s weird, considering how everyone is talking about him and his team, I thought that was a big shot."


    "Nah, Dora is just an average emissary, but the leader of his team, on the opposite, is the real deal."


    As part of the assault group Shining Sword, I was known as "Dora". Our leader, Leon, hailed from the hero branch and was famous for his exceptional strength and daring exploits.


    Our group consisted of seven individuals, each possessing distinct abilities and personalities.


    Leon fearlessly led us, embodying bravery and heroism.


    Erick his faithful companion, adept at thievery.


    Sana, the serene and alluring monk, brought a gentle touch,


    Marie, the puppeteer, remained silent and composed.


    Morgiana, a formidable and honorable spearman, stood strong.


    And Lilith, our most ferocious warrior, may have been small in size but possessed a sharp wit and immense power.


    As for me, I focused on utilizing debuffs and other mystical talents.


    Together, we were the village''s main defense against Rifts and the monsters that threatened it, often surpassing even the guards in our successes.


    Our exploits made us the talk of the town, and we were celebrated as true heroes.


    After I "accidentally" dropped my bag of plants in Rohn''s garden, I headed towards an old wooden house near the village entrance, which was Shining Sword''s headquarters.


    The house used to be a grain storage facility for the peasants, but it has been beautifully renovated and decorated with magic that I find admirable.


    I entered through the back door and found my comrades there, looking unhappy.


    Leon, sitting in his desk chair, looked at me without saying a word and it was Lillith who broke the silence.


    "Unbelievable... Where have you been all this time?! We had a meeting 30 minutes ago!"


    I closed the door and walked over to a mini fridge.


    "What don''t you understand about ''I''m unavailable in the morning''? Nobody disturbs your 40-minute holy baths so respect other people''s time."


    "What?! You... You idiot! You''re wrong here and you dare insult me?"


    "... You call ''holy'' an insult? Poor Sana."


    Sana couldn''t help but let out a muffled chuckle as soon as those words reached her ears, but she swiftly composed herself. In a fit of rage, Lilith snatched her hammer.


    Watching the incredible abilities of the emissaries was always a joy for me. The red-haired girl with twin tails effortlessly lifted a hammer twice her size, demonstrating her remarkable strength.


    "The only holy you''ll get is a holy beating if you keep testing me!"


    For me, it was like.


    "Take corn from a hamster."


    "What did you say?"


    She raised her weapon and took a step forward, still very sensitive to her size, and alas for her, that made it my weapon of choice.


    "Ah? your ears are too small to hear?"


    Just as she was about to launch her attack, I reacted swiftly by hiding one hand behind my back.


    I extended the other hand in a sword-finger pose, positioned in front of my mouth.


    Standing tall and composed, I readied myself to overcome the approaching onslaught.


    "Enough!!!"


    Leon let out a loud scream of frustration, causing Lilith and me to snap out of our daze.


    Lilith dropped her hammer, causing the ground to creak, and turned her index fingers together, visibly embarrassed.


    Meanwhile, I put my second arm on my back and continued to smile.


    "It''s your fault... stupid," Lilith pouted, almost as if she was about to cry.


    "It''s your fault too, stupid," I replied.


    I tried to playfully pat her on the head, but she pushed my hand away, irritated.


    Lilith and I had been friends for a while, but she was a proud and stubborn person and had trouble making other friends.


    I was one of the few people who could tolerate her behavior, but she became harsher towards me after I started "dating" Sana.


    "sigh What can I do with you? Dora, I know we said we wouldn''t call you in the morning but, between you and me, you think this is a behavior worthy of an emissary?"


    "Depending on the situation, Leon, I don''t need to change my daily activities if there is no real threat. The rift won''t open for 3 more days, will it?"


    "Is that really how you think? Just because there''s time, you''re not following the team''s instructions anymore?"


    "We had a deal when we started this team, I believe. You''re the one stepping out of your bounds now."


    "Hey, watch your mouth!"


    I wasn''t surprised by Erick''s reaction. Leon was highly respected, even among the village elders.


    I was probably the only one who spoke to him that way, but he didn''t seem phased. We had founded the team together and, in my opinion, were equals.


    I couldn''t back down in front of someone like him.


    "... Well, I expected that from you. And you''re right, that''s not what we agreed on, so I think you''ll have no problem with what we decided. You can come in. "


    As the door to the restroom creaked open, a stunning young girl stepped out, her long white hair cascading down her back.


    Her piercing blue eyes gleamed in the dim light of the cabin, and she was clad in lightweight armor that hugged her slender figure.


    Despite the cramped surroundings, she moved with grace and confidence, leaving a trail of sweet-smelling perfume in her wake.


    "Allow me to introduce you, Liliana, your replacement."

 Betrayal

    I looked at this new face with slight astonishment, then quickly observed my comrades. Almost everyone looked worried. Sana remained with her head down, Lilith looked annoyed out of the window, Marie handled one of her stuffed animals, with her own indifferent gaze, and only Morgiana and Erick stared at me. I just raised my eyebrows. The young girl made a curtsey, an attitude testifying to an upbringing very different from the villagers." Hmm? Replacement?"


    "I am honored to meet you, Sir Anesidora."


    I stared, dumbfounded, at my comrades and saw their reaction. Marie was still playing with her stuffed animal, but I think she would really have fun if her eyes weren''t fixed on the wall, Morgiana kept her arms crossed, Sana stared at the floor and Lilith inspected her hammer. Leon never took his eyes off me.


    "What... what does that mean?"


    "I''m impressed that you look so surprised. I''m actually doing you a favor, We, Shining Sword, have the ambition to become the best Emissary team in the world, and for that, we need to progress quickly, so we can''t just waste time in this little village, You know, as a hero, I have a duty to help the world, as a leader, I have to carry our team''s name to the top, so we have to redefine our goals as a team."


    Indeed, Leon belonged to the most popular and versatile hero class. It had only one evolution but compensated by the overwhelming level of its attributes, it was basically the most potent base class. He was the one who carried the team to our debut after all, and thanks to him our power increased considerably, but that''s also where the problem lay.


    "I understand that, but why should I be substituted? We''ve always worked as a team and I don''t really see the need to pull myself out..."


    Erick chuckled and looked at me mockingly.


    " Are you serious? Don''t you see the need? What exactly have you been doing all this time? Do you think we can''t succeed without your debuff?


    "...What do you mean? Every job has meaning, just because I can only debuff in battle doesn''t mean..."


    "AH! Shut up! Look at this."


    Erick took out his dagger and concentrated, soon a purple aura covered his weapon.


    "Is it..."


    "Yes, it''s, ''poison skill'', from the black snake the last time."


    I quickly understood the situation. Erick belonged to the rogue''s branch, generally characterized by stealth attacks and mainly debuffs. However, the difference between an assassin and his evolution was the power of his attacks.


    An assassin uses debuffs but a shadow focused on the power of his blows, a shaman would always be more effective than an assassin in the field of debuffs in short, what reason would he have to voluntarily handicap himself if he wanted to be the best in the world?


    " You see? Now that I also have a debuff, what use are you now? You were useless before but now you''re just pathetic.


    "... It looks useless because the monsters and rifts around the village are low-level, when you meet more powerful opponents, you will see my usefulness!"


    I looked at my comrades as if to beg them to reconsider their decision. A burning feeling shot through my heart and through my brain, forcing me to fight against myself not to reveal my emotions. Morgiana spoke in her turn.


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    "Helpful? You''ve been asked for weeks to hunt monsters from your branch and improve your skills, but you always refuse, you said your ridiculous magic tricks were better right? Why do you change your mind now? "


    "I... I was just..."


    "Can''t explain yourself? Better stay quiet, you''re a disgrace."


    My shoulders slumped and my face twisted in sadness. Liliana walked over to me and took my hand in hers, I stayed on guard because as a debuff I felt like this angel-looking being could try to exorcise me and I was in enemy territory.


    "Please everyone, this is not what we agreed on. I''ve heard what you did with and for everyone and I don''t want to cause the destruction of such a great bond. We decided to have a sort of test, and depending on the result, we will keep you."


    I didn''t know how to react to this, several thoughts crossed my mind just now but this little angel brought me back to reality.


    I looked at my comrades for a moment, the irony of being defended by a stranger was amusing.


    "A test? To let me stay on the team?"


    "Yes, the latest rift level rating is down, its dangerousness is officially E-rank, and some teams are on their way from nearby towns to deal with it, which means if Shining Sword manages to stop the rift, we will be a recognized E-rank team."


    Rifts materializes as a colossal vortex, housing a space that mirrors an alternate dimension.


    Within a span of five days, emissary teams, supported by diverse global organizations, are entrusted with the crucial mission of neutralizing them before they fully open and release monsters.


    I shook my head, giving them a gaze full of surprise.


    "Then... If it''s officially E-rank, I should be useful, it''s the time to show our full power... But you''re willing to get rid of me?"


    Lilith sighed deeply in annoyance.


    "We told you that you just had to do the raid well, stop whining and go train, we agreed to give you 2 days."


    I clenched my fist and shook my head.


    "No... I understand you all, It''s true that I hampered the team for too long, I wanted to do my best but it''s clear that I don''t have my place."


    This time, all the members turned to me, Sana looking stunned.


    "W-what are you saying? We said You just have to do better in the next raid, please, it''s time to get serious."


    "I am. You''re right, I''m not trying to play the victim, I understand that I''m a burden on you. As an avatar, it takes too much effort for me to get stronger, I''m just going to slow you down, and it''s true that my habit of only gaining ridiculous powers is an insult to your name."


    A small laugh was heard, Marie, at the back of the room tried to hide her reaction by coughing.


    "Oi, stop this right now, just apologize and go do some training you idiot!"


    "Lilith, it''s pointless. He''s nothing like before, if he doesn''t even want to try, I refuse to keep teaming up with him." Morgiana said coldly, we always had an ambiguous relationship so I wasn''t really surprised.


    "Please, sir Anesidora... Everyone is a little tense so don''t do that, please, I''ll help you train."


    I was amazed by the kindness and generosity of this angel, in other circumstances, I would have liked to team up with her, but the door was wide open now. Leon put a bag on the table.


    "Well, that will make our job easier. Here is an indemnity for your services rendered for Shining Sword, since it is decided that you can leave now, you are officially free."


    He gestured to Erick who took the bag and threw it at me, but way too far for me to retrieve it. However, the bag suddenly appeared in my hand without my moving.


    "Well, so it''s been an honor to work with all of you and¡­ Huh? It''s not money, it''s got rocks and papers in it!"


    Erick chuckled and Leon sighed, I quickly realized it was deliberate but seeing the slightly surprised looks from the others it was obvious they didn''t know.


    "Look closely, there are a few rooms inside. Of course, we had to remove some costs for accommodation, food, celebrations for Liliana''s arrival..."


    "What?!" The girl exclaimed at Erick''s statement.


    "... So you''re stealing from me too?"


    "It''s not a robbery, this money comes from the work of the team, and since you are deemed useless you don''t deserve more than that."


    "... Okay, but then, we can agree that it''s a theft, you take what belongs to me."


    "So what? If you have something against it, come take it." He said, pointing his dagger at me.


    The tension was palpable at that time, Erick and I had the distinction of loving each other like water and fire, in the world of emissaries, pointing a weapon at another emissary was a declaration of war, and the identity of the person in front was an added motivation for me.


    We were face to face but before I could respond, a slap reminded me of my situation.


    "¡­ Sana?"

 Cutting Ties

    I put a hand on my reddened cheek looking amazed at my girlfriend.


    "Sa... Sana?"


    "What''s wrong with you? Why are you like this? You''re nothing like what you were before, When we started dating you were more cool, more capable, how did you become like this?!"


    Everyone was looking at me with different gazes, Lilith couldn''t hide her anger, Morgiana seemed satisfied, Erick laughed openly and Marie, her head turned towards the window, trembled. What had to be done for something so simple...


    "I... Sorry..."


    "You disgust me... If I knew you would turn like this... I would never..."


    "Asking me to date you just because I was an Avatar? Yeah, probably."


    She froze for a second, and another small laugh from Marie sounded in the back. Leon stood up abruptly.


    "Don''t talk to her like that!"


    "Here comes Ero-sama."


    "How could you act like that after all she''s done for you? I expected you to take it with more maturity but now you''re going too far."


    " Really? Don''t you think you''re the one going too far right now? It''s between two people dating, so do you mind staying out of it?


    The expression on Leon''s face took a turn at 180, my companions looked at me annoyed, except for Marie who stifled her bursts of laughter by placing her stuffed animal on her face. He got up and walked towards me, but stopped when Liliana intervened.


    "Sir Leon, if you do anything violent towards your teammate, I will have to reconsider my decision to join you."


    He observed the young girl, looking terribly bored, and turned his gaze to another person.


    "I didn''t think of wasting my energy on this trash, I have better priorities. Do you believe me now, Sana?"


    She shook her head in answer and walked away from me and stopped behind Leon who whispered inaudible words to her.


    "You''re not wrong, When I met you, you were so different, you were more mature... But now you''re just the shadow of yourself."


    "But... What about our love for each other? We can always work it out even if I''m not on your team..."


    "We''re breaking up. I can''t go out with you anymore, I forgave you when I found out you cheated on me, but now I can''t take it anymore."


    "Cheated?" I was surprised.


    Leon hugged her as she cried intently, all the while looking at me with a hateful look, but somehow I could see a faint flash of mockery. Morgiana muttered an insult, Erick smiled and Lilith shuddered in frustration. I could very easily understand everyone''s emotions and therefore this situation was horribly easy to understand.


    Leon loved Sana ever since she and Lilith joined us, but no matter what he tried, Sana only cared about me and indirectly confessed to me several times after our missions. I finally accepted it and we have been dating ever since, but after a while, a certain pattern appeared.


    Leon was the best fighter on our team, taking on a DPS and tank role, while I was the lackluster little debuff. All people''s attention went to Leon and soon Sana urged me to try harder to catch up with Leon. My response to her insistence was the beginning of her behavior change "I don''t need this."


    I just smiled at her, seeing her hugging Leon so warmly.


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    "You shouldn''t cry, you got what you wanted after all, right, Sana?"


    Leon stood up to me, looking haughty.


    "From now on, she''s under my care, I don''t allow you to talk to her or any girl on this team."


    "... My condolences, Erick."


    "You shit!"


    Erick took his dagger and rushed at me but Leon, with a wave of his hand, stopped him, knowing Liliana''s reaction.


    "It''s enough, you won''t soil this team anymore. Now take your money and disappear."


    "Yeah, keep an eye on the village, the day we''ll be a world-recognized team, we won''t have time to take care of that backwater." Erick added with a disgusting smile.


    I looked at my other teammates and put a hand on Liliana''s shoulder. She turned to me, visibly saddened by my situation.


    "It''s OK, I don''t want to give the wrong impression of your new teammates, I''ll be leaving now then. Sorry to show you that scene."


    She just sighed and let her guard down. I smiled and turned to everyone.


    "Lilith, it looks like we''ll have to settle our little war another time."


    She wanted to say something but just looked away, still shaking. I managed to see a drop fall from her eyes.


    "Morgiana, good luck becoming the strongest. You don''t need my help for that."


    " For what? Have I already asked for your help?


    "And I hope you won''t. Sana, before being honest with others, you should be honest with yourself. It''s also a way to get stronger."


    She didn''t answer but hugged Leon who wiped the tears from her eyes.


    "Leon, if you really want to be the best team in the world, you should also invite Hope, or is it mandatory to be a woman to join the team?"


    "Huh? What are you even saying? You can''t have 2 heroes on the same team as a starter, that''s all!"


    "Who decided that? You know me well, it''s useless, but good luck in building your harem guild. Oh, that reminds me of Erick."


    "Say something stupid and I''ll kill you."


    "I already said your name. You should have hit me by now, it''s the only time in your life you could touch me and get away with it."


    "Fuck you, you idiot! Leon, I swear to kill him if he doesn''t leave now!"


    "Dora, that''s enough!"


    "Fine, fine, talk about a husband defending his wife, geez."


    I took the bag and prepared to leave, but as I stood in the doorway, someone pulled me up. I turned around, recognizing Marie''s frail grip.


    "So? Did that bring tears to your eyes too?"


    "Your acting was too bad, Idiora, you wouldn''t even make a mother cry."


    "It''s because I''m a good son, but you still moved, I technically win."


    She made a slight noise with her mouth before handing me the stuffed animal she had been holding all this time.


    " Eh? Are you leaving me with Chubastic?


    "It''s Mr.Chub, Idiora, take him with you, no excuses."


    I took the toy in one hand, the bag of pebbles in the other, but somehow this stuffed animal felt heavier. Marie was a puppeteer, as such, she used her magic to create stuffed animals that she used in battle, Chubastic was her very first creation, the one she never used, and she gave it to me.


    "Take good care of it, it will be my replacement to accompany you, don''t you dare lose it." Wise words from the youngest among us.


    "... You trust me too much. But I will take responsibility."


    We smiled at each other and I left, as I turned my back, I didn''t see the change of expression on her face. We knew each other for a very long time, and probably better than anyone else in our group. She was the last one to join our team.


    After a while, we became very close, but our aspirations diverged. Only she knew the real meaning of my departure.


    Leon sighed in satisfaction and patted her head.


    "It''s for the best, he was holding you back..."


    She abruptly pushed his hand away, he was shocked for a moment by this new facial expression in the young girl, her eyes shining with tears and the tip of her nose rosy.


    "Don''t ever touch me again. I''m only following you because of the team, don''t get too cocky."


    She went to a room behind. Leon sighed, not really annoyed.


    "That''s one of the reasons we had to deal with him quickly, he''s simple-minded and knows how to play with girls, he just tried that with you too Liliana, I hope Marie gets the hang of it soon."


    "Yeah, I heard he sometimes goes to her room at night, what a creep." Erick added.


    "Could you stop with that? What are you even trying to do?"


    An angry Lilith rushed out of the place, soon followed by Sana. Morgiana, after slowly closing the door, turned to Leon and Erick.


    "Listen, boys, I know how you feel about him but let''s get this straight, I only had a problem with him not trying to evolve, but your little game of bad boy playing with girls is getting boring. Someone who never showed interest in women even when they were around naked probably wouldn''t do something like that."


    "It''s just your opinion, you can''t deny that he often sleeps in Marie''s room. Putting him out was also a way to keep Marie and Sana on the team. In the end, the bad guy is ejected."


    Morgiana and Leon stared at each other under Liliana''s troubled gaze. Meanwhile, in the village, I continued my walk aimlessly, Whenever I passed a group of people, they stopped talking and looked at me, intrigued by my face.


    I passed near a trader, usually irritable, but this one was deviating from my path when he saw me pass. Finally, a farmer in front of her stall called out to me.


    "Hey son, if you''re so happy, why don''t you buy something?"


    I looked at her, with the biggest smile I''ve ever put on my face, and answered in a voice, quivering with euphoria.


    "Fine, give me whatever you want for this money."

 We Must Cut The Wings of This Snake

    My name is Anesidora, Dora for short. I''m a young emissary of the Avatar branch and a former member of the Shining Sword party, but today I''m mostly...


    "Free!!! I''m finally free!!!"


    I was spinning in a field, a dozen pieces of bread I had just bought floating around me, then snapping my fingers. 3 slices of bread flew off into the infinity of the village and landed in the hands of a peasant, a child, an animal, or perhaps even a plant.


    "Enjoy, the king invites you to the feast! To the glory of freedom!"


    I waved another hand, raising my right arm, thumbs up. A whirlwind then formed, lifting the flowers around me, these mixed and formed crowns of flowers.


    "Today is a day of celebration, you are all invited to the fool''s farewell ceremony!"


    I snapped my fingers and the wreaths also flew out, except for one bigger one, that looked like a funeral wreath.


    "Let me save this one, for Dora''s funeral from Shining Sword."


    I fell on my back laughing heartily, had I ever felt such joy? Is that why some people commit crimes? Just for the euphoria of escape? Maybe I will too, I never get tired of this pleasure.


    "No more missions, no more meetings, no more girlfriends, and no more morals."


    I took a coin out of my pocket, the last survivor of my generosity.


    "And no more economic problem."


    I tossed the coin in the air, but when it fell, I received a shower of gold coins. This surreal scene would intrigue anyone, but the meaning was very simple. I''m a magic trick fanatic and I''ve amassed all kinds of wacky powers. I can turn a gold coin into 10000, I can turn water into wine, I can teleport to a mirror or make an object disappear, and I might be an emissary but my main hobby is collecting and playing with that kind of power.


    My old comrades often criticized me for wasting time with this kind of technique, indeed, I don''t risk killing a monster by doing a magic trick, but that''s the goal. It''s my hobby, my passion, I do it because I want to and no one will stop me.


    "Should I sleep here tonight? It''s comfy¡­ Huh?"


    Suddenly, a bright point in the distance swooped down on me with unimaginable speed and crashed down in a terrible explosion. A large cloud of smoke had formed at the place where the object had just fallen, but as it dissipated, it took on a human form: short black hair, blue eyes, and a fist sunk in the crater it had just created, Hope, another Hero.


    He wore a furious face but widened his eyes to meet a gold coin in place of my body.


    "Hopy ~ what a surprise."


    He looked up and saw me lying on a bed of flowers several feet above him.


    "You... Get down here!"


    "Hmm... Don''t feel like it."


    A vein appeared on his forehead.


    "Get your ass back here, you coward!" How could you run away like that? Come here!


    "But the air is cooler here, you should come here instead, you look like you need some meditation."


    I snapped my fingers and flower petals flew around him. He took out a wooden sword and turned around, dispelling the flowers.


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    "I''m not here to play! I considered you my rival, I admired you, and you promised that one day we would become the best rivals in the world... But I heard that you left your party to stay in the village."


    Hope is a young emissary from the Hero branch, like Leon, but also my friend and rival. We often trained together and had even done a few missions together. I knew him as a proud person, and a friend, sometimes annoying but not hateful, I had also tried a few times to recruit him to replace me in our team but he always refused, considering that rivals should always be in teams different. But honestly, I had only recognized him as a rival so that he would leave me alone.


    "If you give up on your dream of being the best fighter in the world, then I don''t want to sit on a losing streak against you! I''m going to defeat you and end this stupid rivalry!"


    He pointed his weapon at me. Suddenly, my eyes sparkled.


    " Oh? You? Defeat me? How would you do something you could never have done before? Just thanks to your determination?"


    " Shut up! My determination is bigger than your dreams! I will knock you down!


    "Then go ahead."


    He gritted his teeth and a faint aura covered him, then swung his sword in my direction. The blow formed a blade of light that quickly rushed at me but only destroyed my flowerbed, scattering the petals.


    "You won''t run away this time, show yourself!"


    Petals were falling everywhere but I was nowhere in sight. Hope grew angry and focused his energy.


    (Focus your energy and feel the universe... Yes like that... I can see... I can... What?!)


    He jumped when he realized that the petals weren''t falling but were floating around him before turning into balls of flowers.


    "Shit! *Acceleration*"


    He rushed at very high speed into a tiny space and dodged the balls around him as best he could, when...


    "!!!"


    A ball appeared right in front of his face and exploded when he touched it, behind him the other flower balls exploded. I reappeared several meters away.


    "Well, since you dodged the center, I was going to say you got better, but... You still ended up getting one shot by a single bomb so..."


    Suddenly, a blade of light lightly brushed my face, to my amazement. Opposite me, Hope was emerging from the cloud of smoke, his clothes slightly burned.


    "Aah... So? Aaah... Have I improved enough?"


    I put a hand on my cheek and pulled it back noting the red dye it had just taken, Hope was smiling.


    "I love that new expression on your face, now if you''ll excuse me, it''s my turn."


    "... You boring kid."


    We were throwing at each other, Hope''s wooden sword clashing with a wind sword I had just created, an explosive clash ensued, Hope with his boost ability and his sword covered in his powers dominated hand-to-hand combat, but against it, the opponent was one with the environment.


    I dodged a multitude of blades of light with a leap backward, Hope following me, sword pointed at me and its tip glinting.


    "Thunder Sp... Shit!!!"


    He narrowly dodged a flowery javelin coming from behind him, I intercepted the object which took the form of a halberd, spun it around, and landed a powerful blow on Hope who dodged it barely. This acceleration technique was so boring.


    Hope made several jumps back and took a defensive pose, around me the flowers grew at high speed and rose in the form of various weapons, spears, swords, axes... The field of flowers was a weapon and I was the one with the button to activate it. Hope was breathing heavily.


    "Aaah... It''s not... So easy... Aah... Is it?"


    "It''s not easy, but we know how it will end, I will laugh, and you will crawl like a worm."


    I pointed my hand in his direction and all weapons rushed at him. He lowered his sword, face down. Was this the end? I had some doubts, but at that moment I wanted more than anything to end it, Hope seemed to be at the end of his efforts but the excessive use of my powers was tiring me more and more, so here is the ultimate fault of an avatar, excessive consumption of my energy reserves, I hid it much better than Hope, but I quickly reached my limit.


    Everything seemed to be slowing down, the weapons were inches away from Hope and he couldn''t seem to use Accelerate anymore, yet a bad feeling came over me. An explosion of light occurred.


    "W... What?"


    Before my eyes, covered in an aura so bright it was hard to watch, Hope raised his sword.


    "Are you done attacking now? That means it''s my turn."


    "Stop saying that bullshit... What the hell is that?"


    "The ultimate Hero Class Skill: Hero Time."


    The aura covering him shone brighter, for the very first time since I knew him, Hope made me doubt victory.


    "Hero Time is a technique that boosts the user''s abilities tenfold for a few minutes, so at that moment, I''m the most powerful in the whole village!"


    "But... It doesn''t make sense, Hero time is a technique accessible only to the advanced Hero class, you shouldn''t be able to use it, it''s impossible, you''re impossible!"


    He smiled, delighted with my astonishment.


    "It''s true, a normal Hero wouldn''t make it, but what about a transcendental Hero?"


    I remained silent in the face of this statement, understanding the true meaning.


    "Are you... An Avatar too?"

 A True Hero

    Hope sparkled like a star with his Hero Time ability, from memory, Hero Time was a technique that gave some Hero class people an immense boost. It was said that if the most powerful Hero in the world used it, he would become the most powerful person in the world, in all areas, ahead of all other classes. But the hero in front of me was not a hand, but a real Avatar, an Avatar who multiplied the power of his movements at the sacrifice of greater consumption of his energy. To put it simply, cheat a cheat.


    "Since when?! Since when are you an Avatar???"


    "Listen... I''ll tell you everything... Once I''ll beat you.


    "Forget it, how did you get a skill of a higher class, in this village?! There are barely any E-rank monsters, where did you find it???"


    "Oh... You''re right to fear me... That power is too much for an E-rank emissary, isn''t it?... It''s... Wait, stop distracting me!"


    "Huh?... I''m not even trying..."


    "Hero time can make me the strongest, but the downside is huge... I have to defeat you now."


    My ears trembled.


    "What kind of downside? With this power you will crush me, I have no way out, aren''t you being a little too careful?"


    "No, right now I can only use it for a maximum of 5 minutes, and after that I... Well whatever!" Are you done talking?"


    "¡­ Yes, my apologies and¡­ Thank you."


    Hope grabbed his sword and lunged at me, shooting through the air like a bullet. Hero Time had boosted his techniques, so Acceleration had become terribly deadly. He swung his sword as soon as I came within range, not noticing my sinister smile until the very last moment.


    The ground exploded, and a cloud of smoke impregnated with debris rose.


    "You won''t get me with this anymore!"


    Hope spun around, swinging his sword into space, the cloud of smoke dissipating.


    (Concentration... Feel the universe...)


    He closed his eyes and his aura took on a less agitated form, becoming more and more like a bubble.


    "With this, you can''t hide anymore, I can sense you anywhere! I can... Huh?!"


    He stopped abruptly, and as the cloud lifted, his eyes widened.


    "Where? Where?! Where the hell are you?!"


    Meanwhile, in a luxurious bedroom, I put my torn clothes in a basket and walked into a bathroom, drink in hand.


    "Ouch-ouch-ouch... My fingers are numb, I shouldn''t have gone to melee."


    I took a quick bath and sat on a couch, pouring myself a cup of coffee, then staring at a clock on the ceiling.


    "So... 1 equals 5, so 5 equals... 25. Let''s go to 30 just to be sure."


    I was sipping my coffee while watching one of my favorite cartoons on TV. And so, time passed. A few minutes later, while I was dozing, an alarm sounded. I jumped to my feet, then changed into more comfortable clothes and headed for a door. I reappeared in a faint flash of light and surveyed the surroundings carefully. Hope was sitting further away, a wooden sword stuck in the ground and looking down. I walked towards him.


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    "Are you crawling yet?"


    "... Bastard."


    "Hey, come on, don''t look at me like that, it''s going to hurt me, haha... So? Ready for round 2?"


    " Never talk to me again! You''re not my friend anymore!


    "What? I''m only cheering you up, your determination is bigger than my dreams, you can do it... Oh? My bad, you used Hero Time, you''re helpless now... Are you crying, bro?"


    I could see the tears welling up in his eyes, what a wonderful world.


    "Now that looks like bullying."


    "Am not! Leave me alone!"


    Tears flowed profusely. That''s why I can''t hate him, he knows what I like.


    "There, there, I can''t leave you here alone, your mother would kill me."


    "... I''ll tell Mr. Albert that you keep calling him my mother."


    "Why is he wearing lipstick then?"


    We laughed together as I used a small healing skill on him.


    "So what happened to you? It''s not like you to pick a fight like this."


    "Say, why did you leave your team?"


    I raised my eyebrows puzzled. Hope continued.


    "Everyone in the village is making fun of you, Erick was saying everywhere that you were weak and that you were cheating on Sana... It''s unbearable."


    I rolled my eyes, how could that idiot say all that bullshit so fast?


    "They say you''re weak... But we both know that''s wrong. I''m almost stronger than Leon, but I''ve never beaten you, you know how I feel? I''m not a liar so I won''t say that I beat you if I didn''t. So people laugh at me too."


    "You''re much stronger than me, and with Hero Time, even Leon couldn''t hold a candle to you. I only beat you because I''m smarter."


    " Really? Like when you kept spamming magic attacks from a flying deckchair until I passed out?"


    "*chuckle* You had no way to counter that, it was too tempting."


    "And when you used copies of yourself to attack me in multiple places at once while the original ate eggs on a nearby farm?"


    I laughed loudly, no longer able to maintain my healing.


    "W... Wait, stop! You''re killing me! Hahahaha!"


    " You see? You are much stronger than us. Why do you let them insult you?


    I stopped my healing when Hope was able to stand. We watched the sunset in the distance.


    "Tell me, what do you want most in your life?"


    Hope looked at me thoughtfully for a moment.


    "What I want is... To be the strongest man in the world, I want to become the one who will be talked about in legends, to save the world from the most powerful monsters. I want to be called upon every time an S-rank rift appears... To be the strongest, and I want to gain recognition from you and my sister."


    He started blushing in embarrassment, I smiled back.


    "I see, it''s a good dream, one that will keep you active for years, not really my thing but I respect it."


    "... So... What''s yours? What''s your dream?" He looked at me with interest, waiting impatiently for my response.


    "My dream is... I don''t know."


    "Hey, that''s cheating, I told you my..."


    He stopped when he saw the look on my face.


    "Do you know that the people I live with are my adoptive family?"


    "You... You mean Mrs. Malia and Wendy?"


    "Yes, it was my adoptive father, Mr. Raoul, who took me in when I was 6 years old, and since then we''ve all been living together. I don''t know where I come from or who I am, the only thing I remember, it''s the name Anesidora."


    "Well... It''s... Deep?"


    "You want to ask me why I''m suddenly talking about all this but you hesitate because I mentioned my father, right?"


    "Ah! No! I... Huh..."


    "Haha, don''t sweat it, I''m not a child, I won''t cry over it. I was too young to understand when he died, but thinking about it, I''m glad I didn''t. Right now, I''m not interested in fighting for the world or for fame, I just want to live happily with my mom and my sister, nothing else."


    "... Is that why you don''t want to become an emissary?"


    I smiled and started walking.


    "I''m already an emissary, but I won''t try to be the strongest, I just want to see my family happy. So a small village with monsters at maximum E-Rank is enough for me. If I go further, I would have to leave them."


    Hope followed me, and we started our way to the village, under the rays of the setting sun. Suddenly, a sound of applause startled us.


    "Magnificent! It was simply magnificent!"


    We turned around and saw, sitting on a rock, a charming young woman, a little taller than us, with long black hair and bright sapphire blue eyes. A haunting yet familiar figure, impossible not to recognize in this kingdom. Before us, stood the one considered as the most powerful emissary of the entire Kingdom: the hero''s advanced class emissary, the Legend Elizabeth.


    "S...Sister?"

 The Heroine and the Genius

    " Wonderful! Glorious! You were both amazing!"Elizabeth clapped happily before our astonished eyes. Hope was paralyzed.


    "Sis?! What are you doing here?"


    "How dare you ask? You let me take care of the chores, saying you had an urgent business, and I''ll find you here."


    "I told you I had something to do! Why did you follow me?!"


    She pouted and walked towards us.


    " Something important? You mean getting your ass kicked?"


    "Oi! I didn''t get my ass kicked, it was a draw! Tell her, Dora!"


    "... Mom forbids me to lie."


    "You shit!"


    "No, you''re the shit here, how did you lose so ridiculously after I taught you Hero Time? I''ve seen a lot of battles but this one has the funniest conclusion I''ve ever seen." She laughed patting his head. Hope was fuming with rage.


    "If so, fight me again! And this time, no running!"


    "Excuse me, senior?"


    "*sigh* Hope, you still have a long way to go. If it was a fight to the death, who do you think the winner would be?"


    It was an interesting point, personally, I didn''t know this woman but I already liked her.


    "It''s not like that, I lost this time because he ran away, but in an official match..."


    "Hope. Your first mistake was challenging someone more talented than you, your biggest mistake was telling him exactly how your technique works. You''re on the floor, he''s standing, in a real fight, you''d still have lost."


    "No, it''s not fair!"


    "Hope!"


    She silenced her brother just by saying his name, an interesting power. Hope crossed his arms, his face bored.


    "Hope, remember the promise we made last night?"


    "... I know."


    "...And what was it?"


    "Uuurght... Could you wait till we get home? You''re ridiculing me in front of my friend." He looked at me, was my smile so annoying?


    "Hope..."


    "Ok, Ok, I''m going to train harder and learn how to fight, to become the best fighter in the academy and later the strongest emissary, to give you the biggest fight of your life."


    She smiled and ruffled his hair.


    "You have mixed up the point, you must grow strong for the good of the world and become the next leader of the royal knights. But I forgive you since you remember I need a good challenger."


    "Sister... This is embarrassing." He looked at me with help, the message was clear, he wanted me to leave as soon as possible, I had humiliated him enough for today after all.


    "Well, it''s getting late, I''m going home then, see you soon..."


    "Wait, I want to talk a little more with you."


    Hope and I were surprised by Elizabeth''s strange request.


    "You''re the one who regularly beats Hope, aren''t you?" ?


    "... Hope... You cowardly snitch."


    "Wait, I didn''t ask that!"


    She laughed again, I didn''t know if she was born happy or if she was glad to have found her brother''s bully.


    "Don''t worry, I''m only curious about your power."


    "... The power I use to... Be your wonderful brother''s best friend?"


    " Eeeeeh? I thought your mother forbade you to lie?"


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    "Stop worrying, I''m not going to eat you. In fact, I''m glad Hope has a friend like you, I feel like he''s going to learn a lot. So if I''m not mistaken, you are Anesi the avatar aren''t you?"


    I was a little worried about this woman, strong enough to crush me with a toe, but I also understood that there was no way out. She was an S-rank Avatar, with various attributes, I knew very well that trying to run away was useless.


    "Yes, that should be me, what is it?"


    "Well, I heard in the village that you were an Avatar with only debuff abilities... But I guess it''s more interesting than that, isn''t it?"


    "Why are you even interested in me?"


    "You shouldn''t be so surprised, how could I not care who beat my lovely brother, the avatar hero, so many times? Especially when I heard you were just a debuff, Mr. Floral Artist."


    I was getting more and more annoyed, if you want revenge, at least let him do it himself. But somehow, I knew very well where she came from.


    "Okay you got me, yeah I don''t use my full power in battle I''m a wonderful genius parrying through the rifts with my group but going genocidal on your brother, now what? Are you going to punish me?"


    "You should really calm down, I''m not your enemy."


    "Stop acting like one then!"


    She laughed and started walking, and we followed her.


    "I apologize in advance but I ended up listening to your conversation. So you''re actually a very talented emissary but you decided to lower your level since you didn''t want to shine too much, right?"


    "No, I and Leon paired up once, by chance, 2 or 3 years ago when an E-rank rift had fully opened. Leon was already very strong so I just used debuffs because that was enough. And so, whenever a rift appeared, we teamed up, him as a DPS, me as a debuff, but it was only a temporary duo."


    "Until Sana and Lillith join you, right?"


    I looked at her with a bored expression.


    "I guess being the strongest means you have a lot of free time, yeah basically Sana and Lillith were longtime friends, they also wanted to be professional emissaries, so they joined us after they got to the village. I don''t know if that was the plan all along, but Leon declared us a party after a while."


    "I see, I understand you a little more, you don''t show your strength because you''ve never been in a situation that asked you to do so... So beating the honor out of Hope is more important than a rift battle."


    "Hell, yeah!"


    "I hate you both!!!"


    He furiously runs off as we laugh. Elizabeth stopped abruptly, watching the last rays of the sun.


    "Say, I know you have your principles but... why not join the forces of the Kingdom?"


    I looked at her and noticed the changes in her expression. She suddenly looked melancholy.


    "And here it is, that was your real goal from the beginning, wasn''t it?"


    "Yeah. Sorry if you''re disappointed, but I''ve been asking Hope about you for a while. I don''t want to brag about him, but I know his level, he already has the level to become an E-rank and I know he will move up the ranks quickly."


    She looked at the palms of her hands, a gleam in her eye.


    "Imagine my reaction when I saw him develop a new technique to counter his rival. An invincible rival that pushes him to surpass himself and improve. Hope has never evolved so much since he saw you as his rival. You are more beneficial to him than me and my family''s workouts."


    "If I understood correctly, you would like me to follow him in his quest to join the royal forces, to realize his dream, by putting myself at his disposal and for the happiness of his sister. Do I look like social service?"


    "Wait, you always put it the wrong way, I''m saying it for you too."


    "No, whatever you want to say, in the end, I''m in the royal forces, so that''s a fucking NO."


    "At least listen..."


    "Bloody NO! Are you crazy to ask that to someone who just got their freedom? I had to serve an underling for a year, someone became my girlfriend and took my Damn afternoon, and some weirdo keeps bugging me to get stronger and the worst part is, it''s not just your brother. Leave me alone damn it!"


    "Let me talk, Damn boy!"


    "Aaand we''re done. Talk to my lawyer, his name is Hell, first name Go to."


    I left, but she continued to follow me.


    "Listen, you''re an avatar, as such you can only use skills from a few branches... But I saw you using magic, healing, and you made yourself look like a debuff. It is at least 3 different branches. I also know that you are physically stronger than Hope in some cases, so there is even more to that... An Avatar with many branches, you have the potential to become one of the strongest people in the world."


    "I''ll tell Hope you''re rooting for his rival."


    "If only you could let me¡­ Hope told me he couldn''t move on unless he knocked you down, are you ok with letting him go?"


    This time it was me who stopped.


    "What in the Hell..."


    "You don''t use your power in the rift, but ridiculing him is enough reason to use them right? Are you fine letting him be happy so casually? Imagine if he grows stronger than you, imagine if he becomes D-rank, what do you think he would do first?"


    This time it was me who stopped. I watched with 1000 questions this person who, to get what she wanted, put her brother''s happiness at stake. But it turned out to be very effective.


    "I... I also don''t plan on staying an E-rank... Or staying in the village forever... What''s wrong with you anyway?! You''re telling me I have to join the royal forces just to crush your brother''s dream?"


    "Yes."


    "... I''m a monster, but you, you terrify me."


    "What I''m saying is, how could anyone be the strongest if there''s someone who could beat them just by trying a little bit? I wouldn''t like to have that title in these circumstances."


    "I would, goodbye."


    I tried to run but the strongest grip in the Kingdom landed on my shoulder.


    "Also, it''s for you too. You said you wanted freedom, didn''t you?"


    "... I swear, I''ll tell everyone you''re harassing me!"


    She was silent for a moment before showing a terrifying smile, I knew that one of my words doomed me, but I didn''t realize how much.


    She grabbed me and knocked me down, locking my hands in hers.


    "Let... Let me go! You monster!"


    "Scream all you want, no one will come to help you."


    "W-what the Hell are you doing?!"


    "You said I''m harassing you, didn''t you? I just want to do it correctly."


    I froze for a moment, my biggest fear, the fear of being dominated by Hope was happening, in the form of someone from his bloodline instead.


    "The moon looks delicious tonight."


    "It''s... It''s still sunset..."


    "I wasn''t talking about that moon."


    A cry of despair greeted the fall of night.

 Dark Clouds Over The Future

    "Help! Someone is threatening my purity!


    "I told you it was useless. No one can hear you here."


    "As if I was going to listen to a criminal..."


    "Maybe, but what can you do about it? You''re not going anywhere unless I want you to, you''re completely at my mercy and even if you talk no one will believe you."


    I was completely stunned by this person in front of me, she who was literally the face of the kingdom was there, pinning a little boy to the ground with god only knowing what was on her mind.


    But even though I hated it, I had to admit that she was right, I could be a strong E-rank, but I was still an E-rank. The person in front of me was an S-rank, an emissary of that class was considered a national treasure all over the world. I began to understand his point of view.


    " Are you serious? Are you threatening me to recruit me? Is that really how you get what you want?


    She released her pressure and stood up, I stood up intrigued and massaged my wrists, although I was sure she had taken it as gently as possible, the strength of her hands was terrifying.


    "No, this is only what I must show you to convince you. Tell me, if I really tried to do something, what do you think will gonna happen."


    "... I don''t know, what''s about I tell everything to Hope?"


    "Go ahead, one word from me, and no one will believe you."


    "You''re really getting on my nerves... I know that already so I''ll just save myself, by staying very far from..."


    "The privilege of the powerful."


    She turned, looking up at the sky, I wanted to take this opportunity to hide in my dimensional room, but knowing my opponent, I was afraid to see her finding a counter and find a way inside, so for my own psychological balance, it was better to submit for the moment.


    "Tell me, have you ever wondered if this world was perfect?"


    "... Since you''re supposed to be a National hero, no."


    "Yup, me neither, and I don''t mind your little joke. I don''t understand neither why people see me as the heroine of this kingdom. I''m not trying to say that I don''t enjoy it, being the strongest comes with its share of benefits, as I showed you, I can do what I want, I am entitled to several privileges, I even have my say in political discussions, You know why a post was opened near this village?"


    "The center with a lot of soldiers? Was that you?"


    She smiled, looking melancholy.


    "And yup there''s a lot going on behind the scenes in politics, I wouldn''t advise anyone to go in there haha... But thanks to that I got to touch some words and they couldn''t refuse the savior''s request, some of them even blamed me for using my status to protect my folks, isn''t that funny?"


    I couldn''t quite go on with all the information I was getting, Elizabeth was from that village. With an E-rank Avatar status at her debut, she had quickly risen through the ranks to the point of being recruited into the royal academy, a first for a simple peasant, and through her exploits and her fights, she rose above the rest and reached S-rank.


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    In the village, her exploits had the connotation of myth, I was surprised to hear that people were so openly opposed to her decisions, the strongest had spoken, who would have the audacity to give his opinion?


    "I can''t say everything I know about this side of the Kingdom, I''m supposed to be their face among the citizens now, but I''m still amazed at how problematic it is to do a small thing just to help people. Just a small gesture can make a huge difference in someone''s life, but... *sigh*"


    "Well, I guess there are too few talented emissaries to protect everyone? That''s why I''m surprised you want me out of here."


    "How would you protect the village in the event of a higher-rank disaster?"


    I was silent for a moment, considering what she had just said before understanding her insinuation.


    "¡­ A higher level? What do you mean?


    It was common knowledge that in this kingdom rifts appeared according to a certain pattern, some regions saw the appearance of rifts exclusively of low rank, ranking from a simple crack to a maximum rift of D-rank, others, regions with high risk, can go beyond that. Our village had only E-rank rifts for years, so the statement from one who seemed to hold some of the world''s secrets was alarming.


    "Elizabeth, what do you mean? There has never been a higher rift here, why do you say that?"


    "... Dora, as I told you, there are things going on in the background and for reasons that even I don''t understand, I can''t say anything. But I heard what you said earlier about your family, you really want them to be safe, don''t you? So you''ll have to think of something better than your E-rank powers to protect them."


    "Could you at least tell me what''s going on with the rift? How can I really prepare when I know nothing?! Think about my situation."


    She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled at my expression.


    "We can no longer predict what type of rift will appear in a region, last month''s report revealed a worrying increase in energy in the atmosphere, the greater the energy, the more dangerous the rift will be, but with the level raised, it would be hard to imagine that E-rank rifts will continue to exist in the future."


    A cold sweat ran down my forehead, would the rifts get out of hand? How? Why now? I couldn''t understand but my biggest concern was that this was merely the part that she deemed acceptable to reveal, what was going on in the kingdom to push the best fighter to enlist a simple E rank?


    "I... I see... This is worse than I''d imagined... You should have started by this instead of your ridiculous game earlier."


    "Haha, sorry, really thought that showing you how untouchable you''d be as an S-rank could convince you. So? Do you agree to come too?"


    "... *sigh* Look, I really hate to be this guy, especially since you trust me, I think, but now that I know that how could I leave and let my sister and my mother alone?! My mom wants to stay here because this is where all her family has been buried, my dad died in the forest nearby but his body has never been found, she will never leave, I know, I asked her before so I know she won''t."


    "Hm... But you still want to improve right? To protect them, so what''s about this instead: as the person with the biggest authority in the kingdom, after the crown, I will personally assure their safety, and nothing will happen to them, in this case, would you consider joining me?"


    I faced a dilemma. On one hand, I had a deep need to make sure my family was safe, I knew that I had to progress, considering the future threat that the rifts would represent, moreover, the influence that I would have by being a royal knight would allow me to protect my family from many situations, my sister could have a good childhood and go to school, my mother would not have to work anymore, it seemed like a golden opportunity.


    But on the other side, there was now a possibility that a very high-rank rift would appear near the village. The biggest problem with the rifts wasn''t just the level of the monsters inside, but the energy they let out affected the environment and created monsters of the same level as the rift in the surrounding. If A rift took 5 days to open, a monster resulting from the energy emanations only took a few minutes.


    "Are you still hesitant?"


    "... Sorry."


    "It''s alright... What a good son."


    She laughed lightly, I felt very bad for her, I felt like rejecting someone who was defying her lord for my own good. She rearranged her hair and fell silent for a moment, scratching her chin.


    "Tell me, does your mom know that you were in an attack force?"


    "Huh? Yes? We are the only team in the village, she knows."


    "And... Is she fine with that? Even after your father died?"


    "I see where you''re coming from but, she''s ok with that, it seemed to bother her at first but... What do you have in mind?"


    I was slightly intrigued but I had gotten to know this strange woman in minutes and I knew these questions weren''t random.


    "Nothing, it''s getting late, could you lead the way?"


    "Lead?... You mean..."


    "Eyupp, I want to meet your family."

 A Mothers Word

    Later that night, someone knocked on the door of a small house in the village. A charming lady, with red hair tied in braids, in her forties opened the door and found herself face to face with a young woman with green hair, accompanied by 2 familiar faces.


    "Hi, Mom."


    "Ah, welcome my dear, you too Hope, and...?"


    The young lady placed a hand on her face which briefly lit up, when she pulled it back, her face had changed in appearance.


    "You, you are..."


    "Just and friend of your son, sorry for the intrusion." Elizabeth smiled and we closed the door behind us.


    We were sitting in the small living room, Mom had served us tea and Elizabeth had explained the situation to her. Mom remained thoughtful for a moment.


    "... I see, I was surprised to see that you were an acquaintance of my son, but it makes sense. Dora, you wish to join the academy?"


    "I''m not sure... I want to be sure you''re both safe, so I would rather stay here honestly.''


    "I heard that, what I ask is, without thinking of me and Wendy, do you personally want to join the academy? With your potential, it would be a great opportunity, you can''t stay here forever."


    I was very concerned by the situation, at this point in their life, most people already have an idea of ??what they want to do in the future and work to achieve this through school training, private entertainment, or in the case of emissaries, training specials. But even in the best of worlds, the poor were cattle.


    "The royal academy is normally only accessible to noble students, for people of our caliber to have access to it they would have to greatly outclass the others thanks to their talent. I was a commoner and look where I am now. I''m very sure that you can even do better. You''ll become famous in no time and you''ll get enough money to give your family everything you ever wished for"


    "We''re going to be rich?" Wendy asked, stars in her eyes, what a low blow to convince me, Hope soon joined her.


    "It''s not just about the money, can''t you feel it? The excitement of facing so many other fighters like us, everyone is training, everyone is progressing, everyone is hoping to be the best, you don''t want to challenge them, and get all the glory in the world."


    "Dude... Stop projecting yourself into me."


    While they kept testing me, my mother observed me for a moment, thoughtfully, then, with a slight smile, called out to me.


    "Dora, could you come for a moment? I want to talk with you in private."


    The kind of sentences I dreaded. I follow her and we leave the house. She looked at the stars for a moment, in this silence that seemed like an eternity, before turning to me.


    "Tell me, for how many years have you taken care of me and your sister?"


    "... I don''t know, I''m just doing what I have to do as a son, there shouldn''t be a problem with the time."


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    "You''re right. It''s normal to help each other in a family, we shouldn''t need permission or another motivation, we are a family and that''s all, and that''s why we only want the best for each other."


    "Mom... I know what you mean, I haven''t said that I''ll give up on Elizabeth''s proposal, I just need you and Wendy to be safe."


    "We''ve been safe for a long time, and why do you think there is a guard post near the village?"


    I wanted to tell her what I had learned about the rifts, but the weight of secrecy prevented me from doing so. Mom''s serenity was understandable, she had the same point of view as me a few hours earlier, I bit my lip, unable to answer.


    "You know, when we saw you use magic for the first time, your father and I were amazed, for us it was a miracle to have a real emissary in the family... Later, when you were revealed to be an Avatar, I was overjoyed. I knew that not only were you special among people, but even as an emissary, you were elite."


    Those few words had the effect of a hammer blow to my head.


    "... You were okay with that? Even after..."


    "The death of your father?... Yes, of course, you think I would suddenly hate you because of that?"


    "No, of course, I mean... I didn''t think you would be okay with me fighting in more dangerous places."


    "If you get serious, you''ll be the real danger." She chuckled.


    It was a little shock for me, my father was killed a few years ago near a rift, and mom locked herself away for months after that. When I joined Leon and we became a known team, she asked me about it but never reacted after learning the truth, so I always assumed she would be against me, fighting for rifts. This revelation changed the world for me and gave me a burning desire to give back to her a thousand times what she expected from me.


    "Then... I think I''ll join the academy, I''m really motivated now, I just need one last thing."


    "Is it me coming to the capital?"


    Her calm tone and the fact that she knew my concerns were slowly demoralizing me, I knew where it was going.


    "Dora, I think you already know why I''m still here, don''t you?"


    "But Mom, you said yourself that he died, like everyone else, there''s no point in staying here, especially if you want me to give it my all!"


    "So after everything I''ve done to raise you, you still can''t live on your own? You need me? So I''m a failure as a mother?


    "That''s not what I''m saying!


    I walked away slightly then stopped staring at the ground, breathing heavily, Mom followed me and put a hand on my shoulder.


    "*sigh* Why are you so stubborn? It''s a mother''s happiness to see her children succeed, that''s all I need to be happy, to be sure that your father will be proud in heaven Everyone has their own story. You have huge potential and a great future, so your story will be beautiful, that''s my wish, mine begins and ends in this village, I have always lived, all my experiences, my memories, my life, and the people who are dear to me are here, alive or among the stars, tell me what will I have to do in the capital?


    I didn''t answer, everything was settled from the beginning, and I never had any chance.


    "You know, one of the reasons I can''t leave is that I have a debt here."


    "A debt? What debt?!"


    "Not that kind of debt. My parents both died a few years before I met your father when I was still studying at El Ciero. When I found out about that, I used all my savings to come back here, that going to be hard to believe but I never believed in their death."


    I watched her carefully, in the village, Mom was known to avoid any event related to death, she never went to the cemetery, she did not celebrate funeral anniversaries and I suspected the reason but understood it. So, to hear it from her mouth was very striking.


    "It sounds silly, but I figured if I didn''t see their grave that meant they weren''t dead, that''s ridiculous, isn''t it?"


    She was holding her shoulder, looking embarrassed, this woman who was respected throughout the village as an imperturbable, strong, and dominant face was now more vulnerable than ever, I looked away.


    "So you see, I owe them a first visit, it''s cruel for such caring parents to see their own daughter avoid them so much, but I need a lot of courage to do that, so I''d like to make a deal with you ."


    She held out her pinky to me, and instinctively I held out mine, looking crestfallen at first but when I saw her face I was speechless, it wasn''t a person''s eyes sad or moved, they were eyes full of pride, pride for her son, the miraculous.


    "If you graduate to the academy, and become a fine man, I''ll go to see my parents, do we have a deal?"


    My eyes shone in the night and an electrifying feeling ran through my body, eyes filled with new life.


    "Deal."

 The Test

    A few days had passed since my agreement to join the academy, I remember that Elizabeth, Hope, and Wendy had a fit of euphoria when they learned of it and since then Hope has asked me to fight it every day in our usual field, but to his dismay, I hadn''t agreed to babysit.


    "Come on bro, it''s the last day, just one last fight while we''re nobody, like the start of a great movie!"


    "Talk to my foot, man."


    "Kss... You''re so lazy, I thought your mom motivated you!"


    "I''m not lazy, I''m in power-saving mode. Go fight Leon instead, he should be back from the rift."


    "Aaah but you''re my damn rival... You''re just scared of Hero Time."


    Hope was annoyed. It had been a few days since the rift had been subdued by Shining Sword and according to the news, their feat had echoed in the nearby town, so they had been solicited by some Guilds as an E-rank group and should leave the village soon, on our side, Hope and I were waiting for an examiner from the academy.


    "It''s so boring, if they want to recruit Avatars, what''s the point of testing our skills? We''re E-rank, there''s nothing to show for that."


    "Oh, I can show Hero Time, and the test is necessary, the academy is the main source of the kingdom''s defense forces, they can''t just enlist random people, especially since I''m Elizabeth''s brother".


    "So I''m suffering because of you? You filthy brat.


    "Wow! You are suffering because you gave yourself a bad name, I don''t have to pass this test, at least me, only the one that determines my rank."


    "Yeah, yeah, so you''re taking advantage of your sister''s reputation to move up the ranks, you little rascal."


    "I swear, I will kill you one day!"


    "You shouldn''t worship her like that, you know how she tried to convince me?"


    "That bastard!" Elizabeth exclaimed in the distance.


    She arrived accompanied by 2 individuals, a young man with pale blond hair and elegantly curly hair, and a familiar guy who looked like a joker, and despite his bad face, we were about the same size. He looked at me with an ugly smile.


    "So there you go, silly, I see you''re taking care of ''my son'', right? As his ''mother'', I should thank you, don''t you think?"


    Albert was standing right in front of us, Hope had apparently told him about our conversation. I looked at him for a moment before turning to my comrade.


    "... I hope you hear that shit, man."


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    "Leave me out of this"


    "Now, I''m in front of you, so why don''t you leave Mr. Hope alone and face me instead?"


    "You should face a mirror first, your lips are abnormally blue, ma''am."


    "Oh, I''ll kill you!"


    He threw himself on me but was intercepted by Elizabeth who couldn''t hold back her laughter, the young man at her side sighed in annoyance.


    "Calm down, Albert, you have promised your complete impartiality here."


    "But I am, I''m going to punish that brat impartially!"


    "If it can comfort you, you''re doing it by staying right in front of me."


    He struggled in Elizabeth''s strong arms, I just wished I had fruits to throw at him but this sight was acceptable. After a while, he calmed down and Elizabeth began the introductions.


    "You know Albert as our butler and Hope''s personal trainer, but he''s first and foremost an academy examiner, he''s the one who deemed your skills good enough to get into the academy, Hope, and now it''s also he who will judge you and integrate you, Dora."


    "Humph! Will integrate is yet to be seen, I''m not as nice and shallow as Miss Elizabeth, so be prepared for the toughest test you''ve ever seen, E-ranker."


    "I see... Do I get a bonus if I dress like an ugly girl?"


    "You''ll only get my fist in your ass, you imbecile!"


    "... So you''re not denying the ugly lady part?"


    "Ooh Miss, let''s change the rules, let me fight him instead, I''m begging you!"


    Elizabeth sighed, one hand over her face.


    "Albert it would be easier if you just stayed quiet."


    "Yeah Albert, you''re just a butt-ler, know your place and shut up!"


    Albert turned to the young man who accompanied them, his hands clasped as if in prayer.


    "Sir Barron, I promise on my name to give you the best treatment at the academy if you get rid of this fucker in the test, you''ll get everything! Just make him suffer, please!"


    The young man waved his hand to tell Albert to move away from him and gave me an indifferent look.


    "Who do you think you are to ask me anything? You think a butler like you can go around and order me?"


    Albert was dumbfounded and stuttering, a scene that made me chuckle behind, but obviously not to Barron''s liking.


    "And why are you laughing, you idiot? Do you think you''re something? Understand that if I''m wasting my time here it''s only to make sure that any rubbish doesn''t soil the academy. I can''t believe that they''re even envisaging taking peasants among the elite."


    He straightened his hair and walked away from us, I wasn''t really surprised by this, first, I consider myself as a mere peasant, so I didn''t feel offended, and next from his gaze earlier I knew he was a big mouth. Hope, getting angry for me called out to him.


    "Oi, who are you calling a peasant? You better watch your mouth when you''re at people''s places, buddy."


    "I''m not dealing with 2 donkeys at the same time, consider yourself lucky to be the brother of the captain of the royal guards, without that you would never have had your place."


    "What?! Dare to repeat that!"


    "What? Are you also deaf?


    Hope stepped forward but Elizabeth held him back, looking bored.


    "Alright, I''m glad the introductions are done, now if you don''t mind, I''d like to move on to what we''re all here for."


    Barron shrugged and Hope, fuming, walked away staring at him, Elizabeth sighed and announced the test.


    "Here is the theme of the trial: Dora and Barron will face off in a friendly fight, and depending on the skills you show, Albert will enroll you in the academy, consider it a privilege, all you have to do to get in is show your skills, like the other day, now for the rules you both can use anything as long as you don''t don''t try to assassinate your opponent, you are professionals so surely you know which of your skills can be deadly, was I clear, Barron?"


    "You should have chosen someone weaker, I''m not responsible for the weakness of a peasant."


    "... Alright, so if you''re both ready, face and salute."


    We walked towards each other, in the center of the field that would soon become an explosive theater, we were now face to face, but neither of us greeted the other, much to Elizabeth''s dismay.


    "Why am I even bothering... Begin!"


    Our facial expressions changed and a strong wind swept across the field.

 The Way The Strong Fight

    At Elizabeth''s cue, Barron and I released our auras which collided, sweeping the air in every direction.


    "Let''s get this over with quickly, I don''t have all day."


    Barron said spirals of flame swirled around his arms.


    "As you wish."


    In an instant, a bed of flowers covered the field, and the ground, which had seemed chaotic earlier, took on a heavenly appearance, the best way to conceal a lethal weapon.


    Barron, unfazed, fired an orb of fire at me, sweeping the flowers away. A magic user so, interesting. The orb exploded on me, and the petals scattered, Albert jubilant.


    "Well done, Sir Barron! I knew you had it in you!


    He coughed lightly and regained his composure.


    "This establishes that Miss Elizabeth, even you cannot deny that it is grossly insufficient."


    No one answered him or even looked shocked, Hope and Elizabeth stared at a very familiar scene, thousands of petals swirling around Barron.


    "... No, you won''t."


    Barron turned the palm of his right hand and a violent wind rose,


    throwing the petals into the air.


    "I can sense magic you ignorant, you think something so petty could...!!!"


    A black javelin grazed his cheek, in front of him, I emerged from the cloud of smoke without a scratch.


    "Could you insult me ??more? I''m still not motivated enough to shoot on target."


    "... You Bastard!"


    Furious, he fired several fire lances at me, each crashing in small explosions never hitting their target.


    "You''re so good at running away, is that all you can...!!!"


    Several black chains emerged from the cloud of flowers that continued to hover above him and planted themselves all around him, paralyzing him, higher up I was standing on a ball of flowers.


    "Before you learn magic you should learn to finish your sentences, boy."


    "I''ll fucking kill you!!!"


    All the chains were covered in flames and Barron fired fire orbs in all directions, I threw myself to the ground and created a wall of earth to protect myself.


    "Yeah, let''s do that, I won''t let you finish your sentences."


    The cloud of petals in the air was covered with Barron''s flames but instead of disappearing, it was gaining volume, and the flames gradually turned green, suddenly a heavy rain fell on Barron. For their part, Elizabeth and Hope analyzed the fight while Albert was amazed.


    "I see, using water to weaken Barron''s attacks, a very good idea!"


    "Not exactly, using water, yes, but rain like that will never stop a fire orb, and Cid is very special."


    "What do you mean? Dora has the upper hand, he won''t lose to that fool."


    At that moment, a bolt of violent lightning tore the atmosphere. Hope, stunned looked at Barron, covered in a white aura and light lightning strokes, further away, I clutched my slightly burned arm.


    "I''m done playing with you, now I''ll..."


    A small pillar came out of the ground and hit him in the lower jaw, knocking him backward.


    "¡­ You''re done playing? Good for you, because it''s not."


    "RAAAAAGH!!!!"


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    He threw a barrage of fire and lightning at me, I could dodge the flames easily, but the lightning was a problem.


    2 spears of fire on each side...!!! Lightning from below... 3 more lightning... Urgh!... Too fast... a blade of ice... A blade of ice ?!


    Around Barron 2 orbs were spinning, a green and yellow orb and a blue and white orb, each releasing a lightning spell or an ice spell respectively, how many elements does this guy master?! Even among the emissaries, it was rare that one could use more than 2 elements, but since ice is derived from water and wind magic, this guy has already used 3 normal and 2 special elements, that was beyond the common level.


    "That''s what I told you, Hope, I didn''t choose Cide for no reason, he''s the same as you and Dora."


    "He''s... An Avatar?"


    "Yes, an E-rank Avatar with magic and healing abilities, not to mention he was trained in an affiliate of the academy, basically this boy is a true genius."


    Hope, for the first time, was paralyzed. For a long time, he considered himself the best at his level, it was not necessarily bragging, but he had worked extremely hard to get there.


    His last obstacle to date was this young man he had never been able to beat, this young man who was his ultimate limit.


    In his sweetest dreams, he imagined he had to defeat him to become one with greatness, but then someone else had appeared, someone with a better story, and that person was about to do what he had always been unable to do.


    Barron put on a mind-blowing spectacle, lightning flying, flames swirling and ice flying in a spectacular firework display. I was swimming in this ocean protecting myself using hundreds of tiny orbs that disappeared absorbing every ounce of energy it came in contact with, how long has it already been?


    "As expected from a peasant, you''re just good at running away!"


    I kept dodging as much as I could, but even as talented as they said I was, it was like running inside an explosion and so, I left several burns and pieces of clothes there and there.


    "Not saying anything? Talk, you idiot! Talk like you were doing before, why are you silent now? I will torture you little by little, you won''t..."


    At that moment, a clump of mud landed in Barron''s mouth, he was so surprised that he stopped his attacks at once.


    "Sorry, your mouth looked too much like a trash can. Oh, by the way, I picked that from a farm nearby, so I can''t confirm it''s mud, God bless you."


    Barron Wide-eyed spat the thing out of his mouth and began to shake.


    "...Wait, are those tears in your eyes?"


    "...ill you..."


    "Could you repeat that? I can only hear shit."


    "...ill yoouuu..."


    "It also smells... Ah! Silly me, it''s just your mouth."


    "I''LL KILL YOU!!!!"


    He rushed at me in rage, I stayed motionless with an arm behind me, smiling, but suddenly Elizabeth and Albert stepped in and intercepted Barron.


    "RELEASE ME! I WILL KILL HIM!!!"


    "Enough! Cid, the test is over!"


    "Sir Barron, we can''t let you proceed further, please calm down!"


    "Aaaah... I swear I''ll kill you! You''re dead!"


    "No shit Sherlock?"


    He was literally smoking with rage but was unable to get out of Elizabeth''s grip. No matter how talented he was, an E-tank was still an E-rank.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I''m shitting my pants~"


    "Aaah... aaah"


    "Holy shit, I''m so scared."


    "Dora, don''t make it harder. Albert, I think that''s enough right?"


    "... Let''s talk about this later ok? Sir Barron, you need to calm yourself, please!"


    They dragged Barron towards the village and returned without him a few minutes later.


    Elizabeth sighed and turned to me.


    "You have a knack for making enemies."


    "Everyone is an enemy before knowing them."


    "I just hope this kind of thinking won''t cause your fall, Albert, back on the topic, don''t you think it''s enough?"


    "Hm... Well, If I had to be perfectly objective, it wasn''t bad, but... between you and me, Barron was clearly dominating, if he hadn''t lost his composure, he would have won."


    "Yes but the test wasn''t to defeat him, just to test Dora''s skill, his powers are interesting, right? And he also has great stamina, he''s a perfect recruit."


    "Listen, Miss, I understand your will to see him join the academy, but you have to understand that for commoners we need to raise the bar."


    "What''s about me then? He can beat me anytime, so if I can join, why not him?!" Again, Hope came to my defense.


    "Your case is different, Sir Hope, because of your sister, everyone believes in your line, but what about him?"


    "That''s bullshit!"


    I laughed for a second and I quickly regained my composure, I had finally accepted your request, are you going to keep me waiting?


    "Albert, follow me for a second."


    "Mademoiselle, you once again abuse your notoriety."


    They started to walk but suddenly jumped up.


    "What was that?"


    Elizabeth looked anxiously at what they had just stepped into, a puddle left by the rain earlier.


    "What the... I could have sworn that¡­"


    "What''s up, sis?"


    She approached the puddle and put her hand on it before displaying a dumbfounded look.


    "Is this¡­ Draining me of energy?"


    "What?!"


    All 3 turned to me.


    " ¡­ What? Yes, it''s just a debuff, you know I can do that too, right?


    "So... All the rain that was falling..."


    "Yeah, that dude was a magic user, so the most fun way to defeat him was to drain his mana pool"


    It was a perfect plan, I intended to drain Barron''s mana and get sweet revenge, very slowly, but Elizabeth and Albert''s interference ruined everything.


    "His energy reserves must have been depleted earlier, you stole my victory."


    Both were paralyzed, Elizabeth finally smiled and turned to Albert.


    "Well¡­ Looks like we owe someone an apology, is that a high enough bar for you?"


    "Ah...ah...What was his affiliation again?"


    "Dora, I liked you before but now you have me drooling."


    "... I am 16 years old."


    "I am 20 years old, and on behalf of all royal knights, I welcome you to the academy."


    She laughed happily, Albert furtively probed the surrounding puddles, not believing what he had just felt, and behind them, his face dazed and motionless for too long, Hope watched us in silence.

 The Privilege of The Powerful

    Later that night we celebrated the news of my admission at a party with my mother, my sister, Hope, Elizabeth, and, sadly, Albert who had no shame in joining us.


    "It''s a private party, can you go?"


    "Sh-shut up! I''m only here to keep an eye on you."


    "You just want to eat for free, beggar."


    "Oh, you... Your mother''s beautiful son."


    "... Yes, you ugly women''t."


    The party was filled with moments like these, after the exam I was guaranteed to be a privileged student of the academy and so Albert suffered from becoming a boot licker. Everyone was cheering and my mother was not openly surprised, "Your admission was only a formality, I never doubted it", What a beautiful sentence from a mother, with the only downside of condemning me to do my best,


    but on his side, Hope, discussing with his sister, seemed bothered.


    "Just once more, please, I''m strong enough to assimilate it."


    "Hope, the problem is not if you can or not assimilate it, the problem is that if you wish to become a top Emissary you can''t rely on me for gathering magic stones at your place."


    "Just one last for the academy, just to make it fair, I''ll do the rest myself."


    "*sigh* Now you''re disappointing me, I gave you Hero Time as a last reward for your hard work, what''s happened to your will to fight? You call it unfair because Dora and Cid have trained more than you?"


    "... No, I''ve trained more than anyone in this village. If you spent more time around you''d see it... But for once you''re here you stick to someone else. Forget what I asked."


    After my fight against Barron, Hope was facing an internal crisis, on the one hand, Barron had demonstrated abilities far beyond what he could handle, this was the first time he felt genuinely inferior to someone, someone who should have beaten his rival easily, but that was the problem, his rival was about to defeat Barron,


    Hope, therefore, felt faced with a wall that he was too impatient to cross, to the point of making a foreign request of his temper, and his last sentence seemed to hide something else.


    "Hope, you know that I am the captain of the royal guards, as such, it''s impossible for me to be here every day, or weeks, or even months, I have to fight for the people, and in return, I cannot pass a lot of family time, you should understand it."


    "I''m not crying over it, I''ll beat you one day anyway, so you''ll be the one waiting."


    "And I''ll be more than happy if you do it, and that''s why you really should stay closer to Dora, he''ll be more useful than any E-rank group once he takes this seriously.


    "Here, do you still have to talk about him every day? He''s my friend but you''re my¡­Never mind! I shouldn''t be surprised!"


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    He started to walk away, Elizabeth


    tried to follow him but a sudden call stopped her.


    "Hey, Liza, I want a private talk about something important."


    She turned toward me a little worried.


    "Eh... Is this urgent?"


    "Since I have to leave tomorrow, yeah."


    "Huh, oh, so maybe a little later?"


    "... I''d prefer now since you''re still sober, my decision to join the academy depends on it."


    "S-sober?! You little... Hope, could you...Um...Oh Dora, does this have to be in private?"


    "Leave me out of it, Your favorite person is asking for a date, you shouldn''t refuse."


    Hope left the place grumbling, Elizabeth tried to hold him back in vain but the young man was already far away, I watched the scene carefully.


    "Um, is this a bad time to say my request is a bit illegal?" ?


    "...It''s okay, I''ll talk to him later, what do you want to ask?"


    "Not here, come with me."


    We went to a room down the hall, my bedroom, and when I opened the door, Elizabeth was surprised by the sight.


    My room does not present the image of the house, a large luxurious bed, a sofa, a tea service, and especially a clock on the ceiling.


    "What... What is this place?" She asked dumbfounded "It wasn''t like that yesterday."


    "... So you did come to my room, this place is one of my techniques, a room in another dimension that only I can open, time passes more slowly here too so we will have plenty of time to chat.


    I sat down in an armchair and she did the same, her eyes wandering around the room that looked like a royal bedroom.


    " SO? What exactly do you want? You said it was illegal.


    "Not a lot of things, it''s not impossible for the Captain of the Holy Royal Knights to do. Firstly, as someone you think has great potential for the future, I want to have a royal scholarship."


    "A... A royal scholarship?"


    "Yes, I did my research and found out that for special students recommended by the kingdom, the academy will offer a scholarship, so I want that one."


    "Yes, but it''s the scholarship for students from the noble caste, for normal people it''s the excellence scholarship, that''s the one you can access."


    "Yes, and that''s why I need you, the one who can force the Kingdom to build a poste de garde pour son village, to use the same authority to make the wonderful Avatar, who can use every type of branch, feel at home at the academy."


    "... Every? Are you really serious... No, wait! What you''re asking concerns the order of the crown, you will alienate a lot of people if you get what you ask for."


    "Ah? How sad, guess my career as a professional peasant can keep going."


    "My, my, MY! Why are you so complicated? Didn''t you promise to your mom?!"


    "Yeah but who knows if I will succeed? Suddenly I feel so unworthy of studying at the academy, guess I''ll just chill forever."


    "..... Now you''ll really be the one owing me something, do you think it''s fair for the others?"


    "I don''t know, I feel like Hope getting a cheat stone without trying, sounds familiar?"


    Elizabeth was speechless, no matter how hard she tried, I had cornered her.


    I was aware that a commoner could get a scholarship but I also knew that life was so expensive on capital that the Merit scholarship barely allowed me to survive. If I had to sacrifice my life for the kingdom, then the kingdom should also leave an arm.


    "I expected you to be a glorious warrior, not a kid blinded by money."


    "That sounds a lot like a ''you'' problem. So? My lady? Do we have a deal? Are you gonna make me a spoiled brat?"


    That was a perfect plan since it was only a cover. The real reason why I wanted a Royal scholarship was that I knew what kind of treatment awaited commoners in a Royal place, Barron was an example, and the Royal scholarship provided me the best weapon: total immunity, I could do whatever I wanted without consequences, but better focus Elizabeth on the financial aspect for now.


    "Fine then, you''ll get it... Do you also want me to be your Sugar mommy as a bonus? Filthy gigolo."


    "Oh, that won''t be necessary, only if your brother beat me."


    "Good, but as a senior, I can confirm one thing to you: you, with this scholarship, will bring all the hatred in the world on yourself.


    "Surprisingly, I feel like I''ve lived this all my life."


    We shook hands, sealing our agreement, Elizabeth not realizing that she had just given a license to violence to a demon.

 What Lays Within Me

    It was dawn in the village, the day I left. In the house, everyone was still asleep, and outside, the streets were deserted. The perfect time for my morning round. I headed for the nearby forest, sinking deeper and deeper until I was sure I was completely isolated.


    "Very well, one last time before the great departure."


    I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them again, they brightened red.


    In this scene, I was alone in the forest, in my point of view, I could see a message on a green screen.


    [Extermination Quest: Kill 10 Boars | Reward: 20 exp - 1 soul stone]


    [ Quest: Gather 400 black water lilies| Reward: 40 exp - 3 elemental stones]


    I had a unique ability giving me access to a system offering me a choice of two quests every day. The best part was that after completing one of the quests, I was rewarded with a brand new skill that made me even better at things I''d never practiced before.


    These skills ranged from combat skills like swordsmanship and archery to survival skills such as foraging and hunting. It was like having a surprise gift waiting for me every day.


    It was amazing that I had access to so many skills, I could never get enough of having more, but managing the quest could be a challenge. This system assigned daily quests, but it was a catastrophe to fall short on even one of them since it resulted in losing some of my skills.


    I could lose my dimensional room just like that for instance, like I lost a very important skill one time. Since then, these quests were the first thing I did every day.


    "Huh... So the normal quest gives a special reward and the special quest gives a normal one, great. Hmmm If I was serious, I would choose the 40 experience and the 3 elemental quest but... 400... Damn... And on the other side this rare stone... And then... I don''t have all day... Hah! I''ve been doing this all these years, what difference will this time make? Extermination Quest Select."


    Once this sentence was spoken, the special quest disappeared and only the extermination quest was displayed.


    I concentrated for a moment, in my usual meditation pose, one hand behind my back and another in sword finger, I could feel all the energy waves of the forest, all its essences, its life, and soon I was entering in contact with a particular energy.


    "Found ya."


    In a swamp, near a heap of black stones releasing a thick miasma, a group of wild boars devoured the carcasses of a large creature whose body was leading to decomposition.


    Boars were a class of E-rank monsters, probably from the rift that Shining Sword had taken care of, these creatures were large, about 6 meters long on average and 3 meters high, with 2 large fangs sticking out of their mouths and their bodies, built like tanks, were covered with thick black fur.


    There were about twenty of them and maybe more in the woods, a bonus exp then. A black stain appeared in the middle of the swamp and spread slowly, the boars, at first indifferent, stirred when the stain came into contact with them and soon it covered the whole swamp.


    "Gamma Body"


    About fifty spikes came out of the ground and impaled several boars, 2 of them by the head and the others in the side, The creatures went wild and those who had escaped the attack ran in all directions.


    [Boar killed: 2/10]


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "... Oh? the head is their weakness."


    I appeared in the middle of the swamp, stepping out of the shadows, and released a wave of energy. The boars stopped running and turned towards me.


    "Sigh We''re all adults here, don''t play hide and seek."


    They rushed at me, roaring, a few meters separated us and soon the first line leaped toward me.


    "Rest..."


    My whole body turned black and countless matter-like tentacles emerged from it, impaling all the boars everywhere.


    "... in..."


    The tentacles rose, carrying the boars in the air, and stopped several meters from the ground.


    "... pieces."


    Finally, the tentacles expanded and tore the monsters to pieces, which fell into the swamp. A macabre spectacle, from which I reappeared at the top of the highest peak.


    [Boar killed: 10/10]


    [Quest Completed]


    [You have successfully achieved the quest]


    [Reward received]


    [+20 exp]


    [1 rare stone dropped| 2 soul stones dropped]


    "Nice, 2 souls in one quest, I made the right choice."


    [Unlocked a new skill]


    [Iron Stomach acquired| Allows the user to digest anything he eats]


    I looked at this message like one would look at the middle child in an argument, Do they expect me to eat garbage? I took the 2 soul stones and analyzed them thoroughly.


    "... Huh?! Smell tracker? The 2 of them??? What the fuck?!"


    I terribly regretted my choice, as expected from animals eating a corpse, they only produced garbage. I squeezed my hand, which was shaking from the pressure when suddenly a gigantic shadow fell over me.


    A huge wave containing the worst horrors of the swamp rose in the air and fell back on the spine of a gigantic Boar, red with 4 large teeth emerging from its mouth.


    The creature, which must have been nearly 13 meters long, raised its head and realized that one of its legs had remained fixed in a large black Crystal.


    "A little bit interesting."


    I reappeared on top of the biggest pike and little by little, all the spikes broke and each fragment took the form of a javelin, the tip facing the monster, bellowing in rage or pain as the crystal covered its body.


    "... So this is really the end? Can''t break free? Sorry in advance, because I''m only an E rank, I can''t get you to sleep fast, it might sting."


    The creature curled up and spat a green bubble at me, I waved my hands, and the javelins in its path expanded and absorbed the grime, a puff of smoke made me understand it was probably acid.


    "Grit your teeth."


    I made another gesture and the javelins rushed at the monster and pierced it from all sides, again and again, a black and red whirlwind accompanied the cries of agony of the monster whose defensive abilities had become a nightmare for itself and after a good minute the animal collapsed heavily, torn on all sides.


    The creature was probably a boss, or rather a higher class of the boars, but the little experience obtained was proof that the E-rank missions were no longer enough for my evolution, maybe the entrance to the academy would be more beneficial after all.


    I went back down to the swamp and observed the remnants of this carnage, a soul stone floated on his body. I took it and examined it for a few seconds before throwing it at the boar''s body.


    "As a token of respect, I won''t take your stone, and it''s not because it''s another ridiculous smell tracker, definitely. Sigma Body"


    The red glint in my eyes disappeared and my face took on a placid, relaxed look. I noticed the Boar''s entrails on my shoes.


    "Ew..."


    Disgusted beyond imagination, I disappeared into my dimensional room. It was my day-to-day, sometimes I had good days and I could learn some very interesting skills with little effort, and other times I had things like this, it would be helpful to know what the people cook or do in the toilets, I guess.


    Later in the day, the hour of departure had arrived, and a very small committee was present for our departure, my mother, Wendy, and Elizabeth, having changed faces thanks to one of his abilities, Albert had returned to the capital. with Baron. I greeted my family one last time.


    "But... If we''re going to be rich, do I still have to study?"


    "Wendy, your brother is working very hard for you, don''t complain, and studying is good."


    "Yes Wendy, thanks to my hard work you won''t be able to oversleep anymore, you will spend hours reading books, doing brain-burning calculations, stop being carefree, and soon enter the world of over-exhausted adults."


    "..."


    She looked at me with her cute puppy ??eyes and when I couldn''t take my smirk any longer she lunged at me and gave me the sweetest, cutest beating my arm had ever felt. After that, my mother gave me her last encouragement and everything was ready for our departure.


    "Show them who you are, and if you ever have any doubts, remember that you have a home here and we will always be waiting for you."


    "It''ll be fine, I''m your son so I''m going to do... Oh?"


    I paused when I noticed a few familiar characters ready to board the same bus as me and Hope. Our eyes met and I met for the first time in several days this group of emissaries, popular in the village, and very familiar, the members of Shining Sword.

 Play Monster Against Demon

    We were facing my former companions, given their faces, they must also have been surprised to see me, we hadn''t had any contact since that day.


    "Hm? What a surprise, the useless debuff is here, you came to say goodbye to us? How nice." Erick launched hostilities.


    "Erick, stop this, please. Hello, mister Anesidora, we weren''t expecting you, are you also leaving?"


    "Oh, Liliana was it? Yeah, I''m doing great, very great" I smirked at Elizabeth in her disguise and she sighed in answer. "I heard that you had subdued the rift last time, very good job."


    "... Thank you, it wasn''t that hard, everyone did a great job, even though I would have liked to count you with us."


    "For what? Did we even need to use my poison skill? This only confirms that this thing is worthless, like the user somehow."


    These words agitated my family and Hope, Wendy, too young to understand what was going on tugged at our mother''s sleeve.


    "Mom, who are they?"


    Mom didn''t answer and only patted Wendy''s head, she knew how she had raised me so she was not ready to intervene.


    "There''s no need for me to join, Marie is already here as a representative, did you carry her well?"


    "Idiora will never change, I don''t need any protection, I play the tank here."


    Marie came forward, clutching one of her stuffed animals to her chest.


    "You don''t even look sad, I''m disappointed in you."


    "I''m sad, in my heart, but I have many hearts... Oh, I forgot that your puppets can play many roles."


    "Wasn''t it? I was surprised to see her in action, you''ve trained her well." Liliana added.


    It seemed like they had both developed a good relationship.


    "Yeah, I''m not surprised, I''m an expert in correcting Lolis, if only Lilith didn''t resist..."


    Marie, suddenly flustered, gave me the second harmless punch I''ve ever received on my arm while Liliana was laughing softly, but on the other hand, Lilith barely flinched as the other members were unresponsive, Leon and Morgiana looked at us bored and Sana looked away.


    "Guys, it''s almost time, let''s get on the bus."


    "There''s still a few minutes left, Leon, we can afford a proper goodbye this time."


    Marie held her head against Leon, I could see that things might have been a little tense between them after my departure, but it wasn''t my problem anymore.


    "Oh don''t worry, we''ll have plenty of time to chat, because we''re coming too."


    Hope couldn''t resist. The others looked at him, slightly indifferent and Leon''s face showed a look of surprise for a moment, before smiling.


    "I see, so the 3 of you have formed a party, I''m very glad for you Dora, I expected you to remain faithful to your principles, but in the end, no one wants to remain frozen, right? You on the other hand, Hope, I thought a true Hero didn''t need a party. I wonder what made you give up on your dream."


    "Huh! Better keep quiet if you don''t know if you want to compliment or insult, and besides we always follow our principles, we don''t need any team to impress the best guilds."


    I coughed to hold him back, it was kind of him to defend me by insulting them, but there were at most 3 people I didn''t hate in that group.


    "Yeah yeah, but in the meantime look at the situation, We have already been recruited into the Southern Guild, who really made the right choice?"


    "From the South...Oh I see, not a private guild, huh? Yeah, that''s what I''m saying, not bad... For starters."


    This statement alone must have seriously ticked Leon, given the change in his face.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "I really don''t understand people trying to act strong¡­ You are not a team, but you train together, you are not a party, but as soon as we are recruited, you follow us¡­ You know, it''s not bad to be a copycat, but it''s a shame to lie about it. By the way, Dora, why are you letting him do the talking? Is he your bodyguard now?"


    "Who knows, maybe lover?" Erick added with the ugliest smirk I''ve ever seen, and I''ve slayed overconfident goblins once.


    "Holy shit¡­ Trying my best to be a ray of sunshine but people keep testing me¡­"


    "The old you wouldn''t be so weak..." Sana whispered.


    Everyone had different reactions in this situation, Morgiana looked away, more and more annoyed, Lilith and Sana often glanced at me, with a face filled with frustration for one and disappointment for the other, and Marie and Liliana tried their best to ignore the 2 last members.


    "Mom, I need to leave now."


    "I''ll contact you later, Have a safe journey, you too Hope."


    "Thanks, ma''am¡­ But man, are you going to let them talk to you like this? I said I wouldn''t intervene but now I''m involved too."


    "You''ve already intervened¡­ Goodbye, and take care of Mom for me, Wendy."


    I hugged my family for the last time, under the mocking gazes of Leon and Erick, and turned to the bus. Hope seemed reluctant and Elizabeth, under her new face, kept silent.


    (Sigma Body)


    A pale light sparkled in my eyes. I got on the bus, followed by Hope and Elizabeth, the Shining Sword followed and a few minutes later, the bus started. Mom and Wendy greeted us and seemed to shrink as the bus advanced, soon, we crossed the last walls of the villages and so I left this earth, witness to my heroic or criminal acts.


    A few minutes had passed since we left the village, and the reigning tension due to the presence of my former comrades dissuaded Hope and Elizabeth from speaking, the first did not hide his discontent.


    "Well, seems like the first step of my legend won''t be memorable, you really need to learn how to respond to certain idiots, Dora."


    "Talk to me more often, I will practice, I have my own way."


    "By not responding? Pfff... That''s what we teach those who don''t know how to defend themselves.''''


    "It''s very noble not to respond to provocations, I''m with Dora on this one, you''re too impulsive Hope."


    They continued this childish debate, while I manipulated my phone, all under the bored eyes of my exes. Erick, perhaps wanting to be noticed, sighed heavily.


    "Maybe you should listen to your lady?" Don''t pick a fight you cannot win."


    "¡­ What did you say?"


    Hope stood up from his seat and glared at Erick, the latter looked at him one moment before turning to me.


    "At least now we know who''s the man in this house, Good call Sana."


    "*sigh*"


    "Erick!" Liliana shouted.


    It was an interesting party, and it filled me with such a good feeling, the feeling of letting a bug grow wings before cutting them. Anyway, Hope had a whole different opinion about it.


    "Dora, if you don''t want to take care of your own mess, I won''t let them make a fool of myself."


    "You''re not funny¡­ Could you just wait until we reach the bridge?"


    "What bridge? What are you talking about? And what''s funny about being insulted? Keep your advice to yourself, man, I''m doing this my way! Eric, what did you say about me?"


    Hope left his seat and stood in front of Erick, the latter, very annoyed, turned to Leon, seemed like the toughest bully wasn''t up for a fight against a real warrior.


    "Tch, get your face out of me, moron, I don''t have time to deal with a couple of idiots."


    "Call me an idiot again, I''ll make you eat the ground, go ahead!"


    Hope was ready to throw hands, but realizing the situation, Leon finally decided to act as a leader and stood up.


    "Alright, everyone calms down, this is hardly the place for this. Hope, I''m sorry if you felt attacked but Erick wasn''t really targeting you, could you let it go?"


    "You have a terrible hearing then, and I would rather hear that from the tail of the horse, not the head."


    I couldn''t help but let out a little chuckle, wish wasn''t on the taste of Leon.


    "As a Hero I understand why you would fight for the weak, but as an emissary, I wouldn''t defend a coward."


    "That''s it!"


    Hope, grabbed Leon by the collar, releasing a wave of energy under the frightened eyes of his comrades, Elizabeth stood up in turn, quickly followed by Morgiana and Erick who had suddenly found courage.


    "HOPE!"


    A single yell froze the atmosphere. It is said that in a circus, the clown is the most popular victim, specially designed to be a joke, and everyone makes fun of him¡­ Until his toy gun shoots a real bullet.


    "This is not your scene, all this setting is for MY first performance."


    "¡­ But¡­ You''re not even doing anything."


    "What don''t you understand in ''wait until we get to the bridge''?"


    As said, the bus arrived over a large bridge, about 100 meters long, and underneath was a little river covered with rocks. I stood up and walked toward Leon, in this scene, no one talked, for many, it was the first time that they saw me display a bit of anger.


    "¡­ Oi, what do you think you''re doing? Go back to your seat."


    "You said that I''d be a coward if I didn''t answer, but don''t worry, the wings I''m gonna tear apart are not yours."


    Erick stood on guard, one hand on his dagger, looking more and more anxious, It was rather abnormal to imagine a powerful DPS frightened by a low-class debuff, even a so-called Avatar, but in the world of emissaries, evolution gave us another remarkable talent: our instinct, sometimes, without a sign, our body would be on alert in front of a dangerous force, like bloodlust. In comparison, the situation for Erick was like a wolf swimming in black water, infested with all types of reptiles.


    "I''m done with this bullshit, if you make another step, I take one of your hands, I warned you."


    "¡­You would damage a precious asset of the kingdom? In front of witnesses?


    "To whom is it valuable? You''re worthless, and Sana will heal you anyway... But maybe after you pass out, idiot, go ahead, try me! Take one more step ."


    "Okay, you win, I''m not moving, I won''t need to move anyway... For what I''m about to do."

 Time For Explanations

    "This is your bus stop."


    I snapped my finger and a dimensional hole opened beneath Erick. He fell there without even realizing what was happening, and in no time, found himself free-falling under the bridge.


    "Say hello to the parents of my payment, stone and stick."


    Erick fell endlessly. It would be fun to know what he was thinking at the time, but I had to take care of his companions first.


    "W... What... Where''s Erick?! What did you do??"


    "On the bright side... Now you have the harem of girls you''ve been dreaming about."


    "Bring him back, now!"


    Leon was advancing furiously towards me, his fist clenching and releasing dangerous waves of energy, his means of negotiation.


    "Scary."


    I snapped my fingers and another hole opened up under Leon, knocking him under the bridge.


    No matter what people say, gravity has always been a formidable weapon, I took out 2 E rank emissaries with minimal effort, not a feat but still impressive.


    "Are you crazy?! When¡­ What did you¡­"


    "Ah, I forgot you, Morgy."


    "... Wait, what?... Wait- wait a second, calm down, I''m not going to fight..."


    "I will."


    And so, Morgiana flew too, but the bus had already crossed the bridge, she landed on the road and rolled backward.


    "Triple kill, anyone else?"


    Everyone present was amazed, the advantage of a surprise and well-planned move was that I could attack several times, and no one would have the clarity to stop me.


    "... Dude..."


    "What? Don''t tell me you''re shocked now, you wanted me to act."


    "...Y-yeah but... This is a real attempted murder... How did you do that?"


    "They are emissaries, a simple fall will not kill them, but if we stop the bus now, the blood will flow."


    The last 4 members of Shining Swords were in shock, Liliana rushed to the bus driver while Elizabeth shook my shoulders.


    "Are you stupid?! What are you thinking?! Go get them already!"


    "Calm down, your energy shows."


    "I don''t care, GET THEM BACK!!!"


    "... If they come back, I won''t join the academy, and I''ll tell everyone about your relationship with Hope."


    A powerful blow in a weakness, Elizabeth''s relationship with her family has been kept secret for a long time after she passed A-rank. At that time, she was the target of many nobles for her rising status. Of course, after becoming the strongest of the Kingdom those habits stopped little by little, but it was only thanks to her power.


    Hope''s case was different, as an E-rank, he would probably suffer from bullying and being the target of her enemies if they happened to know he was her brother.


    "...You... Fucking... Snake..."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "You mean moon, right?"


    "I misjudged you so much... You''re pure evil."


    "And you took me out of my nest, who''s the real monster?"


    "Let it go, sis, he''s just teasing you."


    "Do you know how many times he used you to blackmail me?"


    "You''re exaggerating, and it was his fight anyway, we had no right to interfere... But now you''re really in trouble, man."


    "I''ll deal with it, sooner or later."


    "Guys! Something is wrong with the driver!"


    Liliana came back distraught. In front, the driver had remained imperturbable despite the back commotion; even after being shaken by the young girl, he had never slowed down.


    "There''s no point, this woman is under my control, she won''t stop her course."


    Everyone turned to me again, more surprised than ever.


    "Mister Anesi?"


    "B-bro what the fuck?"


    "Like I said, I used a hypnotic spell on her when I got on the bus, wasn''t that hard, she''s a normal human, and now she''s fully under my control."


    "It''s... It''s impossible... You''re a debuffer... You can''t control people!" Sana whispered in disbelief.


    "Isn''t sleep another debuff skill? why do you think this is different?"


    "You planned that from the beginning...''''


    "You can''t fathom the number of things I''ve planned these last few days. Now like I said, they are emissaries so they''re alright, Morgiana went back to the bridge instead of following us, and your destination is further away, so they will join you soon. Everything is fine, and if you feel uncomfortable about leaving them behind, just say I took you hostage."


    They looked at each other puzzled.


    "Hostages? Idiora, what the hell are you doing?"


    "You wanted a good goodbye, so I''m going to explain my choices to you properly, you''re not going to blame me for dismissing the other 3 like that, especially without a fight."


    "That will probably happen later... But I guess that''s fair, right?"


    Marie turned to Sana, Lilith, and Liliana, these last 3 looked at each other for a moment then


    Liliana sighed.


    "My God... Why is it always so complicated?"


    "Since we''re hostages¡­then there''s nothing we can do, can we? But you realize Leon is going to kill you, don''t you?"


    "Only if I allow it, and it won''t happen again."


    "That doesn''t explain anything, how did you do that? It was dimensional magic. How long have you had it?"


    Among them, Sana was the most disturbed, in a strange way. We sat down and I explained most of what happened, minus Elizabeth and our deal part. I could see eyes filled with stars at Liliana and troubles at Marie and Lilith.


    "Amazing! I knew you were something special but this is beyond my imagination!"


    "Now I''m not sad, I''m just disappointed. Idiora just left the party to take a shortcut."


    "I wouldn''t say ''left'', more like kicked with extra steps."


    "I''m also disappointed bro, so after all, after all these battles, you were not a hero in heart. You are just a mama boy."


    Among all the fights I had with Hope, this was the only time he hurt me, a very little bit.


    "And you have a sister complex."


    Elizabeth coughed at her spot, meanwhile, Lilith couldn''t hide her frustration anymore.


    "Great, after all this time you finally decided to move on, but you didn''t want to do it with us, you did everything to get fired and now you''re going to have fun with your new life and fame."


    "We can''t help it, I didn''t think about it at all. It took me by surprise too."


    "You don''t seem to hate it..."


    "I mean... Do you know the allowance for an Academy student? I could retake classes for years but I''ll have enough money to live comfortably for many ye... *COUGH* But of course I will give my best."


    "Well, that''s very good for you, being among the students of the academy is insurance for a great future. I heard that the best students are consulted for political decisions... So, congratulations. " Sana said with a bitter smile, at least that was what I saw through her eyes.


    "Yeah, I forgot about that. Maybe I''ll use this to increase my future salary."


    "Oh my God."


    "Bro, you are pathetic!"


    "Keep my financial situation out of this."


    "I''m very happy for you, I thought you had completely abandoned your passion but it''s good to see you so motivated again."


    "Can''t we talk about my motivation? Sarcasm makes me want to answer honestly but now is not the time."


    "Of course, you had to work a lot to get recruited, so I''m sure you need some rest. It''s good to see you looking so refreshed again."


    It was probably the first time that Sana had complimented me so much, even the others seemed troubled by this change, especially after the way we broke up.


    "Anyway, you''re quite mature Mister Dora, I thought you''d hold a grudge after all that but in the end, you only reacted when you were attacked."


    "Why hold a grudge? Getting kicked out was part of my plan, I can''t blame you all for doing what I wanted. I''ve only dropped Leon and Erick because I hate their guts."


    "... And Lady Morgiana?"


    "... Just because."


    "I''m mad at you for manipulating me!"


    Lilith was furious, tears shone in the corners of her eyes. I patted her little head like a kind old man with his puppy.


    "There, there, that''s no reason to cry. You should be happy that I''m doing my best like you wanted."


    "I''m not crying!... and I wished that we... Well, you''re just a selfish idiot!"


    She kept pesting, but for once she didn''t refuse my pats, a lot had changed in a few minutes.


    "Yeah... If you had been motivated like that one day earlier, everything would have been different."


    Sana whispered, but the silence that followed and the looks on her confirmed that everyone had heard her.

 An Ending And A New Beginning

    The rest of the trip went off without a hitch, the tension had gone down and the debate mainly revolved around the complaints of my comrades and Hope telling us about his future exploits.


    We soon arrived in Sungen Town, one of the largest towns in the region and headquarters of the Southern Guild. Sana, Marie, Liliana, and Lilith prepared to go down, the time for our new farewell had come.


    "So keep doing your best mister Dora, We''ll do our best too and I hope to finally work with you one day."


    "You wish to see Leon die?"


    "*giggle* You better keep getting strong because we won''t stay E-rank for long."


    "By the way, Idiora, What is this device you were manipulating in the bus? It looks like a magic stone."


    "Marie, this thing is called a mobile phone, have you never... Oh, yeah... Poverty."


    "Jerk."


    "Hm! No, I mean the village is so poor that no one has one, even I got this... In a special way! I''m not insulting you, I''ll even give this to you as a farewell gift. "


    I handed her the device. The kingdom had just recently opened up to some other countries, in which technology had reached an impressive point and thus, some of them have been imported but most were in possession of the richest families. I got mine from a special quest. Marie looked at the device and took it hesitantly with a little smile.


    "Oh... Huh... Thanks, you''re not too bad I guess... Hum..."


    "You don''t know how to use it, do you?"


    "Jerk!"


    Liliana laughed while Lilith pouted, it was definitely the right decision to cut the weed earlier.


    "You better not think this is the end, You might have a better opportunity now but we will work harder and climb the ranks! Watch behind you because we will surpass you!"


    "... You mean ''watch under me'', right?"


    "I''LL KILL YOU!!!"


    Held back by Liliana, Lilith was dragged out from the bus, soon followed by Marie.


    "Don''t get killed in a rift."


    "Won''t happen, Don''t get knocked up successfully by master Hero."


    "Ew."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    We exchanged one last smile and she left too. I was about to return to my seat when I found myself face to face with Sana, who remained behind.


    "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now."


    "Yeah, you should hurry, with his speed, Leon should be there in a few minutes."


    "I''m not worried, I mean he wouldn''t hold a chance against you, right? You were the one chosen by the academy. An avatar is always stronger."


    It was her reasoning, a popular quote among normal people that became a general rule: a powerful Avatar is born with talent and will always surpass the best of any other classes. It was an immense source of pressure for weaker Avatars and a wall for other emissaries, For instance, I''ve been easily kicked for being a potential brake for the future of Shining Sword yet the Kingdom scouted me for what my maximum potential could offer.


    But this coming from Sana, at this exact moment tickled me in the wrong way.


    "Who knows? No matter what happens, it''s my life. If he gets stronger, it''s on me, if I get stronger it''s also on me. I don''t bother comparing myself to others, I only need the power to do what I want."


    "Y-Yeah, I just mean that you''re very strong, you''ll become famous in no time and the best of emissaries can become nobles, It''s really great for you. Well, I''ll go with the others now, so. .. Do your best, and don''t forget us, ok? I''ll write you often."


    "Ok, go now, it''s exhausting to keep this hypnosis for so long."


    "Yeah... Huh..."


    She looked at me for a moment, as if she wanted to say something more, but she just gave me a smile and got off the bus. Hope and Elizabeth joined me.


    "I won''t teach you how to defend your honor, but seriously if it was me, I wouldn''t have listened to all her bullshit. Do you see how she changed? Talk about a gold digger."


    "It''s between them, Hope, Stop butting into other people''s business like that."


    "I won''t, I won''t. I don''t have time for this anyway, tomorrow is the big day so let''s hurry. The world is waiting for the Hero Hope."


    The door closed and the bus continued on its way, leaving the 4 girls behind.


    "It''s really great, in a way it''s like a competition, us against Mr. Dora, are you feeling pumped up now, Marie?"


    Marie, a stuffed animal against her chest, looked at the phone and smiled.


    "Yes, let''s not waste time... Oh, should we wait for them? They don''t seem to have caught up."


    They looked at the road from which we came, still not seeing their comrades.


    "... You two, go to the guild first and start the enlistments, Sana and I will wait for them here."


    Marie and Liliana nodded at Lilith and went ahead, leaving their last two comrades.


    "So what was that?"


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    "You know what I mean, Leon would have been furious if he saw you talking like that to Dora. What are you playing?"


    Sana fixed her hair and looked at the horizon.


    "What''s the problem? I''m just nice with an old teammate, why are you angry about it?"


    "Because if I''m not mistaken you''re currently dating Leon and he and Dora hate each other''s, more... You''re really bold, didn''t you say that you hated him because he cheated on you? Why are you suddenly forgetting that?"


    "I really don''t understand what you want to say, You heard him, everything was his plan, of course, I would be mistaken. But we may let it to the past."


    "The past? What are you saying? What''s about Leon?? You... You should really be careful with what you do."


    "Yeah, Yeah, I will."


    She simply smiled facing a sighing Lilith. A huge card game had started several days ago, and now each participant was standing on an ejector chair. The deadliest game in history was about to begin.


    Meanwhile, in the kingdom''s capital, Ambrosia, the midday sun made the walls of the magic academy shine radiantly white.


    In a messy underground room, a woman with long, unkempt green hair observed a blue screen hanging in the air.


    |Character selection activated: |


    |Select your Avatar |


    "Ah, at last. I can''t believe you made me wait for so long, my little toy."

 One Step Before Glory

    The next day had arrived, the day we were supposed to enroll in the academy.


    The sun had risen a few hours ago and life was returning to normal in the capital.


    In the courtyard of an inn, Hope, wearing only shorts, was swinging a wooden sword in the air.


    "Ha!"


    Powerful blows rent the air, a delectable sight for the inn manager.


    "Mister Hope, you have a visitor."


    The young man stopped and looked at the manager who was accompanied by a robust man, tall and with disheveled black hair.


    "Hm, not so bad, if It was me, I would have added a few weights, but I think for a beginner it''s already good."


    "Oh Huh... Thanks, but it''s only a warm-up, I can''t risk getting injured today, my daily training is usually more brutal."


    "For me, if you don''t risk getting hurt, it''s not training."


    "... Who are you by the way?"


    The man crossed his arms and cocked his chin proudly, showing off his massive pecs.


    "I am an examiner from the Royal Academy of Nebula, Physical Education teacher, and especially C-class Warrior: Galviol."


    "A... An examiner?! So you''re the one sis said... I mean the one who will take us to the academy?"


    "Yes, consider yourself lucky, it''s rare that the academy sends an actual teacher, and what''s more a Hand, to pick up new students. But since you have quite the reputation, we got a little out of our way."


    Hope flinched.


    "Reputation? Do you mean that people are already interested in me? Holy shit... I... I didn''t know that my numerous fights and training had echoed all the way to the capital... Are we going now? Can I train for real just a little bit?"


    His eyes lit up with joy, Hope was unable to contain his energy that was gradually being released, and Galviol raised an eyebrow.


    "Hey boy, I didn''t delay my activities to watch you sweat you know? Bring your friend here, we''re leaving in 10 minutes. You''re now part of the Royal Academy so you better behave like this."


    Hope sighed in frustration and rushed inside the inn.


    He darted down the stairs and down the hallway and knocked loudly on my door.


    "Dora! Dora!!! Wake up! Someone from the academy is here! Doraaaaa!!!!"


    He hammered the wood incessantly without understanding how futile it was.


    Somewhere, in a cave, a group of bipedal lizard monsters were moving around.


    The creatures ran pathetically in all directions and collided in the darkness.


    "Hum? So you really can''t see anything in the dark? Poor things, this is going to be scary."


    One of the creatures rushed towards the source of the voice, claws extended.


    "Hm? Sensitive to the sound?"


    A horrible sound of flesh being sliced ??was heard, followed by the howls of the beast.


    The others gathered in the center of the room, listening attentively to the surroundings.


    "*Freeze*"


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Suddenly, an icy wind passed through the cave, and the temperature dropped quickly and became unbearable.


    The monsters screamed and ran in all directions, throwing themselves to stones and walls in their path.


    Soon their movement became heavier. They trudged forward and collapsed one after the other.


    [Lizard killed: 7/18]


    "What tough guys, this is taking forever. *Freeze*"


    I cast this spell once again, the cave was gradually covered with ice.


    Gradually, the ice spread over each object, the lizards on the ground becoming statues, literally, from the inside out to the tip of the tail.


    The air was now unbreathable and soon the countdown began.


    [Lizard killed: 11/18]


    [Lizard killed: 15/18]


    [Lizard killed: 18/18]


    [Quest Completed]


    [You have successfully achieved the quest]


    [Reward received]


    [+20 exp]


    [1 soul stone dropped| 2 elemental stones dropped]


    [Unlocked a new skill]


    [sonar acquired| defense +10/stamina +5]


    "Sonar? I see, so that was that."


    I quickly assimilated the stones and released my normal form.


    (*Sigma body*)


    I opened another portal and left the cave. Thanks to one of my skills, I could teleport directly to places where I left a special mark.


    This would be very useful to do my quests when I''m at the academy, Elizabeth informed us that we would be in a dormitory.


    Talking about this, today was the day of our endorsement.


    I reappeared in the bathroom and went to my room when I found Hope and the inn manager at the door.


    "Huh? What are you doing there?"


    They turned towards me, looking desperate.


    "You... Where were you?! We''ve been looking for you for 30 minutes!"


    "30? How rude, It barely took 10 minutes!"


    "10 minutes of what?! There''s an examiner from the Academy to pick us up, get ready already for God''s sake."


    He rushed into his room to prepare his things, if you were in such a hurry you should have started there.


    We went down and found the examiner.


    This huge man was drinking a cup of coffee and gave us an angry gaze once he saw us.


    "If it weren''t a direct order from the academy, I would have left you guys here."


    "We''re really sorry, Mister Galviol, it won''t happen again."


    "What''s about you, shrimp? Not gonna apologize like your friend?"


    I looked at him and then turned to Hope.


    "My friend and I share everything, so he''s also apologizing for me."


    "Bro¡­"


    A vein appeared on Galviol''s forehead. He crossed his arms and released a wave of energy, making the inn shake.


    Hope and I were having trouble standing.


    "M-Mister Galviol?!"


    "Good, I was annoyed with all these arrogant brats, but at last this one isn''t an untouchable. We''re going now."


    He started walking, under the stunned gazes of Hope and me.


    "Dora... Why do you always seek problems?"


    "I''m trying to be an angel... But people won''t let me."


    We hesitantly followed the huge man in a large black car. The vehicle started and we were on our way to the academy.


    "Alright, so I''ve also been mandated to inform you of the protocol. As you have been directly recommended by a high authority, you are both official property of the kingdom. Your actions are observed, and your life will be supervised. I know that you are peasants so you will quickly understand that things here are very different from your little countryside."


    "We... Understand, sir."


    "Good, you have the perfect spirit to be a boot licker, that already put you above your little buddy."


    Hope wanted to laugh but quickly realized the insult behind and tightened his face.


    "Most of your comrades are nobles, people who have only known luxury since birth, people who spend in a day what your families accumulate in a lifetime, and they know it. The only way for you to be able to even sit in the same room as they are is to accumulate power and achievements. Which one of you is Hope?"


    Hope froze an instant and pointed a finger at himself.


    "So you''re her little brother."


    "What?! How did you..."


    "I told you, from now on, you belong to the kingdom. There''s nothing you can hide and everyone in the academy knows that already, I can say that you''ve become the talk of the last few days. The legend of the academy has a brother, and he''s an Avatar Hero like her, but will he be up to the task?"


    Hope lowered his head for a moment, it was quite surprising to see him so devastated, he tried very hard to hide his relationship with Elizabeth to not be carried by her fame, so this news may have hit hard.


    However, when he raised his head his face showed something other than distress, his smile made his lips tremble and excitement was visible in his eyes.


    "I see, I didn''t expect the most important and powerful people in the kingdom to be interested in me. Now I really can''t wait to show what I have."


    Please don''t get too carried away. Most people are just curious to know who the brother is, but they won''t let someone with an E-rank walk over them. These are the elite members of the Kingdom, and they are now keeping an eye on you.


    "... I couldn''t ask for more. This is the only time I will say that, but you will soon understand why Elizabeth and I share the same name."


    "You have guts, I''ll see where it will lead you."


    As the car crossed the bridge, we reached an area surrounded by opulent buildings such as teahouses, theaters, and a museum.


    The topography around us had been transformed by these magnificent structures, and we were now in the heart of the bourgeois zone.


    It was the first time I had ever felt so moved by the beauty of my surroundings. Every building I saw captivated me, and I felt like a child in a chocolate factory. My inner peasant was awakened from his slumber!


    And then, in the distance, I saw a sprawling complex of buildings, surrounded by a massive wall - it was the Royal Academy.

 The Royal Academy

    The vehicle had been parked outside and we continued the road on foot. The spectacle behind the walls was divine.


    A vast area, richly decorated with statues along numerous paths, water fountains further on, and tremendous vegetation. It was like a capital within the capital, this world was simply magical.


    The architecture of the main building in the distance was reminiscent of a castle, with its many towers and buildings.


    Other buildings emerged in the distance, this world was infinite.


    As we walked, we passed more and more students from the academy. Some, grouped on a hill or a public bench, we imagined with curiosity.


    (Is it because we''re not in uniform?)


    Then I looked to my right and noticed Hope and his duckling walk, spreading his feet wide apart and a smug glint on his face, following Muscle Man as he jutted his chin forward and rolled his shoulder pads.


    (For God''s sake¡­)


    After a while, we arrived in the main hall. A large population of students were gathered there, chatting amicably but as soon as they saw us they fell silent and whispered to each other, was it really because of Hope? I started to feel uncomfortable.


    "Alright, Shrimp, we''re going to the dean''s office. Watch your manners, now every word that comes out of your mouth can influence your future."


    "Y-yes sir!"


    And so, we headed to the dean''s office. Due to the size of the establishment, the journey took us several minutes. We went through many stairs and hallways before finally arriving at a large door.


    Muscle Man knocked and entered, followed by Hope and me. We found ourselves in a large office, large shelves filled with books or trophies on the sides and 1 semicircular desk on each side, computers and books placed on it, probably for the staff.


    Further on, in front of a window that covered the wall and offered a magnificent view over the gardens of the academy, was the dean''s desk.


    "Dean Candace, I''m back with the new students."


    "Good job Galviol, now thou youngsters, please join forward. "


    We looked at each other for a moment then looked at the office again, nothing in particular, We were just triggered because we heard a voice but saw no one. Seemingly understanding, Galviol gave us a mild warning.


    "The dean gave you an order, Go ahead and watch what you say!"


    "Come on Galviol, do not be so forceful, thou shall fright ''em. Please, boys, join here, ''tis alright. "


    We swallowed in sync and walked a bit. Then the moment arrived.


    "Welcome to Nebula Academy, the court of guard of the Kingdom''s future meetest emissaries. Mine name is Candace Elysium, and from now on, I shall also be thy dean."


    The woman in front of us, or rather girl, was a very impressive young lady, she looked a little younger than me and Hope, both in appearance and height, she had white hair in a braided ponytail, blue eyes, and wore a dress similar to those of witches, but much more elegant and white. At first view, I would give her around 15 years old.


    The strange young girl crossed her arms, a slight smug on her face.


    "Hmm, 2 talented avatars from the countryside, the last time this befell was with a certain Elizabeth, sounds familiar?"


    "What? You know big sis?!"


    "Hehe, ay, thou could e''en say that it was me whom enlisted her when she was barely a middle schooler. Hence nostalgic."


    We looked at her in surprise, she gave us a sly look, her smug growing wider and wider.


    "Oh? she didn''t say to thou? I be surprised, considering thou art her brother, Hope, yet ''tis true. A few years since, I got thy sister to join when she was merely E-rank, and today she is doing the like. Is not this a form of cycle? ''tis like I be receiving mine grandchildren, fufu"


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    I couldn''t hide my amazement anymore.


    "''Grand'' children?! Not just children?"


    "Oh, and thou might be anesidora, right? I''ve known a lot about thou."


    "A lot?... How much?"


    "A lot of teasing actually, Elizabeth hath been like mine pupil for years, yet this is the first time she''s shown this much interest in someone. Hence I be most curious to wot what thou art hiding."


    She gave me a teasing look so I ended up looking away. These people always seem to see right through me.


    "Excuse me? Years?! When my sister was younger? You were already the dean?... Madam, how ol¡­"


    "COUGH Hehem!! Dean Candace, isn''t it time for the entrance exam?"


    Galviol bumped into Hope''s back, I began to understand what was going on there.


    "Tch¡­ We just met, I do want to get to know''em more."


    "Yes, and since they will be registered for sure, you will have all the time in the world for that, as the ELDER of the academy, everyone follows your example."


    We turned slightly blue after hearing that, this girl was a grandmother in disguise.


    She showed a very annoyed face and a succession of small noises under her table made me understand that she was stamping her feet.


    "Fine, fine! But once this is over, I do lack to hast a private talk with ''em, and I mean without thou! Annoying brat."


    We tried to hold our laughter in front of the poor grumbling man. The dean put her hand to her ear and whispered.


    "You can join."


    A few seconds later, the door opened. A beautiful young lady, looking older and more mature than the dean, appeared.


    She had long blue hair, and green eyes and wore the school uniform, but hers was blue, unlike the usual red uniform. She curtsied elegantly and offered us a smile.


    "Hope, Anesidora, allow me to introduce thou to the student council president: Iris Avalon. She''s going to marshal''t thou to the combat zone for thy exam. Iris, thou shall explain the test to ''em towards the way."


    "Alright, Dean Candace. Please follow me."


    She gave us the most dazzling smile we have ever seen. Hope was speechless.


    We followed her outside and headed to the combat zone.


    We walked behind her silently, Hope seemed very nervous, this girl wasn''t only impressive in appearance, when we passed groups of students, they curtseyed at Iris, Who might she really be? Luckily, Hope was there to bring some information to light.


    "Ehrm... It''s amazing how everyone respects you, Miss Iris, you might be very reliable."


    "Please don''t mind it, being reliable is necessary as a student president, but sometimes it feels suffocating."


    "Oh? Well, it can''t be helped I guess? It''s the price for being the strongest isn''t it?"


    "Somehow... But you will soon experience it too."


    "Hm? What do you mean?"


    She waved at a group of girls looking at us, they nervously waved back and then started whispering. I noticed their gazes on me and Hope.


    "You''re the brother of Lady Elizabeth, aren''t you? Everyone keeps talking about you since we know that you were going to join the academy."


    "S-seriously?!" Hope shivered.


    "Yes, the 3 of you have become the talk of the academy lately, 3 real Avatars, enlisted by Lady Elizabeth and Dean Candace. I''ll be honest, I can''t wait to see you in action."


    Hope literally trembled, for one who dreamed of glory while always having been in the shadows, this must have been the most exciting moment of his life.


    Tears of excitement began to fall from his eyes.


    "God... I can''t wait... I want... I want to fight now! I''ve been training so much since I was little, you know? Every day, no matter the weather. I don''t I''m never stopped. I don''t want to brag, but I''m the strongest... Physically in the village, I know what I have and what I can do. You won''t be disappointed!"


    "Fufu, I''m sure not, but don''t be so formal, we''re practically equals as defenders of the kingdom."


    This word made my ears prick up.


    "Equal? ??You don''t have the presence of an E-rank."


    Iris looked at me with a sweet smile.


    "I didn''t mean that in that sense, but you have sharp senses, as one would expect from an emissary enlisted by Lady Elizabeth. I am B-rank and, not trying to show off either, but I am currently the strongest student in the academy."


    Hope shuddered.


    "B-Rank?! For real??"


    "Why would I lie about that?"


    "No, I mean, I heard that most of the teachers were C-rank, I didn''t expect to see a student literally stronger than everyone."


    "Oh but really not, at her peak Dean Candace should be the strongest, followed by the advisor and maybe a few teachers. That''s really no feat."


    "It''s true! I''m really impressed, you''re the strongest student, it''s incredible! Isn''t that right, Dora?"


    "...Yeah... It''s amazing... If everyone is below C-rank."


    Hope nudged me, in front of us Iris had slowed down and was looking at us out of the corner of her eye.


    "Forgive my friend, he is very bad with people."


    "No, he''s right, it might seem unbelievable to be the strongest but... Well, like you said, when I''m out there, I''m average at best. For the Royal Academy, We should do better."


    We entered the courtyard and passed a young student with a stack of leaflets in his hand. He curtsied to Iris before continuing on his way, staring at us.


    "Besides, when you enter the academy, you have to join a special club, For example, I''m in the student council, but there''s also the magic club, the fight club, and many others. So I was thinking..."


    "You want us to join the council?"


    Iris laughed elegantly and scratched her nose, looking embarrassed.


    "Do you read minds? But yeah... I mean, we need strong people on the council to keep order, and I feel like you have what it takes, You don''t have to answer now, we have time, but think about it, okay?"


    We finally arrived in front of a large building, judging by its shape, it was probably an arena, the combat zone.


    "Alright, here we are, I''ll explain the rules of the exam to you when... Ah! Speaking of cats, here they are."


    In front of the entrance, 2 people were talking. A tall man in the same uniform as Iris was scolding another guy, this one seemed more around our age, but more than that, he seemed very familiar.


    Our eyes met and all three of us screamed at the same time.


    "YOU?!"


    Barron faced us again.

 Odd Encounter

    An awkward silence settled in, we stared at each other like animals in different cages in a zoo, Iris noticed this strange tension and broke the ice.


    "Good to see you Thomas, I see you''ve already brought Cid"


    "Oh, good to see you, Miss Iris, and yes, I brought back this rascal but¡­ What a hassle."


    "Hey, watch your mouth, I''m not getting ordered around by a subordinate. And what are those beggars doing here? You''re not here as cooks or something right? Even this would be too much for the likes of you."


    Thomas facepalmed and sighed while Iris was giggling.


    "I see, I heard the Avatar enlisted by Dean Candace was quite the character, You seem to live up to that name."


    "Hm, Yeah, and You should tell loudly to this fool who enlisted me, we don''t have the same value."


    Hope fixed his collar, a smirk on his face.


    " Oh? Is that really all you have? For your information, the one who enlisted us is the captain of the Royal Guards, MY sister. The strongest woman in the country saw potential in us and asked us to join the elite."


    "So what? This academy is the treasure of this country, the future depends on here, so the dean is more important for the Kingdom than your sister, and she chose ME! Therefore I am more important than you!"


    They struggled, forehead to forehead, before our bored eyes.


    "How troublesome¡­ Miss Iris, please leave them to me, I''ll escort them to the area."


    "Fine, thanks¡­ Oh! I forgot to tell you about the test."


    "Don''t worry, I''m your right hand, I''ll take care of it."


    "Ah, then thank you a lot, you really help me. Do your best guys, I know it will be nothing for you, and remember my proposal."


    She walked and aside, Thomas headed inside the arena so we followed him.


    "She''s so nice, isn''t she? She''s one of the few people who possess not only a great name but has also worked her way to the top."


    "Ah? So she''s really important?"


    "''Really''? Ah, as expected from commoners, you know nothing about the politics. Miss Iris is the second daughter of the Avalons, a famous family of knights defending the kingdom depuis des generations. She''s the most beautiful girl in the academy and despite being a noble, she doesn''t hesitate to lower down to your people''s level. You should really be careful of what you''re saying to her, Cid."


    Barron grunted in response. We walked through several hallways and stairs and entered a large room.


    This room looked like a sports locker room, with rows of lockers along the walls, 2 long benches in the middle and others in front of each locker as well as weight machines and Crystal balls on one side.


    "This is the locker room. You will pass the test one by one, and you will wait here. Now for the test: You will face a golem created by one of the teachers and depending on your performance you will be assigned to special classes. It''s that simple actually."


    "What are we waiting for? I can''t wait to break everything! I''m good at fighting!"


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    "Pff, so noisy."


    "Hey, when an elder gives you instructions you''re not allowed to speak until I allow you to, understand?"


    Barron and Hope grumbled at the same time, what a strange alchemy between them.


    "So as I said, you''ll fight a golem, but as you are E-rank, the golem level will be revised, so you shouldn''t encounter any difficulty. Also for the special class, as you are Avatars, you will be put in a class according to the level you will show, there are several classes ranked and where the students are trained by level, from E-rank to C-rank. For example, if you show a potential to easily be over D- rank, which means utter crushing the golem..."


    "We will be in a C-rank class??"


    Thomas gave a burning gaze to Hope who quickly put his hands in front of his mouth.


    "You will be in a C-rank class, but your tutor will be B-rank... This is the moment you''re supposed to ask me what is and why you should have a tutor."


    "I-I know... Ely taught me everything. Do you allow me to explain?"


    Thomas sighed heavily in annoyance, while Barron grumbled more and more loudly.


    "So, we get tutors to guide us in our training, they''re supposed to be stronger than us as they will always be one rank above and will guide us in our daily life."


    "Wait, So we''re still under surveillance?"


    "Not exactly bro, They will be like our private teachers, interesting right?"


    "...Really?"


    This was quite bothersome, I was prepared for many things but the idea of ??having after classes was a big no.


    "If we get above D-rank, we might even have Iris as a teacher. Can you imagine? I can''t wait to train with her!"


    "So you''re already expecting to get the maximum points? How cute."


    We turned towards the origin of the voice. In front of the door leading to the field, a young lady had appeared without anyone noticing.


    Long disheveled green hair, skin so pale that it seemed white, a nurse''s outfit, and above all green eyes whose slit irises were reminiscent of those of a snake. She looked a bit younger than Elizabeth, but since I''ve met the Dean I''ve stopped judging people by their looks.


    "Miss Midgard? What are you doing here?"


    She smiled sinisterly and opened the door behind her.


    "Why are you surprised? Isn''t it normal for a staff member to take a look at her future students?"


    "No... Well... Anyway, I suppose that the Dean and you have already had a prior talk about a few things, so I shouldn''t be worried, right?"


    "Ah? Is this a threat?"


    The tension had suddenly risen in this room. I could feel a wave of invisible and very strange energy coming from this woman.


    When I looked around, I noticed that even Barron was sweating profusely.


    "Ah, why are you always protecting yourself from me? I''m only here to bring the Avatars to the battlefield, it took forever."


    "... Is that true? So all right, We''re coming."


    "The one named Hope can come, he''ll go first."


    "Huh?! Why are you..."


    "Hey? Me? For real?!"


    "Of course, you''re the brother of everyone''s heroine, right? There''s a huge crowd just to see your performance so let''s not waste time."


    She smiled at him and led the way, Hope began to shake frantically again.


    "It''s... It''s going too fast... Everyone is talking about me... Iris will be my teacher... A beautiful teacher is coming to pick me up personally... Dora if it''s one of your illusions, I won''t forgive you."


    "... Dude, leave me out of your shenanigans."


    How could he feel so relaxed? This woman was giving off a dangerous amount of aura, and it wasn''t the strongest I''d ever felt, but there was something very unpleasant about it. I couldn''t explain it.


    Hope rushed to the door, her final step to glory, and screamed with otherworldly energy.


    "Get ready, world, Hero, Hope is coming!!!"


    Thomas looked at him intrigued.


    "Does this guy live in his own world?


    Hope joins Midgard in the tunnel, the noise of the spectators is already heard.


    "Oh my God... I can feel them... I can feel their energy... I''m going to destroy everything!"


    "So energetic, I don''t understand the meaning of showing off all your power here, There is no need to rush, everything will come in its own time."


    "Don''t you understand? What do you mean? This is my first step to realizing my dream, I''m going to become the strongest in the world! Do you know how much I''ve trained? I''m burning with desire!"


    "... It''s good to be young, I suppose, but if your goal is to be the strongest, you better think of a way to hide your greatest feats. Hero Avatar, Legendary Sister, aren''t You quite the protagonist?"


    "Hehe... Stop that, now I feel really embarrassed... What an entrance."


    "Indeed, but not everyone wants what is best for you, Some people would hate to see a stranger perform incredible acts, they will try to interfere with your growth, and you seem to be a very big talker so... Do me a favor."


    She stopped suddenly, Hope turned around and noticed the look of the young woman whose irises had narrowed.


    "Don''t show them the system."

 Show Of Force

    Hope and Midgard looked at each other without saying a word. The young lady, whose face had become severe, carefully observed the slightest reaction from her interlocutor, like a snake after having bitten its prey, but this time the venom did not spread as expected.


    "System? What do you mean? What system?


    She looked at him, her irises narrowing so much that they were becoming less and less visible.


    "You don''t know what the system is? Are you playing dumb? What are you trying to pull?


    "Um... What do you mean seriously? What is a system?


    "... Hm, I see, with your past, I expected you to be the one¡­ Unless you are trying to trick me, little toy."


    "Look, I have no idea what you''re saying, can we move on? I cannot wait anymore!


    "Go ahead, play your children''s game."


    Hope, as if freed from his chains, rushed towards the end of the tunnel. Midgard crossed her arms and sighed.


    "This game of cat and mouse has been going on too long¡­ You know you''re stuck, why do you keep hiding from me?"


    Hope came to the end of the tunnel and when he finally got out, he stopped, speechless and paralyzed. The battlefield was a large open space, with a surface similar to that of a small football field covered in fine grass.


    But the most breathtaking thing was the stands all around, every seat was occupied by a student or teacher, and as soon as Hope appeared the audience exploded.


    "Ah ah¡­"


    Hope felt his legs giving way; for several hours, he had been on cloud nine. Emissaries regularly participate in tournaments or exhibition matches, it has become the most popular sport in the world, and a way for Emissaries to make themselves known.


    Hope had become very passionate about this world through his sister''s exhibition matches, and had always wanted to experience it himself.


    At that moment, it was just a glimpse of what a real domestic fighting arena was like, but at that moment, Hope reached a level of pleasure that was previously unknown to him.


    "First candidate, name, class, and rank!"


    An elegant man with long black hair and an outfit resembling a red judge''s robe stood in the middle of the arena.


    "H-Hope Balder! E-Rank Hero!"


    Murmurs arose in the audience.


    "Balder? Like Elizabeth Balder?


    "So, it''s really her brother, incredible!"


    "And he''s also a hero..."


    The examiner in the center wrote something down in his notebook before approaching Hope with a crystal ball.


    "Very well, you must have been informed of the nature of the test, Place your hand on this magical device, it will assess your level and summon a golem of your minimum level. Don''t increase your energy."


    "I won''t, sir!"


    Hope stepped forward and placed his hands on the crystal ball, it lit up and released several waves of energy that ran through the arena. Soon it turned white and an orb of light emerged from it.


    "This is your minimum, your level without any boost. From this analysis I can see that you are E-rank, now What kind of E-rank are you?  It''s time to prove yourself."


    The orb moved closer to the ground and as it descended, the ground fragmented and the pieces stuck to the orb, in a swirl of rock.


    Hope grabbed his wooden sword and began to release his energy, in front of him, the mass of rock ceased its metamorphosis when it reached an imposing form, enormous arms, a misshapen bust, and a head shaped like a soldier''s helmet, the golem had just been born.


    "Candidate Hope, prepare yourself¡­ Fight!"


    Hope released all his energy, his entire body covered in white aura, and threw himself at the golem.


    "Take this!"


    He slashed violently at the creature''s shoulder, attempting to cut it in two. The sword quickly passed through the golem before stopping abruptly.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Huh?!"


    Despite the force of his blow, the golem''s high defense had stopped his attack. A powerful backhand threw the young man into the air before he crashed painfully.


    "Ouch¡­ What¡­ What was that?"


    He got up with difficulty before noticing the commotion in the audience.


    (Oh no, I can''t show them a bad spectacle!)


    He got up and turned around, just to find himself facing the golem''s fist which sent him flying to the outskirts of the field, to the great astonishment of the audience.


    "Hey? What is this? This monster is E-rank, right? Why can''t he defeat it?"


    "Isn''t he like an Avatar? Maybe his rank is E but his power is lower?"


    In the locker room, we were also watching the scene, Thomas and Barron were perplexed.


    "All this big mouth for this? I regret wasting my time with him!"


    "Wouldn''t happen if you could always shut up."


    "What was that?!"


    Barron turned towards me but Thomas moved to be between us.


    "What did we say about not acting stupid in front of an elder? This is the chance for you to learn what''s awaiting you, so don''t miss a second of this fight! You will learn a lot with this boy."


    Another praise for Hope, one that he couldn''t hear sadly. In the arena, Hope got up and dodged the golem''s attacks. His sword remained stuck in the monster''s shoulder and it was now impossible for him to fight according to his codes.


    "If only¡­ If only I could just jump over his back¡­"


    The golem rushed at him again, but the young man jumped back.


    "He''s slow¡­ Wait, maybe I can use that!... *Acceleration*"


    Boosted by his new ability, Hope rushed at the golem and managed to get behind him to the cheers of the audience.


    (I can feel it, I can feel their encouragement... I''m really sorry, golem, sorry sis, sorry idiot Barron, and sorry too, Dora, this is my moment.)


    He jumped onto the golem''s shoulder and grabbed his sword.


    "*Hero time!*"


    A bright explosion occurred on the back of the golem, the audience jubilant at the spectacle and when the cloud of dust dispersed, Hope stood in the middle of the debris, his sword raised in the air.


    "Victory!"


    Several applause rang out in the arena, and shouts of encouragement and congratulations rained down from certain parts of the arena.


    In the locker room, we looked at this conclusion with slight doubt.


    "Isn''t that a high-level skill? How was it called..."


    "Hero time."


    "Ah! Yeah, that... Then why didn''t he use it earlier?"


    "My comrade''s ways are inscrutable, I guess?"


    "I kinda told you that the results wouldn''t matter, what matters is how you defeat it... He could have one shoot it but he let it give him a fight, I mean this is an E-rank golem!"


    "I especially wonder why he wanted to use his sword so much."


    "Your friend is an idiot, I''m next! If that''s the challenge, then you guys are truly the hype champions."


    Barron entered the tunnel, as he walked, he came across Midgard who was returning, looking bored and murmuring.


    "Failure, what a waste of beautiful words... Now I''m set on... Hm~?"


    "You again? I won''t listen to your system''s bullshit from the other day, move away." He asked softly.


    "I don''t choose fake toys twice, so ignore me."


    She continued towards the locker room, Barron made a sound with his mouth and headed towards the battlefield.


    There, he discovered Hope taking a victory lap for the audience.


    "Is this idiot really living in his own world?


    He walked straight towards the examiner who looked at Hope in disbelief.


    "Oi, let''s get started already."


    "Hm? Ah! Student Cid Barron. I''ve heard a few words from the dean so let''s get started... Please lower your level, you know why I''m asking."


    "You''re wasting my time."


    Barron placed a hand on the crystal ball which lit up, but unlike Hope, it sparkled blindingly, attracting the audience''s attention.


    "There it is."


    Everyone shivered in front of Barron''s energy waves, The waves crossed the stadium and the field became too bright to see the fantastic scene that was happening: the formation of a new golem, but unlike the previous one, this golem took on an angelic build.


    A radiant silhouette, divine in appearance, the golem looked more like a statue of God than a monster.


    "Now this is really interesting, good job Cid."


    No one could notice in this scenery the girl with blue hair wearing the student council outfit on a seat accompanied by a young girl with long, pink hair and elegantly coiffed, wearing the same outfit.


    "Isn''t it a little too strong, Iris? This golem is at least D-rank!"


    "No, that''s what makes it better, this is his lowest."


    On the field, Hope, slightly annoyed at having lost the public''s attention, returned to the locker room grumbling.


    "So what? Mine was bigger and stronger, This guy only shows off because it''s beautiful... really hate hi-"


    A loud explosion cut his thoughts short. He turned around, paralyzed, and opened his eyes wide at this scene.


    A gigantic crater had formed where the golem had risen.


    The audience was speechless, in disbelief at this scene. Barron had destroyed what was surely the most powerful golem summoned by an E-rank in one hit.


    After the shock, euphoria took hold of the assembly.


    "Wonderful! You''re a champion!"


    "What a mighty blow!"


    "Is this guy really an E-rank?"


    No one stayed silent, everyone was praising this miracle, Iris with a large smile shook her neighbor''s shoulders.


    "See? I told you! He''s amazing!"


    "... Is this... Is he really E-rank?"


    In the locker room, Thomas sighed.


    "If only he wasn''t such a trouble... It''s your turn now."


    "Alright, alright, I''m going."


    "... By the way, Don''t put too much pressure on yourself, it''s not because he did so great that you have to do better, just remember that you''re already enlisted."


    "Oh don''t worry, I''m not worried, I''m even grateful."


    I, in turn, went into the tunnel. As I moved forward, I came across Midgar who was observing Hope further away, I wondered what was going on between them.


    She noticed me and showed a mocking smile.


    "Going already? Don''t you want to wait until their excitement subsides? Maybe take your time to comfort your friend?"


    "Hm... Nah, I''m good, he will be too."


    "Ah, what a shame, a low blow for friendship."


    "I''m not anyone''s guardian, He-will-be-fine."


    I walked past her and closed my eyes for a moment.


    "By the way, it''s not forbidden to warm up before the test, right?"


    "... Hm? Why don''t you ask the vice council president?"


    "Because he''s the vice council president."


    Even though my eyes were closed, I clearly felt a change in her face, in the form of a widening terrifying smile.


    "It''s forbidden, of course, but since he doesn''t pose that much of a threat, you might be far enough away to pull something... But what do you have in mind? Could this be..."


    "Thank you."


    A green glow shone in my eyes and soon a yellow aura emanated from my body.


    "*Synergy: Delta-Beta*"

 Humiliation

    The young man bent down and placed one knee on the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. His long gray hair seemed to be passed through by a calm current of air and his hands relaxed.


    He slowly got up, under the eyes of a predator whose irises had shrunk, and looked at his hands.


    "¡­Huh? Where¡­Ah! Yeah, the test. Let''s do our best!"


    He clenched his fists in front of his face as if to motivate himself and moved towards the end of the tunnel, when he passed Hope, looking devastated.


    "Hey bro, are you okay? Why do you look so depressed? You were amazing there."


    "Amazing? Don''t try to cheer me up... That idiot Barron took all the praise. How is this guy an E-rank?


    "Hm, well, yes he''s very strong, but that doesn''t mean you should feel down, you''re amazing in your own way."


    He placed a hand on his friend''s shoulder to cheer him up.


    "If it''s praise you need, you still get mine, so don''t let that bother you, okay?"


    "¡­Bro¡­ *sniffles* You''re right, Barron may have won this battle, but I''m going to train more and more, and I''m going to surpass him soon. Thanks."


    "That''s the spirit, wish me luck, I''ll do my best too."


    They cheered happily and the boy headed towards the battlefield. Midgard whispered, not missing a second of this interaction.


    "You can''t shake meat in front of me and expect me not to take a bite, little toy."


    He rushed out the door and passed Barron on his way.


    "Good job! My turn now."


    "¡­? Break a leg."


    And so, the young boy entered the arena, the floor had not been rearranged by the examiner''s magic. Murmurs rose as soon as he entered.


    Unlike Hope and Barron, Anesidora was unknown to everyone. Here only 3 people knew more about him than his Avatar''s status, Iris, Dean Candace, and even a man in the audience, a man who saw him fight Barron and almost defeat him, a man who trembled during Hope''s fight: Albert.


    "You better use something new, I didn''t come here just to see another flower power!"


    Each of them looked attentively at the one designed by the strongest as the future strongest. In her office, the Dean watched through a magic ball.


    "Fufu, show me what thou got."


    In the audience, Iris was getting impatient.


    "Look carefully this time, Sunnah, this one might be like Cid."


    "Oh¡­ Then¡­ I won''t see anything at all!"


    The murmurs rose, and the boy finally arrived in front of the examiner.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Candidate number 3, Name, Class and rank."


    "Yes sir, Anesidora Charper, Avatar, E-rank."


    "I know you''re an Avatar, what I''m asking for is your specific branches."


    "I don''t know yet, it will depend on what they gave me."


    "¡­ Huh? For god''s sake, I''m not paid enough for this. Put your hand on this."


    He put one hand on the magic device, and a faint glow appeared, everyone was still in shock at Barron''s performance so they watched with high expectations of what was going to happen.


    The crystal ball rose and then approached the ground, raising a cloud of dust that swirled around before focusing on the object. The cloud swirled faster, Anesidora stood ready for his fight, and everyone else held their breath.


    It was then that, from this cloud, a new form of golem appeared. The impatient faces in the crowd gave way to expressions of astonishment.


    The formed golem was around Anesidora''s size. Its body structure was also very puny, in fact, it looked more like an oversized goblin.


    "What¡­ Is¡­ That?"


    No one understood what they were seeing, the whispers increased in volume and soon voices were rising.


    "What the Hell is that? Is this supposed to be a golem?"


    "Hey, man, this thing looks sick!"


    They started laughing and soon a thunder of laughter and insult fell on the poor young man.


    "Um¡­ Iris, is that normal?"


    "¡­ Maybe¡­ Maybe it''s just the shape? Maybe it''s in fact really strong!"


    In the locker room, Hop, Barron, and Thomas were intrigued.


    "Thomas, is this normal? It doesn''t really look dangerous."


    "¡­ Your friend, is he a powerful Avatar? Does he train regularly?"


    "Yeah, well, not as much as me, but He¡­ He has power¡­ Could this be because his power is strange?"


    "Strange like how? This device doesn''t take into consideration the type of power you have, only the level of your minimal emissary potential."


    "Then¡­ Maybe his minimum is really low? And its maximum is high?"


    The examiner looked at the golem with equal astonishment.


    (Even an average finger could summon something with the shape of a human¡­) "Begin!"


    Anesidora closed her eyes and clenched her fists, a slight glow of energy formed, silence returned to the arena. Had we judged the level of the golem too quickly? Suddenly, the boy opened his eyes in panic.


    "What?! So little??? WHY?!"


    The golem rushed at him with a pathetic run, startled, Anesidora tried to punch him in the head, but the shock barely chipped the golem.


    "!!!"


    The golem jumped on him and pinned him to the ground, before administering blows to his head.


    "Ouch!... Argh!... Eno- Ouch!..."


    He tried as best he could to break free, but the golem seemed too heavy to move. Silence reigned in the public, whose mockery gradually gave way to anger.


    "What the heck? This guy isn''t an emissary, why is he enlisted?"


    "This is the prestigious Royal Academy, how come such a fraud is one of us?"


    "Go back to your farm, beggar!"


    Several people booed him and gave him minor insults. Hope, in disbelief, shook his head and even Barron couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "What¡­ Are you doing?"


    "Is this some kind of prank?"


    Iris, for her part, had become silent. Her gaze faded little by little as the disappointment increased. Sunnah trembled before the insults from the public.


    Albert was shaking in his seat and groaning.


    "This¡­Bastard¡­"


    The show continued for a good minute, the examiner, stunned, decided to stop the fight when the young boy stopped struggling and vaporized the golem. The audience exploded into a huge roar of reaction.


    "Hey, are you alright? Hey¡­ Damn, is he really unconscious?"


    "¡­H¡­Ah¡­?"


    "Ah, you''re¡­ You''re alive. Let''s move for now."


    He carried him outside under the insults of the public, the most ridiculous spectacle in the history of this academy had just ended. As they moved through the tunnel, he came face to face with Midgard.


    "You? Here? Wh-"


    "I''ll take him from here, He may have an internal injury, He needs a doctor."


    "¡­ Fine, do what you want."


    Midgard picked up the young man and supported him, side by side towards the locker room, but as they were walking, she slowed down and looked behind her to confirm that the examiner left.


    "How awful, it wouldn''t have happened if you followed my advice."


    "¡­What¡­What¡­Advice?...Ouch¡­"


    "¡­You don''t remember huh? Tell me, is there someone in your head?"


    "My¡­ Head?... You mean¡­ Ach¡­ My family?"


    She suddenly stopped walking, they were right in front of the door when she let go of him and stood right in front of the locker room.


    "No, I mean the system, is there someone in your system?"


    The young man''s eyes widened, those of Midgard seemed to shine in the darkness. In a single breath, he whispered.


    "How¡­ Do you know?"

 The Price of Failure

    "How do you know?"


    Words were spoken and the trap was closed. Midgard''s face lit up with a broad smile. While the young boy was trembling with anguish, she opened her arms wide.


    "After so long¡­"


    "W-who are you?" How do you know?!"


    Ignoring his words, she moved closer to him.


    "You have no idea, how long I''ve been looking for you¡­"


    "Stay away!... Stay away from me!... You...You...ARGH!"


    Suddenly, he fell to his knees holding his head, a red glint in his eyes.


    "Wait wait! I''m sorry! I''m sorry-AAaarght!!


    A red and blue aura covered his body and swirled around him. Midgard stopped and looked with a tender face at the spectacle before her eyes.


    Soon the whirlwind narrowed and the young man fell silent again, on his knees.


    The young woman knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his cheeks.


    "Are you okay? Can you st-"


    Before she could finish her sentence, I grabbed her arms with a red glint in my eyes.


    "Stupid! Stupid! You''re really stupid!!! That''s why we never call you, you idiot! This is the last time I''ll let you out!"


    I pushed the woman in front of me away and walked angrily towards the wall before stopping and looking at her again. She only smiled, almost as if to tease me, she got me and she knew it.


    "Ah~ I feel a sudden increase in your energy, compared to earlier."


    "Who the hell are you?!"


    "Hm, how ironic, shouldn''t I be the one asking that? How interesting, I have seen endless things but you are the most unusual case I have ever met. So there''s a lot of people in you, isn''t there?"


    The next second, I had her pinned against the wall, my hand on her throat.


    "This is your final warning, WHO ARE YOU?"


    She gently grabbed my arm, with the wickest smile I''ve ever seen.


    "Calm down, we can''t have a real conversation with such a small window of time... But don''t worry, we''ll have all the time in the world once the ceremony is over... After so long..."


    She stroked my cheek again and whispered.


    "I was looking for a diamond but I found platinum. I will never let you go, my little toy."


    Before I could respond, the locker room door opened. Hope came running and accidentally bumped into me, causing us to fall.


    "Ouch¡­ Sorry miss¡­ Oh! There you are!"


    "Miss? You piece of shit."


    "No, YOU are a piece of shit! What was that?! How did you lose like that??


    "Oh! I don''t have time for this right now, Move!"


    I looked at Midgard but only found a void where she should be, the woman was gone.


    "Damn it¡­"


    I got up, Hope was still barking and soon Thomas and Barron came out too. The first looked at me with distinct disdain.


    "You¡­ Why did you join the Academy? There''s no way someone like Lady Elizabeth would recommend you for no reason. Why are you so weak?"


    I tried to forget about the damn woman and play my little game one last time.


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­ Maybe she just recommended me because I''m Hope''s best friend¡­"


    "What the fuck man!? Why are you lying? You are stronger than that, Thomas, could he pass the test again?? Something weird must have happened."


    "Are you even listening to yourself?" Barron walked past us and bumped into me. "That''s why I can''t accept that they accepted peasants¡­ This is not your playground, the weak have no rights and no complaints here, do you hear? Do you think we will give you our precious time? Know your place, idiots!"


    He headed towards the battlefield again but stopped abruptly.


    "Don''t ever come near me again, If I have to fight against you again, I will crush you. I can''t believe they made me travel for a fool."


    I looked at him with a small smile and blood boiling in my veins.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Don''t worry, mark my words: after today, you will never see my weakness again."


    Thomas followed him and made a gesture asking us to follow them. We walked through the tunnel and back to the battlefield, where the students greeted us with cheers before resuming their boos when I entered.


    It was a pathetic sight, once the Avatar title shield fell, the true face of the bourgeois was revealed.


    "Get out of here, beggar!"


    "The avatars are really overrated."


    "Why is he allowed to join our classes? I''m going to complain to the direction!"


    Praise for Hope and Barron''s performance had been replaced by a hunger to destroy the only vulnerable target, What a wonderful world. The examiner waved his hand for silence and raised his crystal ball.


    "I received the deliberations of the bar of the academy. After evaluating your abilities, your future assignment has been designated as follows: Hope Balder, rank rating, E-rank, potential rating, D-rank, affiliation: class D. You will be under the supervision of the Vice President of the Student Council, Thomas Jarlene."


    Thomas facepalmed and Hope let out a small cry of disappointment.


    "Next Candidate: Cid Barron, Rank Rating, Rank D, Potential Rating¡­ B-rank."


    Many voices were raised in the audience. From the moment he entered the arena, everyone knew that there was going to be a big shooting, but it was beyond imagination.


    "Affiliation, Class C, this is an exceptional situation, You were originally supposed to be directly under the supervision of a teacher, but we received a surprising request, from someone who volunteered to be your guardian, so from now on, you will be supervised by the student council president, Iris Avalon."


    Several exclamations rang out in the stands, the announcement of the choice of the most beautiful and strongest girl in the academy, the very one who came closest to the legendary heroine, as tutor of the exam prodigy entry. This was simply the most perfect combo imaginable.


    "Damn... Iris? Why??"


    "She...She volunteered? She asked that herself?!"


    "I''m so jealous¡­"


    "Hey guys, Maybe we''ve been too nice with this guy..."


    The reactions were mixed, some were euphoric about the formation of this duo, others were sulky, disgusted to know that Iris would spend time with Barron.


    The person readjusted his hairstyle, completely disinterested in the situation, while Iris left her seat, a phone in her hand.


    "I can''t believe you did that... This Cid looks very problematic..."


    "It''s normal, he''s in a league above everyone, you can''t expect him to be all sugar and kisses. I can''t wait to train with him!"


    "Shouldn''t we wait? The ceremony is still ongoing..."


    "Why? The rest is not important, let''s go."


    They left just like that, not even noticing the return of the insults and booing from the public as soon as the examiner reintroduced the last candidate.


    "Candidate Anesidora Charper, rank rating, E-rank, potential rating... E-rank, affiliation: class E."


    A thunder of insults rained down on me, I raised my head, smile on my lips, to admire these people whose hearts were united in a single emotion.


    Hope was shaking as he stared at the ground and Barron was tapping his foot.


    "This is also a special case, we weren''t expecting one of you to... Show this kind of performance, so after deliberation, you must be assigned to a student from one of the E classes. We will do some interviews to find someone to monitor you, within this week."


    The insults mixed with bursts of laughter, the show had surely exceeded the expectations of the best circus in the world, What a day to be alive!


    After the results, the examiner announced the end of the exam, and little by little, the students left the arena.


    Only I, Hope, and Barron were left in front of the building. Hope hadn''t said a word since my results were announced, I glanced at him and threw a bottle into the ocean.


    "Ho~pipi? What''s going on? Is your voice playing hide and seek?"


    He didn''t answer, usually, this kind of thing would tickle him but maybe this time the damage was too big.


    "Come on, it''s not even night and I haven''t heard your voice, I''m worried. Hello? Is there someone in this body?"


    "Idiot."


    "Hm? So there''s a life!"


    He just turned towards Barron and pointed his fist at him.


    "I recognize your victory today, I recognize that I''ve terribly underestimated you, but write this somewhere: I''m going to surpass you. From now on, you are my rival, so watch your back!"


    "You? My rival? Do I look like a babysitter?"


    "Don''t say that, Cid, that''s actually pretty interesting."


    We turned towards the arena, where the voice came from. Iris stood there, smiling as usual. She was accompanied by Thomas and a girl with pink hair.


    "Having a rival is actually a very good way of becoming stronger, This is not only a challenge for you but also for us, as mentors, isn''t it, Thomas? Let''s see who''s the best."


    "You can''t be serious, with all due respect, Miss, I''m at a disadvantage."


    "Eh? Why disadvantage? I am the strongest Hero, and soon to be D-rank!"


    "You sure know how to run your mouth."


    "... When you think about it, I''m the one at a disadvantage, Miss Iris seems like a better teacher!"


    "You little¡­"


    Iris and the girl laughed as Hope and Thomas were arguing. Barron adjusted his hair and turned to me.


    "Hmph, at least you have guts, and you''re not just a big talker."


    They turned silent after that, I could see the face of Iris, who stopped smiling, and the girl next to her who often glanced at me. It was a good situation at first but now it was becoming the best day of my life.


    "Anyway, what about a dinner to celebrate your success? As your tutor, Cid, the first lesson that I want to teach you is to eat a lot. A lot of healthy food."


    "I have my diet, so no thanks."


    "Are you sure? If you refuse then we''ll have to start training now~."


    "She''s serious you know? Let''s call it a day and go to eat, my treat."


    "Thank you, my glorious Master Thomas! Can I wash your shoes?"


    They laughed again and started walking away, It could have been a perfect ending but I hated bad interpretations.


    "Can I come too?"


    They turned silent again, looking at each other for a while then started walking again. My smile was widening uncontrollably.


    "Okay, maybe later then? Hope? Hey, wait, we''re friends, Let''s meet later to explore the..."


    "SHUT UP!!!!"


    The wind picked up this afternoon. Hope turned around, his face angrier than ever. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes.


    "I have nothing to do with you anymore, If you want to play then go ahead, play! I''m very disappointed."


    My eyes narrowed but my smile widened.


    "So? Does that mean that you''re not my friend anymore? Just because I''m now weaker than you?"


    This time, Thomas intervened.


    "From what I see, you''re the one betraying your friend. I don''t know him yet but what I saw today was a guy fighting at your own place. Learn from him."


    He put a hand on Hope''s shoulder and they started walking again. I turned my back at my turn and then remembered one last detail to settle.


    "Iris, does that mean that your proposal to join the council is out of the question too?"


    "... Please, stop this, we''re not getting anything by quarreling."


    "I am. Remember this, Hope, YOU made the final decision."


    I walked away and they did the same. Force prevails, if you have no power you have no opinion and you lose value.


    This is not a general rule to live, this is a rule to know who is around you. I had a World at my feet until I chose to show weakness.


    But I was far from being weak, I chose to be a twig at that moment.

 The Truth of The System

    The students resided in a large area south of the academy''s massive grounds. After registering, I was given a room number and entered a large dormitory building larger than all the others.


    A commoner like me could never hope to set foot in this place, but thanks to my agreement with Elizabeth, I received special permission, a royal scholarship from the strongest.


    My original plan was to collide with nobles who objected to my presence and test my immunity pact, but after a certain event of the day, my plans changed.


    (Gamma body)


    A strong wind blew through the entrance, passing several students who were chatting and continuing their way through the establishment, crossing stairs and corridors and surprising people on their way.


    When it reached a vast desert floor, it whirled around and did not appear.


    (Sigma Body)


    I started to walk but with each step, my body sank into the ground, or rather it was only an impression, My body became a shadow and slid on the ground, passing near some doors and finally returning to my initial form in front of one of them.


    I took a deep breath and placed a black card in front of a small screen which flashed and the door unlocked. I finally walked in, my face tense, and saw my doubts confirmed.


    Midgard was lying on a large bed, reading a book. As soon as she saw me, she gave me her characteristic smile.


    "Hydra, by De¨¹s Kr?nor, is the story of a crew of sailors who face a monster with several heads, each with a different power and capable of replacing itself. Thus, it can survive by sacrificing one of its heads, usually the most useless, and as long as one head remains, it won''t die. Isn''t that interesting?"


    Suddenly, a gigantic shadow formed under my body, and several arrows emerged from it and surrounded Midgard, three of them directly under her throat.


    "Ah, ~ such vigor... Are you maybe angry because I ruined the story?"


    "One more stupid thing and I will introduce you to the afterlife. Who are you and what do you know about the system?"


    "Hmm~ why are you always so violent? I come in peace. If you continue to doubt me, you will really upset me, my adorable toy."


    Five more arrows approached her neck, she closed the book and sighed.


    "Good, good, you win, I''ll tell you everything but I prefer civilized discourse, withdraw your weapons."


    "No."


    "... So persistent. Alright, you''re the strongest here so you set your rules. You want to know how I know your system right? Maybe this could help you."


    She raised her left hand and what followed completely paralyzed me: a blue screen, similar to that of the system appeared.


    "So you can see it too? As I thought."


    I was completely taken aback, How the heck was that possible? I''ve been using the system forever and I''ve never seen or heard that someone else had something similar, For me, it was my specificity, my unique ability. How did she have that?


    "Could you take away your attack now? Now you have a reason to listen, and you can trust me, you want to know what I have to say."


    I was still in the shock of this revelation and hesitated one moment before retracting my attack.


    Midgard took a more comfortable pose and motioned for me to sit on the bed.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Could you just tell me who you are? For fucking sake!"


    "Don''t be so hasty, I will tell you everything you want to know. First of all, let''s make it clear, You and I are the same, we are both using a similar singularity, in the form of this system. We are the same, but we are also different my dear toy, you are an Avatar and I am what we call a ''Player''."


    After hearing that, I decided to sit down on a couch, What the hell was happening?


    "Don''t worry, it''s normal to be lost in this situation, It''s not your fault, neither mine. The one at fault is this world... Have you ever wondered why you are called an Avatar?"


    "... I... You mean because I can use many classes?"


    "Branches, the definition here says that if you''re able to use many classes, you''re an Avatar, but why this word? A finger, a hand, why should the upper class be called Avatar? Why not a body? People take many words out of their context and use them in very inappropriate ways, this is part of the imperfection of humanity."


    She stood up and walked closer to me, As she advanced, all my instincts went on alert. I had the same feeling that I usually felt in my hunts, the feeling of being approached by a predator.


    But despite this urge, my body didn''t move, The claws of the predator rested delicately on my cheeks.


    "You, on the opposite, are different, You are what we define as an Avatar, not because of your powers but because of this thing that only the likes of you and I can use: the system. This is what makes the difference between them and you, they are mere frauds, jokes of a living being, but you, you are perfect, you can use every ability, you can use the system... You are a perfect avatar."


    "Wait... Let''s say that I believe your story... How do you know that? What are you? What is a player?"


    She stared right into my eyes, I could see her iris shrink.


    She released my face and walked near the window then looked at the sunset.


    "What a beautiful sight... It''s a shame that it''s fated to annihilation."


    "What do you mean?... Are you talking about the rifts?"


    "Little toy, let''s play a game will you? From this point onwards I won''t ask you about your privacy, your goals, your life, I won''t interfere with whatever you do, but in return, don''t ask about my origins. I''ll only tell you what you need to know."


    "I thought you were gonna try to convince me, seems like you''re not really motivated."


    "One should never play all his cards before the end of the game, dearie. And you''re not suicidal, so you''ll be motivated. Tell me, as an Avatar, for so long, how come you''re still E-rank?"


    "... Is this related to the rifts?!"


    "Hm~hm, what did we say about no rushing? But no, let''s put it another way, you must have played video games... Oh, but you were a peasant, do you even know what it is?"


    "Jerk."


    "Ara, Good, so imagine a character, in a game of... RPG, you train him a lot and one day he reaches max level of a job. Now for him to go further, you need to change to a further class. Imagine that, he is a knight, and you want him to become a paladin, how do you proceed?"


    I nodded slightly confused.


    "I change his class? Is that the answer you''re... You''re... Wait what?"


    "You finally get it? An avatar can''t evolve alone, because he is a program of the system. You are not allowed to make any decisions. You are a slave. And this is where I come in action."


    She opened her screen again where a message appeared, ''Select your Avatar''.


    "My system, the one from the supremes one gives me access to everything the system has to offer. I am a player, I can see and control everything, but I can''t exploit it, I can open a quest but I can''t do it, I can activate a virtual shop, but I can''t buy anything. And this is where you, the character, come into action."


    She came in front of me and closed her eyes, a determined look completely new to her.


    "Soon, this world will face a succession of disasters that will wreak havoc on all creations. I am not allowed to say anything, but I can assure you that what you and I can do is the closest thing to a possible solution. So, Avatar Anesidora, I, the player Midgard, wish to make a pact with you: Let''s fuse our power to take revenge on this world and thus, create the purest version of the system, You want power and freedom, I want to see how far we can go, so become my avatar and let me be your player."


    Night had fallen outside. Midgard reached out to me, with a smiling face, but this time it was no longer a terrifying smile, she smiled with confidence and warmth.


    "Now this is really going too fast."


    "It only means that we''ve been late."


    "... You don''t look like someone trustable too."


    "I''m pretty sure that you''ve been betraying people''s faith for a very long time too, We are both monsters and monsters don''t eat each other."


    "Sounds fair... But since you''re going to be my player, doesn''t that mean that you''re going to possess me?"


    "Absolutely not, Like I said I can''t use the system, but I can control the events. We will just share our power. I can''t give you a better example yet but be sure that for me, you are more precious than the world."


    "sigh This is the second time that someone threatens me with an invisible menace to make me do their deeds..."


    "... Maybe, but this is hardly a regression, this is an evolution. So, my little toy, are you ready to bite the forbidden fruit?"


    |Character selection activated: |


    |Select your Avatar 0/1 |


    "...You wicked snake, let''s get this over quickly."


    I held out my hand in return and thus followed a handshake marking a turning point in the course of the world.


    |Character selection activated: |


    |Select your Avatar 1/1 |

 A Body Of Their Own

    The screen of Midgard''s system lit up and a circle with strange symbols formed beneath our feet before a beam of light emerged, engulfing us.


    I was in a multicolored whirlwind, several screens turning around in this magic cyclone and when I started to realize the craziness that was happening, I saw my hand deconstruct into thousands of little cubes. Nearby, the same phenomenon was happening to Midgard who only had her upper body left.


    "What... Is... Haaa-"


    The deconstruction reached my jaw and soon it was pitch white. I couldn''t feel anything, and little by little, my consciousness faded away. Did I make a wrong decision by trusting her?


    Only a cyclone of screen and energy remained, while the two partners had disappeared.


    The screens flashed and merged, creating new fluorescent blue screens.


    [Character selected, all system functions unlocked]


    [Character analysis, Main quest unlocked]


    [Character analysis, convert Kill points]


    [99999 Kill points transferred to your wallet]


    [God Mode unlocked, Superuser connected]


    [Character analysis, Sub quests unlocked]


    [God Mode unlocked, stats points available]


    Several messages like this appeared and swirled in this vortex that seemed to last forever.


    I don''t know what happened, or how long it lasted, but at one moment, I was able to open an eye, then the other.


    I was back in my bedroom and looked at my body, which had not a single scar.


    "I''m... Alive?"


    "Of course, are you still doubting me even after my heartwarming speech?"


    I turned to my bed, and what I saw stunned me.


    "Don''t stay that far away, come closer, my precious, Let''s enjoy the beauty of our evolution."


    Midgard was sitting on the large bed but the person in front of me was a literal talking mystery.


    She looked a few years younger, slightly the same size as me, her long unkempt hair was more elegant and wavy, and her outfit had also changed.


    The white doctor''s coat had been replaced by a very revealing black and white outfit, long black gloves with no finger cuffs resembling reptile scales that stopped at the base of her hands, fingers covered by black claws.


    On her head, was a helmet, or rather a large white and black tiara with a snake symbol.


    But the most surprising change was her legs, which had taken the shape of a mermaid''s tail, or perhaps a black snake, she looked like a lamia.


    I looked at her, speechless, fascinated by this spectacle. She noticed my reaction and smiled mischievously.


    "Ah, dearie, if you keep staring at me like that, you will give me funny ideas."


    "What... What happened to you?!"


    "Oh, you mean this form? Isn''t it magnificent? This skin, those hairs, it''s such a crime to keep this treasure away from a lady."


    She made 2 screens disappear in front of her so that I could admire her body.


    "This is my true form, as a human, my very pure form, this, right in front of you, is the real me. This is the one we call Midgard, the true Midgard, the one before the world imprisoned her into a prison of flesh and bones."


    "... I... What... How?!... I have so many questions!"


    "Tututu~ Little toy, we had an agreement on what to talk about and what to not talk about. But rejoice, this miracle is our feat, our success, so I allow you to enjoy this as much as me, Come and dive into an infinite world of pleasure only reserved for us, the higher beings."


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    She opened her arms, What did I get myself into, seriously?


    "You''re sick."


    "Hn~ that''s a no? I was sure boys like that stuff, or maybe you''re scared of my age? Don''t worry honey, this body never got old, for an eternity, literally."


    "Holy cow... Stop being crazy! I want to know what happened and I want to know now!"


    "Ah~ Yes, yes, but my offering is still on the table, I can still make my legs appear by the way. But let''s save that for later, sit here, please."


    She patted the spot right next to her on the bed, I hesitated for a moment but at this point, I urgently needed an answer. I sat next to her as she asked.


    "Now open your system again."


    I did as she asked and raised my hand to activate the system, but when the screen appeared I was surprised.


    The screen was split into several parts, one window labeled ''Quests'', another labeled ''Stats'', ''Shop'', ''Items'', ''Skills'' and it looked like it could be scrolled down.


    "That''s what a player can see through your system."


    "What... Is this the same system? My system?!"


    "No, it''s OUR system. This window can only be activated and used by me, but of course, you will lead the way. Basically, I will use everything to give you the best you need and you decide what is happening and what to do. That''s pretty fair, isn''t it? Now let''s take a look at all the functions."


    She opened the quest window, it showed 2 other windows, one for the main quests and the other for the side quests.


    "Wait... Does this mean the daily quest has been reset?! Should I clear everything now?!!"


    "Ah~ So hardworking, but don''t worry, only the daily quest is an obligation to complete, but from what I see, it''s already done for today. It''s not impossible that the same kind of conditions happen for the others but for now, they are pending. We can clear them later. Now look at this, it''s the statistics window."


    She opened another window and I could see a mannequin with stats lined up on the side.


    |Attack: 12


    |Physical Def: 8


    |Intelligence: 24


    |Magic Def: 17


    |Speed:19


    |Stamina:6


    |Mana:45


    |Agility: 21+5


    |Sensitivity:28


    |Luck: 1


    |Stat Points: 45


    Even though it was the first time I saw this, I understood in a second what 1 luck meant.


    "That''s why?! That''s why I always get ridiculous soul stones?!"


    "Hm, you were indeed E-rank. There''s a lot of work to do but at least you have some stat points left. Let''s start by dividing them to make up for what you''re missing... Except luck."


    "Are you kidding me?"


    "This is not a necessity at the moment, my dear, your physical abilities are a disaster, we need to fix that as a priority."


    "Maybe it''s because this body is specifically for my abnormal magic, my stats are flexible."


    "What did you... Oh, is that the thing you did at the exam? The Delta thing?"


    "Yeah, so... Write this down in your head, I won''t say it out loud again: I can''t use every branch type as my avatar, but together we can."


    Midgard''s irises shrank.


    "There are several versions of myself in this body. Dora is our name, but we use different nicknames between us. I am Sigma, the specialist in abnormal skills, the brain. I am the best character to deal with society. The one who does the daily quests is Gamma, the specialist in general skills and combat genius. He is the one with the greatest offensive power, the one who masters normal magic, but is too dangerous because he could seriously hurt someone. The one you saw today was the worst of us, Beta, the one who had no powers and whose only advantage was being a good son and a good brother to our family. That''s literally it, he''s a real pain in the ass, he once accepted a girl''s confession, and We got caught up in this dating bullshit. Luckily, I managed to get her to leave."


    Midgard''s eyes trembled with pure joy.


    "It''s... It''s wonderful... Oh my God... You are... Where have you been all this time? It''s just... Hm? But I''m sure I have felt power in Beta."


    "That''s gotta be Delta, a special case. When I or Gamma want to use Beta with powers, we transfer some of our powers to an empty body, Delta, and let Beta take control and a character trait of the one who gave the power is also transferred to Beta. Earlier I gave Delta enough power to summon a golem but not enough to defeat it for example.


    "Wonderful, simply wonderful..."


    "Not exactly. As I said, each persona has its own mind. The problem is we can have different opinions, for example, you didn''t make a pact with Anesidora, you made a pact with ''Sigma'', but maybe Gamma wouldn''t want that, maybe Beta would be too scared, oh but don''t worry, since they didn''t react, that means that they agree."


    "Interesting... So I can... Can you all change places at will or do you have a time limit?"


    "... Like I would answer that!"


    "Come on~, at first you caught my attention but now I''m dying to know more... Do you have an Alpha persona? Is there one for each letter?"


    "Let me just tell you and stop asking, damn! I want to go to bed early. There''s an Alpha character, but this one is... A problem. We''ve only used it once, but I have no memory of it... Well, I do have one memory. I know he''s the physical user and there is a huge downside to using him. So we don''t summon him... I don''t even know if he''s conscious or if he is like Delta."


    After some thought, Midgard examined the skills screen closely in silence.


    "I understand now. So both fighters depend entirely on magic? It''s no surprise that your physical body is not strong. However, I have something valuable to teach you. The perfect avatar is not Sigma, Gamma, or any other persona. It''s your main body, Anesidora. I doubt that you have flexible stats, but we can spend the whole night experimenting with each of you to see what we can come up with."


    "I''m pretty sure tomorrow is the first day of school, so I should definitely sleep early."


    "Ah, my poor little darling, I told you once, don''t show me anything interesting if you don''t want me to kidnap you. We''re going to review every inch of this system, every piece of code. I can''t wait to start playing for real."


    The night was young, unfortunately for me. It was then that I realized for the first time that the most dangerous beings in this kingdom were all these crazy women.

 Turbulence

    The day had arrived, my first day at the academy. I shuffled through the corridors, exhausted from a whole night spent studying the system with Midgard.


    This woman, or whatever she really was, was a turning point in my life.


    But it was necessary, thanks to her, the system finally became understandable.


    We discovered that I had been at max level for a very long time, which meant that no matter how many quests I completed, I was no longer progressing. My stats were a mess and all the elemental stones I had collected were thrown into oblivion, What a tragedy.


    At least with this new system, Midgard assured me that it would be possible to go further.


    I was now heading towards my class.


    Academy classes were divided by rank, so there were several E, D, and only 3 C classes.


    Honestly, it wasn''t that surprising, from rank B onwards, emissaries are hugely sought after by the best guilds and earn fortunes. After all, a B-rank emissary is as important as a noble.


    It was therefore expected that we would not find the strongest among the simple students, despite the reputation of this academy. It was a treasure of the nobles, for the nobles.


    I was assigned to class E-11, the lowest ranked. I arrived at the front of the class, there was a man with a tired look, one of the supervisors.


    "Took you long enough, kid."


    "Sorry, I''m having trouble sleeping..."


    He made a sound with his mouth and entered the room, followed by me.


    The room looked like an amphitheater, the students were scattered and talking in small groups. When they saw us, they stood up and started whispering among themselves.


    The supervisor stood in front of the big blackboard and coughed to impose silence.


    "Very well, I assume you are all aware that the academy was expecting new students this week. This young boy is one of them and from now on he will be your classmate. Please welcome him as it should be."


    I think it was time to applaud, but no one reacted. They looked at me like a monkey in an elementary school, but that was probably their point of view.


    "Um, boy, introduce yourself and tell us about yourself."


    "Of course, my name is Anesidora... Charper. I''m an E-rank avatar, specialist in... Magic. I don''t have anything special to say about me but I hope we get along pretty well. That''s all."


    I had finished my speech and murmurs rose again in the back.


    "Okay, choose a seat from those without a badge, Class will start in a few minutes."


    He then left the room. I walked over to the desks towards the back of the class, where I could sleep more effectively, and sat down in one of the designated empty seats.


    (Holy... That was such a bad idea... Hey, can you hear me?)


    (Hm~? What''s the matter, honey? Are you scared yet?)


    (Who''s afraid? Isn''t it over already? I can barely stand, I need more energy.)


    (I see, it''s a first so it''s going to be hard, but unfortunately, we''re going to have to endure a little longer, Remember where the priority is?)


    Somewhere in a dark forest, Midgard walked forward, surrounded by a red aura and a symbol on her chest.


    When reviewing our skills, we made a fantastic discovery. Since we both shared the same system, Midgard could complete the daily quest by herself and it would count for me too.


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    I could stay home forever and she would do all the work so there would be no fear of losing certain skills, but there was one problematic condition.


    I was the avatar, the one with the power, when we were separated she would return to her original form. However, there was an alternative, a technique accessible only via the link between a player and his avatar.


    ExtraLink, a mode in which a link was created between the 2 entities, and thanks to which Midgard and I were able to exchange our powers.


    To put it simply, it was as if we were always in contact. Thanks to the system she could maintain her form, but since only I could fight, she had to borrow my power. So basically she was using 4/5 of my power while I was left with my Sigma body.


    (We''re still experimenting, who knows if there''s a distance limit? Better to have all your energy in reserve to at least run away.)


    (Aaah... Fine, but please put some stat points into stamina, please?)


    (*laugh*, hm? What is that?... There''s an interference... Chrrrr... Can you hear me?)


    (Oh, you little... hm?)


    "Hey, do you have a moment?"


    I looked up and found myself face to face with a young blonde girl with long, curly hair. She had a fierce look that made her look like a puppy trying to look menacing.


    "Do I know you?"


    "...? Is that how you were taught to introduce to people? But forget that, I''m Agiel Rivierie, the class representative."


    "Okay, hello Agiel, so what do you want from me?"


    "... Please mind your manners, so first of all, since it''s your first day, I guess I should teach you a little about how things are done here. I have already heard a little about you, you see."


    "You stalked me?"


    "... N-No! Why do you... Urgh! First, when someone is talking to you, you have to listen to what she is saying and not interrupt her! We are At the Royal Academy, When we are here, our wealth and status mean nothing, what matters is our actions as a person."


    "I see... So what does this have to do with me?"


    "It probably has to do that you are dozing off! How could you do something like that on your first day?"


    "... What?"


    "Don''t play dumb, I''ve been watching you since you entered this class and as soon as you sit down, you try to sleep. As the representative of this class, my duty is to make sure that everyone here behaves accordingly to... The reputation of this academy!"


    "Wait, I wasn''t sleeping, I was..."


    (Napping.)


    "... Nap- What?! Are you still here???"


    To my surprise and displeasure, Midgard was heard falling.


    "... H-How dare you?!"


    "Um, no, I wasn''t talking to... Um, excuse me for a second."


    I looked away and tried to contact that snake again.


    (What are you doing ?!)


    (What? I just feel lonely here~)


    "Hey! Are you going to stop that now? I''m talking to you!"


    The girl behind me shook my shoulder, the situation was getting really annoying.


    "You''re wasting your time, Agiel."


    A voice came from the side. We found ourselves faced with a young obese boy, with a haircut and accompanied by 2 other boys, a small one with red hair and another taller and thinner wearing glasses.


    "Walter?"


    "You don''t know? This guy comes from the countryside, you won''t be able to make a gentleman out of him."


    "He''s right, you know? Not only that, but I heard he was enlisted just because he''s the friend of Lady Elizabeth''s brother. Do you know, he can''t even beat an E-rank golem?"


    Agiel tightened her face, visibly annoyed.


    "Thank you, but I didn''t ask for your opinion. Don''t interfere in other people''s discussions."


    "I know, I know, I was just doing a little teaching. I also want what''s best for the academy, so I can''t ignore a fraud between us."


    "Stop that! I think I already warned you about the academy rules."


    Their argument intensified. They were right next to me but despite that, I couldn''t hear them. All my attention was on an invisible screen that appeared right in front of me.


    |Extermination Quest|


    |Cubron Killed: 85/40|


    |Kodiac killed: 0/1|


    85? What was she doing? A second ago she was talking to me, was she killing them at the same time?


    In a way, it irritated me to imagine someone having fun with my power, but I didn''t have much time to think about it.


    "Oi! Beggar, I''m talking to you!"


    "Walter, that''s enough!"


    Without realizing it, the obese guy held me by the collar.


    "Are you ignoring me? You idiot, don''t think that just because they let you in because of your boyfriend, you can be above us. I''m the first son of Modrig''s family, never heard of that name? The food you eat in your pathetic house comes from my family''s industry, so know your place!"


    When the number on the screen reached 100, my eyes shifted focus. This guy was a little smaller than me, but definitely heavier, and not just because I could fit my bed into his body.


    "Walter, maybe we should stop, The professor is coming."


    "I don''t care, who does this idiot think he is to ignore me? You''re not strong or noble, so why are you here?"


    "Walter, this is your last warning!"


    "Don''t think you can give me orders just because you are the daughter of a marquis! This beggar is only here because he is friends with another beggar who is an acquaintance of someone important, for God''s sake! Who here really thinks this is acceptable?"


    The students looked at each other. No matter how you look at it, this guy''s point of view was understandable.


    The Magic Academy was well known throughout the world, If the best guild represents the showcase of a country, the kingdom had this academy which had seen generations of students succeed one another in the management of the kingdom. The true origin of the kingdom was here, yet 2 commoners entered this sacred temple because they were related to someone strong.


    Hope was only an E rank, I had the worst result in the history of the entrance exam, How could I not understand his anger? But things were different now, it was a call for violence.


    "An acquaintance of someone important... My God, isn''t that exactly what you all are?"


    "... What did you say?"

 Two Monsters

    Slowly, I grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from my collar.You bark a lot but all you say is that your greatest achievement is being the lucky seed, don''t you have anything else to show for it?"


    "What?! Are you insulting me? I''ll kill you!!!"


    "Then go ahead and try it. Do I know where I am? Yes, but I doubt you realize that. I didn''t expect any of you to be this stupid."


    Silence suddenly falls in the class. Everyone looked at us, first shocked, then gradually with anger.


    "Did he just..."


    "This fool..."


    Many students stood up and approached, but as soon as they reached Agiel, they stopped.


    moving.


    "!!!... W....What..."


    "I... Can''t move!"


    "What''s... going on?!"


    I clenched my fist on Walter''s wrist and he started to groan in pain but couldn''t move.


    Other students stood up, realizing something was wrong.


    "Do you know why the best student in this academy is not a princess? It''s because this academy is the door to the future of the kingdom. But what is really important for a kingdom? The Wealth? Grace? Health? No... What really matters in this world is to exist. What''s a country that doesn''t even exist?"


    "Aaargh!!! My arm! My ARM!!!!"


    He fell to his knees, and Agiel started to panic.


    "Stop! He understood, let him go!"


    "Thanks to the rifts, in this world our existence could be erased in a second. This is why classes are divided into ranks. The country does not need a rich noble for its future, what it needs is someone powerful enough to keep it going, which is why your social caste doesn''t matter here."


    "EEEHK!!! HELP!! HEEELP!!!"


    "Stop!"


    "Let him go!"


    Everyone was in shock but no one could move, watching in horror at their comrade''s pain.


    "It''s an E Class, the lowest rank, It''s also the lowest level allowed in this academy. Do you know what that means? You''re only here because your moms and dads are rich, as fighters you are worthless, as a family you are disappointments, all of you. My own child is so weak that he is only admitted to the weakest class, a class where he will never know how to fight. Poor parents."


    They were all stunned, unable to move or even speak. I crouched down to face Walter who was starting to cry.


    "Do you have a little brother?"


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    "Shtop... Ragh..."


    "ALL RIGHT."


    I let go of him, and he squeezed his wrist, writhing in pain. Some students realizing they were able to move again rushed to Walter. Agiel, completely shocked, whispered.


    "You..."


    "You piece of shit!"


    One of the boys punched me in the face just as a teacher entered the classroom.


    "What the...?! Hey, you over there! Stop it!"


    The boy shuddered, and the teacher, an old woman rushed to me to inquire about my situation.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Go to the principal''s office now!"


    "Huh?! But it was his..."


    "Now! Miss Agiel, what were you doing? Aren''t you the class representative? How could this happen right in front of you?!"


    "What?! I... Huh..."


    "I''ll talk to you later, For now, take this young man to the infirmary, and you, you follow me!"


    The boy was trembling, unable to defend himself. He gave me a hateful look as I rolled over on the floor moaning.


    "Urgh... my... my weak cheek... just because I''m poor..."


    "I... I''m going to kill you..."


    "Tristan!"


    She took his hand and led him outside. Before leaving, she yelled again at Agiel.


    "Miss Agiel, if you''re not in the infirmary within a minute, I''ll send you to the Dean too!"


    "Ah!... Y-Yes Madam!"


    She grabbed me and helped me to leave. Meanwhile, in the darkest part of a forest, sitting on a tree trunk, Midgard hummed a song, patting the head of a decapitated cubron, a bear-like creature.


    "Hmm~ My Goodness... How refreshing... How did I manage to live without this feeling for so long?"


    On her screen, the quest for extermination displayed the sinister number 136/40.


    "Ah, I think I overdid it... I was a very bad girl... But you too, my little toy. Hm?"


    A huge noise echoed behind her.


    "Oh, there you are."


    A gigantic monster, almost 10 meters tall, resembling a bear appeared. It had sharp claws at least a meter long, huge paws on a thick body on which rested a head armed with long, sharp teeth.


    |Kodiac killed: 0/1|


    "You had me waiting, I had to play with your offspring for a bit, and trust me, they weren''t a bit entertaining."


    The Kodiac let out a cry that echoed throughout the forest and its jaws fell on Midgard.


    In the meantime, I was walking in a corridor, supported by Agiel, when she stopped.


    "... Get off me."


    "Hm?"


    "I told you to get off me!"


    She pushed me away and glared at me, breathing heavily.


    "But we''re still not in the infirmary, the teacher will punish you too."


    My smile widened, and so did the anger in her eyes.


    "I was wrong to try to guide you... You know what, I don''t care about who you are, where you''re coming from, or who is your friend, but this is the last time that you insult my training."


    "Hm? What? Are you angry because I said you were weak and worthless? Or is it because I guessed you were disappointing?"


    She flinched and moved towards me but stopped abruptly.


    "... I was only trying to get you on the right track, but now you''ve managed to turn everyone against you. Consider that I won''t intervene if someone targets you outside of class, since we are so weak. I''ll see how you handle it."


    She turned her back on me and left, it was pretty unexpected, maybe I overreacted. When you think about it, she didn''t really offend me. I was defensive because I expected to meet people like Barron, but this girl was just doing her job as a class representative.


    If Walter hadn''t interfered, maybe we''d have a more civilized conversation. But he gave me a free nap so I could forgive him for his antics, for now.


    I was heading towards the infirmary when a notification appeared on the screen.


    |Quest Complete|


    |You have successfully completed the quest|


    |Reward received|


    |+168 exp|


    |1 soul stone dropped| 4 elemental stones dropped|


    |Unlocked a new skill|


    |Acquired iron body| defense +40/attack +25/sensitivity +18/stamina +42|


    "Great... It''s better than usual, but what a waste of..."


    (Dear, are you still in class?)


    (... Ah, it''s you. Are you crazy for using so much energy? What if...)


    (I know, I''ll explain later but for now, can you leave the class?)


    (I''m already outside, what''s up?)


    (Are you alone?)


    (... Yes, what''s going on?)


    (Good, something interesting is happening, open your shared screen.)


    Wondering what she was talking about, I activated the system and discovered a new message. I started to read before slowly opening my mouth in amazement.


    |Evolution quest available |


    |You have reached the maximum level, trigger the evolution to unlock jobs|

 Level Up

    I looked at the window with a shaky smile. After all this time, words have meaning, so it was clear to me what the quest for evolution was all about.


    (Is it¡­)


    (Yes, it looks like we just needed an extra experience point to trigger it, it''s a good thing I''m so diligent.)


    I couldn''t believe it, When I learned that I was at the max level I was very disturbed. First, since I was still E-rank, I started to think that I could never get stronger, but Midgard remained confident and assured me that they would look for a way, but I didn''t expect to be so fast.


    (So? I can feel your heart beating like a girl in front of a handsome man~, more like a beautiful lady in this case.)


    (Ha, you know what, I''ll give you that, great job!)


    (Ah, yes, praise me more.)


    (Haha¡­ Let''s not be crazy¡­ But really good job.)


    (More.)


    (You are amazing!)


    (Call me ''my love''!)


    (Oi¡­)


    (Fine, fine, I''ll save that for later. So, ready to expend your maximum?)


    With a smile on my face and a burning sensation in my chest, I rushed into the infirmary and replied in a single breath.


    (Let''s do it.)


    |Evolution quest accepted |


    |Rank Up


    |Jobs unlocked


    |Attack: 12+5


    |Physical Def: 8+5


    |Intelligence: 24+5


    |Magic Def: 17+5


    |Speed:19+5


    |Stamina:6+5


    |Mana:45+5


    |Agility: 21+5


    |Sensitivity:28+5


    |Luck: 1+5


    |Stat Points: 45+5


    A wave of warm energy passed through my body, I felt my fatigue disappear instantly and my body became lighter.


    "So this is an evolution¡­ Incredible¡­ This is the first time I''ve felt a real change¡­"


    I checked the screen to see all the changes, and a new window called work was added to the screen.


    (What is this? A new form of quest?)


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    (Not exactly, it''s the equivalent of what you call classes, or branches to be exact, let''s check that.)


    I opened the window and was quite impressed with the decor, a list of names with icons displayed several branches.


    |Jobs


    Warrior lvl1


    Knight lvl1


    Healer lvl1


    Swordmaster lvl1


    Archer lvl1


    Rogue lvl1


    Mage lvl1


    |Special Job (Locked)


    "Wow¡­ What is that-"


    (I knew it! I knew it! I always said it, they don''t know anything, they are all blinded by their little knowledge, but this is proof that I was right! How do you explain that? WHO was right at all this time?)


    (¡­ You? What are you doing?)


    (Oh, sorry little wonder, I let my emotions overwhelm me, but look, that''s what I was saying, this is proof that you''re the only true Avatar, in this place. Look at all these jobs, can you understand the infinite potential within you? Can you imagine your full power once you master them all?)


    (I''m trying to... But I can''t see all the classes, Why is there no puppeteer or hero?)


    (Puppeteer? Isn''t that an upper magic class? Pay attention, those are the names of every branch in general.)


    (Even Hero?)


    (You just leveled up, it might still be locked, this could be the special job. The system never makes a mistake and we will have all the time in the world to figure this out, look at all these jobs, and imagine the time it will take to reach the maximum level... Imagine the endless requirements to maximize their level, imagine what lies behind this special job... Meeting you was a true blessing.)


    Despite the distance, I could imagine the girl gloating. I couldn''t really complain, at the cost of becoming her lab rat, I had gained access to the full extent of the system.


    At that moment, for the first time ever, nothing else mattered. The moment my stats increased, I felt a change in my body, not just physically. I felt my mind become more fluid, I felt more grateful to Midgard, was it because of the intelligence stats? Or sensitivity?


    It was very fascinating, my goal shifted from living a rich life to satisfying the curiosity of getting everything the system had to offer.


    (Let''s start by sharing the skill points, We have 50 points and 10 stats, if we were wise enough we would put 5 in each of them, but since your physical attributes are dire we will focus on that for the moment.)


    We talked for a while and then divided the stat points as follows: 10 points for attack, 20 points for physical defense, and 20 points for endurance.


    Stats:


    |Attack: 27


    |Physical Def: 33


    |Intelligence: 29


    |Magic Def: 22


    |Speed:24


    |Stamina:31


    |Mana:50


    |Agility: 26


    |Sensitivity: 33


    |Luck: 6


    |Stat Points: 0


    Honestly, I was a little bitter about not putting anything into luck, since every stat change had an effect on me, I really wanted to see what more luck would give. In a way, it was nice to have Midgard to control my impulses.


    (How do you feel?)


    (I feel very light, not as much difference as before but I don''t really see any¡­)


    As I said this, I grabbed one of the beds and lifted it a few inches before letting go.


    "??? What... It really worked! I''m really getting stronger!"


    (... Is lifting a bed a great feat?)


    (It is! With my sigma form it''s absolutely impossible, I couldn''t lift a greatsword before, without magic enhancement, but now I can lift a bed? That''s awesome! Let''s change places, I want to test it. )


    (Fine, fufu, go crazy.)


    I raise my hand and a black sphere appears on my palm.


    (*Switch*)


    My eyes sparkled with a green aura and a green and black aura swirled around me for a few seconds before dissipating.


    Alone in the middle of the infirmary, the young man remained with his eyes closed, barely breathing, and then a sinister smile appeared on his face. He walked towards a mirror on the wall and when he opened his eyes, his green irises covered his narrow pupils like a snake.


    "Hmm, darling, I don''t understand why that offends you so much, That''s a face any woman would kill for."


    Switch, is a skill shared by a Player and their Avatar, allowing each to exchange powers and bodies. Thanks to the system, Midgard was able to do the quests in Dora''s place, but combined with the strange nature of the latter''s powers, she could take a certain amount of his attributes, in the forms of his personas, and thanks to his dimensional magic, they had accessed a form of teleportation.


    In the woods, the young man in the woman''s body regained all his attributes and eagerly opened the job window. In the infirmary, the woman in the young man''s body, after looking at herself in the mirror, headed towards the door, both with a mischievous smile.


    "Let''s have fun."

 Quest

    "Open the main quest."


    |Main quest: The frog who wanted to be as big as the ox


    |Complete a Rank D dungeon


    I decided to ignore the title and only consider the mission.


    "A D-rank dungeon? A dungeon¡­Is it a rift?"


    I noticed previously that the system used other terms to label the emissaries'' lexicon. For example, Avatar does not mean a class but the term in a video game to design a playable character, the jobs represented the branches and therefore the most likely was that the rank D dungeon was a rift.


    "Um... This could be a problem... I just got promoted to D-rank, can I complete a rift?... Should I do it by myself?"


    This could really be a problem, firstly there is a huge difference between fighting random beasts and fighting in an actual rift. Rifts are home to a form of monster much more dangerous than the average in nature: disasters.


    Unlike the other monsters, Disasters had a form of organization, combat strategies, and a hierarchy with a monster among monsters at the top, the boss.


    It takes a whole group of emissaries with all the combat requirements to have any hope of fighting in a rift, usually several DPS, tanks, healers, and sometimes additional classes to debuff or carry equipment.


    "How am I supposed to destroy a rift all by myself?...Hm...Can I use each task simultaneously?"


    I imagined every possible strategy but I couldn''t think of an outcome. At Rank D, facing a rift solo was too dangerous.


    "Maybe if it was an E-rank rift... Hm?! Yeah, that''s it!"


    In the body of this strange woman, I jumped for joy, why think logically when I was an anomaly?


    "I''m a playable character, and this is my game! If I''m too weak to complete this, I just need to level up!"


    I was familiar with the concept of video games and, as such, I knew what the ultimate weapon was for a player seeking rapid power.


    "Open subquests"


    |Subquest:


    Defeat Dire Wolf in Fabriza Forest.


    Fabriza Forest is to the east of your location.


    |Dire Wolf is located in the Fabriza Forest: Central part.


    "Fabriza? Isn''t it close to here? Is it just a coincidence or did the system deliberately choose the closest location?... Well, whatever."


    I turned into a shadow and my body sank into the ground without a trace.


    Meanwhile, Midgard, in possession of my body, returned to class. As soon as she entered the room, everyone fell silent.


    The teacher from earlier turned toward her with concern.


    "You? Are you alright? Can you get out now?"


    It might sound ridiculous that she would worry over a single punch, but Dora became well-known in the academy from the moment he was defeated by the weakest golem in history.


    For this teacher, a single punch from an emissary could dislocate his jaw.


    "Hm? Don''t worry about it, it''s only my first day here, I can''t afford to spend it in a bed,


    I''m literally dying to take your course."


    She gave her the warmest smile this face ever wore, a critical hit for a teacher visibly seeking recognition whose heart skipped a beat.


    "Huh?... Well... If you feel good, then I guess you can go to your seat."


    Midgard did so and crossed the room without paying attention to the murderous gazes fixed on her.


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    Meanwhile, in the clearing of a forest, a shadow came out of the ground and mingled with a group of shrubs, a few meters away from it, wandered a group of gray wolf-like creatures about 2 meters tall and equipped with a red horn on their forehead.


    |Subquest:


    Kill 50 Death Hounds


    | Death Hound Killed: 0/50


    (Hm? There are barely ten here... Should I check the-)


    The next moment, a huge projectile crossed the stage and hit the young man in Midgard''s body, spinning him around before he crashed to the ground. The Death Hounds slowly came out of the woods and surrounded him.


    He realized too late that he was the one being hunted. He stood up holding his bloody head, the whole part of which from the eye to the left ear had been torn off.


    "Aaah... hahaa... Shit... iz oo... it''s okay... Aaargh..."


    A black aura covered his body and his remaining eye glowed with green light.


    "THis... Ish nothin... Synergy: Sigma-Gamma."


    Several pikes rose from the ground and rushed towards the dogs but they slipped through and rushed at him.


    "WHAT-"


    2 Death Hounds, having gotten close enough to him, simultaneously threw themselves at his legs and bit his knees, causing the young man to fall. 5 wolves jumped on him.


    "DAMN YOUUU!!!!"


    He transformed into a gigantic shadow and the dogs passed through his body before being engulfed in a whirlwind of fire.


    "Firestorm!"


    The whirlwind of fire engulfed several monsters around him, they uttered howls of agony before sprawling on their flaming graves.


    |Subquest:


    Kill 50 Death Hounds


    | Death Hound Killed: 08/50


    The flames gathered together to form an orb of fire above the monsters, but as they were focused on that, they were unable to react in time as the ground took the shape of a monstrous jaw and cracked many of them.


    Dora emerged from the fireball, half of his face covered in flames.


    "Burn in despair!"


    The orb rushed towards the ground, but the monsters, as one, moved away from the impact zone and climbed at a rapid pace along the nearby trees before pouncing on their prey.


    Only then did the ball hit the ground and explode, but only served to give aesthetics to the creatures that torpedoed at Dora, horn first.


    (How are these things D-rank???)


    He transformed into a shadow but couldn''t unleash his firestorm quickly enough like before, he fell back to the ground and was greeted by a tsunami of sharp jaws and horns forward.


    He was screwed, the creatures were not invincible, he had managed to eliminate several of them with a single attack, but their speed coupled with their attack strategy made them insurmountable. They were able to understand their opponent and knew how to anticipate his attacks.


    The monsters were less than a meter away from him when he had a reflex that fell from the sky, he clenched his fist and delivered a blow while spinning around vertically, the impact crushed the heads of 3 hounds and carried around ten of them on their way.


    He looked at his fist one moment, surprised by his sheer power. The monsters around him stopped their frenzy and observed him warily. Blood poured from his nose, half of his face was inflamed and his knees were crushed, the target represented no danger to the animals, but their instinct told them that a hurricane was coming.


    Dora placed both of his hands on the ground in a submissive position, but his face, whose eye had turned completely white, announced something else.


    "Metamorphosis..."


    A black whirlwind emerged from his body and covered him completely, soon engulfing the entire area and the death hounds. In this surge, the monsters found themselves deprived of their senses and instinctively rushed backward when the ground tore itself apart.


    As if razed by gigantic claws, the ground opened everywhere and the monsters in the path of the impact were reduced to pieces.


    The whirlwind rose into the air, carrying pieces of creatures that mixed into a mass of flesh and blood.


    The floating filth mixed on itself and became a black and red paste, suddenly, a huge body, thin like a snake came out of the epicenter of the whirlwind and swallowed the mass of flesh before rushing towards the remaining death hounds.


    At the same time, at the academy, Midgard dropped his pen and looked at his trembling hand.


    (What... What is... Hey, what are you doing?)


    But nobody answered, she opened the system and was shocked when she saw her partner''s statistics.


    |Vital Stats:


    Rank: D


    HP: 28/700


    |MP: 7/50


    (Dora! Switch right now! Go to your dimensional room! Hey, do you hear me??)


    She concentrated for a moment and tried to force the exchange, but alas, the switch skill required the intervention of both users.


    (You idiot, stop using my dark magic! You don''t have enough mana left, it will consume your life force! Listen to me!!! Dor-)


    (QUIET!)


    Midgard jumped, on her screen, the numbers had stopped moving and a new message appeared


    |Subquest: Completed


    |Kill 50 Death Hounds


    |Death Hound Killed: 50/50


    |Exp+5200


    |Reward received:


    |1 soul stone / 5 elemental stones


    |New skill unlocked, torpedo strike, a fast and powerful punch. Inflict critical damage to the target on hit. Become invincible for 1 second.


    |Jobs have leveled up


    |+20 stats points


    |Vital Stats:


    Rank: D


    HP: 52/700


    |MP: 0/50


    Sitting amidst a macabre scene and surrounded by several soul stones, Dora applied healing magic to his face, breathing heavily.


    (Have you forgotten who we are? We''re used to living in hell, that... It was just a complication... Huh... Do you still want to change? I''m warning you: it hurts like hell."


    (... You... You idiot... How could you do something so reckless? Do you realize you were about to die?! After all, you were really going to throw everything away?!"


    (Haha... If that can reassure you... It''s your face that tasted... But too bad, I don''t think we''re ready for a boss right now..."


    (Of course, you fool... You''ve just ranked up, how could you make such a rookie mistake... *sight* come back now.)


    He laughed painfully in response and opened a dimensional hole directly under his body and let himself fall, although he had one final quest left in this forest, this first contact made him realize how much he was still too weak to complete it and it was necessary to put it at a later date.

 Parallel Development

    A few weeks had passed since classes started at the academy. In a large meeting room, a group of students were gathered wearing the traditional red outfit of the student council.


    Iris sat next to a grunting Barron and thumbed through a book; the other council members looked bored. Footsteps got closer and suddenly the door opened, revealing Hope and Thomas.


    "We... We came on time!"


    "... Everyone''s here, you idiot, we''re anything but on time."


    A young man with short blond hair coughed to impose silence and the two men went to Iris''s side in embarrassment.


    "Alright, now that the stars of the day have finally come, we can start the meeting."


    "Sorry, this crazy guy has a fetich for training and doesn''t know when to stop."


    "Hey!"


    "Fufu, it''s all right, it''s never a failure to train, but let''s try to be on time next time, okay? S so as we said before, today we''re going to decide the list of students who will be selected for the school exchange, so I ask the representatives of each division to provide their suggestions."


    Three students stood up, a sheet in their hands, Hope looked at them intrigued and leaned towards his mentor.


    "Um Thomas, what is the school exchange?"


    "¡­ Of course, you haven''t listened, you have 1000 muscles and none of them are a brain. Like I told you, the Royal Academy represents the spear of the kingdom, to put it simply, we are the nobles who vowed to use force to defend our people, concretely, the academy needs powerful people and is therefore technically open to any person... any person who would be an emissary, of course. Next to us, we have Saint Nova, the academy strictly¡­ You know what is Saint Nova, right?"


    Hope pretended to think, causing Thomas to sigh in despair, but he patted his shoulder and smiled.


    "I''m kidding, I know what it is, Nova academy is like our magnificent academy but is strictly reserved for nobles without powers."


    "Now listen here, you little brat, It''s not nobles without power but nobles of higher social rank! If Nebula Royal Academy is famous for no class distinctions, at least between nobles, Saint Nova is the exact opposite. This is the playground for the very heirs of the kingdom, the children of the royal family study there, the future duke, some of them are emissaries but since they''re fated to rule the kingdom, they are forbidden to risk their lives like us."


    "¡­ Technically, since we''re the ones fighting, aren''t we more important?"


    "Oh my God¡­ If we were that important, do you think we would be sent to the Rifts? Why do you think the highest-ranked people are in Guilds? Most of us here are descendants of knights for this reason, we are the SWORD, and they are the CROWN, if a high-ranked noble is among us it means that he''s either a genius or a disposable asset, can you fix that in your head."


    Hope frowned for a moment, for him, this concept was incomprehensible, he had been told that the nobles of the academy were the most important people because they fought actively for the kingdom, but now he heard the opposite.


    "Okay, I understand¡­ So, what''s the deal with the school exchange?" He asked, but the answer came this time from the blue-haired girl.


    "The deal is, dear Hope, that as Thomas said, we are destined to become defenders of the Kingdom, and the best of us will join the royal guards, like your sister. It''s not just a matter of power, it requires particular distinctions in many fields, such as education, Wisdom, performance, and sometimes status. It''s also a big chance to build relationships with the top of the hierarchy, and show off the progress of the academy, some of us could even be recruited as personal knights."


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    She turned to the other members of the council and continued.


    " It''s like a contest between us, they will show us how distinguished they are and we are going to show them that we are the best knights they''ve ever seen. So, it''s time de commencer the selections."


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the wild, motionless on a lake, Dora levitated, a wooden bow in his hands, his eyes closed. Beneath him, waves and bubbles occasionally tore the surface.


    "Snipe Art¡­"


    A gigantic shadow appeared under the water and the next moment a colossal black snake appeared, mouth open under the young man.


    |Subquest:


    Collect 10 Black Blade Fangs


    |Black Blade Fang: 08/10


    "Lightning Rain"


    A multitude of luminous arrows pierced in an instant the interior of the monster which fell back into the lake, coloring the water in green.


    |Subquest: Completed


    |Kill 50 monsters with an archer skill: 50/50


    |+7800 exp


    |Reward received:


    |1 soul stone / 7 elemental stones


    |New skill unlocked, Poison dart, Shoot the target with a poison hit, dark element attack. Chance to inflict [Poison] and [Paralysis] on the target and when successful, reduce the target''s defense.


    Mana Cost: 20


    Poison Rate +40%


    Paralyze Rate +20%


    Foe''s defense reduction: -15% physical def


    |Subquest: Completed


    Collect 10 Black Blade Fangs


    |Black Blade Fang: 10/10


    |Jobs have leveled up


    |+5 stats points


    Jobs


    Warrior lvl1


    Knight lvl1


    Healer lvl16


    Swordmaster lvl1


    Archer lvl26


    Rogue lvl12


    Mage lvl29


    |Special Job (Locked)


    "¡­ Say, Midget, can I use the stats point on something else? The physical jobs never change."


    (Sorry I can''t hear you, I''m too busy doing your homework.}


    (Are you mad because I killed your people?)


    (¡­ Is that Gamma again?)


    After the failure of the quest to exterminate the Dire Wolf, me and Midgard decided to prioritize the quests of collecting and eliminating small groups of monsters in order to accumulate as much experience as possible and everything was going better.


    the stats had a huge impact on my power growth so we started taking bigger targets, but increasing there had some problems. One of them was that all the jobs were increasing in level except the ones I really lacked, tanking and physical damages.


    No matter how many monsters I killed or elemental stones I assimilated, their level never changed. The second problem was that, for some reason, Gamma and Midgard hated each other. Gamma was the main fighter until we met Midgard and hated losing his role because of her.


    (Couldn''t you talk about it for a while? We''re all partners.)


    (That''s a lot of assumptions there, darling, but whatever, we can''t let you have a weakness so keep focusing on the physical stats, we have the soul stone for the rest and besides, don''t compare me to those ridiculous water snakes, not all snakes are the same, you are living proof.)


    (I take that as a compliment, okay, all stats in attack.)


    |Stats:


    |Attack: 67


    |Physical Def: 53


    |Intelligence: 29


    |Magic Def: 23


    |Speed:39


    |Stamina:31


    |Mana:55


    |Agility: 33


    |Sensitivity: 48


    |Luck: 6


    |Stat Points: 0


    (Done, what''s on the menu next? Can we return to the Wolfy?)


    (Not until you unlock the tanking job, I refuse to take any more risk with you, next week will be full of study classes so we better find a way quickly.)


    Midgard was quite anxious since the battle against the death hounds, at first I thought she was angry because it was her body who got injured, even tho now it was completely healed, but she pressured me to level up as quickly as possible and to never try a quest I wouldn''t be 100% sure to complete. It was the catalyst of Gamma''s anger.


    (Hmm I heard students say that they would have free time next week though, isn''t it possible for the best students to¡­ Skip some classes?)


    (Maybe I should let you put some points in intelligence, it would help you to not¡­ Wait what did you say?)


    (I knew you were still mad at me.)


    (No, no! That''s a great idea! You''re a genius! How did I not think of that? You''re amazing!) It was the first time she complimented me since the dog fight.


    (You told me I needed intelligence.)


    (I was an idiot! You are awesome!)


    (...You are not insecure.)


    (You mean insincere.)


    (So ??I do need intelligence...)


    I played with her like that for a little while, it was a bit weird when she was quiet and angry so I decided to make her pay, but on good terms.


    (You are the most beautiful bird in this forest, my little toy, you are a phoenix!)


    (I heard that phoenixes were ugly before reincarnation.)


    (You are so handsome that 3 girls confessed to me when I used your body.)


    (You lie.)


    (Even the boys!)


    (... What?)


    (And that''s exactly why we''re going to succeed! I know exactly how we''re going to save free time.)


    (You won''t dare make me date an ugly man, will you?)


    I couldn''t see her, but I clearly felt her happiness rising and so, cold sweat ran down my forehead.


    (Better yet, you''ll date a frog.)

 Trial

    In the meeting room, the student council continued their evaluation of the students chosen for the school exchange. In turn, the 3 representatives of each division gave the names and characteristics of the students concerned and the council evaluated their competence.


    "Dario Colbert, class D22, D-rank lance, his academic results are not as impressive as those of the others but he compensates with a great sense of chivalry. As the 4th son of the commander of the 8th division of the royal knights, he has often been exposed to the world of the best emissaries and is a family of high society. He will be an important representative of our image and I think it would be inconceivable to imagine the selection without him, considering that the following choices will be E-rank."


    The group coughed in embarrassment at one final, absolutely unnecessary statement.


    "Hm, okay, thanks Lisa, I think that''s a good choice too, any opposition?"


    The others chatted briefly then Thomas took his turn speaking.


    ¡°No objections from the board, decision approved, but it will not impact the choice of E-rank students.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever.¡±


    She returned to her seat without a care in the world, Iris wrote in a notebook before turning her gaze toward Sunnah.


    "And lately the E-rank division, go Sunnah, I''ve heard good things about these students."


    Sunnah stood up shyly and walked towards the center of the room, a paper in her hand.


    ¡°Um¡­ So¡­ T-This is the list I could pro¡­ Um, I could write. So¡­ The first student would be¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, at the back of the dormitory, I reappear from a dimensional hole, a vial containing a greenish liquid in my hands.


    "Blahblah, you will only use the store under my direction, Ara~ my little video game, drink this healing juice and stop training for today~"


    (I can hear you~)


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m talking out loud?¡± My power is greater than it has ever been, why should I always stick to weak monsters?


    (Ah~? Who decided to run away from a little dog? You may be an interesting D-rank, but you''re still a D-rank, even worse, you''re an Avatar, so you have to max out all your jobs to trigger an evolution... And if I had to be honest, I really wonder if we''re really doing the right thing.)


    (What do you mean?)


    Midgard took a few seconds to think and asked me a very strange question.


    (Do you really feel a change in your power?)


    I stopped for a moment.


    (Is this a joke?)


    (I never do jokes, what I mean is that it''s not like you weren''t getting strong but... Let''s put it this way: when you weren''t even E-rank, how did you feel about the increase of your power at that time compared to now?)


    I looked at my right hand for a moment, since I got a new system and had access to many features, I saw no downside to my power, in fact, only the opposite was happening.


    (Well, I feel stronger and it''s easier to do the daily quests with you, plus I can gain more experience.)


    (But you were at the top of Rank E, so you still managed to gain enough experience, for each branch, what I mean is that I''m starting to think that the system is not some kind of buffer but¡­ More like it only shows what''s happening in the background, for example, the amount of experience you get after completing a quest is the same as someone else would kill the same Monsters, garbage collection quests give a ridiculous amount of experience, so maybe... We need a real challenge."


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I felt like that last statement was a punch to the back of my head, I got stats points, and I got sub-quests, how weren''t they a huge bonus? My understanding of Midgard''s words was that any experience or stat rewards I received would have been the same if I just continued rifting.


    ¡°For God¡¯s sake, you¡¯re supposed to be the one who understands the system, why didn¡¯t you anticipate this sooner??¡±


    (Careful, your Gamma is showing. Maybe if you didn''t ask me to cover for you in class, I would have had more time. But that''s just a guess, we need more tests.)


    ¡°Now I understand why no one wants to¡­ Oh yeah, of course.¡±


    (No, go ahead, tell me what you think, it motivates me to pollute your life.)


    "I''ll take care of you later; your wish is granted."


    (Hmm? What do you mean? What''s going on?)


    Surrounding me were several students, some of whom were my classmates.


    ¡°Walking tombstones.¡±


    Back in the meeting room, Sunnah was finishing her bucket list, and unfortunately for the girl who was already mentally fragile in nature, some of her classmates stopped hiding their boredom.


    ¡°And¡­ Um, lately I''ve been thinking Miles would be perfect, he''s always trying to make everyone smile, he''s not the strongest or the best student, but he tries so hard he deserves to be there, I think."


    A young man who was pretending to sleep next to Lisa suddenly sat up, looking intrigued.


    "Really? That''s 5 E-ranks and none of them are really interesting."


    Thomas called out to the young man who bowed his back slightly in response, to the laughter of his comrades.


    ¡°Well¡­ I mean¡­ We could only offer 15 D-ranks, I just think if we''re really that fair, the E students should at least earn their place, I know people who were impatient."


    Iris sighed and turned to him.


    ¡°I understand your concern, but you need to remember where we are and what we are. This is not a playground where we can polish the road for our friends, this is a world where only the strong remain. 10 C-ranks, 15 D-ranks, and at least 4 E-ranks, that''s the quota required, everyone fights for their place, so are you saying your friends are so weak that they have to steal the place of an E-rank?


    The Young Man lowered his head, the President and the most powerful of the school had given his opinion, who was he to contradict him? The other students who earlier supported him in their antics were now sitting straight and serious.


    This was the power of the mighty, and in this scene, only one person challenged Iris with their gaze, Lisa angry for her subordinate, gave the blue-haired girl a smoldering glare.


    She smiled at a trembling Sunnah and read her assessments for a moment.


    "That''s a really good idea, since E-ranks can''t really shine with power, their personality is the best way to show off, good job Sunnah."


    "... Th-Thank you..."


    ¡°But, I see that for their study results, you chose the 3rd and 4th ranked in the written assessments, where is the 1st place?¡±


    Sunnah shuddered in answer and started looking away.


    "... Hum... Ex... Excuse me but... Is that really necessary?"


    "... Huh?"


    Meanwhile, at the back of the dormitory, around fifteen students surrounded Dora, and one of them, taller than the others, moved in front of him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the little rat who got my brother kicked out for a week?¡±


    "... Who?"


    A very short student, resembling a preschool child, came forward and exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.


    "Don''t be stupid! You rat, because of you Mister Tristan will miss the school exchange, don''t play amnesiac now!"


    "Tristan? This doesn''t sound familiar but it sounds like something forgettable. How could I get him kicked out when I''m not the dwar... The Dean?"


    They wasted and turned to the self-proclaimed brother who started laughing. In the meeting room, Iris, intrigued, questioned her friend''s behavior which had become strange.


    "What''s the problem? Are you..."


    "Hm... What I mean is... There is a 1st ranked student but... Maybe someone should ask if he''s really interested. Someone like you..."


    Another boy, taller than the others, with a headband on his forehead and glasses, questioned her in turn.


    ¡°Miss Sunnah, I might be wrong, but is this related to that strange rumor about an E-rank student?"


    "Uh... Huh... Maybe not?"


    Back with Dora, the brother of the student that I was going to forget again made a crystal ball appear.


    "It''s okay guys, after all my brother was wrong, this guy is the weakest right? How could he hit him? Here, let''s prove it."


    "... I don''t know what you''re trying to prove but this little thing could be a problem."


    "Oh? A problem? Is this a threat? Don''t worry, kid, you''re weak, aren''t you? So this will only help you."


    "I don''t know, boys are not suitable for using 3 balls, you will fail."


    "Haha, you guys didn''t tell me he was a good comedian. But since you asked, let''s see if I can."


    He infused energy into the ball and pretended to hit me with it, instinctively drank, I stopped him with one hand. However, the energy continued to increase, like a bomb between two fires. The guy smiled.


    "This little toy is a converter, it accumulates energy and releases it in the form of a burning wave in the desired direction, now here''s the trick: if you are really as weak as they say, then you won''t be able to impose enough power against mine, right? Simply put, if you''re innocent, you''ll let me blow you up, won''t you?"

 Looking For A Monster

    The crystal ball trembled in our hands, gradually releasing scorching energy. The students around, initially confident, gradually moved away as the heat became unbearable.


    The vengeful brother triumphed and released greater energy.


    "You''re not too bad, I admit, Tristan couldn''t even make me tremble in arm wrestling, but you can stand up to me, but let''s see if you can handle that."


    He released a greater dose of energy and the ball gradually turned red. The others moved further away, starting to panic.


    "Hey, Adrian, it''s too much!"


    "We''ll be in big trouble if you kill him!"


    "Be quiet! It''s no longer child''s play, it''s now a real challenge."


    They shuddered, the guy named Adrian smiled, but not a provocative and mocking smile like earlier, it was a smile of satisfaction, from a fighter happy to have finally found a good opponent, a feeling somehow reciprocal. He noticed my reaction and smiled.


    "Look at you, smiling like a madman, are you enjoying this? Are you even an E-rank? I heard things about you but you don''t match any of those assumptions¡­ Now let''s spice it up: from now on, I will overestimate you and I''ll go all out, try not to¡­"


    "Nah, screw you."


    A shadow covered my hand, giving it the shape of a monster''s paw, and grabbed the crystal ball next to Adrian''s hand and pulled him towards me before I gave him a powerful punch that sent him flying on a few students behind him.


    Back in the meeting room, all attention was focused on the young man who had just mentioned a problem with the E classes. Iris, intrigued, questioned him.


    "What do you mean? Is there something with E-rank students?"


    "Well, it''s mostly a rumor, as you know, Miss Iris, I participate in a lot of club activities at the academy, between us, that''s why I often arrive late to our meetings, so as the president of the club of 3 of them, I am in contact with some students of class E, like Miss Guinerva, Miss Tanya, Miss Agiel and others¡­ Boys too of course! But not many, because they always annoy girls, and I have to protect them, hehe¡­"


    He quickly looked around and took a serious look when he saw a few burning stares fixed on him.


    "So like I said, I''ve heard some strange things about E ranks. First of all, Miss Agiel complained about being demoted to 3rd in the class results. I thought it was weird, the only one who manages to get better grades than Miss Agiel in all exams is Miss Sunnah, Freddin did it twice too but that was after Miss Agiel was sick for 3 days, so it makes sense, but then someone didn''t beat her just once, but on every exam for 3 weeks in a row, more than ever, I heard that this student was so problematic that no student wanted to become his tutor, so a teacher is currently monitoring him. I even heard that he once caused a boy to be expelled for a week and that when his friends complained, he beat everyone."


    Hope''s ears flickered. Sunnah raised her finger as if asking permission and whispered in a barely audible voice.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Ex-excuse me, it''s N... Not exactly how it happened, he only beat... Huh, that''s what I heard, some students were really angry with him and planned an ambush at night, I warned a teacher but when we arrived at night, they had all disappeared. But the next morning they were all fine and some of them said that... Hm... He did something to them and healed them."


    Hope frowned. Lisa laughed and gave Sunnah a mocking look.


    "Um, little Miss, first of all, you know that the students you take care of are, how should I put it¡­ Squishy. They''re labeled E-rank only because that''s the minimum level here, which is why we use the potential system to distribute tasks instead, so if this guy is still E-ranked, then he''s not worth a dime. Are you sure it''s not just your division that''s advertising? And even if he did, do you think beating certain E ranks is an achievement? They don''t even know how to use weapons. ?


    "...I was just...Sorry."


    "Lisa, fighting against those you think are weak is worse than boasting without power. Sunnah''s opinion matters as much as yours here, so if you allow me, I wouldn''t want you to interrupt her again."


    Lisa, irritated, gave a dark look at Iris who remained impassive. What does the barking of a dog represent when a lion sleeps? No matter how angry she was, Lisa understood her place.


    She looked away with an annoyed face. Iris sighs and turns to her friend.


    "Tell me more about this student, so he, so a boy, is strong enough to beat many E-ranks, plus he has the best grades among the E-ranks, so a genius and an intellectual. Someone who only fights when targeted and noble enough to heal their bullies."


    Somewhere in the academy, the noble boy clenched his fist as his adversaries looked on fearfully.


    "Am I E-rank? Well, these fists are rated E for everyone, so let''s find it out!"


    "You.. Bastard!!!"


    Three students ran towards him and the next moment, a drop of blood flew into the air.


    Thomas scratched his head, looking disappointed, and muttered to the tall student.


    "Maxim, you¡­really know a lot, huh? We should promote you to the position of council database administrator."


    "Thanks, hehe, but I don''t really know everyone, just the people I''m interested in."


    "Which is a lot of girls."


    "Hey?! No! I mean...I''m interested in boys too... HUH wait! Let me rephrase: boys may attract my interest, but they will never be my future wife, right?... Not that I''m looking for a wife among girls!"


    Everyone laughed at his statements, the rising tension had subsided. Iris repositioned one of her locks and questioned the young man with a look full of curiosity.


    "By the way, what''s the boy''s name? A phenomenon like him couldn''t be unknown to the council, right?"


    Maxim struck a thoughtful pose, awakening Thomas''s despair.


    " You do not know ?! You weren''t interested?? You have memorized every girl''s hobby but didn''t consider a boy who beat an entire class?"


    "Shh!!! Not in front of Miss Iris¡­"


    "What''s wrong with you?!"


    Back at Dora''s position, 8 students were on the ground, unconscious. Dora looked at his fist, looking disappointed, and turned to Adrian who wiped the blood from his nose.


    "I know that look, that of a predator dissatisfied with an easy meal. You want to bite into a steak that will have captured your full attention, don''t you?


    "What is your rank?"


    "Haha, you''re bold to ask that, when you''re a walking anomaly. I''m a D-rank warrior, and I''m impressed that an E-rank can make my blood flow, so what exactly are you?"


    The students around them were trembling with anxiety. Among them, Walter began to run away.


    "Teachers! Someone, call the teachers!"


    Dora''s eyes closed and when he opened them, a black light came from them, alarming Adrian, and Midgard who watched in silence.


    (Honey, no!)


    "Are you serious..."


    An explosion echoed between the walls, on the council side, Hope had gotten up from her seat.


    "Wait, sir Maxim, an E-rank? Stronger than others and healing them... Like to prevent them from proving what happened?"


    "... What? Well, it makes sense."


    "Do you have his name? What does he look like?"


    "I don''t really remember, and it''s not weird at all, why should I remember a fake girl?"


    "... Seriously what the hell is wrong with You?!"


    The tension was building once again, those who only knew Hope as the Legend''s brother could not understand his current frustration, but only one person, with her frail and trembling hand rising, broke the young man''s chains.


    "I... I have it...We''re in the same class...His name was... Anesidora."

 A Familiar Stranger

    "I see, you are wiser than I thought, since you punished him for me, you are all forgiven."


    I turned my back and walked away, Adrian got up after a while and called me one last time.


    "It''s true that the strong rule here, but if you end up killing someone, you''ll be really screwed."


    I looked at him, intrigued by this statement.


    "Kill? What are you talking about, I don''t need to go that far to crush these brats."


    I left the scene, behind me, Adrian continued to look at me and then spat on the ground. Walter stood up, angry tears in his eyes.


    "What''s wrong with you? You were supposed to beat him, why didn''t you fight back? Why did you let us be humiliated?! How dare you attack me?!"


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t attacked you, you would have already died. You are so stupid that you fought with this monster, you don''t understand when to stop."


    They shuddered, incomprehensible murmurs arose and one of them stepped forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s only because he¡¯s an Avatar, but other than that, he¡¯s worthless! You could have beaten him! And Tristan?"


    Adrian laughed lightly and walked away.


    "You can''t defend yourself and yet you send others to their deaths, too bad for Tristan but if this guy is his target then he better writes his will."


    In the meeting room, Hope had knocked over his chair as he stood up, the council members looked at each other, most of them intrigued by a name that was foreign to them.


    ¡°Anesidora?¡±


    "It looks familiar... But I can''t put my hands on it."


    Thomas adjusted his glasses and looked at his young disciple.


    "That must be Hope''s friend, some of you may have heard about the worst entrance exam, it was him."


    The sullen faces gradually gave way to expressions of surprise and that''s where the laughter came into play.


    ¡°The guy who got hammered by a goblin golem?¡±


    ¡°Is this the guy who sucked Hope to get enlisted?"


    "Really? Now that that''s clear, your class is just hyping themselves, Sunnah.


    The girl looked away, if she could she would probably shrink and disappear. Hope slammed his fist on the table to silence.


    " Turn it down! You don''t know anything about him, so shut up!"


    All eyes turned towards him, Thomas hit his head quickly, the young boy had just crossed his limit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect your elders, idiot!¡±


    "OUCH!!!... Aren''t you supposed to be physically weak?..."


    "And you''re not supposed to be mad at him?" Why are you defending him now?


    Hope reluctantly sat down, embarrassed.


    "Listen, everyone, I''m not anyone''s judge, but I am surely neither a liar nor a weakling. Dora and I have been rivals for a long time, he may be a shadow of his former self today, but there was a time when he was one of the best fighters, someone who had once been in rifts. He would never lose to such a weak golem."


    They looked at each other, Hope''s opinion and what they all knew were completely opposite, how could they believe that? From their perspective, it looked more like a boy covering for his friend, and Barron wasn''t about to let that happen.


    ¡°Those country folk patting themselves on the back¡­ You know they used a magic meter to check his energy, right? That means what we saw was its full potential, hit it somewhere in your head.


    "You have a short memory... His full potential almost defeated you!"


    "What?"


    Barron stood up and the two faced each other, feeling the situation dangerously getting worse, Iris intervened.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.¡°Alright, I won''t allow any more conflicts in this meeting. Hope, Cid, considering your quarrel, if you really want to settle this problem, the academy allows mock battle, so feel free to use that to your heart''s content.¡±


    The two concerned grumbled and sat down, Iris got up and headed towards the Sunnah.


    "We, as a student council, have the responsibility to maintain the image of our academy and maintain order and discipline. We are chosen from the strongest in each division to better understand them. I was also curious to know Anesidora''s situation, I doubt Lady Elizabeth would really recommend anyone because of her brother''s relationship, but we can''t explain what we saw. Sunnah, you''ve been in his class for weeks, what do you think of him?"


    The pink-haired girl rearranged her hair and tried to answer in the loudest voice possible.


    "Well... We don''t really interact, he usually comes early and doesn''t really participate in class, but every time we ask him he answers all the questions. At first, people would try to fight, but after the beatings and healing, they all stopped, so he was almost alone. I don''t really know what he does outside of class." She whispered.


    "Hm... So all we have are accusations... We can''t prove anything based on that, it could just be students jealous of seeing a new student take the 1st seat... But why didn''t you recommend him? His he a troublemaker?"


    "Well... No... Hum... Not when he isn''t provoked... But... Huh... maybe... maybe someone-else-should-do-it." She whispered the last part so quickly that only her friend could understand her words.


    Another girl with long black hair and glasses, sitting next to Thomas raised his hand.


    "Since he''s E-rank anyway, does it really matter? We select people based on their achievement in relation to their level, right? So why don''t we just add him to the list?"


    Iris looked at the ceiling for a moment and closed her eyes, Thomas shivered and looked at her with wide eyes, a reaction that did not go unnoticed by the other members of the council.


    Hope looked left and right, intrigued, and leaned towards Thomas.


    "Hey, Mister Thom, what''s going on? Why is every-"


    ¡°Keep it down, she¡¯s talking to the Dean.¡±


    Hope shuddered and took a serious stance, the student council President was definitely full of surprises. Iris whispered eyes closed for a moment before lowering her head in a final whisper.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She opened her eyes, an impassive look on her face.


    ¡°The Dean has made her decision, the student Anesidora will be selected for the school exchange, now Sunnah, I would like to entrust you with a mission.¡±


    Later that night, in the dorm, Dora entered her room with a huge smile and found Midgard sitting on the bed, the system screens open in front of her. He proudly walked towards her before crossing his arms.


    ¡°Humph, I wanted to look everywhere to find you, but I remembered you were renting for free on my back, so here it is, a little gift.¡±


    He snapped his fingers and several bank bills fell on the grunting young woman.


    "Take this and buy a living, and don''t worry, there''s more where that came from~"


    He snapped his finger again and the bills fell all over the room, Midgard removed a stack from her tiara and threw it away.


    "Looks like you''re back to your default settings."


    "My default settings? Please this is like a quarter of my true self, let''s not anger my personas. Look at all this money I got for my monthly allowance, this is enough to buy my house 14 times at least." He lay down on the bed and began to float. Midgard observed him for a moment before closing the screens.


    "Your main concern was money, right? You must be happy."


    "Who wouldn''t? This is the first time that I have felt this kind of power, with this, I don''t even have to work in the future, I could just save money, fail exams, retake classes, and gather more money, haha, God bless you, Ely... Hm, I''ll need an excuse for Mom... Oh, I''ll just buy her a house, any mom would think her child is fine if he can buy a house ."


    ¡°Are you allowed to do that?¡±


    He looked beneath him and found a Midgard with a more serious expression than she had ever shown before.


    "... What? Do you want a bribe? Ah! I knew you were evil... How much?"


    "Dora, I would like to have a word with you... Well, more like the other you, could you summon Gamma?"

 Dark Machinations

    Midgard and Dora were sitting face to face in an armchair, the young man, with his head lowered, slowly opened his eyes which gave off a red-orange light. He shifted his weight back into the comfortable embrace of his chair, crossing his legs as he settled in. His eyes narrowed slightly and he furrowed his brow, his expression clearly indicating that he was not pleased with the woman sitting across from him.


    "So? What business do you have with me?"


    With a mocking stare, she taunted him.


    "Yes, You only smile when you''re fighting."


    "Don''t waste my time. If you don''t tell me soon, I won''t answer your calls anymore. What do you want?"


    Midgard tilted her head and responded.


    "I just need some confirmation. If I recall correctly, none of your alter egos can take control of the main body if one is already in control, except in the case of the Delta Body. So, for instance, Sigma cannot return unless you give him control, am I correct?"


    The young man''s gaze darkened and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Maybe, what difference does it make?¡±


    "Hm... Interesting. So, my point is...Did you try to kill one of the students earlier?"


    The boy seemed confused and stared at Midgard.


    "Which student? When did something like this happen?"


    "So you don''t remember either... I see."


    She could tell he was being honest, but that only made things more complicated. She scratched her cheek and looked at the door. She asked him if he remembered what he did to win the battle against the Death Hounds when he used fire magic.


    Gamma looked at Midgard with confusion written all over his face. He tried to make sense of Midgard''s words but couldn''t. He looked up at the ceiling and frowned. Midgard let out a sigh, noticing Gamma''s confusion.


    "So, you don''t remember it either. It''s starting to make sense now."


    "What are you talking about?" Gamma asked, feeling frustrated. "Can you just tell me what you know?"


    Midgard spoke slowly.


    "You have healing magic and debuff... So you have an affinity with the Upper element, correct?"


    Gamma was taken aback by Midgard''s bizarre questions and was losing his patience. Before he could respond, she continued.


    "There are four categories of elemental magic, as you would have known if you had taken all the courses I took for you. The first category is primal elements, consisting of time, space, matter, and antimatter. The second category is the elements of creation, derived from matter and antimatter, which include light, darkness, and spirit. The third category is the original elements, magma, ice, and plasma. Lastly, the fourth category is natural elements, derived from the original elements, which include fire, air, earth, water, and lightning. Everything in this world revolves around this concept, and the emissaries as well as the monsters are the fruits of it and have an infinity of powers derived from them. As you progress to higher categories of magic, it becomes increasingly rare to find peers with the same abilities. For example, while 1000 individuals may be proficient in fire magic, only 100 out of that 1000 can wield magma, and only 1 out of 1000 can manipulate the creation element. This particular category is most prevalent among healers who specialize in light magic and shamans who specialize in dark magic."


    Gamma was completely absorbed in Midgard''s teachings, sitting on the edge of his seat and following along eagerly.


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    "Have you ever considered the potential risks of using the elements of creation? It is interesting to note that healers are typically portrayed as pure and warm-hearted, while dark users tend to be associated with negativity and dress in black. Additionally, ancient elves who converse with spirits are often depicted as wise."


    The boy scratched his chin, unable to answer. Midgard smiled and answered her own question.


    "Remember this: the etymologies of these words come from the behavior of the people who wear them, one is dark because its attributes change their personality. You told me your biggest secret, so I will tell you mine, I am a user of elements of creation, specifically matter and darkness. You don''t remember but when you were fighting the hands, you drew on my energy, and earlier when you were bickering with the children, you were emitting this energy."


    "I really don''t remember, I didn''t fight the students and for the hounds, Sigma and I were more of a duo, he was the one who fought, so why not ask him?"


    "Because he doesn''t remember it either, of course. But what''s more interesting is that when you were fighting the kids, you didn''t take my energy, so I can confirm something, I don''t know who, but one of you is a dark magic user."


    Gamma looked up, with the most intrigued expression he had ever presented.


    "You just said that the debuff is dark magic..."


    "... Dear, I know, what I mean is that there is creation magic and it is derived from it. Heals and debuffs are derived from light and dark magic, they aren''t that dangerous, but pure creation magic can and will affect you. You used pure dark magic twice and the second time you would have turned a boy into a corpse if that guy hadn''t hit him."


    "Sounds like me but doesn''t sound familiar... So what do you want? I don''t even remember what you''re saying and I''ve never seen darkness... This kind of darkness in us."


    "Gamma, for the moment, and this also applies to Sigma, I have 2 requests, first, never use black magic, even if your life depends on it, you had to do it the first time because your other skills were too superficial, so I''m allowing you to use your stat points for other areas."


    "I really hate it when you boss us around, we had a good organization and don''t need your care."


    "Please bear with it, at least until I find the origin of your dark power. The second request I have should please you, I want you, Sigma, and Beta to use Delta more often and share your body, outside of combat.


    The young man''s eyes widened.


    ¡°What?¡± He probably wanted to say more, but this request was the most ridiculous thing he had heard in his life. Midgard continued.


    "I guess we should gain experience with all your characters to unlock the remaining jobs, we need to get Beta into something other than school life, and..."


    She tried to say something but suddenly went silent, Gamma, still in shock, his palms on his face.


    "Are you kidding me? You want me to go to school?!"


    "I wasn''t talking about school, but I suggest you switch up your schedule. There''s an exchange program coming up soon that we could get into based on our grades. Beta''s assistance will be crucial for this next step."


    "... But do I have to go to school?"


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t, happy?¡±


    "I would, if you weren''t here, but it won''t be forever, will it?... So, if we''re done, I''d like to leave now, I don''t have the time for..."


    ¡°Wait, just one last question.¡±


    Gamma started tapping the handle of his chair with her fingers, very annoyed.


    "What else do you want?"


    Midgar stood up, and as her smile faded, she asked.


    ¡°What is your oldest memory?"


    At the same time, in her office, the dean stood facing the large window, observing the glow of the moon on the walls of the academy. Behind her, sitting on an armchair, an old woman dressed in a veil was drinking a cup of tea.


    "I don''t know why you''re so obsessed with him, but since you asked, I added him to the list. It''s only because it''s you."


    "Hm~hm, thanks, Dean, you know I can only count on you for this kind of favor, but trust me, you won''t regret it."


    "Hmph, I hope so, and since when do you call me Dean when we''re alone? You little brat."


    The old lady smiled and passed her hand over her face, a white light appeared and when she removed it, her face no longer looked old. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders and her sapphire eyes lit up her goddess-like face.


    "Yes, yes, Miss Candace. It''s been ages since we last saw each other, How about we celebrate our reunion in our own special way?


    ¡°Look at this insatiable brat, you don¡¯t even offer me a drink and you already want to sweat, I wonder who you get that from.¡±


    After sharing a smile, the dean positioned herself in front of the window. Moments later, a brilliant white light filled the office and then, she said with a determined expression.


    ¡°Open daily challenge."

 Homecoming

    If the Nebula Royal Academy is the sword that slays enemies, Saint Nova is the crown that guides the Kingdom. This is how the two establishments which were the pride of the nobility were described.


    The Nebula Royal Academy had a breathtakingly beautiful setting, looking more like a castle than an academy, compared to that, Saint Nova was heaven on earth.


    Walkways paved with flagstones of different colors, flowering bushes lined up like servants greeting their masters, and the walls and corridors were decorated with precious stones or statues, it was not a school, it was a jewel.


    I had started classes at Nebula for almost a month now, and I was enjoying all the benefits of my new life, but this sight was putting a damper on my smile.


    "How much? How much is all this worth?"


    I come from a place where children followed their parents in their daily work to help them get enough to live another day and prepare for their future, my sister and I could not go to school because the only one there had closed the doors for a long time due to lack of funding, I often thought that the kingdom was very poor, but just looking around me felt like I had been hit with a hammer. But I didn''t have much time to think about it, my hair stood up and my arm stretched like a snake, deflecting an object that was about to collide with me.


    The thing crashed nearby, leaving a mark on the ground, ground probably more expensive than some countries. My eyes narrowed for a second, then I realized the nature of the threat.


    "Ouch... You got me, huh? As expected of you."


    Hope stood up, rubbed his shoulder, and looked at me, smiling. At first, I wasn''t phased, but then I realized that the land he had just destroyed might really be worth more than a country.


    I turned my back on him without a word, which was probably not to his liking.


    "Hey, what is this? You can''t leave me hanging like this, I''ve heard a lot of interesting things and now I''m very curious."


    He walked towards me but before he could say another word, a bolt of lightning struck him. He fell painfully on the ground and looked behind him, then we saw each other again.


    "You idiot!!! What did I say about watching your manners in this holy place?!"


    "B-b-but master... I was just... It''s for the council..."


    "Fool!!! We have already decided on an order of action, don''t make your own decision!"


    He hit him in the head and lifted him up by the collar. Behind them, were Iris, Barron, and the young girl with pink hair, accompanied by around twenty individuals. For this event, we wore the same outfit, a black military uniform so I can''t say for sure but I guessed some of them were from the council, but what really bothered me was Thomas'' lightning attack.


    "I couldn''t sense it in time...Is the gap still this big?"


    No matter how talented or hardworking someone was, they would never stand a chance against a biologically superior opponent. The realization was very boring.


    Iris patted Hope and whispered something to him, he then sighed and walked towards me.


    "I... Huh... I apologize for attacking you, it was very inappropriate and it won''t happen again... today. So, no hard feelings?"


    He held out his hand to me, I was stunned by the audacity of this rat, apologizing for attacking me was one thing but Did he attempt to shake hands with the person whom he ended his friendship with? I slapped his hand without hesitation.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation."It would be fair if I tried to kick you and you dodged, but that''s beyond your level so get lost."


    "... Huh?... Oh, so you want to play this game? You think I can''t dodge your kick?"


    It was enough for Thomas to call his ward to order with a powerful blow to the head, sending him to bite the dust.


    "That''s it, you won''t keep me away for the day again! Miss Lisa, you are the D-rank student representative so keep that in sight too."


    "Um, hello, it''s your disciple."


    "I know, but you also have your responsibility so deal with it."


    The girl named Lisa groaned, crossing her arms, and eventually, our eyes met.


    "What are you looking at? Get in line like everyone!"


    I wasn''t up for a fight today, but two people remembered me that violence was always the best shortcut.


    Iris called everyone to order and we were now grouped into ranks. In my group, I found Agiel, the pink girl, Walter, and 2 unknown boys in my repertoire. Strangely, everyone seemed to keep a certain distance from me.


    Iris, as leader, gave a speech on the image of the academy and the moral weight of Saint Nova. Following this we separated and headed towards the academy.


    Behind, the entire group of Iris was discussing, Thomas observed Dora''s movement and then turned to Hope.


    "Hey... Are you two still in the cold?"


    Hope looked at his former comrade and then sighed.


    "Some... Thing like that? He must have held a grudge because of what I said that day."


    "I don''t want to barge into your business, but since you were friends for a long time, shouldn''t you try to fix it?"


    "I tried... But it''s not easy, not like I was completely wrong, I just wanted him to take this seriously. I didn''t want to destroy our relationship..."


    Barron made a noise with his mouth and walked towards the main building, glaring at Hope.


    "So at the end, you''re just a wimp all bark, no bites and you''re going to apologize to someone weaker than you. I really wonder where you found the balls to call me your rival."


    He walked away, under the gazes of the other members of the council. Thomas shook his head.


    "I wonder how you deal with him, Miss Iris."


    "He''s not so bad when you learn to know him, Cid only respects power so you just have to beat him up a little."


    "I see, masochism."


    "... Maybe you''re hanging too much with Hope too." She giggled and turned towards Sunnah.


    "Do you think you can get through this?"


    "I''ll...Try my best."


    "I know you can do it, have faith in you."


    Sunnah took a little breath and walked forward.


    Meanwhile, I arrived at the entrance of the main building, my motivational coach giving me advice from time to time.


    "You need to stand out just enough to be chosen by a noble as a knight, but not so much that you attract the higher-ups, those would be problems. Keep that in mind, we want a toad, not a princess. "


    "Roger that, so what''s your recommendation for the synergy with Beta? Me or Gamma?"


    "Honestly, I would like it to be Gamma, you are morally opposed to Beta so I wonder if this won''t give a neutral result, but I don''t feel like dealing with him afterward so..."


    "Alright, Me and Gamma then. Let''s do it."


    I put my first step into the marvelous building and opened my eyes, offering to the world a new combination glowing in blue and pink


    "Synergy: Beta-Sigma"

 The Golden Spoon And The Tadpole

    A refreshing breeze wafted through the young man who raised his head, with a serene smile and slowly opened his eyes.


    "Hm, I''ve forgotten what it felt to have so much power... Alright, let''s do it!"


    He crossed the angelic corridor, on either side, there were students from Saint Nova, dressed in elegant uniforms and hairstyles as if for a gala, they were chatting friendly and one after the other, turned towards this student wearing the Nebula Academy military uniform.


    "Hm? Who''s this girl?... Wait..."


    ¡°Ah, Yeah, the exchange students were for today, right?¡±


    "So he''s a real emissary? What''s his name? He''s quite charming."


    They made a fuss as he passed by, he could have easily decided to talk to one of them to settle this matter, but he had a specific target.


    "Hello? Can you hear me?"


    ¡°No, but I can see your words, so, anything better than asking stupid questions?¡±


    "Good, this primitive behavior confirms that there is a part of Sigma in you, now for the rest of the plan, I need you to take a walk around the academy, I need to see the students to decide which one will be a perfect toad."


    ¡°Aye, aye, Miss Stress.¡±


    As she asked, he crossed the corridor, all the attention of the students had fallen on his classmates who were entering in their turn.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s lady Iris!¡±


    "Lady Iris! It''s been a while!"


    They were looking at Dora and whispering when he made his entrance, but now they went into a frenzy and surrounded the young girl, she wasn''t a high-ranked noble, but her power alone put her above everyone else.


    The concept of this event was not just political theater, to remind everyone of their place, but also a way to forge links with a person with a great future.


    For the knights, being enlisted by a great house was a huge springboard, for the nobles, it was the possibility of offering their family the services of a formidable protector, generally for generations. Treating Iris basically meant offering the services of her family, she should then be at that time the eye of the storm of big shots, those that Dora had to avoid at all costs.


    For several minutes, he walked through rooms and corridors, encountering different types of students, subjects to the judgment of Midgard.


    "No, she is from a family often associated with the Royal family, avoid her at all costs."


    Or again


    "She talks like there''s no tomorrow, very bad pick."


    Or even


    ¡°She looks like the cat who ate my lunch, I hate her.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too picky?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you strangely only meeting girls? Aren¡¯t there boys in this academy?¡±


    "I don''t make friends with someone who thinks I''m a girl at first sight."


    ¡°Do you realize how much this narrows it down?"


    They argued like this for a while until he entered a vast flower garden. Dora stopped momentarily, surprised by the beauty of the scene.


    Good flowering bushes, fruity shrubs, what was the point of their presence though? It was sure that these nobles would never pick one of them for a snack.


    But the next moment, what took the boy''s attention were 4 people in the middle of the place, one of them very familiar.


    Hope was facing a young man with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing the Saint Nova uniform; near them, in front of a tree, stood a charming young girl with long silver hair and magenta eyes and a frail little boy, looking terrified and whose hair was reminiscent of the young girl''s.


    Hope noticed the young man who had just entered the place and exclaimed.


    "Y-you? Damn... Where were you?!"


    The others turned to the newcomer who understood nothing of the situation.


    Hope continued.


    "I''ve been looking for you everywhere... But now my hands are a little full. Don''t move! I''m finishing with this guy and I''ll deal with you."


    Dora sighed, he quickly lost interest in the situation and was about to leave when his attention fell back on the trembling boy.


    "Wait... This one looks like an abandoned dog... Maybe this is the toad we''re looking for."


    He turned around and walked towards them, a sinister smile on his lips, causing his former comrade to panic.


    "Wow, wait there buddy, are you planning to let me fight and attack me when I''ll be too tired to defend myself? Sounds a lot like you!"


    He decided to simply ignore him and approached the young man who was trembling more and more, terrified by the demon approaching him, it was then that the young blond man intervened.


    "Ksss... You, knights, are a lost cause, is it that important to you to serve a beautiful lady? Aren''t you supposed to protect anyone indiscriminately? "


    Dora paused for a moment.


    "... Beautiful? I don''t know what you''re talking about, young man, my target today is male."


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hope jumped.


    "I knew it! Since it''s like that, I''ll fight you first, and then I''ll deal with you later, Moonra."


    The blond guy turned towards Hope irritated.


    "What is that? This is a duel, you can''t just postpone me like that! We have a bet so don''t make fun of me! On guard!"


    He took out a sword.


    "Wait-wait-wait, what''s about we change the rules? I fight against Dora in the Semi-finals and I face you in the final, You''re a very important noble right? You need to be saved for the main event."


    For a better understanding of this situation, a small jump in time seems necessary.


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    After Dora entered the main building, Sunnah followed him, according to a specific plan from the council.


    Hope was disturbed by his reunion with his old friend. The words of Thomas, his benefactor, kept running through his head and he finally thought about putting aside his grudge against him, after all, he blamed him for not fighting and he had confirmation that the opposite happened, so why not go back? Only, when he tried his pathetic approach earlier, he was harshly rejected, and now Thomas was watching him.


    He entered accompanied by his comrades and the scene that followed stunned him.


    All the Saint Nova students rushed towards them, or more precisely towards Iris.


    He tried to make his way through the crowd and when he freed himself, he saw Sunnah surrounded by other students, the young girl, true to her nature, was stammering, unable to continue her mission.


    "Damn, Sunnah is immobilized... Iris too... Hey, master, we should... Master?"


    Farther away, Thomas was also surrounded by students and tried as best he could to answer each of them, who were the most important students students now?


    "Damn... They are all stuck... Seems like there''s no other choice, I''ll get him myself!"


    Thus, Hope rushed through corridors and stairs, looking for his lost friend, and after a while, he ended up in this strange place where 3 people were discussing.


    The young blond man was leading the conversation, facing him, a girl indifferent to him, her arms crossed and leaning against a tree. Her long hair looked like a shining river on her shoulders and back, she exuded an incomparable grace and her eyes seemed to pierce the mind and plunge into the depths of the being of those who met her gaze.


    Familiar with the nobility, Hope immediately recognized the one who was considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in the kingdom, the daughter of the Duke of Midas, Freya Astaroth.


    "Aah... What is she... Is she a goddess? Am I dead? If I''m dead please don''t revive me."


    The blond boy turned around, hearing the young Hero''s whispers.


    ¡°Who goes there? Show yourself!¡±


    "Ah!!! Heh... So-so-sorry, I''m coming!"


    He timidly walked towards them, the young blond observed him for a moment with intrigue.


    "This uniform... You''re from Nebula Academy, right? Who are you? And what are you doing here?"


    Hope clenched his legs and gave a military salute as large beads of sweat oozed down his forehead.


    ¡°Ho-Ho-Hope Balder, E-rank Hero, n-n-nice to meet you!¡±


    It was very unusual for Hope to be so intimidated, but this time, the one in front of him wasn''t a normal individual, it wasn''t just Freya, but principally the boy, a noble beyond the nobles, with a figure well-known in the kingdom, Moonra Mundifaery, the prince.


    "Hohohope Balder? Doesn''t sound familiar, but still, what are you doing here... Oh! Wait a second, I know, you see that, Freya? This is as I told you, it has already begun."


    Freya barely looked at him before turning her gaze, insensible. Moonrah walked towards Hope furiously.


    "You''re here to ask Freya to choose you as a knight right? You guys from Nebula are really hopeless, you know there''s a reception room but you come all the way here just to approach me, Freya, and Gersey, how far should we go to get some peace?"


    "I-I-I assure you that this is a misunderstanding, my prince, I''m only looking for a friend!"


    "Oh really? You think we''re your friend?"


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said, my prince!¡±


    They argued like this for a while, under the bored eyes of Freya and the little boy who had not remained indifferent to Hope''s last name.


    This situation seemed like it could last forever until Moonra attacked Hope''s sore spot.


    "But... My prince, we Knights are the best fighters and guardians in the world, I can assure you that with me, you and Lady Freya would be safe."


    "You? Please, you''re just an emissary, do you think that makes you special?"


    The young boy flinched.


    "What? With all due respect, I''m Hope BALDER, yes that Balder, I''m the little brother of someone you may know as Lady Elizabeth and we''re both Heroes. Don¡¯t take me for an average emissary.¡±


    "... Elizabeth? Lady Elizabeth? The S-rank legend?... I don''t trust you."


    "Why?! Ask my friend, Miss Iris, yeah, this Iris too, she''ll tell you."


    "That''s a lot of bullshit, and even if it were true, you''re E-rank, you can''t seriously think about becoming Freya''s knight."


    They faced each other, forehead to forehead.


    ¡°Well, Lady Freya needs a powerful knight and not only do I come from a knight academy, but I am also a powerful emissary and the future strongest, you, the no-power man, should stand down."


    "Ha! And who said I don''t have any powers?"


    Moonra released a wave of energy which lifted the dead leaves, Gersey took refuge behind the tree and Freya looked at the two competitors for the first time.


    Hope was jubilant.


    "Oh? So you''re an emissary too, huh? I heard some of you know how to use magic but I didn''t expect the prince himself to be a big deal."


    "Because you Knights live in your own little world, you cannot see how the world is constantly changing, but I warn you, I am not E-rank."


    "Is this a threat? The prince wants to throw hands?"


    Moonra smiled at his opponent and glanced at the girl next to them.


    "Maybe, but a fight without stakes is not interesting, so let''s do this: we will fight here and the winner will be Freya''s knight, what do you say?"


    Hearing this, the girl frowned but remained silent, Hope looked at her and, feeling wings growing on his back, exclaimed.


    "Deal!"


    And that''s when Dora made his entrance.


    ¡°So basically that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    "... Wow, that was unnecessarily long."

 Pressure

    Dora shook his head and turned his gaze to a living object hidden behind the tree.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter, I''m not here for this anyway."


    "Oh really? Because I feel like you''re going to backstab me after my fight with the prince."


    Dora''s eyes widened as he realized that he had put his feet in the eye of the storm.


    "Prince? Who''s the prince?! Don''t tell me¡­"


    He looked at the frail boy, devastated to see his toad hiding an ox, but this misunderstanding triggered Moonra, who stepped forward.


    "Are you for real¡­ You don''t know your own prince? Are you living under a rock?!"


    "To be honest, I spent most of my life in the countryside¡­ My apologies, my glorious prince, God bless you."


    He curtsied to the little boy, who flinched in response while Moonra burned with rage. For the first time, Freya showed a different expression and stifled a slight laugh while coughing.


    "Okay, change of rules, I''ll take you first, and then I''ll take care of the other idiot!"


    "Why are you angry, man? Don''t act like a donkey in front of Prince."


    "I''M FUCKING PRINCE!!!"


    Dora looked at him intrigued.


    "... You are fucking prince?"


    "Ye¡­ No¡­ W-What the¡­? You know what? Listen, I''m PRINCE Moonra, your future ruler, this guy is my friend, Gersey, and he''s the son of the Duke of Midas, and I won''t allow you near him."


    "Jersey?"


    Moonra struck him with his sword, Dora was standing right next to him, but the sword was only passing through the air, the next moment, he was next to Gersey and watching him attentively, the latter looked at him proudly before freezing.


    "... Not a prince, but a duke''s son, it''s no different... But you look enough like the victim I could manipulate."


    "Hey¡­"


    Moonra stood up.


    "When did you... Oh, never mind, what exactly are you doing here?"


    "I''m looking for a toad."


    Their faces turned pale, Moonra put away his sword.


    "What are you?"


    "Nothing special... But yeah, he won''t, I''m leaving then, sorry to interfere."


    "Are you leaving? Aren''t you going to fight for Freya too?


    "¡­ Who is it?"


    The 3 boys looked at the girl leaning on the tree. Dora followed their gaze and observed the girl for a moment.


    "That''s not the pressure of a toad, I''ll pass. Sorry to have interfered in your little duel, prince."


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    "You''re a weird guy¡­ But never mind, as long as you don''t bother Freya."


    Dora turned around and took a step forward, before stopping.


    "I can tolerate the prince swinging his sword at me, but below his level, I might become really violent."


    Behind them, Hope had pointed his sword in front of him.


    "I''m getting sick of being ignored, you refused my challenge twice already, I won''t let that happen again. Prince Moonra, Lady Freya, I''m sorry but I''ll have to postpone our duel, this one is personal."


    A pale light flickered in Dora''s eyes, Freya and Gersey quickly noted a change in the atmosphere.


    "I like being a poison in the life of people I don''t like, but your situation is a real enigma for me, tell me exactly why I should fight you. I am not your rival and we have nothing against each other, so what''s your deal?"


    "Is this a game for you? You were my rival for a long time, I trained very hard with the sole purpose of defeating you, I put myself in situations that you could not imagine just to finally be able to fight, for me you were a real model¡­ You were the founder of the sole party of our village, you were in rifts before being in a guild, and my own sister traveled from the capital just to enlist you... And just as our story was about to reach its climax, You made a loss on purpose... You made a fool of yourself!"


    "¡­ So? I still don''t see why I have to fight you, are you feeling remorse?"


    "Shut up! You are the champion of cowards so shut up. I heard recently that you were beating the students of class E, so you are deliberately hiding your true power, you are a coward and you are terrorizing our classmates, as a member of the student council, I must stop you."


    The wind picked up and Dora''s eyes narrowed.


    "I really don''t understand people... I''m trying to protect my home, someone is trying to make me leave, I''m trying to live a good life with my family, someone is threatening to make me leave, I''m trying to have a good life at the academy, someone is trying to pester me into leaving, and I''m trying to get some stupid noble to have more free time and this idiot wants to fight me!"


    He walked towards Hope, and although the latter wanted a confrontation he took a step back.


    "You want to fight? You want to be beaten by me so bad? You can''t go on with your life if I don''t crush you every day?"


    "I... I want you to be the rival you were! What happened to make you change so much?!"


    "Nothing compared to what''s going to happen to you if you make me use  my powers, I''ve brought doom to many worlds, and I swear on my name, if I fight you, I''ll end your story right here, right now."


    He took the tip of Hope''s sword and placed it against his own neck.


    "Go ahead, do it, commit suicide."


    The tension was building quickly, or maybe it was something else. In this heavy scene, no one dared to speak or almost breathe, but it was not only because of the young man''s words.


    Emissaries had a "passive" attribute, depending on the type of energy they possessed. As Midgard had previously explained, one of Dora''s attributes was the Dark element, and at this very moment, the latter was giving off exceptional pressure.


    Hope felt an unbearable weight on his shoulders, and all his instincts told him the same message: "If I attack him, I will die."


    He lowered his sword and looked at the ground, Dora released his pressure and sighed.


    "You can have a good life, stop looking around and focus more on yourself. Now if you excuse me, I''ll leave."


    "One day..."


    He stopped and looked behind him to see his old friend, but instead of the defeated face he was expecting, Hope had a determined look and smiled.


    "One day, I will close the gap between us and I will surpass you. Sorry for insulting you, I doubted you but now, I know you''re even stronger than before, so watch your back."


    "... Yep, that''s better, now I could give you the fight you want, but another time. By the way, it''s forbidden to murder anyone from the academy so don''t panic for threats... And I doubt that your bodyguards will let me take you down."


    "Bodyguards?"


    He left without another word, leaving Hope and the 3 others. Moonra looked around for a moment.


    "... Hm, so it wasn''t just a normal occurrence."


    "What? What do you mean?"


    "You''re an emissary too, aren''t you? Don''t you see them?"


    Hope, in disbelief, did not notice, hiding in every corner around them, several members of the student council. Thomas, alongside Lisa, crossed his arms.


    "So? Do you still think this E-rank is not worth studying?"


    The girl groaned and prepared to leave.


    "An E-rank is not worth studying, this guy, if he is an E rank, I am willing to give up my place on the council."


    They disappeared, as silently as they came, meanwhile next to the tree, Freya observed Dora as he disappeared in a corridor and walked near her brother.


    "Interesting. What do you think about him?"


    She glanced at Gersey who was shaking while clinging to the tree.


    "... Dangerous... They are dangerous people... We must stay far away from them."


    "Really? I didn''t consider the Balder brother as a danger though."


    "No... Not him... I''m talking about the people inside this other guy."

 The Perfect Toad

    Freya gazed at Gersey for a moment, her face betraying her lack of emotion.


    "People in the other one?" she asked.


    Gersey hesitated before responding, his voice filled with uncertainty.


    "Yeah... I can''t explain it, but this one isn''t normal, emissary-like normal. He was looking at me like he was trying to dominate me, so I looked back... But when I met his gaze, I felt like his eyes were no longer his own... I felt ''their'' gaze"


    He shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself. Freya regarded him coldly before turning to look down the corridor.


    "Your intuition has always been accurate. Who was he?" she inquired.


    "I don''t know. He never said his name." Gersey replied, his voice strained.


    She bit her lip and pivoted to face Hope and Moonra, who were engaged in a heated argument.


    "What now? Are you ready to fight or will you run again?"


    Hope, looking forlorn, replied,


    "I''ve never fled from a battle, my prince. I''m just feeling a bit fatigued right now."


    "You''re lying! You ran when that man threatened you. Draw your sword and face me, the victor will be Freya''s knight!" Moora declared, his eyes flashing with determination.


    "Why don''t we settle this with another deal?" Hope suggested. "If I impress you, then maybe you''ll consider me worthy of Lady Freya."


    "You think you can beat me?" the prince scoffed. "Don''t make me laugh. But fine, let''s get this over with. Freya, can you please start us off?"


    Freya rolled her eyes and led the way down the hall.


    "You two are quite the match, perhaps you should consider him as your knight."


    Moonra was taken aback.


    "What? No way! I don''t need a knight. I can take care of myself, and he''s only an E-rank."


    "Then why bother fighting him? Is it because you enjoy defeating weaker opponents? How disappointing. Some people even think you could be a better leader than your sister."


    Moonra was at a loss for words as Freya departed, Hope was uncertain whether Freya''s intentions were to help or insult him.


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    In the meantime, Dora reached the end of the corridor and found himself in a vast garden. He surveyed his surroundings, hands on hips.


    "Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a failure among the riches? Have they gone extinct?... Hello? You have been very quiet lately."


    "Why do you care? You keep ignoring my advice."


    "Hey, it''s okay! I didn''t use the dark power to attack him, so it doesn''t count," assured the speaker.


    "Great! We''ll focus your stats on intelligence from now on."


    "You said you would never insult me, your precious toy."


    A heavy sigh could be heard from Midgard.


    "I didn''t mean it as an insult at all, OK? I''m just a little tired, you know? We''re running out of time, after all."


    "You lie, you''re mad."


    But strangely, Midgard just laughed


    "No, I''m not mad at Beta or Sigma. I just want to finish this quickly so we can continue our training. Let''s do this together, okay?"


    "You promise you''re not angry?"


    "... On Gamma''s life."


    Dora''s sudden silence spoke volumes. Clearly, something of great importance had occurred, and Midgard''s didn''t miss this.


    "Sugarcube? Hello? What''s happening?"


    Despite her efforts to take control of his body, she was unable to do so, just as his multiple personas.


    "Target located."


    Panic set in as Midgar exclaimed.


    "What? What is happening? I can''t see anything, lend me your eyes!"


    "I said that I''ve found the perfect toad, check this."


    As she looked through Dora''s eyes, she finally saw what had caused his stupor and was left in awe.


    Before them, in the middle of the garden, stood a tall girl who was even taller than Dora. She had long black hair that covered part of her face. Her skin was extremely pale, almost as white as milk. Her face was partially hidden by her bangs, but one could see a purple eye surrounded by a black circle, indicating a lack of rest. When she laughed ominously, her sharp, white teeth were visible. Unlike the traditional uniform, she was wearing a veil that made her look like a witch. As she held a toad and placed it in her basket with a sinister laugh, Dora thought to himself.


    "I was looking for gold, but I found... No, I''m not copying anyone''s words. Midget..."


    "I know, She''s perfect. Get her at any cost."


    He advanced towards her, his confidential approach betraying his confidence of success. Though he had never met the girl before, he knew that a high noble couldn''t let their child turn out like this, so he was sure that she wasn''t a big shoot.


    As he approached, the girl noticed him and sat up, startled by his presence. Without hesitation, he curtsied in front of her, revealing the depth of his manners and breeding.


    "Excuse me, miss." he said with the manliest tone he ever used, "but I couldn''t help but notice your beauty. If you have siblings, I''m sure they are ugly as hell because you took all the beauty from your parents."


    At that moment, the girl dropped her basket, and three toads jumped out and ran away. Dora, who had been watching the scene unfold, couldn''t resist and let his natural self slip through.


    "Oh, I see you''re a toad fanatic too. I was just looking for one myself, and I''m glad I never stopped believing."


    But before anyone could say anything else, the holy voice of Midgard interrupted:


    "Little toy?"


    "One moment, please, I''m seducing."


    "Let me tell you something..."


    The young girl appeared to be troubled as she pointed her finger towards herself and hesitantly murmured.


    "Beauty? Me? Is this some kind of joke?"


    It was evident from her body language that she was uncertain about her own charm and lacked confidence. However, for Dora, this sealed her fate.


    With a spark in his eyes and a widening smile, he saw in her the combination of everything he was looking into his target.


    "I expected an easy challenge but this is a tutorial."

 Fateful Encounter

    Dora gained more and more confidence and readjusted the hair falling on his forehead. She looked straight into the eyes of a young girl who was trying to avoid his gaze.


    "My Lady, I apologize for my rudeness. I was so amazed by your presence that I forgot to ask for your name. Mine is Anesidora¡­ Carper? Yes, Carper, and if you could kindly tell me your name, it would make me the happiest person in the world."


    "Is this really not a joke?... Are you...Are you f-f-f-flirting?"


    His smile widened again, she was an easy target.


    "God, am I flirting? I have to say no, flirting is for the player who wants to have fun, but here I''m not playing, it''s a job interview, a fight, a test, me, in the name of the moon, I am ready to fight a thousand wars just to your liking."


    "¡­ I know! You look like a girl, you are a girl, right? Your friends are spying on us and will make fun of me if I agree."


    Midgard''s giggle could be heard, much to his displeasure.


    "Is that the voice of a girl, my lovely, wonderfully cheerful lady?"


    "You might be a tomboy¡­"


    The giggle turned into a loud laugh, Dora rolled his eyes, but after so many failures, he was not ready to abandon such a rare person.


    "My lady, I could prove to you that I am a boy, but there is only one way, so either you believe my words, or you brace your heart."


    "Eeeeeeh?! Really??" She looked terrified one moment, she was probably very pure¡­ Or so he though.


    "Um¡­ So¡­ Will you do it here or¡­"


    "What?"


    Her terrified angelic expression gave way to a sinister smile; she giggled pervertedly before noticing Dora turning blue.


    "Eh?... What? Was I in too much of a hurry? I messed up?! Oh No!"


    She turned her back and bit her nail, Dora was speechless. She quickly turned to him, twirling her fingers.


    "Ehem¡­ Sorry¡­ I¡­ This is the first time that someone says I''m b-b-beautiful¡­ But you''re not joking, right? I mean¡­ You''re a boy, and you''re alive, and you''re hands-so-some¡­ Is this a dream? If this is a dream¡­ Darn it! I should have put the poison in their food¡­ I have to hurry before waking up¡­"


    "What¡­ Are you?"


    "Eh? Ah! The handsome boy... Ehr... Do you... Um... Oh, I forgot! I must give you flowers... Wait... Since you''re the man, shouldn''t that be your role?... So it was a joke after all?"


    She had tears in her eyes.


    "What the hell is wrong with you?!"


    A few minutes later, she gradually regained her composure so they sat on a bench. This moment of stillness allowed her to collect her thoughts and Dora could explain his intentions.


    "So... You''re saying that you want to be my knight, for real?"


    "Yeah, for real."


    "... Because... I am exactly your type of girl, really?"


    "Something like that... You seem a little less enthusiastic than before."


    "Your type of girl... What is it? Saying that I''m beautiful and saying that I''m your type are 2 different things, I''m the type of girl who tries experiments on her friends, is Is this your type?"


    She narrowed her eyes, wary, but the boy in front of her was fond of this antique.


    "...Every word you say convinces me even more. By the way, I''m just asking, who exactly are you?"


    She took a notebook from a pocket of her veil and wrote a note.


    "I am the daughter of Baron Helisk, Zuri Eilejveden, D-rank shaman, pleased to meet you... Ane... Anedora."


    ¡°Anesi.¡±


    ¡°Anedoranesi, nice to meet you.¡±


    Dora looked at her, confused for a moment but laughed lightly for the first time.


    ¡°You are a very interesting person, I really don¡¯t regret having taken all my time to find you."


    She remained silent for a moment, surprised by an unexpected compliment.


    "You know what''s funny? People usually say that I''m the disgrace of nobility and that I don''t have the same charm as the Princess or that bossy girl. But I''m curious... You really find me interesting?"


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Well, everyone has something special, it just takes the right person to find it."


    "I attempted to enroll in the Knights Academy, but my father objected, pretending I''m too clumsy to fight. They ridicule my family and me, so I''m not really sure I''m special."


    "How rude! Just because you are strange, pale, trembling and curiously resembling a ghost that doesn''t justify him stopping you from realizing your dream!"


    "I know right? And then he get angry when I use my magic on my classmates, like where else can I find a guinea pig? We have like two butlers!... But you really want to become my knight?"


    Dora stood up from his seat, he took a deep breath, his mind clear and focused on the task at hand. He knew exactly what needed to be said, and more importantly, who was the best person to say it.


    As he stood there, his eyes met Zuri''s, but the younger girl was utterly oblivious to the frail energy that emanated from Dora. A subtle blue spark flickered in his eyes, gone in an instant.


    "Beta body"


    He took the hands of the girl, pure white, despite the excessive contact with the toads.


    "I am not the best man in the world, I am not a Prince, a Knight, or a noble. I am just a young man from the countryside. My mom and my sister are my world, but hearing you made me realize that I need one more person in my circle... More like a triangle. Zuri Eil... Zuri, I wish to fight for your honor forever, you have two butlers? Let me be your sword."


    The young girl was left paralyzed and grabbed her face, which turned red for the first time. She stammered incomprehensible words, shook her head, then hid her face in her basket.


    "My lady? I wish to hear your answer~ "


    ¡°Mmmmkay¡­¡±


    "Could you repeat? I can''t hear you over the toad''s scent."


    "I said okay! I accept, don''t look at my face now!"


    A saliva-like substance dripped from the basket, Dora could only hope that it was from the toads.


    Thus the meeting between the two resulted in an alliance between a snake and a toad.


    Later that day, Dora was in a corridor heading to the reception room.


    Every student from both academies was gathered in this place for a party, during which they could learn more from each other.


    For Dora, it didn''t matter anymore, he had finally found what he was looking for and was only going for formality.


    When a knight is affiliated with a noble, they receives the noble''s crest. Zuri, probably because she wasn''t expecting anything, hadn''t brought hers, so she rushed to her dormitory first and would meet the young boy later. It was a perfect operation,


    Midgard didn''t hide her satisfaction.


    "It''s wonderful. Her family received their land as a gift because of their ancestor''s friendship with a former Duke. Unfortunately, her social status is quite low, and to make matters worse, she conducts experiments on her classmates, she is really the perfect target."


    "It''s thanks to you and my seductive skills, she looks so helpless... Kinda reminds me of my sister."


    "This is why you''re my favorite, Beta, but We need to have a talk about your seduction skills though, is this how you seduce? I almost died of laughter."


    "Oh come on, it wasn''t that bad... Huh?"


    He felt silent, for the second time, Midgard now familiar with this event understood the situation.


    "What now? What''s happening?"


    "Problem... There''s a big problem in front of us."


    Leaning against one of the windows in the corridor, a sublime young girl, whose silver hair reflected the rays of the sun in the room, was reading a book, her face typically impassive.


    However, when she saw Dora, a smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°You kept me waiting.¡±

 A Mastermind With Silver Hair

    The two faced each other in the corridor of all dangers. Dora, suspicious, took a look at the surroundings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no one else here, it¡¯s only us.¡±


    "Oh, really? What happened to your vanguard?"


    He asked, never looking directly at the girl but only scrutinizing the surroundings, expecting to get jumped on, much to the amusement of Freya.


    ¡°They had other businesses, speaking of which, have you found the toad you were looking for?¡±


    "... Maybe? Why the interrogation thought? Is there a problem? Is this because I joked a little with the prince?"


    "I''m telling you not to worry, I''m here on my own terms, for myself." She knows with a serious tone, "You''ve picked my interest, so I would like to confirm a few things about you."


    Her voice and facial expression didn''t show any malice, she wasn''t just a beautiful girl, her grace, tone, and antic were of the level of a sovereign. Maybe because his senses were getting sharper, Dora understood that it was better to behave for now.


    ¡°What things?¡±


    "First, is it true that you are the rival of the Balders''son? I don''t know a lot about you but, I heard that he was an E-rank, and we both know that you are far stronger than that, am I correct?¡±


    They looked into each other''s eyes intensely, Freya was winning two fights simultaneously, one verbally and the other with her gaze which seemed to read her opponent''s mind.


    A smile grew on Dora''s face.


    "So you''re asking me what is my rank? I really wonder what''s your goal here. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I am an E-rank, on paper, and unless someone can prove it wrong, I remain an E-rank."


    "So you''ve decided to play dumb, huh? Good, it only confirms my suspicions, the stronger one person is, the more secretive they become about their power."


    "So... Do you have anything else? Because I kinda have a meeting, with my toad."


    She stared at him silently, in a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, and crossed her arms.


    "First you''re ignoring me, then you refuse to give me a proper answer and now you''re trying to leave? You had my attention before, but now you''re becoming a perfect weapon. Just answer this last question: Would you like to be my knight?"


    Freya''s words hit Dora like a lightning bolt, sending shivers down his spine.


    ¡°What?¡± He could only exclaim.


    "You heard right, I want you to serve me and become my knight, you are the most suited person among those that I''ve heard about."


    Faced with the young man''s confusion, she put a hand on her chest and explained her machination.


    "As the daughter of the Duke of Midas, I''ve been courted for a long time by many students both from the Knights and Saint Nova. Of course, I''ve always taken care of getting rid of these annoyances, I am an emissary myself and I wish to keep my freedom." She turned her gaze toward the reception door. "But it is impossible to graduate without following the academy rules, so I find myself forced to choose someone among the pathetic people who can''t control their saliva when they talk about me, those who are looking for nonexistent fame, or those who think they know better than me what I need."


    ¡°Like the prince?¡±


    She nodded her head, smiling. The situation of the young lady was becoming more comprehensive, blessed with a famous family and an unmatchable beauty, she had been sainted and had been the pride of the duke and probably a negotiating tool.


    She was a talented emissary but wasn''t allowed to fight, she wished to keep her freedom, but she had to take one of the people, the people she used to see ogling her body, as her knight.


    "This is why you are perfect, you don''t seem to know me, you didn''t recognize the prince earlier, so I can deduce that you are not after the status of a high-ranked noble, you are not either influenced by my physical appearance or my name and to top it off, the pressure you released earlier is a testimony of your power. You are the most suitable for me."


    She held out her hand to the young man.


    "Become my knight, I may not know you, but I see many similarities between us, I can say that you are seeking freedom, like me, if it wasn''t obligatory, you would never have been there in the first place, and you need someone who could understand your power, as for me, I want a knight that I could trust, someone that I know would rather give up on his life than lose his freedom, someone wise enough to understand that fighting the prince could have terrible consequences, yet so proud that he wouldn''t let him hit him. This is what I wish and you represent all of that."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Dora was taken aback by this unexpected proposal, in an instant this girl had seen through him better than anyone else he had known.


    Many thoughts could have been running through his brain, but his concern was only the realization. Since his debut at the academy, he drastically stopped hiding his ability.


    Little by little at first, he only fought those who messed with him, but after his confrontation with Hope, he knew that more people were aware of his subterfuge.


    But the problem was that it took them to see him fight and probably learn about his past, from Hope, yet Freya pointed his antic perfectly without knowing him.


    "So? Do you accept? What is there to consider?"


    "... You sure know a lot, you got that only from my altercation with Hope?"


    "You shouldn''t underestimate me, anyone can be wise when they decide to use their ears instead of their mouth. So, what''s your answer? I''ve waited long enough."


    "It doesn''t sound right, you say that you want a knight, but you want him to be free? What do you mean exactly? What''s the point of having my power if I''m allowed to disobey you and run away?"


    "This is what separates people who only talk to those who know how to guide people. I know what you want and what you would hate, so I know how I can deal with you. Now we''ve wasted enough time, for the last time, become my knight and I''ll make sure that not only your secret will never be revealed, but also you''ll have all the freedom you''re wishing for."


    She held out her hand again, showing extraordinary confidence.


    This person was no ordinary individual; she never lied. However, her ability to see everything made her a dangerous adversary.


    Dora lowered his gaze one moment, looking at the delicate hand outstretched towards him.


    "It is... A very interesting offer, but... I think I''ll have to refuse."


    "... Hm? Is that so?" She lowered her hand, her face unchanged, ¡°And why is that?¡±


    "I just happen to have already offered my services to another person, so I''m really sorry but I would like to keep my word."


    She smiled lecherously at him.


    "Really? The toad, is it? But then why don''t you wear their crest?"


    "She didn''t have one when we''ve met, but I''ll take it later. So I really can''t become your knight."


    "Her?... I see now, a "toad" huh? Interesting..."


    The girl seemed to master the art of frightening Dora''s senses, she looked like the kind of girl who always got what she wanted, and never once did she frail even though her offer was rejected.


    Everything pointed out that she was planning something so Dora quickly understood that he''d have to stay on his guard.


    "So... If we''re finished here, I''m going to the reception room, sorry to not fulfill your wish."


    ¡°Wait, one last thing, what is your name?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    "We haven''t been properly introduced yet, I am Freya Astaroth, and I allow you to refer to me as Freya only, now who are you?"


    Just as Dora was about to answer, a desperate voice sounded in his mind.


    "Don''t say it!!! If she knows your name she will use her power of veto!"


    ¡°What?¡±


    "Listen, students from this academy are literally the representatives of the nobility while you are the chivalry. They possess something called the veto which is a symbol of the hierarchy power, and so they can, by the law, force the Knights to do what they want once, objecting would be like disobeying the balance of royalty! If she uses her veto to make you her knight, you won''t have any right to refuse!"


    Dora froze for a second, his jaw falling down. This girl was really dangerous.


    "What are you waiting for? What is your name?"


    "Um... I''m just... I don''t think I deserve to... Huh... I am just a knight, after all, a knight shouldn''t..."


    "I didn''t ask you to stutter, what is your name?"


    Beads of sweat were beading on his forehead, he was thinking of any way to escape from this situation without irritating the girl.


    She was the daughter of a duke, she had the second authority of this academy and she knew his secrets, he was literally at her mercy.


    It was then that he found the boldest excuse possible.


    ¡°Barron¡­ Cid Barron.¡±

 Rain Falls In Another City

    Marie''s POV


    ***


    It''s been a month since we officially joined the Southern Guild. I remember how the first day was a total blast.


    Several minutes after our registration, Leon and the others managed to join us. They were infuriated, Leon wanted to go right away to the capital to find Idiora and make him pay. We tried to convince him that it wasn''t necessary but then Erick labeled us as traitors.


    But eventually, after a little while, their anger had subsided. We officially became an E-ranked team from the Guild and were dispatched to more missions than we were used to, of course, we weren''t beginners, so we accomplished many achievements in a very short time period.


    The salary was a little short for a whole party, but we knew that things would get better as time passed. But it actually tends to be the opposite.


    During the very same week, we noticed a considerable increase in our power, and after the guild re-evaluated our level, we were promoted to D-rank. It was honestly our peak.


    But something changed after this event. Our usual tasks consisted of the subjugation of E-rank rifts, but after our promotion, we were assigned to D-rank rifts, and this is where our troubles began.


    D-ranked rifts differed a lot from E-ranked ones, and not just in power, monsters in D-rank rifts were so well organized that it looked like they were a very intelligent civilization.


    We were used to the monsters running around endlessly but now, we were facing the commando with a vanguard who rushed to keep busy our strongest fighters and snipers who targeted the healer.


    Our very first expedition was, ironically a disaster, we almost lost Sana and Erick and despite being able to summon five tank puppets, the defensive level of my summons was laughable compared to what we needed from an actual tank.


    Another time, we fought a lone D-rank Disaster but were unable to inflict any real damage. Leon even asked Erick to focus on poisoning the monster, because he knew that it wasn''t the first time that we had to face a disaster built like a tank, we learned to poison it and force it to fight endlessly until it succumbed to the toxicity of its body.


    But once again, Erick''s poison stab was unable to affect seriously the Disaster and we were forced to retreat.


    It was already terrible but the fatal blow came from both Leon and Sana, since Leon proposed this strategy, we remembered its origin, and after this failure, Sana couldn''t help but whisper "If we had Dora, we would have won at least here."


    It was honestly the stupidest thing she could have said, not that I disagreed, Dora was a master of debuff and could inflict the strangest kind of debuff on his opponents, like once when he infected directly the shell of a shielded monster, making it crack or when he affirmed to have poisoned the bronchi of another monster, making him breathe toxic oxygen.


    Dora was a genius in this category, but pronouncing his name here, out loud, in front of Leon, from his new girlfriend who was Dora''s ex, and after so many defeats, what a poor idea.


    After that, the mood severely deteriorated between everyone. Lilith blamed Sana for her lack of consideration for Leon, but from the indifference of the latter, I can only assume that she doesn''t really care.


    After all, she was the one who vividly defended Dora after Leon''s return.


    She even mentioned often, when neither Leon nor Erick was around, how better it would be to team up with Dora now that he was supposedly taking the emissary world seriously. What a drastic change, from the one who claimed that he cheated on her.


    Since then, her relationship with Leon has been a little ambiguous, he seems to resent her for her words but at the same time, she now sleeps in his bedroom, is it to save her couple? What is her true self? It''s too hard to understand.


    For the time being, we''ve accepted the proposal from the guild to engage some stray emissaries to fill the branches we''re lacking, so we often pay the services of a tank and a debuffer.


    But at our own cost, we''re barely making a living. Hopefully, we will gather enough soul stones to rise in level and fight with only our power.


    In the meantime, I wonder what happened to Dora. When we parted, he gave me a formidable gift, a real intelligent phone.


    I remember how Liliana teased me about it, I was the only one who received a gift from him, and even Lilith claimed that he told her once that his gift for her was his friendship, I don''t really understand the meaning.


    I was very happy to have it until I realized that I actually needed something like the coordinates of Dora to talk to him every day.


    Basically, he gave me a wonderful gift with nothing I could do with it. I had fun looking at the images inside, mostly his mother and his sister.


    I hope he''s doing well where he is, I will work harder so if one day, we meet again... And this day will happen.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Today, I am on the duty of finding a stray emissary with Sana, she has been very active with this lately, maybe to show Leon how she''s involved. Anyway, we have received an important request, subjugating a D-rank rift near the city, and this time, since it''s so close to the city, the prize money from the guild is five million Lyres.


    We really need this money so we''re determined to do what it will take to win this battle, this time, we won''t fail.


    ***


    In front of Marie, Sana carefully consulted the catalog of emissaries, a list of available emissaries listed by rank and class, and updated regularly.


    It had become her job to manage this for weeks now, but she was so dedicated that she always took at least one hour before picking someone, even though the task needed just basic emissaries.


    But this time, she froze and her eyes widened as a smile appeared on her face.


    Marie, handling the phone noticed her change.


    "Hm? Got anything? You look creepy."


    "... Huh? Ah! Yes! I... Hum... I found interesting candidates... Since we absolutely need a win."


    "Good, it took you less time than usual, so who are they?"


    She tried to take the catalog from Sana''s hands but the healer dodged her hand.


    "I''ll tell you later! For now, I''m going to send the request quickly, we better hurry now!"


    "Oh?"


    And then, she rushed to the guild secretariat and filled out a form before giving it to one of the employees.


    The employee started filling out another document before stopping and reading the form with a confused expression.


    Sana observed her for a moment.


    "Is there a problem?"


    "Miss, I see that your request is for a D-tank rift, so why are you requesting this emissary?"


    She laughed lightly and looked at the office lady, with a big smile testimony to her emotions.


    "Don''t worry, I never do anything for no reason, we want him at all cost."


    Those events took place a little while after the school exchange at Saint Nova. The event itself had a very delicate ending.


    Back in the meeting room, every student was chatting to each other. Dora, after his encounter with Freya and conscious of his lie, was counting every second, hoping to see Zuri appear.


    The mood was very good and everyone was having fun, Hope in the center was eating one of the appetizers and eyeing the prince from time to time, the latter was surrounded by girls from both academies.


    The two were having a silent face-off, with only their eyes.


    "If you think you''re going to be Freya''s knight, you''re terribly mistaken."


    "I''ll become Lady Freya''s knight, then I''ll show you my worth!"


    It was a common occurrence in this place, many students from the Knights were expected to serve the one considered the most beautiful woman from the kingdom, as Moonra had stated, some people make you want to fight for them more than anyone else, and that was the case for at least two people here, Freya and the crown princess.


    "Midgard, you know a lot about this place, couldn''t you find her bedroom so we meet her there instead? We''re dead if Freya comes when we''re here!"


    "Don''t worry, she can only use her veto once per week, to do that she needs to announce her wish to the direction board and they will make it official on paper. Once she puts her emblem on the poor boy you sacrificed, she won''t have the power to force you again, especially if you''re already under another noble."


    "Good... But I would prefer to disappear before she... Ah!"


    At the front door, Zuri made her entrance. Many students from the Knights noticed her appearance and showed stunned faces.


    "Who... who is it? She looks like a ghost..."


    "She''s wearing Saint Nova uniform...Is she a student??"


    "She doesn''t look like a noble at all..."


    She walked shyly at first, looking at her feet, then she saw her knight in the distance and her face changed.


    "Doranesi! You really didn''t run away... I''ve got it!"


    She rushed to him with her crest on her hand. The students of the Royal Academy were taken aback, especially the council members, but on the opposite, Saint Nova students looked happy for her.


    "Look! Miss Zuri has found a knight, and he''s human!"


    "Not only human... He seems to breathe!"


    "I''m so glad for her..."


    They cheered for her as she joined Dora, under a few applause from the crowd. Dora, looked around him, his expectations of the world completely shattered, and took the hands of Zuri.


    "My... My knight? Where are you taking me?"


    "We''ve lost enough time, let''s go now!"


    "But... I want to show off... Do we have to go... Ooooh... You... are you planning to take me to my bedroom by any chance?"


    "I was thinking of mine but yours will... Do." He looked behind him, only to meet the perverted expression from Zuri, once again, a hand on her face.


    "Holy crap¡­"


    But then, the door opened once again, to everyone''s surprise, revealing the most unexpected person in this place.


    Freya, a document in her hands and accompanied by a tall mustachioed man entered the room.

 And The Trap Closed

    Freya''s entrance caused an uproar in the room, no one remained silent.


    "L-Lady Freya?"


    "What is she doing here? Will she also participate in the ceremony?"


    She walked forward, accompanied by the strange gentleman, observing the students with indifference.


    "What is she doing here?"


    "It looks like she''s looking for something... Oh! Could it be that she still doesn''t have a knight?


    Voices rose again and the agitation resumed. Suddenly, to everyone''s surprise, a person showed up.


    With short black hair and his pair of glasses, Thomas crosses the room until he stands right in front of Freya, then puts one knee on the ground.


    "Lady Freya, it''s an honor to be graced by your presence, even though I didn''t expect to see you so quickly."


    Thomas, although he was second in rank in the academy, prostrated himself before the Duke''s daughter, testifying to the superiority of Saint Nova''s students.


    However, Freya didn''t look at him, continuing to look around and eventually responding in her graceful voice.


    "I had a change of mind, I think today is the perfect day to proceed with the ceremony."


    "Is that so?... Does that mean that you''re finally ready to accept a knight?"


    Every gaze was focused on her, it seemed that it was a highly anticipated event.


    "Accept? Not exactly, I don''t do concessions, I''m here because I''ve already made the choice and I''m only making it official."


    The room was in an uproar, mostly from the students of Nebula. Many wished to become Freya''s knight but had given up on the possibility. Thomas, more determined than ever, placed a hand on his chest.


    "If this is the situation, then I, Thomas Jarlene, am ready to assume this responsibility. In the name of Nebula Academy and the house of Jarlene, I swear to protect you and serve you with my life."


    He lowered his head, eyes closed, and held out his hand for the traditional hand kiss, symbolic of the signing of the contract between the knight and his lord.


    Thomas'' attitude reflected his distinguished lineage and no one dared to raise their voice, not even Moonra.


    "Ksss... This bastard... He did it after all."


    Despite his strong opposition, Moonra could only accept this situation. Like Hope mentioned earlier, he was a prince, and a prince doesn''t serve a lord.


    Freya smiled and turned her gaze to Thomas.


    "I really appreciate your offer, Thomas, you are the first son of one of the most popular families of Knights in the kingdom, if I''m not mistaken, so I''m very sure that you would be a good choice."


    ¡°Thank you for your words, I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    "But sadly, I''ll have to reject your offer."


    Silence settled in the room. Thomas raised his head, his eyes widening.


    ¡°... What?¡±


    "You hear me right, I''m honored by your proposal but sadly I''ve already contracted someone."


    Dora''s ears flinched, from the moment Freya entered until now, he had walked backward across the room and dragged Zuri sideways, hoping to escape through the only entrance once the Duke''s daughter had gone far enough away.


    For his part, Thomas couldn''t believe Freya''s revelation.


    "Contracted?! What do you mean? You have contracted someone else? When?! How???"


    ¡°Please, refrain from yelling in front of me will you?¡±


    He lowered his head, but couldn''t hide the tremor in his body.


    "But... My lady, it was decided that the student council would be in charge of the highest rank of Saint Nova, Prince Moonra and Princess Solaria have already been introduced to Lady Iris, and you as the 3rd rank in status, should be associated with me, the Vice council President."


    Whispers rose once again, Hope, stunned, glared at Moonra who looked away, holding back his laughter.


    Freya''s face remained impassive.


    "Thomas, are you perhaps questioning my decision? Is this behavior worthy of knights?"


    Thomas flinched and lowered his head, he had no way to counter this kind of attack. This girl was really dangerous.


    "My... My apologies... But then, who is the one that you''ve chosen? Without trying to brag, I''m second to Iris only, so who did you deem worthy?"


    He gave a glance at Hope.


    "Interesting, it may even be desirable that we do not associate, our opinions are far too divergent. I believe that the strong isn''t the one who considers himself strong, nor the one who, by modesty, says that he has a lot to learn. The strong doesn''t talk about his power because his only rival is the one stronger than himself, he doesn''t think that he has a lot to learn, not because it''s common nature but because he knows his own weaknesses, but he knows his worth."


    "... So you''re saying that I''m not strong enough?"


    "We''re living in a world of warriors, Thomas, you are strong, but in the long term, someone with a bigger potential will surpass you, this one isn''t just strong, this one picked my curiosity and offended me like I''ve never been before. This is not about the academy program anymore, this is now very personal."


    For the very first time, many people in the audience witnessed Freya''s smile as she spoke.


    Her cheeks reddened a little and her eyes were full of emotions.


    Many hearts skipped a beat, at the sight of this beauty, but her target was growing anxious because he knew that beyond this lovely figure, she didn''t want him as a knight but as a possession.


    She raised the documents in her hands to present them to the assembly.


    "I, Freya Astaroth, in the name of the crown, use my Veto on this day and declare the student Cid Barron as my knight."


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.Terrible exclamations erupted in the room, the signal for Dora to flee.


    Cid, sitting alone in his chair, jumped.


    ¡°What?... Wait what???¡±


    Thomas, with his head down, was shaking, while Moonra and Hope exclaimed in amazement.


    Freya handed the documents to the gentleman behind her, a satisfied smile on her lips.


    The gentleman coughed for silence.


    "Following article 13 of the royal charter, by use of the veto, the student Cid Barron from Nebula Academy is now officially assigned as Lady Freya''s knight. Please move forward."


    Cid stood up and walked forward, a little smug on his face.


    "Well, I couldn''t be assigned to the princess because I''m not the student council President but I guess the most beautiful girl and duke''s daughter will be fine too."


    He walked forward and passed between Hope and Moonra, giving a mocking look at the latter, and arrived in front of Freya.


    "Well, to use your veto for this, you must have feared a lot that I pick someone else, isn''t it? But don''t worry, I wasn''t very interested in anyone, so let''s proceed shall we?"


    He held out his hand without prostrating himself. The girl observed his hand silently and looked up to see his face.


    "... You are..."


    "Hm? What is it? I would like to get over with it so can we go already?"


    She looked at Cid without even blinking, the previous smile having completely disappeared from her face and looked away at Thomas, who was walking away.


    ¡°Thomas, I need your service one second, who is Cid Barron?¡±


    Thomas stopped and looked at her, an exhausted expression on his face.


    "Huh?... What are you asking, Lady Freya, this is Cid Barron."


    After this response, Freya showed a new expression. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, her arms lowered but she did not let go of the documents.


    "This... Little..."


    Her head lowered, she seemed to be shaking slightly. In front of her, Cid was growing annoyed.


    "What''s your deal? You asked for me and here I am so what are you doing?"


    ¡°Hey, watch how you talk to her!¡± Hope interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to talk to a girl?¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this!¡±


    As they argued, Freya flinched as she saw Hope out of the corner of her eye and called out to him.


    "You, you are the one from earlier, the Balder''s son."


    "M-my Lady? You remember me?... Please, reconsider choosing this guy as your knight, he is very unbearable!"


    "I don''t care about this, the boy you were quarreling with, the one who made you surrender, what is his name?"


    Hope was taken aback, stunned both by the fact that she talked to him for the first time but also that she revealed publicly the outcome of his pathetic fight.


    "My Lady... It wasn''t really a surrendering, I was just delaying the fight for..."


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±


    A drop of sweat ran down his forehead.


    "Dor... Anesidora Carper... But in a melee, I''m far stronger, and usually he is the..."


    She turned her back and walked toward the gentleman, no one could understand what was happening.


    "Mister Reed, I want to make a change to this document, there is a mistake with the student, the one I''ve chosen as my knight isn''t Cid Barron but this Anesidora."


    The room almost exploded in an uproar.


    "What the... Are you kidding me?!"


    Cid couldn''t maintain his composition, and neither could Thomas.


    "My lady, with all due respect you can''t be serious, is this the one you''re expecting to see surpass me?"


    "Wait, you stay out of this! Oi, Miss, you''ve picked me as your knight so what the hell are you saying now?!"


    The agitation was at its maximum but when everything seemed to be about to explode at any moment, the gentleman rearranged the documents and sighed.


    "Lady Freya, I regret but this is impossible, you used your veto to designate Cid Barron as your knight, plus you specifically requested to make the arrangements necessary before coming here and the Dean has already put his crest on the document, we can''t revoke it now.¡±


    She gave him a cold gaze growing more and more as a murderous gaze but surprisingly started to laugh gently.


    "I see... Very good... You''ve outsmarted me... How sad."


    She regained her composure and took a little breath then looked at the gentleman once again.


    ¡°If I use my veto the next week, I can still break our contract, can¡¯t I?¡±


    Cid''s face was injected with rage and incomprehension. The gentleman nodded in response to Freya who sighed.


    "It won''t be done today, but now I have the name so prepare yourself to pay for that."


    Thomas walked towards her hesitantly.


    "Um... My Lady... So you wish to use your veto to make Anesidora your knight, am I correct?"


    "Correct, it will take longer than I imagined but you need to make sacrifices to get what you want."


    "I''m sorry, but it will be impossible."


    He said cautiously. She glared at him with a sinister expression, as if his response could be the end of him. However, he had a revelation that she wasn''t anticipating.


    "The veto can''t be used against another noble, right? But Anesidora has already been chosen as someone''s knight, so you can''t do that."


    "... Pardon?"


    In all this commotion, one person has turned silent from the moment Dora''s name has been mentioned. His gaze was on the floor, but he could only see the darkest abyss, invisible once again after the attention went again to his former rival.


    He eventually looked at the crowd, as if wanting to be mocked to have lost once again, but he couldn''t find Dora among the people, little did he know that the latter, like a perfect opportunist, had already left the place followed by his treasured toad.

 Technical Sheet

    Emissary: ?


    (Emissary of God) A person capable of using the energy of the world and transforming it into its capacity. An emissary can be a fighter or not, the status of an emissary depends on its nature: finger, hand, or avatar (of God).


    Branch:


    Category of powers to which a person belongs (Healer, Hero, Warrior¡­), each branch determines the type of power of the emissary. The fingers have no branch.


    Class:


    The different levels of power found in a branch (thief>assassin>shadow>reaper), their number differs according to the class.


    Evolution:


    When he reaches a certain skill level, a fighter can see his level increase and his class change (magician>mage>¡­).To evolve, an Emissary must accumulate statistics via magical stones) and/or obtain special skills, except in the case of the Avatar which never evolves.


    Skill:


    Skills acquired by an emissary according to his class. A skill can be found person-to-person or exclusive, depending on its rarity. By nature, a skill is only accessible according to its class, except in the case of the avatar who can occasionally use advanced skills of its branch.


    Finger:


    A person who is able to use only one of the powers of the world, elemental or physical.


    Hand:


    A person who is able to use the advanced abilities of only one branch of powers (healer>cleric>Priest>saint) Hero is the only branch that has attributes of other branches but is not an Avatar type.


    Avatar:


    A Person capable of using several types of power from different branches regardless of their necessity (physical powers of a berserk + magical power of the wizard branch + etc.) It has no class but since its abilities group several branches, it requires more effort to increase its power. Ironically, the more branches he had, the weaker it would be.


    Magic stones:


    When a creature capable of using the energy of the world dies, its energy takes the form of a stone whose powers vary according to the branch of the user, Assimilating the energy of this stone makes it possible to increase strongly the user''s ability or add new skills, but a user cannot assimilate the energy of a stone that is not compatible with them (a berzerk cannot assimilate a stone from the healing branch.)


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Elemental stones:


    Assimilating the stone that appears randomly or from an inorganic energy source allows you to quickly increase a basic energy category (mana, stamina, speed, attack, magic, etc...)


    Soul stone:


    A stone that appears when a creature capable of using the energy of the world dies, it grants those who assimilate it powers belonging to its branch. When the assimilator is from the same branch as the energy of the creature, the stone is compatible and can be assimilated, if they are from different branches, assimilation will be impossible, the stone is incompatible.


    Rare stone :


    A special type of magic stone, which can be assimilated by any branch. It grants different types of abilities, not necessarily combat (sewing, cooking, understanding languages, weight, alchemy¡­) Their origin is unknown.


    Rank:


    The system used to measure the level of a human being or creature using the energy of the world, the lowest rank being E and the highest SS


    Rift:


    Manifestation in the form of a mass of energy. Its interior is extremely varied (a cave, a beach, a castle...) Nobody knows their origin nor the nature of the worlds to which they give access. A rift lasts for 5 days by releasing more and more energy, on the 5th day, the rift opens completely and the monsters enter the world.


    Disaster:


    Creatures living in rifts. They can have various appearances and capacities. Their ranking is from the rank below E (Threat) to SS (Doom).


    Mallus:


    Each emissary has a "system" which defines its attributes. Avatars are the only ones with mallus in their system, so for high attack strength, an avatar may end up with the inability to use magic power. A mallu can be weakened by an elemental stone


    Setting:


    The story takes place in a universe similar to ours, there were kingdoms and empires but also countries with modern technologies such as the internet or rockets. In this world, some people have powers of all kinds that they use to confront creatures originating from rifts, in a traditional RPG style, the protagonist,


    Guild:


    Organization of Emissaries bringing together fighters of various ranks.


    Spoilers ahead, this part is mainly for advertising, for those who are not happy with the progress of the current book, if you like it I suggest you again not read this.


    System:


    An entity belonging to a rare person called "Sin Avatar", and guiding them on a path to follow depending on the type of system possessed. There are 7 different types representing the sins and offer different content to its user depending on the sin, for example, Sloth Avatar''s system can power other people while Greed only powers itself.


    Sin Avatars:


    Also called True Avatars, are people gifted with the power of a system. There are only 7 of them, each with a different system depending on the sin they represent.


    Players:


    Special entities from an unknown origin. They have a system "complementary" to that of the Sin Avatars and need to fuse it with one of the Sin Avatars to fully activate it.


    Origin Beasts:


    Mythological monsters, from legends, are believed to be at the origin of the world. No one knows if they are Disasters.


    Soul Stone:


    As explained in the first sheet, it is formed when a creature using the energy of this world dies, it generally gives attributes related to the skills of the owner, and the stronger the skills of the owner, the more abilities there will be available and the strongest skill will always be among them.


    Author advice:


    Not a spoiler but pay attention to the story''s POV.

 Prelude

    A week had passed since the St. Nova ceremony. According to the exchange program, the students involved had to temporarily leave the academy and live with the noble affiliated with them.


    It was an interesting and funny experience, funny when you think about some of Nebula''s students who might come from a higher social rank but will end up in a lower domain, due to their inability to be a true heir.


    In my case, it was a nice breath of fresh air. Zuri''s family lived on a small plot of land surrounded by a vast forest where weak monsters could be found, making this place my favorite playground.


    The Baron''s financial situation was delicate and he could not afford to call on knights to protect his own lands, making my presence very welcomed and I could get absolutely everything, non-financial, that I wanted.


    I was sitting on a huge stone next to a swamp, while Zuri was in the swamp, collecting disgusting toads.


    She stood still for a moment then, with a sudden movement, grabbed a blue toad that was hiding in the mud before putting it in her basket.


    "Isn''t that enough? I thought we were catching some toads, not making a freaking catalog."


    "I don''t have the opportunity to go this far usually, better make the maximum now, don''t you think? Plus you''re not collecting anything so why do you complain?"


    "Because it''s been 3 hours... How can you do that for hours? You don''t have other hobbies?"


    "Say the one who kills monsters when he''s not eating or sleeping. If you''re so bored what about you go play around with them? I can hear them calling your cute name."


    I sighed on my stone throne.


    "What happened to the shy girl who couldn''t speak without stuttering?


    "I said cute, now be quiet for a moment, you''re distracting me." As she said this, she caught mid-air a toad that was trying to jump away.


    "Distracted? That would be fair for the toads, do you have a toad radar or something?"


    She didn''t respond and stayed focused on her dirty duty while I kept watching.


    I learned from her father that she was a very troublesome child, a big fan of the witches of legend, so much that she brewed potions, usually using toad slime, and that she used them on her classmates, degrading her image so much that no one could believe that she had been chosen by a knight.


    I still wondered if I had really made the right decision.


    We remained silent for a little while when the sound of footsteps came furtively closer.


    "... Synergy: Gamma-Sigma"


    A servant with black bowl-cut hair, around twenty years old, emerged from the woods, sweating from her run and holding a letter.


    "My... My lady! I have finally found you!"


    Zuri looked up, a toad in her hands.


    "Gretta?"


    "You''ve received a letter, you won''t believe what it says!"


    "Wait, did you read my letter?"


    Before the servant could even respond, three carns, a creature resembling a giant rodent, appeared from the forest and lunged at Zuri and Gretta.


    The two girls barely had time to realize what was happening before the three carns disappeared into thin air.


    On my rock, I stood up and positioned my hands as if I were holding an invisible bow, pointed towards the forest and when it was "shot", the carns reappeared, thrown in the air.


    "Air crusher"


    The carns compressed, one on top of the other, as if in a bubble of air which shrank again and again and finally imploded into a blackish mass that held in the air for a moment before falling again.


    "I-incredible! Sir Dora, you''re really amazing!" Gretta clapped enthusiastically.


    "It''s nothing, there''s no real challenge here, I could really show off... IF WE COULD LEAVE."


    "Huh, null and void."


    Zuri said as she took the letter from the hand of one of her only two maids.


    She read it quickly and soon, her eyes widened. It was enough to awaken fear in the darkness of my mind.


    "I didn''t say Barron''s name on purpose, I lost brain cells when I saw her beauty! I swear on Hope''s life!"


    "C-calm down! Wait a second I need to confirm this..."


    Then again, it only added fuel to the fire of my anguish.


    "Confirm? Confirm what?... I''ve beaten... Killed no human, I am against violence... Your father swore to protect me, didn''t he?"


    She put a finger on the paper as if she had difficulty reading then threw the letter in the air jumping joyfully, followed by Gretta.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation."Amazing! It''s amazing! We did it!!!"


    "I''m so glad, Lady, it''s all thanks to you!"


    This scene dumbfounded me, what on earth was that letter? I snapped my finger and it appeared in my hand.


    "... Hm... Huh?... Huuuuuh?!"


    I was surprised in turn, the letter was a request from the Southern Guild asking for the services of the Baron of Helisk to subjugate a D-rank rift, to put it simply, they were asking me, as a knight of the Baron, to help them.


    "Seriously?! How? Why are they asking for someone from outside the Guild?"


    This was not an abnormal event, the rifts were a major threat to the world, so solving them was not a matter of competition, but it was still very rare to see a guild directly ask the royal knights to help them in their fight, especially in the face of such a low-level threat.


    "That makes no sense, the kingdom is funding the subjugation of the rifts, if they ask the Royal Knights for help they will reduce their prize money, why would they ask us?"


    "They don''t have powerful emissaries," Gretta explained. "It''s a beginner''s guild, so most of the people are emissaries who have just started... emissaring. Plus, the kingdom has invested a lot of money into this rift, they want to do it no matter what."


    "For money?... They are putting people in danger for money, how is that even allowed?"


    Zuri climbed my rock in a second and took the letter back, pointing to a specific number written on it.


    "Who cares? Look at how much they''re offering! Look at all that money! With that, we could pay off my father''s debts to the Duke! We''re free!"


    I wanted to counter that with a life lesson, then I remembered why I had a royal scholarship in the first place.


    Gretta, turning her index fingers together, murmured.


    "Hmm... My lady... Your father''s debt is about 376 million Lyre... The money the guild offers is 10 million..."


    "Whaaaaat?! Is this a joke?! What do they take me for? Reject the offer! Or give me their contact to negotiate!"


    They argued for a while, to my amusement. It could have been over right now if I had given her my final push, but as I opened my eyes, I stared at this message on an invisible screen, for everyone else, a message that had bothered me for a very long time.


    |Main quest: The frog who wanted to be as big as the ox


    |Complete a D-rank dungeon


    "Well, well, Well, I know a snake who will get happy."


    In the meantime in the huge mansion, a girl with silver hair and her little brother were standing in front of a training ground.


    In front of them, Hope, on his knees, was facing Cid. The latter with three light balls orbiting around his right hand.


    "So? Are you giving up yet?"


    "Aah... Aah... I''ll... Never stay... Down... No matter how... How much you beat... Me..."


    "Thought so."


    He pointed his hand towards Hope and the three balls were fired at him. The next moment, a small explosion occurred and Hope rolled in the dust.


    Cid walked, hands in his pockets, towards Freya, indifferently speaking to a young girl with black hair a little further away.


    "Maybe you should have a talk with your knight, what''s the point of always asking for a fight if he only knows how to get trashed?"


    The girl sighed in response and then looked towards Cid.


    "Stop that now."


    The boy raised an eyebrow and smiled.


    "Hm? It''s not my fault if you couldn''t pick a better knight... Well it''s your fault for picking an idiot though, but you should say that to him instead."


    "T''s what I''m doin'', Hope, stay down!"


    Cid realizing, turned around and saw the pathetic scene of Hope, barely standing, his sword in his hands.


    "Aaah... hehe... I won''t... I will never... stay down... look... my lady... this is your... k... aaah.. "


    The girl sighed heavily and the others shook their heads. Suddenly, a butler came from the mansion and stood aside Freya, a document in hand.


    ¡°My lady, we got an update about Sir Anesidora Carper that might interest you.¡±


    "Is it another monster elimination? It''s starting to get monotonous."


    "Not this time, my Lady, it''s about the subjugation of a rift."


    After these words, everyone turned silent. Some, perhaps surprised by the absolute indiscretion of the butler while others heard once again the name of the man whose story had invaded them for too long. Freya turned to her butler, a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Proceed.¡±

 And Then, They Meet Again

    A rift was a formation with the shape of a dome, or more precisely a ball buried half in the earth. It could extend over ten meters but in some cases up to more than a kilometer.


    In the kingdom, three major authorities were charged with dealing with them: the Royal Knights, the Guild Association, and stray emissaries.


    When a rift appeared, its level was first determined using magic devices for a whole day then from the second day it was made public.


    The kingdom then assessed its ability to take care of it and if they did not have sufficient troops to deal with it in the time before the opening, they placed a sum on the rift and sent the announcement to the association of Guilds which, in turn, made the information public and the guilds purchased a subjugation license from the association.


    If they managed to clear the rift, they received the prize money offered by the kingdom.


    Depending on its level, a guild could use its own guild member or buy the services of a straight emissary, but if they asked the royal knights for help, they would only receive half the money.


    It was very common in public guilds, also known as beginners guilds. Since they were financed by the kingdom that favored its Royal Knights, those guilds couldn''t afford stronger emissaries and were regularly requesting stray emissaries for help, unlike the private guilds, financed by major sponsors, allowing them to have easily emissaries from C level onwards.


    It was the current situation in the Southern Guild for Shining Sword, unable to keep a stable financial situation, and with difficulties of evolution, they were seeking a heavenly escape and had found one in the form of a D-tank rift, with abnormally high fixed prize money.


    To get the authorization, Shining Sword had to pay a huge amount of money to the Southern Guild, it was a common practice, that if the party wasn''t directly chosen by the guild, they had to pay a fee in case they wouldn''t be able to clear the rift.


    It was a huge gamble for Leon but they were in a dead end.


    Shining Sword members were waiting at the meeting point, a bus stop near a forest. Leon was examining his sword, looking annoyed, which did not escape Morgiana''s attention.


    "I told you to rent at least one second-hand sword, what if this one gets broken in the rift?"


    "And what if we can''t win here either? I get in debt? Or maybe are you going to pay it for me?"


    "Ksss... Now you see how important the money you used for those welcome parties for Liliana could have been useful."


    "It''s not important now ok? What about you going over there anyway? You''re distracting me."


    He growled, the tension had become very unstable between them. Erick approached Sana who was observing the road.


    ¡°Hey, maybe you should comfort him? Act a little more like a girlfriend!¡±


    "Huh?... It''s... Leon doesn''t like getting bothered before a fight, I''ll only be a nuisance."


    "Really? Your job doesn''t revolve around walking together or going to his bed... I hope you''re rocking this part though."


    She frowned.


    "What?! What did you say?"


    "Come on, just joking haha, anyway who did you guys call to pamper us? They''re getting late."


    A tall, sharp man carrying a bow advanced towards the group.


    "They''re a little late because they''re coming from the capital, it''s not a little walk you know? But watch your mouth when they''re here okay? You don''t want to offend a Royal knight."


    Erick crossed his arms, annoyed.


    "Why? Everyone knows they''re just a bunch of pansies who rarely go to the rifts, I don''t want to get lectured by someone who has never seen a monster elsewhere than in a book."


    The man laughed heartily and put a hand on Erick''s shoulder.


    "I know, I know, but remember that those people have connections with the people who rule this kingdom, so unless you want to get rejected from every organization, you better keep it down."


    Erick growled in his corner, then a large vehicle appeared from the horizon and stopped in front of the group.


    The man with the bow placed his hands on his hips.


    ¡°Here we go.¡±


    The doors of the luxury car opened, revealing 4 familiar emissaries: Hope, Cid, Freya, and the young girl of whom Hope was the knight.


    Leon was astonished, seeing a face that he would have wanted to forget a long time ago.


    "What the...?! Him? Why is he here?!"


    He turned towards Sana, who looked slightly annoyed.


    "Hey, Sana what''s the meaning of this??? Why is he here?!"


    "... I don''t know, I only requested one knight, I don''t know why everyone else is here."


    A young lady in a tuxedo got out of the driver''s seat and walked towards them.


    "It''s a simple formality, for safety measures."


    "... Safety? And who... Huh..."


    Erick couldn''t find his words when he saw a particular physical attribute of the woman, on her ears.


    ¡°An elf?¡±


    She laughed lightly.


    "Not exactly, I had been mortally wounded in a rift Times ago, and this is... Let''s say, the consequence of what saved my life. But don''t worry, I''m a human like you. But let''s focus on why we are all here shall we?"


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.She turned to the group of Hope, the latter looked strangely intimidated and kept looking at the surroundings when he felt someone pulling the back of his uniform.


    "Hmm? Who''s... Marie?"


    ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡±


    "Ah... Y-yeah, haha, it''s been like what? One month? You look very fine!" He looked nervously at his lady.


    "How is the Royal Academy? If you''re here it means that you''ve succeeded in the entrance exam?"


    "Yeah... Wasn''t a big deal, I''m also in the student council by the way."


    "Oh? Very good, I''m sure Dora tried to take advantage of this to do his shenanigans, by the way, how is he?"


    Hope was silent for a moment and looked at Leon, then at the other members of Shining Sword.


    "He... Isn''t here?"


    It was as if a painful lightning bolt had passed through each of them''s bodies at the same time.


    ¡°What?¡± Leon dropped his sword. "Who isn''t here? What are you... Oi, Marie!"


    She jumped for a moment, having a hard time processing Hope''s words.


    "What? I... I don''t know, don''t shout my name like this!... Hope, What do you mean?"


    Lilith, very silent from the start, slowly turned her gaze toward Sana who remained silent.


    ¡°You... What have you done?¡±


    They turned towards Sana, Cid, hands in his pockets sighed.


    "What are those clowns doing? Hey, quit your stupid act, I don''t have all the day."


    The girl following Hope approached him, intrigued in her turn.


    "Y''know them? What''s their deal?"


    "Well... You remember the guy we talked about, Dora, he was a former member of this team."


    "Oh? Talk about a coincidence... Then why they''re actin'' up?"


    "It''s a long story, my Lady..."


    In front of them, Leon walked right in front of Sana, he looked so furious that Liliana intervened between them, fearing that he would attack her.


    "This is why you kept it a secret? This is why you didn''t want to say who you had chosen?!"


    "We... Need a good fighter for this battle, we put everything we had on this!"


    "We can use everyone but him! What the hell is wrong with you?!"


    Erick, as usual, quickly took his friend''s part.


    "Seriously what''s this shit, Sana?! You requested him? And you didn''t even talk about it?? I''m sure Marie was also on this!"


    "Leave me out of this, will you? I didn''t know as much as everyone else... sigh... But whatever, it''s too late to regret."


    "Fuck no! I''m the party leader and I decide who I don''t want to see in this team! We''re withdrawing!"


    This time, Shining Sword members turned toward Leon, all of this under the eyes of the Knights dumbfounded.


    "Leon, are you stupid? Are you stupid?? If we give up our spot we will have to pay additional fees, do you want to destroy this party?!"


    Morgiana grabbed him by the collar, even Erick couldn''t follow him this time


    ¡°Um, man, maybe we could just do it with the people here, if we give up we''re screwed.¡±


    The man with the arc walked toward them, looking annoyed.


    "Um, guys, could you stop this scene, please? You''re giving a bad image of you in front of nobles."


    "Mister Kraim, we weren''t informed that one of them would be a very problematic person, we don''t want to go if he''s here!"


    ¡°What?!¡± They all exclaimed. Despite what happened between them, even the most reluctant members, Morgiana and Erick were aware of the consequences of withdrawing now but Kraim wasn''t ready to let the Guild''s name get tainted.


    "Okay now listen, I won''t repeat myself, you guys have bought the responsibility to deal with this rift right? What do you think will happen when it is made public that you refused to fulfill your own request just because you hate someone? Do you think you will go easy with that?"


    Leon looked Kraim straight in the eyes, trembling with rage.


    "You will be in huge debt, 10 million for the request, plus another 10 million for every day wasted, so in total it will be 30 million to pay! Do you want to be buried under a debt so young? So listen to me, I don''t know what''s happened between you and this guy but you''re going to swallow your rage and act like professionals, are we clear?"


    Leon lowered his head as the others nodded, sighing.


    Kraim went to the lady with the elf ears.


    "Sorry for this ridiculous show, we are ready to go now."


    "Don''t apologize, nothing is more painful than dealing with an unscarred injury in the mind. Let''s go now then, we''ll discuss the strategy."


    Marie walked towards them, hesitant.


    "Wait, we''re not full, are we? Dora''s not here yet."


    The woman smiled and turned towards the forest.


    "You are wrong darling, everyone is here. Sir Anesidora, I am sure you are not a coward so please don''t be shy."


    They were looking in the same direction as the woman, a clump of trees when a mysterious phenomenon occurred.


    The wind blew and took on a black color, swirling like a vortex at the foot of a tree and when it dissipated, 2 people appeared.


    One of them took a leaf out of his hair and looked at the woman.


    "The audacity of this elf..."

 The Calm Before

    Dora stood in front of the tree, looking annoyed and Zuri at his side. The girl patted her witch hat to dust it off.


    ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been 10 minutes, you owe me 5 coins.¡±


    "Ngh... Wait, she''s an outsider, I said the party members, technically, it doesn''t coun-"


    Before he could finish his sentence, a projectile hit him at high speed, but surprisingly as soft as a cushion.


    "Idiora! It''s really you! You really came..."


    "Ah... Oh, Marie..."


    She hugged him tightly, it was probably the biggest show of emotion from the young girl since he knew her, tears welled up in her eyes.


    "Hey, why are you crying? There, there, this isn''t a nightmare, I''m back."


    He stroked the head of the young girl who quickly rubbed her eyes.


    "I''m not crying, Idiora, I just got surprised a lot today... You''re really back."


    Lillith and Liliana joined them in turn.


    "You didn''t change, always the center of attention."


    "It''s amazing! Mister Anesidora, you''re really back."


    Each of them hugged him from each side, making him a little surprised by the attention he received, but he didn''t let it show and stretched his arms as best he could to embrace his friends.


    Kraim sighed as he looked at Leon.


    "Is that the problem? With all the acting you were doing I expected someone to try to kill him."


    Leon didn''t respond, already sick of the inevitable situation, he focused all his attention on his girlfriend.


    The latter looked unphased, his only relief at this moment but as he turned his gaze toward the 3 girls again, he couldn''t notice how hers turned back to him.


    The woman with elf ears walked towards Dora.


    ¡°I¡¯m delighted the reunion was so lovely, it will make the mission easier.¡±


    "... Who are you? I thought "I" was requested for help." He said as he glanced at Hope''s group.


    "It''s only for safety measures, Sir, you are now a property of the kingdom plus the daughter of a baron is involved, it''s only normal to gather more talented people."


    "I see... And I suppose that the casting is just a "coincidence", Huh? Whatever, as long as my paycheck is the same..."


    ¡°Idiora never changes, is this all that matters to you?¡±


    They teased each other, under the gazes, curious for some, murderous for the others, when Kraim hurried them to move on to the rift.


    So they set off into the forest, Kraim and the lady in front, followed by the members of Shining Sword except Marie, Lillith, and Liliana, chatting casually in the back with Dora and Zuri.


    ¡°By the way, Idiora, who is this girl?¡±


    "Hm? Oh, this is my new best buddy, Zuri, say hi to them Zuzu, they don''t bite."


    ¡°Jerk, is this how you introduce your lady?¡±


    They laughed lightly when Hope slowed down.


    "Hey, man, show some respect to your lady okay? This isn''t how a knight talks!"


    He looked at the girl in his charge and Freya and continued.


    ¡°I suggest we let the girls in the middle, it will be safer that way, isn¡¯t it, Lady Mercy?¡±


    The girl sighed heavily and Freya, without a glance, replied curtly.


    ¡°Learn how to protect yourself before trying to protect someone.¡±


    "Ah?... Oh! Yeah, you''re actually strong, sorry I forgot that, but I will soon surpass everyone so watch out."


    She sighed in turn and glanced back at Dora, perhaps by coincidence or fate, their eyes met, the young man looking suddenly nervous.


    "Yeah, maybe you''ll be considered stronger if someone steals your name and fights for you."


    Dora swallowed and pretended to have a conversation with Zuri. The walk lasted for a few minutes and soon, in an area cleared of trees, the group stopped.


    In front of them, the object of their alliance, a purple mass several meters in diameter and emitting energy that corroded the ground and vegetation: the rift.


    Kraim removed his bow from his shoulder.


    "Okay, from now on, I''ll take the lead, it''s no longer a child''s play. So, let''s take a quick summary of the situation, it''s a D-rank rift, I''ve been informed that you people from the capitals have never been inside one, so follow our movements and never lose your concentration... Personally, I wonder why they should start with this level, I think an E-rank rift would be better."


    The woman smiled, visibly amused.


    "Mr. Kraim, Thank you for your concern, but you would be surprised by the level of the people in the capital, don''t worry about them."


    "Hm! I''m just saying that this time it''s not a mock battle with lots of healers to pamper us, it''s a real challenge and our opponents are the monsters that we, emissaries, fight every day. We know what we are walking into.¡±


    ¡°So much so that you asked for Royal Knights.¡±


    He flinched and looked at the woman with a deadly glare, while the students, from both academies, smiled with satisfaction.


    "Alright, we''ll see how good you are. Now we need to check everyone''s position. I''m Kraim, D rank, archer class, I''ll be staying in the back for most of the fight."


    Everyone nodded and introduced their class.


    "I''m Leon, Hand, Hero class, D-rank, and leader of Shining Sword, so I''m going to play Mr. Kraim''s second in command here, I specialize in melee."


    "Erick, D-rank thief... Hand, my specialty is cutting the flesh of people I hate." He said looking at Dora who, caught in his thoughts, didn''t notice him.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.¡°Morgiana, hand, D-rank lancer, specialized in melee too but I can also protect the healer.¡±


    "Lillith, D-rank warrior, hand too, I''m a pure DPS so I''m pretty bad at defending myself, not that I can''t! Just, I''ll fight better if someone has my back."


    "D-rank puppeteer, I can produce puppets with many classes, mainly tanks but not very effective... My name is Marie."


    "Liliana, D-rank magic swordwoman, we are all hands in the team, I am good at melee but my preferential position is near one of the teammates who needs protection."


    Some of them nodded warmly at this wonderful little girl.


    "Sana, D-rank cleric, I am not the best healer but I''ll do what it takes. Sorry to rely on your protection."


    "It''s fine, it''s normal for the healer to stay at the back, this is how we, real emissaries are fighting. Now, if the Knights could introduce themselves."


    Kraim seemed decided to antagonize everyone, his mocking smile always on his face. The woman, with a mischievous smile on her lips, placed her hand on her chest.


    "Eryl, C-rank magician, I''m mostly here as an examiner for the Knights so I won''t interfere unless it''s getting dangerous."


    Shining sword members and especially Kraim were taken aback by her rank, the latter, frozen one moment, clenched his fists.


    "Then it''s my turn, Hope Balder, brother of the legend Elizabeth, Avatar of rank E, but evaluated with a potential of rank D, I am a hero and probably the strongest in physical power here. With me, victory is assured!"


    He looked proudly at his audience, most looking annoyed.


    "What a good talker... I am Cid, but for you all it''s Barron, I don''t have time to say anything about me or my power, whatever will come to me, I''ll crush it."


    They looked at him while sighing, Eryl amused.


    "I think it''s good like this. Then it''s only left you, Sir Carper."


    "... I know, I am Anesidora, Dora for 4 people but Mister Carper for the others, E-Rank Avatar... Shaman."


    Faces filled with doubt and astonishment. Erick giggled and Leon put a hand to his face.


    "Is this a joke? Those 3 are E-rank? What the hell? Mister Kraim you want us to team up with under-leveled people?!"


    "I was sure that there were more than this... And you are the one who requested them. Miss Eryl, I don''t want to teach you how to be an examiner but..."


    "I know, but I told you not to worry, the kingdom knows what it does. Those 3 are E-ranks but don''t underestimate the abnormal nature of Avatars."


    "Listen, I understand for the balder boy, and I feel the power of this nosy guy but... An E-rank shaman? I can''t let someone like that enter a D-rank rift."


    The members of the group looked at each other, Marie, biting her lip, raised her voice.


    "He may be an E-rank, but he''s very talented. If we want to win we need him."


    "Y-Yeah, He''s the one who trained me as a warrior, he''s annoying but not incompetent!"


    Lillith stepped forward as well, but Kraim shook his head.


    "I know you''re defending him because he''s your friend, but I can''t go against the law, if something happens to him because he was in the wrong rift, I''m the one who will take the responsibility. A shaman isn''t much of a fighter, but if he''s E-rank it''s just useless here, plus he''s an Avatar. This won''t do."


    They tried to persuade him desperately, while Zuri whispered to Dora.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a shaman right?¡±


    ¡°On paper, I am.¡±


    "You''re... Not also E-rank right?"


    "... On paper..."


    Kraim remained unmoved by the pleas of the two girls, soon joined by Liliana, when Eryl walked towards Dora.


    "Mister Kraim, with all due respect, it''s very unprofessional to not check the people you''re selecting, but this is hardly the time for complaints. I told you that I was here in case things turned wrong right?"


    "Miss... Is this a habit in the capital to do things without thinking about the consequences? Are you brain dead?"


    ¡°No, but we know fine talent when we see it.¡± She stood right in front of Dora. "If anything goes wrong, I''ll take responsibility, Are you fine with it?"


    Kraim huffed through his nose as he crossed his arms and walked towards the rift.


    "Remember this, you spoke in front of testimonies, if he dies, it''s on you. Now everyone, get your weapons ready, we''re moving."


    The 3 girls sighed in relief, Leon and Erick looked away, annoyed, Hope made a gesture of victory, and Barron shrugged his shoulders.


    "See? This is why you need to stop playing around Idiora."


    "Y... Yeah..." He took a glance at the team members, and once again, met the piercing gaze of Freya.


    What was the purpose of this girl? There was nothing that she could do against him now that he was with Zuri. Those thoughts occupied his mind.


    Eryl advanced towards the rift in turn but was stopped by Liliana.


    ¡°Thanks, madam, thanks for thrusting us.¡±


    "Hm? Oh, no dear, don''t thank me, I''m merely doing what is correct. I wouldn''t make a lie that would kill someone."


    She turned her back, whispering in an inaudible voice.


    "You shouldn''t underestimate the abnormal nature of a true Avatar."

 The Rift

    A violent wind filled with energy waves blew over the group. The happy faces had given way to tight expressions, each holding their weapon firmly in the face of the invitation from this mouth of hell.


    They knew that from this moment on, their lives were at stake, it might be the last time they could set foot on familiar ground. Silently, Kraim walked in front, followed by Eryl and the rest of the group.


    Hope, very driven by this moment, kept his eyes wide open to fully enjoy the experience of his very first raid. Once he made contact with the portal, he felt all the energy focus on his body and lost his footing momentarily, but as he fought in the air to keep from falling, he regained his balance. He was disoriented, processing what had just happened, and was looking at his hands.


    "Mr. Hope?" Liliana, noticing his stop, called out to him.


    "Ah... Oh, sorry, I kinda... What..."


    As his gaze shifted in focus, he realized the universe around him. A minute ago, they were in the scariest forest he had ever seen, but where he was right now was nothing like it.


    Two rows of pillars surrounded them, leading to a huge ruined temple. The ground was covered with old slabs broken into pieces, strange black vegetation, moss, or a cemetery of trees on giant rocks which seemed to serve to prevent any escape, in the surroundings and a redder sky than a pool of blood.


    The young man was well known for his confidence, but for the first time ever, he felt an indescribable feeling that turned his stomach. Or maybe not, it was the second time, the first time was when he almost saw his death coming at the hand of a young man behind him.


    Kraim looked around for a moment and focused on the temple.


    "Stay on your guard, these rocks are a perfect place to launch a sneak attack."


    Everyone nodded and as he started walking, they followed him. The young hero felt immense pressure on him and started to tremble, Mercy, behind him, noticed him.


    "Hey, you''re not scared are ya?"


    "Huh? No! No, of course, I''m just very impatient. It''s my first time in a rift and I want to make a blast."


    "Ah, good then, but just in case, it''s just a D-rank rift y''know? Even you should be able to do right here so don''t freak out, K?"


    "I''m not freaking out, and what do you mean even me? I''ve never been in a rift but I''ve read every book about them, I''m the 3rd best student in my classroom, see."


    Erick turned around, mockingly.


    "Good, a scholar, must be nice to learn about the rift on a school bench. Go ahead, teach us about them."


    "Really?"


    Erick''s intentions were probably to ridicule the young boy but he didn''t realize that he barely managed to give him more confidence.


    "Well, you see, a rift isn''t really dangerous, it''s true that it''s vast and no one knows if each rift isn''t just another world or a simulation, but all you have to do in each case is kill the boss, once it''s..."


    "Shit, I was kidding, shut the hell up!"


    "What? But you''re the one..."


    Exasperated, Kraim shouted at them.


    "Alright, now you shut your mouth! You, the knight, do you realize where you are? Monsters can hear you and will come if you make noise."


    Hope hunched his back, embarrassed.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "Fucking privileged people... Let the rifts to the real emissaries." Kraim murmured, but everyone had heard this hidden insult.


    "Can you control your animosity a little more or are you planning to put a tantrum till the end?" Freya asked coldly.


    "What did you say?"


    He stopped, more annoyed than ever.


    "Well, you see, a rift isn''t really dangerous, it''s true that it''s vast and no one knows if each rift isn''t just another world or a simulation, but all you have to do in each case is kill the boss, once it''s..."


    "Shit, I was kidding, shut the hell up!"


    "What? But you''re the one..."Exasperated, Kraim shouted at them.


    "Alright, now you shut your mouth! You, the knight, do you realize where you are? Monsters can hear you and will come if you make noise."


    Hope hunched his back, embarrassed.


    "Fucking privileged people...Let the rifts to the real emissaries." Kraim murmured, but everyone had heard this hidden insult.


    "Can you control your animosity a little more or are you planning to put a tantrum till the end?" Freya asked coldly.


    "What did you say?"


    He stopped, more annoyed than ever.


    "I said, can you impersonate the role of a leader and stop this game? You can keep your private problem for yourself but stop making a fool of your guild."


    The two looked at each other fiercely, the others were worried that the situation could explode but Kraim started to laugh, hands on hips.


    "You''ve got guts, got that from daddy and mommy? Fine, fine, I will let my arrow speak next. Hey, you the shaman dude."


    Dora raised his head, intrigued to be mentioned at this moment.


    "Since you can''t be of use and we need to pamper the nobles, God only knows why they''re here anyway, you''re on the duty of protecting them, understood?"


    "What? But I need to... I can fight too."


    "It''s an order, you''re useless here so behave!"


    Dora frowned, on one hand, he wanted to participate in the fight for his quest, and on the other, he was annoyed by the possibility of Kraim pouring his anger on him.


    Leon and Erick did not miss this opportunity.


    "You can''t be of use, like before, you knew that from the beginning, so just behave."


    "Yeah, you''ve always been dead weight, at least now you have an excuse."


    He laughs, this scene, which is reminiscent of Dora''s departure from Shining Sword, was unbearable for Marie. She was about to walk towards them when Freya held her arm.


    "Eh?"


    "Why are you angry? The person in question doesn''t want to defend himself, so let him face the consequences." She turned toward Kraim "Fine, he''ll do that, he''ll stay in the safe zone, so no more senseless insults from now on." ".


    The group looked at each other in embarrassment, Liliana looking at the ground while Lilith''s hands shook. Hope looked even more defeated and shook her head.


    "If it were me, I''m sure you''d suddenly remember how to speak."


    "No wonder he was defeated by a golem, what a waste of time." Cid shrugged.


    The group leaves, more tense than before. Zuri, worried about her knight, inquired about his condition, but the young man no longer reacted.


    "Kuku... You put on a good show... Hey, don''t ignore me... Ok, you don''t owe me anymore, is that okay? Hello? It''s not a big dungeon anyway, you''d be bored here."


    "It''s called a "rift", don''t shame Saint Nova."


    Freya intervened in their discussion, startling Zuri.


    "Heh? P-President Freya?"


    "... We are not in the academy, so forget the honorific."


    "Y-yes my lady! Thank you, my glorious lady! Oh my God, she talked to me!"


    Freya looked at her, letting her perfectly unphased face give way to an expression of astonishment. She decided to ignore Zuri and just focus on her main target.


    "... Anyway, I wonder why you were surprised, you''re the one who faked his true rank, did you expect people to take you seriously? You''re reap what you saw."


    "What''s this about fakin''?" Mercy joined the conversation. "S''this why everyone has a problem with ya?... Oh, You, I recognize your face, you''re this weirdo who poisoned the canteen food right?"


    "Eh? It wasn''t poison but METAMORPHOSIS potion, people like to exaggerate."


    "... It was you?!"


    "Lol, but I wonder how you didn''t get expelled for that, I''m a big fan of you y''know."


    They were chatting cheerfully on the back, and Erick glanced regularly at them.


    "Hmph... This guy always manages to get surrounded by girls, see that, Sana?"


    The girl didn''t react, not even with a gaze. Erick sighed in annoyance.


    "Well, at least for once he isn''t smiling, it''s already a..."


    "Everyone! Get ready!" Kraim exclaimed as he materialized an arrow in his hand.


    They looked at him in astonishment for one moment before realizing.


    "D-damn!... How did we not notice..." Leon focused a white aura on his greatsword.


    Morgiana stood on guard near Sana, and everyone else took position.


    "What''s going on? Is it beginning? What are we doing?!" Hope fidgeted, much to Erick''s anger.


    "For fucking sake, just shut up!"


    "Do you have a problem with me? What''s your deal?"


    Suddenly, a black projectile brushed against his head and died in the hands of Eryl, another one flew toward the 3 nobles but disappeared right in front of Dora.


    Eryl opened her hand, and a black spike disintegrated into dust.


    "Sir Balder, you need to be more cautious of your surroundings if you wish to continue on this path. It seems like we were the ones hunted."

 Hell

    Around them, on the rocks and ruins, a thick black smoke spread and engulfed everything around. A creeping sound could be heard and multiplied.


    Kraim cocked his arrow.


    "What pain, it seems like there are many of them."


    The sound gradually grew louder and suddenly, from the smoke, a swarm of creatures emerged.


    Masks on their heads, gray bodies in decomposition, and equipped with weapons of all kinds, Hope shuddered.


    ¡°Undeads?!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    At Kraim''s signal, the members of Shining Sword rushed toward the swarm.


    "Brave aura!"


    A wave emanated from Leon''s body, armed with his great sword, he leaped several meters and swung his sword, sweeping away several undead at the same time.


    "Materia."


    Marie, alongside Sana and Liliana summoned 10 puppets equipped with armor, a shield, and a one-handed hammer.


    ¡°Cover everyone!¡±


    The puppets rushed forward and each supported a fighter.


    Hope, paralyzed, looked at the chaos around him when a spear landed on the puppet''s shield at his side.


    ¡°Oi, the Knight, stop daydreaming!¡±


    He jumped when he heard Kraim''s voice and clenched his sword.


    "What am I doing? This is what I was waiting for, this is my moment! I''ve trained so much for this... Hey, everyone, sorry for the bad show, from now on, Hero Hop-"


    A group of undead rushed at him, but Morgiana disintegrated them all with a powerful spear strike.


    "Are you stupid? Stop playing around you idiot!"


    "Aah... Ah, s-sorry..."


    Cid passed by him with a mocking look.


    "Why aren''t I surprised? Pathetic, look how it''s done."


    He raised his hand and conjured an orb of light and a blue orb, a cloud formed above them.


    "Thunderbolt."


    He fired the bullet into the cloud and a strong electrical reaction followed, a cloud of lightning violently shattered the cloud of smoke and several undead.


    The members of Shining Sword and Kraim had to step back to avoid being caught in the barrage.


    "This... Is this guy crazy? Hey! Watch out, you idiot!"


    Erick exclaimed furiously.


    "Hmph, I don''t receive orders from weaklings, everyone, stand back, I''ll take care of every-AAAAARGH!!!"


    A black spike stuck into his knee and went right through it. He collapsed painfully, uttering shrill screams.


    "What... Oh shit! Mages!!!"


    Kraim alerted the group, on the rocks and ruins, several undead were firing projectiles in the form of spikes at the group.


    Marie guided her puppets to absorb the shock but the attacks multiplied.


    "Ngh!!!.... Lilia, cover me! I''ll summon more."


    ¡°Alright, body enhancement!¡±


    A red and orange aura emanated from her body and, with exceptional speed, the girl parried the projectiles.


    Sana rushed to Cid and used her healing magic, to no avail.


    "Argh... Why are you so slow? Hurry up!"


    "I''m trying... Heal!.... S-Something is wrong, the spike doesn''t disappear!"


    "Do something! You''re the freaking healer! It hurts dammit!"


    Kraim fired several arrows, eliminating many shooters, but a barrage of spikes fell on them.


    "Damn... Hey, do what you did again! Kill the shooters!"


    ¡°I¡¯m losing my leg, for fucking sake!!!¡±


    It seemed ridiculous to imagine this overconfident boy suddenly whining over an injury, but the reality was far from it.


    The spike had crossed his knee joint and came out from behind, but added to the unbearable pain, the spike spread in the form of black crystals covering his leg.


    "Heal.... Heal... it doesn''t work, we need to take off the spike by force!"


    ¡°My fucking leg is in it!¡±


    "Materia... Can someone do something about the shooters? I''m running out of energy, Leon and Lilith will be exposed!"


    The swarm of melees undead was getting closer to the center, Lilith was giving violent horizontal blows, 4 puppets ensuring her protection, Leon was closer to the ruins, 5 puppets on him, but every second a puppet was destroyed by the shooters, and replaced immediately by Marie who was exhausting herself.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.Leon was breathing heavily, his eyes shot with rage.


    "Not... This time!... I will win... I will win!"


    He moved closer to the cloud of smoke, sweeping more and more undead around him and not even noticing the puppets getting destroyed.


    "Everything depends on this... Everything depends on this victory! I will win... I will wi-"


    A gigantic hand emerged from the cloud and smacked him into the air, before he fell heavily in front of the group, coughing blood.


    "Oh no! Leon!"


    "My leg... Hey! Don''t stop Healing! Aaargh!!" Cid yelled.


    Marie placed one knee on the ground.


    "Please... Anyone... Lilith is..."


    Left alone in front, Lilith had fallen on her knees. The giant hand gave way to a gigantic undead, the body more ravaged than the others, and a skull covered with shreds of flesh.


    The young girl, crystals spread on her arms, was trembling all over. Morgiana rushed towards her but the barrage of spikes resumed.


    "D-damn... Lilith, Ruuuun!!!"


    But the girl couldn''t hear her anymore. Paralyzed by fear, she forgot how to move and even talk.


    The group was prisoners, around them the swarm of undead, above, the pikes rained down and between them, discord reigned.


    Marie was reaching her limits, Liliana, Erick, and Morgiana were doing their best to ward off the undead and Hope was once again paralyzed by fear.


    Kraim, desperate, turned towards the back where Eryl and Dora were.


    "Hey! Bastards! We need...!!!"


    But his surprise was great. While they were in hell on earth, on Dora''s side the situation was unexpectedly worse.


    Piles of undead and body parts were around them, and a significant amount of black crystals rose from the ground. The situation was worse for them, but no one was injured.


    The girls were inside a bubble while Dora and Eryl stood outside, motionless.


    "H-Hey!!! We need help! Heeey!!!!"


    None of them reacted. Eryl looked at her wrists, covered by small crystal fragments.


    "... I see... I made an error by touching them... This is why... They targeted us at first... those... hm... Crystals... We need to.. ."


    She put a hand on her forehead, the undead were surrounding them.


    "Haha... In a D-rank... rift... how pathetic of you... are you that scared?..."


    Dora glanced at her, a few crystals were spread on his arms. The woman in front of him, on the verge of fainting, was using her last energy for cursing, she was supposed to be the strongest in this place, but she was succumbing with no effort.


    But something was different, unlike everyone else insulting him, her behavior was strange. She had a mocking tone, as if taunting him, but never looked at him.


    She grabbed her head with both her hands and giggled with a cracked voice.


    "... Hehehe... Do you... understand the conc... sequences?... if you''re so... eager... why won''t you come here?... Envy."


    At these words, Dora blacked out. His body swayed like a puppet with cut strings. His eyes turned black, completely. He grabbed his head and staggered.


    "....? Nngh... Wha...? Wha..."


    The crystals on his arms fragmented and a black aura emanated from his body.


    Freya banged the bubble, anxious.


    "Let us out! We must fight too! Hey!"


    "I was wrong... I was hella wrong..."


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡±


    Around them, the undead stopped their attacks altogether and turned to Dora.


    The black aura swirled around him as it rose, and he began to cry out in pain.


    Morgiana took this opportunity to rush to Lilith and pick her up, but as she ran towards the group, a sinister scene occurred.


    The undead raised their arms towards Dora, chanting eerily.


    "What... is going on?"


    Dora fell on his knees and laughed, under the stunned gazes of the 3 girls in front of him, and suddenly...


    "Yes... Yes, I feel it... this is real... We are real..."


    He stood up looking at his hands, a smile on his lips.


    "Ah... Finally... After so long... So this wasn''t just an impression... I was... Huh? Oh..."


    He noticed the undead around him and smiled.


    "Haha... The party has begun."

 The One Behind Them

    A black mist spread, emanating from Dora''s body, whose face was more relaxed than ever.


    Beside him, Eryl had stopped shaking, her naturally beige hair had turned purple, and she was watching the crystals disintegrate on her hands.


    "Congratulations, now you''re done."


    A menacing howl rose from the ruins and all the undead went into a killing frenzy.


    The shooters on the rocks fired a barrage of spears at Dora and those on the ground rushed at them. Eryl looked at the ruins with a sinister smile.


    "So this is where you''re hiding..."


    She disappeared before the spikes could touch her and the next moment, many undead erupted.


    The spikes reached Dora, but once again, they disappeared right in front of him.


    "Hm... Can''t have a minute to think... Huh? Was my hand always this big?"


    "Watch out!!!" Zuri shouted as the swarm reached him, but the boy didn''t move.


    Spears, swords, axes, all the weapons of the undead were planted in his body, before the horrified eyes of the 3 girls, but then, an unexpected event happened.


    No blood was shed, no limbs were torn, and the weapons were stuck in a black viscous matter on his body, it was as if they had pierced through the mud.


    "..... Nice, donors."


    His body turned completely black and exploded, covering all the undead around him in a black goo that spread over the undead bodies before merging into one.


    The protective bubble around Zuri, Marcy, and Freya suddenly disappeared, but they were unable to notice it, as their attention was focused on the being formed by the goo.


    Carrying all the weapons that pierced his back, Dora stood up, his eyes completely black.


    "I hope you''ve enjoyed this little game so far, because from now on... I''ll be in control."


    His black aura covered him and white light covered his eyes. The energy waves he emitted could be felt by everyone and most of them were in shock, unable to understand what was happening, while Eryl literally made large groups of undead disappear around her.


    "Polymerization: Beta, Delta, Gamma, Sigma..."


    The energy disappeared, the undead were motionless once again, and all the members of the group stared, paralyzed, at the young man with a skin white like a snowflake. Even Eryl had stopped and was looking at him out of the corner of her eye.


    He opened his eyes, his irises red as ruby.


    "Omega body."


    A shock wave passed through the ground, and the undead resumed their frenzy and lunged at him, but they never touched the ground, they flew several meters above the ground while black spikes protruded from the earth and pierced their body.


    He took a spear from the weapons on his back, twirled it, and slammed into the ground, the shockwave sweeping away the nearby undead.


    The shooters resumed their attack, but each of them disappeared around him.


    "Spear Art."


    He spun the spear and threw it with incredible force at a group of shooters, but it stuck to the rock rather than any of them.


    "Dagger Art."


    This time, he took 2 battered daggers and slashed the undead around him, with exceptional skill.


    For a moment which lasted less than a minute, no one dared to speak, no one dared to think. No one could imagine what he had seen.


    Most of them knew the boy, they knew him as a good friend, a mentor, a rival, or an interesting person. Most of them knew he was not incompetent, they trusted him, but he disappointed them too often.


    They had stopped hoping to see him at his peak, but the excitement of knowing he was getting serious was proof that deep down, despite being a failure, he had already invaded their minds.


    They expected a lot from him, but what they saw was beyond their imagination.


    "Magic Art: detonation"


    Several small balls of light surrounded him and randomly rushed towards the undead, exploding instantly.


    The next moment he had disappeared from the battlefield and emerged from the spear stuck in the rock and rose into a black smoke above the shooters.


    "Dagger Art."


    And then he slashed at them mercilessly, without order, without strategy, just slicing away everything his eyes could see.


    Kraim, his lips trembling, gradually regained control of his body and whispered.


    "What...what is this?..."


    The monsters no longer paid attention to them, gravitating around the two emissaries.


    "... Dora?" whispered Marie.


    A few minutes ago they were overwhelmed by the swarm, but here these two were demonstrating their skills.


    Dora was decimating the undead on the rocks while Eryl arrived in front of the temple.


    A blue vortex swirled around her body, causing the undead around her to disappear, and she suddenly stopped.


    Gazing at the interior of the temple, she smiled.


    "Found you¡­"


    Inside the temple, a creature, similar to the undead, was kneeling on a luminous pentagram.


    Eryl''s eyes turned yellow and red vapor came out of her mouth, whose canines had become sharp fangs.


    "Voracity."


    She crouched down and jumped at the praying creature at high speed.


    The creature made no movement and disappeared in a blinding light caused by Eryl''s attack.


    At the same time outside, several undead froze and disappeared into the dust.


    Shooters, melee, most of them disappeared in an instant. Dora stopped his madness, breathing hard and with dark circles around his eyes.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.".... huh?.... Where are you going? We don''t have your experience yet."


    His comrades, now freed, got up, Sana providing practically no care to Cid who was almost unconscious.


    Some undead were still there, but the main group was gone. They could clearly see around them.


    Dora, very annoyed to see his precious experience wasted, threw a dagger to the ground.


    "Why? Why isn''t it leveling up?!"


    He looked at the system jobs screen, realizing that his physical tasks were still level 1.


    Marie approached him slowly, looking worried.


    "D-Dora?... Did..."


    "What was that?!"


    Erick shouted behind her.


    "What happened?! What witchcraft was that?!"


    They were words of fear and anger, raw emotions were a weakness in many cases, but had the tremendous ability to make anyone ''human again''.


    Morgiana shivered and moved forward as well.


    "What... Dora, what was that?"


    "Sir¡­ Anesidora?"


    They hesitantly advanced towards him but stopped some distance away.


    The boy looked at them indifferently, then looked at his hand, murmuring.


    "..... Oh, yeah... That''s our name here."


    Only Leon, Hope, Sana, Cid, and Kraim remained still. Freya was slightly flustered but managed to keep calm.


    "It''s too early to rest, there are still monsters around... We should finish this first."


    She spoke in a loud voice, hoping to reach a specific person.


    "We don''t need your reminder, we know what we need to do."


    He sighed disappointedly, examining the blade of another dagger in his hands.


    "Hey, Dora, don''t you dare ignore me! What was that?!" Erick was walking towards him furiously.


    ".... Wait! Stay back!!!"


    Freya yelled at him, but he ignored her warning and grabbed his shoulder, or tried to.


    "Eh?!.."


    He believed he had grasped Dora''s shoulder, but his hand slid down. To prevent himself from falling, he took a step forward and discovered something beneath his foot.


    He felt a powerful sensation that traveled from his chest to his entire body, ending in his right hand, as he gradually lifted his foot. Underneath it, he discovered four fingers.


    "Ah... What... ouch... what is this..."


    He looked at his hand, surgically separated from his fingers, and let out a howl of pain as he squeezed his wrist, much to the horror of his comrades.


    "M-Mr. Dora!"


    "Erick no!"


    They rushed towards him, but Dora gave him a powerful slap, knocking him unconscious.


    "Loud."


    They stopped in their tracks, fearing whoever was in front of them. Hope, sweating profusely, moved slowly.


    "Dora, please, please stop, he''s your teammate... What are you doing?..."


    He was barely able to speak, all his instincts giving him warnings of death.


    "Hm?.... Him? Our teammate?"


    He looked at Erick, hands on his hips.


    "..... Yeah, we remember... He was very hostile towards us and we don''t carry him in our hearts."


    The dagger slowly rose in his hands.


    "But he is stronger than many undead, and a human should drop a soul stone..."


    "What?"


    A chill spread through the atmosphere, everyone was unable to move but deep down they knew what was going to happen.


    He gave off a terrifying sensation, he was facing someone he had every reason to hate, but his gaze had no emotion. He looked at him like a lumberjack would look at the tree he was about to cut.


    Suddenly, a spike struck his back.


    "Dora!" Mary shouted.


    "Argh! What..."


    As he turned around, he noticed from every corner a legion of undead crawling from the smoke, striking fear into the group.


    "What... They''re not done yet?"


    The shooters took up positions on the rocks and the melee monsters surrounded the group.


    "Aahaha... Good... I was worried... aah..."


    Dora dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.


    "D-Dora!"


    Zuri rushed towards him. He was having trouble breathing, the black crystals spreading throughout his body, and his deadly aura was starting to disappear.


    The swarm moved closer and the shooters charged their attacks. The situation was at its peak when an explosion occurred from the temple, but unlike the first time, it was not followed by a time of rest. Eryl crashed heavily near the group, badly injured and unconscious.


    Dora, one foot down, Eryl and Cid unconscious, the main force of the team was neutralized and Sana and Marie were running out of energy.


    The group, back to back, facing the legion of undead, how could this be a common experience for the emissaries? Where did they miss? They could sense their death coming at any moment, the shooters firing a barrage of spikes.


    The red sky was covered with black spots rushing towards the group, Hope, tears appearing in his eyes.


    "Aaah...."


    The barrage hit the ground frantically and the undead rushed to the impact zone.


    Pieces of bodies flew through the air, mixing with debris from the ground and broken weapons. No light could exist in this desolate world, but somewhere else, in a completely different world, Hope opened his eyes. The pain he expected never happened, the screams he imagined remained silent.


    Beside him, everyone was there, in the same state as before, but what changed was their environment.


    They were sitting or standing in a large and luxurious room, a huge clock on the ceiling, and in front of them, on a large bed like he had only seen in luxury magazines, a girl with green hair was looking at them.

 One Word, 500 Thousand Questions

    The group stood stunned, looking around the room, at a loss for words, then, in turn, noticed Midgard. The woman, with a tense expression on her face, looked at Dora who was barely able to breathe. He weakly glanced around the room before collapsing to the ground, his aura completely evaporating.


    She got up and opened her system shop screen and purchased three healing potions. From the others'' point of view, it was as if she made them appear out of nowhere. She handed one to Sana.


    ¡°For the one with the leg in the crystal.¡±


    "... Huh... What is this..."


    ¡°Hurry up, or he will die!¡±


    She quickly took the vial shakily and administered it to Cid, while Midgard gave the other two to Dora and Eryl and placed Dora''s head in her lap.


    A faint green light emerged from the bodies of the three and suddenly their faces seemed relaxed.


    The crystals crumbled and shattered from Dora and Eryl but continued to spread on the Cid.


    Midgard sighed and looked at Hope.


    ¡°Cut off his leg.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    "It''s already too late for him, cut off his leg or he will die."


    "You''re kidding... Why are you asking that? What is this place? And who are..."


    "Cut off his leg right now or I¡¯ll send you back there!"


    He felt immense pressure, already at his mental limit, and felt on his bottom.


    "... I... No... I can''t do that... Pl... Please..."


    He looked desperately at his comrades, as shocked as him. Freya, troubled, approached Cid and looked closer at his leg. The crystals had completely covered from his thigh to his foot.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we do anything?¡±


    "He is different, these things won''t disappear, we need to cut his leg before they reach his hips."


    Freya lowered her head slightly and gave a pitiful gaze to Cid.


    "... I see... Hope, do it."


    "W-What?! B-b-but I..."


    "You''ve been horribly annoying today so just quiet and cut it!"


    He shivered on the floor, a pathetic display for all the others. Kraim glanced at Leon who nodded and took a few steps forward.


    ¡°Lady Freya, please step back.¡±


    She got up and joined the group, Leon raised his sword and with a powerful blow, severed Cid''s leg from the thigh. Midgard bought a blue mana potion, cheaper than a healing potion, and gave it to Sana.


    ¡°This will replenish your energy, stop his bleeding.¡±


    "... Alright." She drank the potion and returned to Cid.


    They watched this scene with confusion and sadness for the young boy, when Kraim turned to Midgard.


    "Now I think you owe us an explanation, who are you? What is this place? And... Looks like you care a lot about this boy."


    Midgard kept patting Dora''s head on her lap, making Kraim lose his temper.


    "Will you answer now?! Who the hell are you?! And what is going on here? This wasn''t a D-rank rift!"


    Midgard''s piercing gaze landed on Kraim.


    "One more¡­"


    "Eh?"


    "One more question, scream, or anything unpleasant from any of you, and I''ll send you all back to hell."


    They froze at her threat and she continued to pat Dora''s head. They understood that talking would do nothing and without a word, they sat down either on the ground, near Sana, or in an armchair, and thus, several minutes passed in this atmosphere.


    Leon and Sana were next to Eric, still unconscious.


    "I''m almost out of energy... I... I can''t do this, I can close his wound but it''s impossible to regrow his fingers... I''m sorry."


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    "... Don''t apologize... It wasn''t your fault...You weren''t the one who cut them off."


    He looked at Dora, sleeping on the bed next to Midgard who never left his side. Thousands of questions consumed the group, but the threat from the woman had discouraged them from investigating further. She looked at him like a mother looks at her child, or perhaps like a child looks at a meaningful toy.


    Marie was particularly troubled, she had known Dora for a very long time and knew that he was stronger than he let on, but what had happened in the temple was beyond her imagination.


    She wondered what it was, how he could endure all the previous humiliations but overreacted over such a little treat. His behavior no longer bore any resemblance to who he used to be.


    In another corner of the room, Hope crouched down, dejected. His first experience in a rift was a total disaster, after all his training and determination, not only had he not killed a single monster, but he remembered Freya''s words over and over again.


    "Was I... really that lame?"


    He said in a frail voice, intended only for himself, but Mercy, not far away, could hear him.


    "... It didn''t really surprise me... But guess it''s worse?"


    He groaned, his head between his knees, while Morgiana and Lilith were in deep conversation, trying to understand Dora''s nature.


    "Really? Just because he wanted to live with his family? How selfish can he be?! And of course, you didn''t say anything about it because...?"


    "No one asked, okay? But it''s not important anymore."


    "Now I understand why you were suddenly so motivated, Lilith."


    "I... It''s not like that! I was angry because I knew his value, I didn''t change... I just didn''t expect this power."


    Kraim sighed at the girls'' words and looked at Dora, sleeping peacefully.


    "... The privilege of the Avatar type, I heard that the strongest avatars could use 2 or 3 fighting styles, but this guy... Oh..."


    All eyes turned to the bed as a reassuring voice was heard.


    "... Ah... Who was playing the drums in my head..."


    Midgard jumped.


    "Dora? Dora, are you awake?"


    "... Midget?"


    "... Sigma, thank god you''re okay."


    Marie rushed onto the bed and threw herself at him, much to Midgard''s dismay.


    "Dora! You''re finally awake!"


    "Hey! Back off! I didn''t give you permission to... Hey! Get off him!"


    The group gathered around them hesitantly, but since they didn''t sense the deadly aura and Midgard trying to push Marie away was a rather funny scene, they relaxed a little. Zuri in turn threw herself at him.


    "You worried me so much! What was that?"


    "Hey... Are you... Are you okay?" Morgiana asked from behind everyone.


    Dora was speechless, looking around he realized where he was, and seeing Midgard in its true form in front of everyone he understood that their secret may have been revealed. He looked at her in confusion but she shook her head.


    "No, I didn''t say anything, but now everyone, could you stay back? This is not the time to party!... You two too!"


    She grabbed Marie and Zuri and threw them at Kraim like sacks.


    "... Wait, be nice to them, these two are my friends."


    "Yeah, yeah whatever, I''ll deal with you later so stay out of it! No question!"


    "... I don''t even know what''s going on."


    She sat next to him on the bed, in front of everyone else, and sighed.


    "Alright, now the rules change. You can all ask questions and we''ll decide what we answer."


    They looked at each other, very confused by the situation, but Leon took the initiative.


    ¡°We?... So you¡¯re together?¡±


    ¡°Correct, next question."


    "... What are you? You two, this guy can''t be Dora."


    ¡°This is the Dora you know, we won¡¯t answer the other question.¡±


    Dora scratched his chin.


    "By the way, I didn''t give you permission to call me Dora... Oh, can I also ask a question? Why is Erick dozing in my room?"


    Leon released a murderous aura, surprising the other members of the group.


    ¡°Mr Leon, no!¡±


    ¡°Leon, please!¡± Sana clung to his arm.


    It seemed like the situation could spiral out of control at any moment, but then Freya crossed her arms.


    "You must be the most feeble-minded leader I have ever seen. Go ahead and throw your life away."


    He glared at her, but she showed no emotion.


    "Are you that stupid? Can''t you see just by looking at them that you''re way outclassed? They don''t even take you seriously... Now I understand why that team was such a disaster."


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re going too far!¡± Morgiana intervened. "He won''t do anything, no need to insult us."


    "You don''t speak up when your teammates display such behavior, but you will if they are corrected? It''s deep inside you."


    Morgiana flinched and glanced at Leon who was trembling with rage. Freya turned to Dora and Midgard.


    "I will ask the questions, I think you don''t want to waste time with pointless emotional questions right?"


    Midgard smiled at the young girl and leaned towards Dora.


    "Maybe we made an error in our choice of toad."


    "... I''m starting to understand what you meant by toad... If you feel regret then I''ll take this as a compliment."


    "I''m starting to like you, go ahead, ask your questions, I''ll answer the best way I can."


    Freya looked at the ground thoughtfully.


    ¡°Anesidora, are you perhaps D-rank?¡±


    The others jumped and looked at her confused. Dora opened his eyes wide, crossing his arms in an attempt to show no emotion.


    ¡°What makes you feel this way?¡±


    "Earlier, when you were fighting undead, I felt your energy after the barrier was broken. I''ve been around a higher-rank avatar before, so I know it''s not enough for a C rank, and way too much for a E-rank."


    Dora''s eyes narrowed. He was always very careful around this girl and the longer he was with her, the more dangerous she became.


    "... I''m not a C-rank."


    "... I understand. Where is this place? Are we safe from the undead?"


    "... We are safe from the undead, they won''t come here."


    "Good, now do you think if we go back, we can win?"


    Dora sighed and looked at Midgard, he had a clear answer on this but after losing consciousness he couldn''t predict the outcome. Midgard smiled and responded.


    ¡°Without a doubt, I have an idea of ??what¡¯s going on outside.¡±


    "I see... Then I have no more questions. Can we plan the battle now?"


    Midgard laughed lightly and stood up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, we¡¯re not wasting time here. Now that the boring interrogation is over, you can have a futile interrogation with Dora."


    "What? Why me?!"


    ¡°I need time to think, be a good friend, and listen to them.¡± She headed to the next room.


    The group waited a few moments, looking at the door to confirm her departure before turning to Dora who was already up.


    "I also need time to think..."


    ¡°Do you seriously think this is going to happen, Idiora?"


    "... apparently not."


    Meanwhile, in the next room, Midgard was sitting on an armchair. In front of her, was a small table with two cups of tea and someone sitting in another chair.


    ¡°Well, now we can start the interesting interrogation.¡±


    The woman in front of them took a sip of tea and sighed contentedly.


    "Long time no see, Midgard Serpent."

 Creeping Shadow

    In the room, Dora was being bombarded with questions by his comrades, Lilith holding him by the collar.


    "What do you mean, you don''t remember?" Are you trying to play dumb?


    "But since I told you! You should have asked the other girl!"


    "By the way, who is this woman?" Mary asked, holding his right arm. "What is your relationship?"


    They all looked at him, eager to hear his answer, but he was unable to come up with anything believable, in fact, even he didn''t know about their relationship. A player and her gaming avatar? It didn''t make any sense.


    "It''s¡­someone I met."


    Lilith tightened her grip.


    "Someone you met? And she lives with you in... in... This place? Seriously?"


    "Technically she forced herself on me but it doesn''t matter."


    That wasn''t enough to convince anyone and his options were dwindling. He considered changing characters but since Beta would be a dangerous gamble, and Gamma would be too violent. He decided to endure the wave, hoping that Midgard would arrive quickly.


    His salvation came from the least expected person, Leon grabbed Lilith and Marie and took them from Dora.


    "Enough with this bullshit, what exactly are you?! There''s no way you''re Dora!"


    "... Yeah, you''ll do. What''s the matter? Surprised to see me stronger than you?"


    Leon tried to grab him by the neck but stopped, remembering his friend''s fate. Dora nodded a cynical smile on his lips.


    "Is this a bad time to remind you that this might be your best opportunity for revenge? I threw you off the bus, remember? Come on, get your revenge now... While I''m still reachable."


    "You fucking bastard."


    Hope approached hesitantly.


    "But... Seriously, what was that?... You... You''ve never fought like that before."


    "Of course, I wasn''t trying to kill you... Wait... Is that Barron?" He noticed Cid unconscious in a corner of the room, a bandage in place of a leg. Freya sighed and walked over to him.


    "He was seriously injured. There was no other choice..." She looked at him, visibly affected by his fate.


    No one could say a word, Hope and Mercy were aware that Cid was in this battle because of her, she was probably blaming herself for what happened but nothing could change the situation now, complaining was pointless.


    Meanwhile, in the other room, Eryl and Midgard were enjoying a cup of tea. Midgard observed her interlocutor, surprisingly calm and smiling. She finished her cup and placed it on the table, looking thoughtful.


    "Hm, excellent quality. It''s almost as delicious as what you can find in the capital, but I doubt you can find it anywhere in this world. Am I wrong?"


    "Who knows? Since you liked it, I can assume you''ll be very cooperative. I have a few questions to ask you."


    "I have one too, why is there a sin in the territory of Gluttony?"


    Midgard sighed and took a sip.


    "You are only allowed to answer questions, nothing more. Why do I smell gluttony on you when you are neither an avatar nor a member of my species?"


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    "Since you reverted to your old form, does that mean she stopped looking out for you? Or maybe she chose to rebel?"


    Midgard looked very annoyed and sighed deeply.


    "We''re not going anywhere like this. Look, I''m in control here, so either you follow my rules or I send you back to the Rift, do we have a deal?"


    Eryl took the teapot and filled her cup, then added 4 tiles of sugar. She elegantly took a few sips and looked around the room.


    "I prefer to have it outside, like in a garden. Is there a place like this? I mean here, I doubt we''re anywhere in the kingdom."


    Midgard''s pupils narrowed and she tapped the handle of her chair with her fingers, showing her impatience, making Eryl laugh.


    "I''m sorry, forgive my rudeness. If you feel like sending me there, do so. I''m sure you won''t have a problem when Gluttony finds out her subordinate died in a battle involving another sin."


    They looked at each other in silence then both burst out laughing.


    "I think we''re at an impasse, and if I let you leave alive, you''ll tell her what you saw, right?"


    "It''s your fault for not being discreet enough, but I have an idea, let''s do what you were doing earlier with the others, we ask what we want and we answer as best we can, that way we can get something out of it."


    Midgard folded her hands in her seat, staring at the ceiling.


    "Well, I guess it''s better than nothing. So I go first, are you here because she sent you?"


    "No, I''m an examiner from the capital, I was requested here because 3 nobles and 3 knights were participating in their first rift. Now, my turn, what is your end goal?"


    Midgard suppressed a laugh at this question.


    "What a thing to ask, I just want to do what my instinct tells me... In preparation for the big day."


    "Big day? Twilight of the Gods?"


    "... She talks a lot, that''s for sure, huh?"


    Freya laughed but managed to keep her composure. She placed a hand on her chin and whispered.


    "... So it''s really happening... I stopped believing it but... Oh, You wouldn''t lie to me, I guess."


    "Who knows? Don''t you think this is the perfect excuse to convince her to leave us alone?"


    "Hm, you are not wrong, if all 7 have appeared, then it has already begun... Only those blessed by the world can save humanity from that which lies above us. But maybe she will ask to keep the boy alive and get rid of you?... Ah, no, you have already made a contract, pretty smart."


    Midgard, with a smug look, triumphantly took a sip of tea. Eryl raised her eyebrows and did the same.


    "Now my question, who is he? Pride, Sloth, and Wrath have already appeared, he is not Envy either, therefore Greed or Lust... Seeing his face, I would be tempted to say Lust but..."


    She looked up and met the green eyes of the woman in front of her.


    "The serpent who wiped out a civilization in the name of his greed..."


    Midgard applauded ironically.


    "You put it all together with that? I understand why she chose you."


    ¡°You really love playing with death, don¡¯t you?¡±


    "Please don''t lower me to the level of your kind, how could I play with something that''s out of my world?"


    "Yes... What a stupid question... But I wonder if the current situation suits you. Dora is a good puppet, you two were so cute together, but you know you have no control over Greed, don''t you ?"


    The atmosphere changed abruptly and Midgard''s eyes darkened.


    "I''ll figure something out."


    "Interesting, but does he know... that you''re going to swallow him?"


    Back in the room, the tension had increased a notch. Leon, fuming with rage, tried to throw himself at Dora, held back by Hope and Morgiana. The latter was sitting on his bed next to Zuri and Marie, ready to intercept the furious Hero.


    ¡°Let him go, he needs a quick reality check.¡±


    "Idiora, now you stop that too!"


    "But he''s not wrong, what does he expect?" Zuri was lying down, casually reading a magazine.


    "Say that again! Repeat what you said about Erick!"


    "Hm? Are you angry about that? I tell you I don''t know why Erick won''t pick up a banana with his right hand anymore, if it was my doing, I would have cut something else."


    ¡°Morgiana, get the hell out of me!!!¡±


    ¡°You idiot, calm down!¡±


    He was struggling like never before but Hope and Morgiana''s grip was too strong. His eyes flashed with rage, but what fueled him was not the desire to defend his best friend, but something else. He gathered all his emotions into the single movement his body could express and spat on Dora.


    The projectile disappeared before reaching its target and reappeared on Erick.


    "Eeew! What''s wrong with you?" Zuri pulled away in disgust.


    The other people realized that the animosity between these two had exceeded its limits and even Kraim, earlier sitting nonchalantly, had stood up.


    The smile on Dora''s lips was gone, and for a moment a frail feeling ran through everyone, the feeling that death was coming to them as the boy''s eyes turned black.


    ¡°Hope, Morgiana, let him go.¡±


    A shudder ran through both of them, Marie unconsciously letting go of his arm at the same time as Hope and Morgiana did the same with Leon, death was no longer a possibility but right here, in the room.


    ¡°I gave you 5 minutes and you¡¯re already killing each other?¡±


    They turned towards the door Midgard and Eryl were entering through. The woman passed Erick to the ground and headed towards Dora, Leon stepped aside without saying a word.


    "Hold back for now, remember our goal."


    She turned to everyone, the pressure was off once again but the main event was about to begin.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to finish this rift."

 A Real Party

    Everyone was sitting in a chair or armchair in the room, Dora, Midgard, Zuri, and Marie on the bed. Leon was sitting on the ground next to Erick by order of Midgard."So, Miss Owner, what is this super strategy that should help us win easily against that non-D-rank rift?"


    Kraim asked casually from his chair.


    "I don''t know what''s worse, the fact that this expedition was a failure from the beginning because you weren''t wise enough to see how unbalanced your pupils were or the fact that they still lost with you on the team."


    He flinched and looked away, groaning. What was left of his pride, anyway?


    "So if all the failures are done barking, let''s talk strategy. Thanks to my conversation with the maid, we know how to deal with this rift. First, the enemy, it seems that the monsters you have been fighting all this time are mere summons. "


    A few gasps of astonishment arose, and Dora scratched his chin while whispering.


    "Oh... That''s why none of them dropped a soul stone... What a waste!"


    Midgard nodded, a small smile on her lips, and continued.


    "The black smoke must be some sort of summoning portal, as you saw, it doesn''t matter how many monsters you kill, as long as the summoner is alive, the undead will always come back. To put it simply, it seems that they are the bosses of this place."


    Intrigued looks were exchanged among the people.


    "They? Are there many summoners?" Mercy asked.


    "Yes, the maid killed one earlier, but since they returned, we can assume that there are others, probably in the ruins, but now that we have this information, the difficulty comes to go down a notch."


    She stood up and stood in the middle of the group.


    "Now for our plan of action, our main concern is the shooter, we need a long-range attack for Dora and the servant to take care of it."


    Kraim, offended, hit his chest.


    "Are you serious? You say we need a long-range attack and you ask these two? Didn''t you see how they fought? Where do you see a long-range attack? I''m an archer! It''s my specialty!"


    "So you''re going to take care of them alone?"


    He flinched.


    "Uh... I didn''t say that. You were disrespectful..."


    "Well, if you can''t, then we''ll do without your services, we need people who could actually do it. So, maid, you focus on your little magic tricks, and for you Dora... Gamma."


    Kraim was shaking in his chair with rage, but no one paid any more attention to his antics. Eryl and Dora nodded.


    "Roger."


    "Good. You, the puppet girl, You will protect them with all your tank-wannabe puppets. only them."


    "Understood... What? And the others?"


    "Now listen, I know what''s going on better than any of you, I know how we''re going to win, so stop questioning me and do what I said. Valid for everyone."


    Marie seemed a little frustrated but as she glanced at Dora, the boy gave her an understanding nod. She sighed and nodded to Midgard.


    "Good, they will be the main target so none of you will need any support. No matter what, don''t let them get hit by the black crystals... Valid for everyone, but for these two in particular. And then..."


    She developed her entire plan and everyone''s actions for about ten minutes, from time to time arousing the anger or astonishment of the members of the group but no one questioned her.


    And so, they were all ready to leave. Standing in the middle of the room, facing Midgard. Cid and Erick unconscious on the ground, the woman was ready to send them off.


    "Don''t mess up everything again, if you fail, I''ll only save Dora since you''re all useless."


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Despite the tough warning, Freya smiled and took the challenge.


    "Don''t worry, we won''t disappoint you. Thank you, we owe you our lives."


    She bowed her head, an action unfitting of her social class, it was the thought of Hope at this moment, but for the others, they knew that the one in front of them was a being beyond normal standards, even for emissaries.


    They didn''t know her nature nor her power, but the instinct of an emissary was never wrong, the strong will recognize the strong. A door of light appeared on the wall, and at the signal from Midgard, they rushed to the other side, with weapons in front, and threw themselves into this hell.


    A good hundred undead, scattered in every corner, barely had time to react when an explosion threw several of them into the air.


    "Magic Art: Heat Wall"


    A barrier of fire rose above the smoke where the undead were coming from and spread. Eryl, behind Dora, made a green magic circle appear in each of her palms.


    "Good idea, Gassy Wind."


    A powerful green air current rose from the flames and transformed them into a gigantic wall of continuous explosion. Gamma made a slight grimace of annoyance but quickly turned to Marie.


    "A wave of spikes is approaching!"


    "Materia!"


    She summoned 10 puppets armed with large shields and 5 of each gathered around Dora and Eryl, just at that moment, a rain of black spikes fell on them.


    As Midgard had predicted, the others farther away were no longer the target of the undead, with Gamma acting as a control tower for the group.


    "Morgi, Lilia, the walkers!


    "Got it!"


    "Alright!"


    The 2 girls, back to back, destroyed the undead melee that threw themselves at Dora and Eryl.


    "Lightning Sword" Liliana infused her sword with lightning energy, spreading through her body, and slashed the undead at high speed in front of the 2 strongest.


    "Dragon scale"


    A yellow aura covered the spearwoman as she twirled her spear and dragged undead at their backs. The crystals from the spikes fell apart from the puppets'' shields, dangerously close to Dora and Eryl.


    "Purify now!"


    "I-I''ll try." Sana brought her hands together and released her aura around them, but the crystals continued to spill onto the ground and the particles flew into the air.


    "Seriously¡­ Hey, bossy girl, do it!"


    He shouted at Freya. For a second, everyone else flinched and glanced at him, as if to tell him to apologize to the one standing above them all. But the young girl, a little surprised at first, smiled and clasped her hands.


    "Oh, now you need my help?"


    "For once someone asks you something, you''re not going to complain!"


    "Watch your tone, I''m not complaining. Fairy wind."


    A warm yellow and pink aura covered the area and the crystals were gradually disintegrating.


    "... We could have done this from the beginning."


    "Someone put me into a bubble."


    "And you couldn''t escape, bravo. Hey, toad girl and family issues girl!"


    Zuri and Mercy flinched.


    "Who... Who has family issues?!"


    "Do you think you did something? I''m used to worse insults."


    "Great, toad, use your debuff on the giants in front of the temple, issues, do everything you can with your dark power but cover the failed heroes, and stay far away from me!"


    "Sigh K, K..."


    "Lucky, the air here sucks."


    Mercy rushed towards Hope, and Leon while Zuri threw a vial towards the giants fighting Kraim and Lilith, then took out a small misshapen stick from her bag and shot black lightning at the vial.


    The vial burst and a purple cloud covered the giant undead whose movements got slowed.


    "... Well done!" Lilith jumped high and smashed a giant''s head with a powerful blow.


    Mercy passed between them easily and began to chant a spell when a thought crossed her mind.


    "... How did he know?"


    She had never spoken about her power since the beginning, she wasn''t even in Midgard''s plan, but Dora knew right away that she was a dark power user.


    She quickly reached Leon and Hope, fighting 3 undead giants, the latter was surprised when he saw her.


    "M-My Lady?! What are you doing here?! Go back!! It''s dangerous-"


    "No time to chat, keep fighting!"


    She clapped her hands and several tiny black stars appeared.


    "Whirlwind of Stars"


    The stars rushed over the heads of the giants and swirled around their heads.


    "I got them, go for it!"


    "My lady, you can''t be serious!"


    "Trust me, dammit! He sent me here because he knows I can do it, I''ll take care of it, go kill the summoners!"


    "... Hey Dora! Are you crazy?! Why did you send her here?!"


    From behind, Gamma crushed a group of shooters with air magic and turned towards the temple, sighing deeply in frustration.


    "Hey, the dwarf with the hammer!"


    Lilith froze and looked at him, fuming with rage.


    "I knew it was coming... You''re dead!"


    "Make yourself shorter!!!" He gathered wind energy in his hand and threw an invisible ball that sucked Lilith in and carried her towards the temple.


    "WHAT?!" Everyone screamed.


    Dora did the same thing again and turned to Liliana who was clutching her head, trembling.


    "Light, she needs light energy! Short yourself!"


    "... What-AAAAAAAH!!!"


    In turn, she flew in a ball of wind and quickly crossed the place.


    The balls passed two of the small windows in the temple walls and stopped in the air. Thanks to their "specific morphology", both were able to get here with almost no injuries.


    "W... What... What the hell?... oh..."


    "Lilith, the ground!"


    Lilith quickly shook her head and looked at the ground at Liliana''s request. She saw in the middle and on the right side of the ruins, 2 undead praying in a luminous pentagram.


    "The summoners! Lilia, with me!"


    "Yes! Shining Warrior!" Her body lit up with warm energy. They touched the ground and Liliana held Lilith''s hand, her aura covering the girl.


    "Let''s get this over with."


    "Yeah, but I swear he''ll pay!"


    Armed with their shining weapons, they each ran towards one target. A tremor occurred and lightning flashed temporarily inside the temple, and after a few seconds, outside, the undead let out sinister groans and crumbled into dust, this time every last one. The black smoke cleared and the remaining crystals crumbled, after all this time, the nightmare was finally over.

 Broken Heart

    Everyone looked around, fearing another surprise but gradually realizing that the fight was over.


    "Is it over? We... won?" Sana whispered.


    Zuri and Freya turned, looking worriedly at Dora.


    "Is that it? Is it over?"


    Eryl patted the dust on her suit, smiling.


    "Lady Freya, do you sense any other remaining energy? If not, it means the boss is dead."


    An incredulous smile appeared on their faces and everyone jumped for joy. Morgiana lifted Zuri into a powerful hug and twirled her around, much to the latter''s displeasure. Kraim sat down, morally exhausted, and Leon, with a disappointed expression, looked at the temple.


    "Synergy: Beta-Sigma" a blue light appeared on Dora''s eyes.


    "Yeah, do that, let us clean up your mess... Oh, that reminds me..."


    He glanced at his quest screen.


    |Main quest: The frog who wanted to be as big as the ox


    |Complete a Rank D dungeon| Quest completed


    |All stats +10


    |+10128 Exp


    |Jobs have leveled up


    |+5 stats points


    Jobs


    Warrior lvl1


    Knight lvl1


    Healer lvl30


    Swordmaster lvl1


    Archer lvl30


    Rogue lvl30


    Mage lvl30


    |


    He smiled a little, but before he could enjoy his victory, his joy disappeared.


    "...? What is this... Urk!" His legs left the ground, under Morgiana''s powerful embrace.


    "You''re awesome! Thank you! Thank you!!!"


    "What?... Why are you... Wait, stop whirlin-" Another projectile hit him in mid-air, one with a familiar softness.


    "We really did it! Dora, you are amazing!"


    Marie hugged him with all her might, and Morgiana displayed her power by lifting both of them. The poor boy quickly understood that he wouldn''t get away easily.


    "D-Don''t forget Lilith and Liliana, they might be injured."


    "I didn''t know you were so modest." Freya, crossing her arms but with a gentle smile, approached.


    "You did really well, I''m honestly surprised."


    "... Why are you all even thanking me? Liliana and Lilith murdered the boss, you should worry about them!"


    "Just accept the compliment!" Zuri joined them. "It''s your moment, we know everyone helped but you shined brighter than anyone else."


    They gathered around him, these conflicting emotions could be understandable in a way. For the members of Shining Sword, it was a fight to determine their future, not only as emissaries but also in their lives. For the knights and nobles, this was the first contact with the real world of the emissaries, and this contact was a disaster.


    Cid, considered the strongest potential knight after Iris was quickly knocked down and had to lose a leg, and Erick, a reliable teammate, lost his fingers. One moment they were in hell, the next moment Dora was doing alone what they couldn''t do together. Even if He wasn''t alone, their attention was focused on him before and when he shined, they won. It was that simple. "The hero responds when we need him," right?


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    But for Dora, it was just another quest, his biggest concern wasn''t even succeeding but seeing his other jobs level up, he was powerful enough to join any team he wanted so it was just one rift among a thousand.


    Morgiana placed him on the ground and he nervously walked towards the ruins, followed by Marie and Freya, while Morgiana started running after Zuri for another hug.


    "You really impressed me, Idiora, now I understand why you never take training seriously."


    "I''m taking this seriously, I''m just lowering my standards to match... You really impressed me there, tank master."


    "... Jerk."


    They laughed amicably, and as they got closer to the temple, they grew closer to their other teammates, but not in the same celebratory mood as them.


    "My Lady, with all due respect, I cannot allow this!"


    "WHO are you to stop me?! I could very well beat them, stop being such a nuisance!!!"


    "I''m your knight, it''s my job to... Hey Dora, why did you send her to those monsters? Who gave you permission?!"


    "He did that because he''s smarter than you! Stop blaming him, I''m an emissary too!"


    Hope and Mercy clashed over what happened in the fight, Dora could barely remember that it was what caused Gamma to send Lilith and Liliana in his place.


    "My lady, this is now personal, please. Hey Dora, a noble doesn''t fight, why did you send her?!... Wait, did you make Lady Freya fight too?"


    "... Listen... sigh... Nah, ignore him." He passed by him without a care,


    but Hope, determined, grabbed him by the shoulder, making Marie and Freya flinch, remembering Erick''s fate.


    "Who do you think you are? You don''t know her like we do! You know nothing about nobles and you have no chivalry!"


    A sharp noise echoed through the temple, choking everyone. All eyes were on Hope who had just been slapped by Mercy.


    "You... know... nothing... about ME."


    A silence fell as Hope placed a hand on his cheek. Mercy, whose breathing had returned heavily, turned to Dora.


    "Sorry... For not being up to the task."


    "... It''s okay, you''re alive, you''ll have another chance."


    "Do you think so? Like tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?"


    "We''ll think about it. For now, I need to quickly treat the children."


    "Ah, yeah, sure... Everyone''s tired, I''m stupid."


    She turned her back on him and walked away, without a glance at Hope who hadn''t moved an inch, but as she reached Zuri, she said in a very audible voice.


    "You''re lucky, you have a great knight."


    Everyone remained silent, exchanging some gazes. Mercy''s words were a dangerous weapon and at that moment, no one wanted to be on her bad side. But the worst was to come from Freya.


    "Indeed, I don''t know why, but despite all your shenanigans, you were gifted by the best one of them, an annoying one though, but very reliable."


    Their gazes turned back to Dora, surprisingly silent.


    "Hm? Aren''t you going to say something? Are you modest or just shy after all?" Freya asked, a little amused.


    "I foresee a dangerous future if this debate keeps going... So I''ll just go heal the brat and Liliana."


    He entered the temple, accompanied by Mary, and left a devastated Hope near Freya. She glanced at the temple and headed towards the rest of the team.


    "If you have no respect for yourself, have some for her, every one of your defeats is a stain on her name."


    She passed Kraim and Leon and stopped to deliver the final blow.


    "I am a D-rank red mage, I don''t need to be protected in a simple D-rank rift, especially from immature knights, and so-called veterans, if you want to show off, don''t be ridiculed later."


    She left towards the rift entrance, no one could object to her and Kraim just shook his head. Thus ended this expedition rich in emotion. But the world is bigger than the heart could feel, and since the party took place in hell for a long time, there was a heaven somewhere else, not so far away.


    Rich in decorations, rising above the other luxurious residences and embracing the last rays of the sun which tinted it with a golden color reflecting its grandeur: the Royal Palace.


    In a magnificent garden covered with flowers of all kinds, statues, and fountains, a woman was sipping the best wine. She wore a long light purple silk dress and her long blonde hair sparkled in the sun.


    "Ah, there you are."


    She turned and faced a knight wearing golden armor, short blue hair, and two swords on his back.


    "Lancelot, good to see you so soon."


    The knight placed one leg on the ground and lowered his head.


    "My Queen, I have returned as you asked, has something happened?"


    She happily took a few sips and placed her cup on a table next to a basket of fruit.


    "Something happened, I thought about it for a while, and I''d rather hear your answer now."


    The knight did not move but drops of sweat beaded on his forehead.


    "... My Queen... It hasn''t even been a minute, I told you I needed some time to think."


    "I know, but I decided I didn''t want to wait after all, so I want your answer now. Will you become the people''s hero?"


    This time the knight trembled, his face tense. He opened his eyes and met the queen''s azure gaze, smiling warmly, and lowered his head.


    "... My Queen... I am a Holy Knight... I cannot turn my sword against the people I protect."


    "What are you saying? Did you mishear what I said?"


    "My Queen, even if there is darkness among the nobles, I cannot rebel against them, even to help the poor, please try to understand."


    The wind rose in the garden, the Queen looked at her knight and sighed in disappointment.


    "And you had the perfect haircut for it, what a waste."


    The knight flinched but maintained his position. The queen returned to her table.


    "It''s okay, I''ll find someone else then. Raise your head."


    She sat down in a chair and picked up an apple, looking at Lancelot thoughtfully.


    "I will need your swordsman skills, and Moon Slash, for my Cartouche."


    "... I believe that anyone else of the same level as me would be enough, my Queen."


    "Yes, but they don''t have your Swordsman skills or Moon Slash, so yours will do just fine."


    Lancelo''s face froze as the apple in the queen''s hand turned orange.


    "NOOOOOOO!!!!"


    "Voracity"


    She bit the fruit and at the same moment, Lancelot let out a muffled cry and then slowly collapsed to the ground, without a word, his eyes empty and clutching his chest.


    The queen placed a finger on the fruits and 2 apples turned orange.


    "Now, who will Lancelot and Cartouche be?"

 All Hail The Snake

    A little later, the group was outside the rift, back at the car, with Dora taking a piggyback ride to Lilith as an apology while Hope and Cid, still unconscious, were in the car.


    "The rift will be closed in about 30 minutes, I''ve called the guild and they will send some officers just to stand guard. We can finally rest... Good job everyone."


    Kraim bowed to the group. Marie turned to Eryl, looking worried.


    ¡°Will Barron be okay?¡±


    "Don''t worry, his life is not in danger. I''ll make sure to take him to some people to see if they can do anything about his leg."


    "I see... Sorry, if my defense had been better this wouldn''t have happened."


    Freya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.


    "Why are you apologizing? We are emissaries and these kinds of events are part of our world... Besides, I was the one who brought him into this. It was my fault."


    They lowered their heads for a moment, after which, she turned to Dora.


    "Don''t think this has anything to do with you either. Ultimately, it was my decision. I may have overreacted when I met you, but my mind is clear now, so don''t overestimate your worth."


    ¡°... I never felt sorry for any of that.¡±


    She smiled and walked towards the car. Dora smiled back and turned to Kraim.


    "Okay, then... Paycheck, when?"


    ¡°Idiora you never change¡­¡±


    ¡°You idiot, you think you¡¯re just going to take your money and leave?¡± Lilith added.


    "Come on, Mr. Dora, we just found each other... Okay, I still have to spend some time with you."


    Morgiana sighed but with a smile on her lips, she walked towards him.


    "Don''t bother him too much, he''s done a lot for us so give him a little rest, okay?"


    They looked a little surprised, Dora more than the others. In memory, it was the first time Morgiana had paid him a compliment.


    "Thank you. Thank you for today, you don''t know how important this battle was to us... When we were in Sofiya, I knew you had more in you than you ever showed. But you never showed any interest in our dream, so I genuinely thought that kicking you out was the right thing to do... But little did I know... Hm, but seeing how strong you are, I can understand why you didn''t want to team up."


    Dora looked away slowly. The afternoon had brought more emotions and surprises than he had lived the entire year.


    "... Sorry, about the bus thing, I may have overreacted."


    Lilith and Marie showed a small surprised reaction, Morgiana''s apology was unprecedented but you could bet your life that Dora had never apologized before. Morgiana smiled and punched him lightly on the shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just buy me a drink and I¡¯ll forget about it, okay?¡±


    Dora laughed softly and readjusted his position so as not to make Lilith fall.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll stay a little longer, dinner''s on me, no problem Zuzu?"


    "Hm? As long as no one hugs me again."


    Liliana bumped into Marie to express her joy, the latter trying to repress her emotions but unable to hide her trembling hands.


    Kraim walked forward proudly, a smile on his face.


    "Haha, that''s the spirit, don''t worry about the money, it will be sent to your bank account in the following 5 days. But, I''ve received some advice and I have a great proposal for you."


    Dora raised his eyebrows. Kraim walked towards the car and stood at the door next to Freya.


    ¡°Little Miss, you who are so wise, you said that this team has no future in the emissaries world right?¡±


    "... Considering you''ve still got one, anyone can have a future. Well, that is if this life is what you have wished for."


    "Hehehe... little bi... Because you''re right! So, Anesidora, what''s about becoming the Ace of the Southern Guild?"


    Everyone gasped in sync, Dora quickly shook his head and opened his eyes.


    ¡°Mis-Mister Kraim?¡± Morgiana could barely say, trying to understand what he just said.


    "Yes, as you know, the best emissary in every guild is the Ace, the one who will carry the party and ensure the victory. I agree that you''re really fit for this role boy, and let''s be honest, if your little friends go back to another rift, they will get clapped, hahahahaha! But with you, I don''t think anyone could lose."


    Everyone looked at him in amazement, silently. Hope didn''t look up and kept staring at his knee when Leon broke the silence.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "What? What the fuck, are you kidding me?!"


    "No, this is serious. As you''ve seen today, our guild lacks a..."


    "No, you''re not! Why are you bringing this? What''s wrong with you?!"


    Kraim looked at Leon like a vulgar garbage.


    "Are you insulting an elder of the guild? Watch your language you idiot, I''ve seen how lame you are as a leader and I''m doing this on your team''s request."


    "Request? Who requested that?!"


    "If you refuse to cooperate, we''ll kick you out, you idiot! You think they''ll think twice between you and him? Know your place, idiot!"


    Leon, burning with rage, trembled all over and threw his sword to the ground before heading towards the city on foot.


    "Good riddance... So, what do you think? We''re getting lots of requests to subjugate C and D rank rifts, and E too, but I think you''ll get bored there. So, do you want to stop being a simple scholar and join the world of real emissaries? As one of the best."


    He held out his hand to Dora, everyone around him had different reactions. The Shining Sword members were stunned, Mercy seemed surprised, and even Eryl and Freya were silently waiting for his response.


    Zuri remained impassive for a moment before opening her eyes wide.


    "... What? What''s taking you so long? You''re not thinking about it, are you??"


    ¡°Ehem¡­¡±


    "Don''t you dare Ehem me! What are you thinking?! I am your lord and you are my soulmate! We are bound for life and you will never escape!"


    "... Don''t You mean knight?"


    "I know what I said... come on, without you, I can''t go to the forest."


    Kraim laughed again, a laugh that aroused murderous desires in Zuri.


    ¡°Little miss, I¡¯m sorry but there¡¯s more to life than playing princess in a castle, let the pros talk, please?¡±


    She flinched and looked at the ground, her hands trembling. She glanced at Dora, her face gaining color for the first time, and then, she met his gaze and swallowed her rage.


    "No one but me has the right to make fun of her, No-One. Don''t ever do that again."


    His piercing gaze froze the atmosphere and Kraim''s arm instinctively retracted. His power to inspire fear in others was on another level but this time his motivation delighted Freya and Mercy who smiled.


    "Easy... It was just a joke..."


    "People die for a joke too. Anyway, your proposal is interesting so let''s get to the point: how much can you pay me?"


    Zuri jumped and squeezed his arm, everyone looked at him with incomprehension.


    "Haha... I knew you had this in you. As an Ace, you will participate in every expedition, so you will receive around 2% of the income from each raid, for the start, plus a bonus for every 5 successful raids. And as the guild grows, we will receive greater demand and your bonus will increase accordingly."


    ¡°Put it into numbers, how much is the bonus? And how much does 2% of income represent?"


    ¡°Idiora, are you really considering this?¡±


    "You''re very petty about money, huh? Income is based on the money left after the guild association pays us, and also on the soul stones we can sell. So for example, we can get about 5 to 8 million on average, sometimes more, like today, so... eh..."


    ¡°100 thousand lyres.¡± Mercy sighed.


    "Yes! 100 thousand lyres per raid, and 50 thousand more after 5 raids, do you like it?"


    Dora narrowed his eyes, everyone was waiting for his answer and impatience was starting to show.


    Suddenly, the boy smiled and patted Zuri''s head.


    "I refuse."


    "... What?"


    ¡°No deal, I¡¯m not interested.


    "Are you kidding, what??? Why?! You asked for money, you''ll get more than everyone else!"


    "I said, no deal. 100 thousand for a raid? Please, that''s my monthly allowance with my scholarship, and I get a 200 thousand bonus for each raid. Why should I leave that for your piece of bread?"


    Kraim was taken aback and stammered. The others, not surprised, began to laugh at first, Morgiana patting Dora on the back.


    ¡°Give it up, Kraim, when he has something on his mind, nothing can make him change.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s our idiot.¡± Lilith made a circle with her finger on his cheek. ¡°But I didn¡¯t know you were loaded, you beautiful monster.¡±


    "So you rejected us for money? Now dinner will become a banquet, Idiora."


    They gathered around him, not because of his wealth but because his strange morality made them feel good, this was the Dora they knew.


    The boy, a little annoyed, or perhaps something else, his chest spreading an unfamiliar warmth throughout his body, glanced at his companions and turned to Kraim.


    ¡°I won¡¯t join you, but I¡¯m willing to give you a hand.¡±


    "... What now?"


    "You''re not wrong, we won because... We were strong enough together, but they''ll start losing again after we leave. So how about this: I''ll follow you in raids until they are able to do this easily. It should also be financially beneficial for the guild, I think."


    They looked at him and suddenly entered into a general euphoria.


    "Really?! You''re not kidding?! That''s a great idea!"


    "M-Mr. Kraim, you must accept!"


    Marie and Lilie jumped on Dora while Morgiana and Liliana rushed at Kraim, pulling him in every direction.


    "Are you... You kidding... you refused to..."


    "Mr. Kraim!"


    ¡°You said we needed to get stronger!¡±


    Marie and Lilith joined their friends to put pressure on poor Kraim who who could barely speak.


    "F-F-Fine!!! Fine! Let me go!... I''ll talk to the manager, your gold-licking friend is temporarily registered!"


    They jumped for joy and rushed towards Dora, and also Zuri who ran towards the car.


    They celebrated for a moment, thinking about the reunification of Shining Sword for the next few days.


    Hope sighed loudly when a noise made him look up. The car door had just been opened and Freya walked towards them.


    Mercy was already standing in front of Dora.


    "So... Huh, like, you''re going to raid again, s''that it?"


    "Yeah, Ah! Yeah, Zuzu and I won''t go back now. Okay, Zuzu?"


    Further away, Zuri held her shoulders, looking very irritated.


    "Why do you ask? I''m just a mascot."


    ¡°You are more than a mascot, you are my mascot.¡±


    He smiled at the girl whose mouth widened but she just shook her head.


    ¡°Just take the compliment¡­¡±


    Mercy readjusted her hair while looking to the side and asked in a very light voice.


    "Cool if I tag along too?"


    "Hm?"


    Hope shuddered.


    "I... Huh... Well, Y''said I could try again later so... If you don''t mind..."


    "Oh, you want to join us? Fine with me."


    "R-really? Great!!! Thank you!!!"


    She hugged him tightly but abruptly walked away.


    "Oh, uh, sorry, it''s... It means a lot to me."


    "It''s okay, and you look like you could be a good friend to Zui, so you''re welcome."


    She tried to hold back her laughter at the massacre of Zuri''s name, but Freya intervened in turn.


    "I also want to join, I lack experience in rift battle."


    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you supposed to take Barron to a doctor or something?¡±


    "I mean, after I accompany Cid to the capital, I''ll come back when he''s under care... Or are you going to play me again?"


    "Here we go¡­"


    They were talking in a rather good mood, everyone had their say and a few laughs arose from time to time, a hard blow for Hope who could only sit and watch from the car.


    The sky was getting dark, nothing was abnormal in his world, but he couldn''t imagine that this moment was the starting point of a gigantic tragedy.


    In a luxurious room, Midgard contemplated the system screen after their victory. You could bet she was celebrating this milestone, but the young woman looked, very worried, at a new pattern that had previously caught Dora''s attention.


    |Jobs


    Warrior lvl1


    Knight lvl1


    Healer lvl30


    Swordmaster lvl1


    Archer lvl30


    Rogue lvl30


    Mage lvl30


    Special Job (Locked)


    |Greed: 2%

 The Winter Wolf

    Night had fallen and the vehicle was transporting Cid and Freya to a nearby town, Eryl at the wheel. Freya, a little irritated, looked at one and groaned.


    "Hmph, in the end, I lowered myself in front of him again... It''s getting really annoying, this guy has no consideration."


    ¡°On the contrary, my Lady, this is surprisingly the right order of things.¡±


    Freya glanced indifferently at the woman behind the wheel.


    "So he piqued your interest? But regardless, no matter how great a person''s potential, you have to have some knowledge of the world and the hierarchy, if you want to last long."


    She crossed her arms and looked at the passing landscape.


    "He''s not bad, but he''s still far below too many people I know."


    ¡°Hmhm, you don¡¯t know how right you are, my lady and that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you: it¡¯s completely normal and even expected that you would move heaven and earth to get his services."


    The vehicle passed through a tunnel, and the lights of the moonlight disappeared but in this light darkness, Freya''s eyes focused on the rearview mirror which reflected the mischievous eyes of the servant glowing a haunting orange.


    "What''s so special about him? I heard stories about you, how you always downplayed the power of others, you said that Cid was nothing special and that no one was really strong so why are you suddenly interested in someone?¡±


    "Hm, what I meant is... Hmm, let''s just say that some people are really... Out of this world. Not a hundred, not a dozen, but even fewer. Tell me, do you know the ''story of the winter wolf?''


    "... I know it''s a children''s rhyme about the seasons."


    "SO?"


    Eryl''s attitude implied that she wanted to push Freya to tell the story, the latter sighed but obeyed.


    "It''s just a wolf that can only live in winter. The other three seasons pursue it and its life is in danger as winter recedes. But one day the wolf sets foot in autumn and the autumn becomes winter. The wolf understands that he can change the seasons just by walking on them and decides to walk in summer to punish the seasons for persecuting it, but it does not go to spring because it does not need so much space to live in. It''s a story that teaches that we should not persecute people, summer and autumn have disappeared because they attacked winter and as there is no more danger, we must not be too resentful, like the wolf who decided not to step on spring."


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The bus emerged from the tunnel and the moonlight greeted Eryl''s distinguished laughter.


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s what it¡¯s about.¡±


    "... So? What does that have to do with him?"


    ¡°My lady, how good are you at keeping secrets?¡±


    The mood had suddenly changed in the car, the light had returned, but Freya''s eyes remained orange.


    "... Is it so bad that we need so many scenes?"


    ¡°More than you can imagine.¡±


    "... Alright, I''ll keep it to myself."


    ¡°Thank you, so you see, what if I told you that this story is not the true version and that the moral is very different?¡±


    Freya, impassive, did not answer so Eryl, after a pause, continued.


    "In the original version, there was not just one but two creatures. The wolf in winter and the bear in spring. The seasons were also different, autumn tracked winter, summer tracked autumn, but the spring bear didn''t care and minded its own business. The wolf first walked in the autumn to defend itself, then in the summer to take revenge and as a precaution, but when it met the spring bear, it decided not to step on spring, guess why?


    "... Because the bear wasn''t a danger?"


    "On the contrary, miss, the wolf understood that in this world, only the bear represented a danger. This does not mean that he was afraid, but nothing else, absolutely nothing in the world could give him a future more unpredictable than a fight with that bear, so the wolf was content to stay in its winter. Now, can you guess the true morality?¡±


    Freya, a little impatient, tapped her elbows with her fingers.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t know what you just made up.¡±


    "Fufu, the true morality of this story is not a life lesson, but a warning for survival. Don''t mess with the wolf. Autumn made this mistake and disappeared. The wolf has never fought back before, but the first time it did, it turned autumn into its paradise, then it tried with summer and did it again. In this world, the wolf can do anything, but the wolf refuses to take it to the bear. The bear has never left the spring, but the monstrous wolf fears a fight. The bear is then the wolf''s equal and could do the same if it left, so don''t mess with the bear either."


    They were silent for a little while, Freya took a little time to think about what she had heard then glanced at the rearview mirror again. The servant''s eyes had returned to normal.


    "So what you''re trying to say is... Anesidora is the bear, and I shouldn''t bother him?"


    "What? No! Hahahaha, my Lady, you''re taking this the wrong way. The bear and the wolf are neither of you."


    ¡°Well, maybe you should focus on driving instead of telling stories.¡±


    "My apologies, I didn''t mean to make fun of you, the story was to show you the power of the bear and the wolf, the fact that they created the second version, just so as not to call the bear ''a bear'' and not to offend her, is proof of their impact."


    Freya looked outside, a little more irritated but suddenly, she shook her head.


    ¡°Call the bear a bear?... Wait, are you saying... They exist?¡±


    Eryl didn''t answer right away, she looked in the rearview mirror for a moment, but not for Freya, but rather for Cid.


    "My Lady, you have been in high society for some time and I know of your involvement in politics. Have you ever heard of the Wolf of the North?"


    Freya seemed a little worried for the first time. She looked at her knees, thinking, and slowly raised her head.


    ¡°The Empire of Fenrir?¡±


    "I''m glad you lived up to your name."


    "... Eryl, what is the meaning of all this? What did you see in Anesidora? Who is he?"


    "Someone who knows nothing about hierarchy, as you said, but I can assure you, and this is advice from someone who knows a little about this world, that you do not want to be his enemy when he finds out where he really stands.¡±


    The car drove through the dark night, under a moonlight that embraced the end of this tumultuous day.

 The World of Emissaries

    The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the sinister sight of several Minotaur bodies scattered across a meadow.


    Next to a huge rock, Shining Sword, Dora, Zuri, Hope, and Mercy were facing a Centaur armed with a spear.


    "Mercy, blind!"


    "Got it, Stardust!"


    She brought her hands together and formed a triangle with her fingers, black stars appeared around her and converged towards her hands and then she fired a black ray directly at the centaur''s head.


    The creature shrieked and backed away, back against the rock that jutted out slightly.


    "Zuri, head, defense!"


    "Hm~hm."


    She threw a black vial near the centaur and with her strange magic wand, fired a black arrow which exploded on contact with the vial and mixed into a purplish substance that poured onto the head and chest of the monster.


    "Dps, Leg, Chest! Lilith, get ready!"


    "Alright!" Everyone except the former party leader and his best friend screamed.


    Hope, Liliana, Morgiana, Leon, and Erick rushed toward the beast and stabbed it several times, the centaur roared and slammed its spear violently on the ground but Dora snapped his finger and the spear disappeared.


    The centaur lost its balance and exposed its neck to Lilith, who was standing on the rock, covered in a red aura.


    "NOW!"


    "Hiyaaahh!!!"


    She jumped, holding her hammer as high as possible, and dealt an exceptional blow to the Centaur''s neck.


    Blood flowed through the nose and eyes of the beast, whose skull was half buried in itself, and the beast collapsed heavily.


    "Aah... It''s gone. The energy is gone! It''s dead!" Morgiana jumped for joy, and several cries of joy rose up.


    "Hehehe, I got it in one shot, aren''t I just the best?" Lilith puffed out her chest, Dora stared at the body, a little disgusted.


    "Meh, you didn''t even blow its head off, I want a refund."


    "I can try it with you if you want?"


    "What can you do with a broken arm? Come here."


    She approached him, looking a little embarrassed and sulky, and sat down in front of him. Dora put his hands on her forehead and healed her body in green and yellow light.


    "We need to work on your body strength then, it''s a good thing we picked this rift. Sana, give me a hand."


    The young girl, a little distracted, flinched.


    "Oh, huh, me?"


    "Yeah, heal the others too. There''s still time so let''s hurry."


    "Fine¡­ But you''re much better than me at this, I wonder if I can heal a broken bone."


    Dora thought for a moment and turned to Mercy.


    "What kind of monsters drop healing soul stones?"


    "Uuuh... Not on my card, aren''t healers just good with a lot of magic power?"


    "Angels." Zuri said mockingly.


    Sana sighed lightly and walked toward Dora and stood next to him.


    "Okay, the healing duo is ready, everyone, line up."


    She leaned towards Dora and whispered.


    "I will be in your care."


    She gave him a warm smile, Dora narrowed his eyes a little, looking uncomfortable, and began to heal Marie.


    The other members of Shining Sword looked darkly at the blonde healer when a sudden voice startled her.


    "Sana!" Leon, in the back, gave the young girl a deadly look.


    "A-Ah, L-Leon! Are you... Are you hurt? Sorry, you looked so good that I... I''m going to heal you first."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    She rushed towards him, lowering her head.


    "... Disgusting idiot." Mary whispered.


    "Hey, why idiot?"


    "Huh? Not you Idiora... Ignore it."


    "That''s exactly why I can''t, I''ve trademarked that insult, all your idiot words are for me!"


    She looked at him stunned and burst out laughing.


    "I... I can''t with you..."


    A little later, they collected the magic stones from all the dead monsters and Dora, with his magic, levitated them around him while analyzing them.


    ".... Okay, as expected."


    "... Does that mean?" Lilith leaned towards him.


    "Yeah, the boss soul stone contains a powerful warrior skill, you can have it."


    Lilith literally exploded with joy and jumped on him.


    "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are the best!"


    "C-calm down, I''m not finished, there are also 7 elemental stones with physical defense, from the Minotaurs, you take 4, Marie will take 3... Liliana, Morgiana, and Hope will each take 8 attack stones and... Maybe one attack for Mercy."


    The girl took a thoughtful pose.


    "You sure? I''ve got most of the magic stone just last rift."


    "It''s not a fair share, we''re focusing on everyone''s abilities and weaknesses, you have a very weak body and the attack is actually another layer to the defense, in a certain way."


    "... Ya really, really sure, that you don''t want to consider?"


    "Nah, I never come back to my decisions, I''m the source of victory so we''re going to stick to my strategy, K?"


    "... K, K."


    She looked slightly away, her strange reaction was not insignificant. After their first raid, they had been raiding many times in D rank rifts, first 3 times a week, then 5, then every day except Sunday, and to the point of doing more than twice a day.


    Every day they''d reserved rifts for the following day, they took debts, got paid, took more debts, and started the process again, but never did they lose one raid.


    Dora was the carry like Kraim wished for, so in the beginning he was doing most of the job and chose the stones that they would keep and those that they would sell, the stones serving mainly to strengthen the members of the team.


    He was the leader, the one that no one contested, a guide and a model, but there was only one problem.


    As he decided what stone to use, and who would use it, he never gave one to Leon and Erick. Everyone knew that they hated each other to the guts, but no one expected that he would go that far.


    His logic was rather simple, they both opposed him joining the team, so they wouldn''t benefit from anything coming from his efforts, including elemental stones or money.


    Everyone had made huge progress, but those two remained the same.


    "Okay, it''s almost night, so we''re going to reduce the level a little for the next rift, which is the one with the lowest energy level in our reservations? The closest if possible."


    Mercy took out her phone and checked an app.


    "There''s one with 12% Category D energy, 3 kilometers towards Burnee Town, but it was rated less than a day ago so t''could be just an E rank, there''s one at 78% but that''s like 8 kilometers in the forest... But if we spend the night afterward, it''s possible."


    "Hmmm... Let''s do the possible rank E. If it ends up being an E rank, it will lose its value and the guild might pay us to let beginners join, I don''t want to share the stones anymore than this."


    "K, I''m calling the guild."


    Lilith walked toward them, hands on hips.


    "Okay, raid freaks, it''s enough now, we can''t go to another raid right now, I''m exhausted!"


    "She''s right, Mr. Dora, I want to do my best but... I feel a little squishy."


    Dora took a quick look at the team and crossed his arms.


    "Hm, how about I give you another energy potion?"


    "It''s not a question of energy, Idiora, we''ve already done 3 raids today, we need a raid... I mean rest!" Marie placed her hand on her head.


    Seeing how unanimous they all were, Dora agreed to end the expedition and the group stopped in a nearby village for the night.


    They booked a few rooms in an inn with an onsen and spa, and after a hearty dinner, they decided to enjoy the public baths.


    Hope was in the bath, next to other people, Leon and Erick, both silent were a little far away, while Dora was washing his hair.


    "Man... I''m beaten... Raiding is fun but I''m going to collapse if we keep doing 3 runs a day."


    "Do you want more stamina stones next time?"


    "Huh? No! I mean, it''s not about power... How can you do this so many times and still ask for more?"


    Dora poured hot water over his body and joined them, suddenly everyone looked at him with a stunned expression and Leon and Erick groaned.


    "F-forget it, you''re not normal."


    "Of course, I''m built differently, that''s why I have excellent results. You can get a little closer if you make some effort, you won''t reach me, but you will be better than you from yesterday... You can watch, but you can''t..."


    "Can you stop saying that when you''re naked? It''s creepy! Get in the water!"


    He laughed, entered the water, and sat in front of them, stretching his arms. In this position, everyone could clearly see the changes in his body.


    His arms, his torso, he was no longer as thin as just 3 months ago, and his body was in perfect shape. Not as much as a bodybuilder, but perfect for his size, that was the right word, he was just perfect.


    They were relieved to see nothing else, anymore, but the damage was already done. 2 men came out of the bath and returned to the inn, devastated.


    "Life is so unfair..." Hope muttered as he sank into the water.


    "... I mean, yes, you are an emissary, some people have no power."


    The men''s bath was separated from the women''s by a wooden barrier. On their side, the girls enjoyed the bath, chatting casually, Lilith poking Zuri.


    "Come on, just once."


    "No, if you feel so strong, go lift a stone instead."


    "Please, I just want to compare the result with last time, I''ll give you my dessert!"


    Morgiana, washing Marie''s hair, smiled at them.


    "Haha, stop bothering her, it''s true that we have made great progress but we must not use our power outside of the rifts."


    "Ah? But I haven''t been able to test it even once! I want to see what this new skill can do."


    It was a final warning for Zuri to stay away from Lilith, Mercy, next to Liliana and Sana, glanced at them.


    "Well, you could have, if we had gone to the last rift of the day."


    "I don''t mean that you rift fanatic."


    "You need to take the resting time seriously, Mercy." added Morgiana.


    "I know, I''m joking... T''s feels very good... Rifting during the day, getting stronger, and partying with your team at night, the emissary life is so fun."


    "Right? I could do this every day!" Liliana laughed.


    "Yeah... T''s more exciting than life at the academy."


    Mercy was looking at the starry sky when a commotion occurred.


    Many women were whispering and all looked in the same direction, the group noticed this strange attitude and followed their gazes, and then they noticed it too.


    A beauty, leaving a delicate scent behind her walked gracefully and sat in the bath, next to Mercy.


    "Freya?"

 Misdirection

    In the men''s bath, a singular scene took place. A frail, puny, and seemingly small boy stood in front of the water, a towel tied around his hip, Hope stammered.


    ¡°G-Gersey?¡±


    ¡°H-Hi, Mr. Hope.¡±


    "What are you doing here?! You''re supposed to be in the mansion!"


    Hope stood up, as if he had seen a ghost and wanted to confirm the identity of the young boy, the latter shyly hid his body and tried to make his way toward Dora, until he met his gaze.


    "... Um... H-Hi, Mr. Dora..."


    "... Do I know you?"


    Gersey flinched and lowered his arms, looking to the side.


    "N-no...I guess..." He sat down next to Hope, dejected. The latter looked at Dora, with the intention of making him change his behavior but he was too used to his temperament to know that it would be useless.


    For their part, the girls were surprised by Freya''s unexpected return, it had been several weeks since her departure and no one thought she would return.


    She took a quick glance at each of them and smiled.


    "I see you haven''t slacked off, you look very different from last time."


    "Really?" Morgiana exclaimed. ¡°Do you really think we¡¯ve gotten stronger?¡±


    It was the very first time that she complimented them, despite knowing her through only a single raid, they had agreed on the idea that the young lady''s compliments were a rare commodity.


    "If I say so?... But even from here, the biggest change comes from the other side of this fence."


    She smiled mischievously, looking at the wall separating them from the men.


    "What an overwhelming pressure... How are you planning to keep pretending to be an E-rank with such power?..."


    "Oh, yeah, s''true that you have like fairies powers, I heard that you''re sensitive to people''s energy."


    "... Well, thanks for speaking about my abilities out loud, you chatterbox."


    "Ah, sorry... But what took you so long? I thought that you wouldn''t come anymore."


    Freya placed her hands side by side and admired the reflection of the moon in the palms of her hands.


    "Many things happened... And I guess you two are not aware of it."


    She starred successively at Mercy and Zuri. The two girls looked at each other dumbfounded, making Freya sigh in frustration.


    The others observed them for a moment and Marie scratched her ear, feeling a little anxious.


    "Hm... How is Barron?"


    "You still think about it? Well, suit yourself, he is fine, a Holy Knight using creation magic made him a prosthetic so he stayed back for his re-education. But his life is not in danger."


    Marie sighed softly with relief, but her face showed a little sadness.


    Freya crossed her arms and decided to divert the discussion to something else.


    "What level are you all now? I feel that you''re far stronger than before, isn''t it almost time that you go your own way?"


    She attempted to change the subject to something more exciting, from her point of view, but it was the last subject that all of them wanted to talk about.


    "Eh?... Um... I... We..." Marie couldn''t find the words. She had a clear idea of ??the situation, but when she tried to formulate it, no clear sentence could come out.


    "Hm? What? Don''t tell me that you''re scared. You should be all on the verge of C-rank."


    "Well, we know but... Maybe it''s a little too sudden?" Lilith explained, looking at her friends in search of support.


    "Y-Yeah, we... We must get used to C-tank rifts first, right?" Morgianna added, but it was to the biggest displeasure of Freya.


    "What do you mean? You''re not planning on getting carried by Dora all your life, are you? It was the point of this whole collaboration."


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The girls looked at each other, very annoyed. This situation was a painful call back to reality, they weren''t scared of going in rifts without Dora, in fact, their training went to the point where the young boy wasn''t even fighting the boss anymore, he would intervene if they were overwhelmed but it was a challenge to fight without him. So what was the problem?


    For most of them, the problem came down to Liliana''s words earlier: "They could do that every day."They were living the happiest days of their lives, the adventure they had all dreamed of, and at that moment, no one wanted it to end.


    "And what if we''re carried by him? What''s your problem with that?" Every gaze turned toward the most unexpected person, silent for too long, Sana.


    "He is a founder of our team, he has been with us from the beginning, what''s your problem if he likes it and chooses to stay?"


    Sana, usually sweet and calm, was throwing a death glare at Freya.


    "My problem? What problem? Are you stupid? Have you forgotten his own words? He should have left from the start but he''s here for you to succeed, why would you want him to stay now?"


    "People change, maybe he prefers this kind of life to your little knight and princess game."


    "... Yeah, you''re an idiot."


    Mercy and Morgana stood between them, to prevent them from coming to blows, but the tap was already turned on, and from now on, they ignored the people around.


    "Why do you think you have any say? He is not your knight and you are not part of our team, why do you think your opinion matters?"


    ¡°Well, he''s HER knight!¡± She pointed to Zuri. "She''s the one he''s bonded with and she''s the only one he''ll follow... And you, why are you so silent? Defend your knight!"


    "... Uh, oh! The water is so watery, Blu Blu Blu, I''m a submarine." Zuri sank but kept her ears on the surface so as not to miss a moment of the spectacle.


    Sana was at her wit''s end and screamed.


    "He was my boyfriend! Stop being so clingy and stay away from him!"


    Everyone fell silent and looked at her, paralyzed. She was breathing heavily, barely hiding her frustration, but she knew she had gone too far.


    "... I knew it." Lilith whispered. The two girls stared at each other. Sana''s face was red with anger and she started to shake, she couldn''t say anything else, it was already too late.


    "You''re stupid... Bitch! What''s wrong with you?!"


    "Leave me alone!!!"


    She stood up and walked away, Lilith tried to follow her but Marie held her back.


    "L-let me go!"


    "Lilith, please! It''s enough!" The difference in raw power between the two was colossal and the puppeteer was getting dragged, forcing Liliana and Morgiana to interfere, under the stunned gaze of the 3 nobles.


    "Now it''s enough! I''m sick of her! She''s the worst... Stop holding me darn it! She''s the reason Dora and Leon hate each other! Don''t you care about that?! Don''t you care about everything she said about him?"


    "I... I know... Dora knows it too and it was what he wanted!"


    "... What?"


    She calmed down a little, they got out of the bath and moved a little away from the other customers, Marie then told them the whole story between Sana and Dora, after which the girls showed various reactions.


    "I don''t know if I should feel sad for Leon or happy that Sana played herself..." Morgiana nodded.


    ¡°Glad she played herself.¡± Lilith crossed her arms. ¡°She¡¯s the one who tried to manipulate everyone.¡±


    "Yeah but... Dora is weird... Why not break up with her? It''s fucked up."


    Marie lowered her head, she knew the truth would be a blow to Dora''s reputation and began to regret her decision.


    "That''s not the case... Idiora has always been a bit weird. He... If he knows he can get what he wants effortlessly, he''ll gladly accept it."


    ¡°Even let his ''girlfriend'' sleep with another man? The same guy who cut off Erick''s fingers for touching him?"


    Marie had difficulty responding to Morgiana. She shook her head and looked at the ground.


    "I don''t know how to say this... Some days Dora acts a certain way and other days he... He changes..."


    ¡°What do you mean he changes?¡± What I see is that there are 3 creeps in this story.


    Morgiana sighed but flinched, remembering what Dora had done for them in recent weeks.


    ¡°As if there were people inside him?¡± Everyone turned to Freya. Marie, a little tired, nodded.


    "What do you mean?... I... It doesn''t make any sense."


    "... You mean that green girl with the snake eyes? The one we saw in that strange room." Mercy asked, keeping her eyes on her surroundings.


    "Maybe? I don''t have any answers, I just assumed that since you''re his old friends... Well, it''s not that important anyway."


    ¡°Wait, actually, that makes sense!¡± Lilith jumped. ¡°Remember the undead rift? After what he did to Erick, he said something like... ''We hate him?'' He never spoke like that! Why did he say ''we''?"


    They all took a thoughtful pose for a moment, Marie seemed at a loss for words. Freya glanced at Zuri and seeing how she showed no interest in the conversation, she sighed in disappointment and started walking.


    "Let''s forget it, it''s no use if none of you know, don''t talk about it in front of him, a hypocrite is worse than a cheater."


    She left, leaving her comrades slightly annoyed at not satisfying their curiosity.


    She entered the locker room and started to get dressed, but before putting her towel in her bag, she took out a card and looked at it for several seconds.


    "... Hydra."


    A little later that night, Marie was sitting alone on a bench in front of the inn. She looked up at the sky and sighed deeply.


    "Huh? I haven''t even started to piss you off."


    She opened her eyes, unconsciously smiling as she recognized that voice.


    ¡°Idiora.¡±


    "Himself, what are you doing here?"


    "... Minding my business, you should do the same." She said that but she moved a little to give him some space.


    Dora sat down and both stared at the sky without a word for a full minute.


    ¡°Idiora?"


    "Yeah?"


    "... No, forget it, you don''t care anyway."


    "Ah? If you say so."


    They remained silent once again, the cicadas echoing in the distance.


    ¡°Hey, do you feel something for Sana?¡±


    "Haha, is this a threat?"


    "...."


    ".... No, I think you already know that."


    "Yeah... I know you''re different... but then a part of you loved her?... Since you still accepted his choice."


    ".... No... Honestly, I don''t know why we... But why are you asking that?"


    She remained silent once again, she lowered her head and looked at the ground, forcing a smile.


    "Dora, are we really friends? Or is it just... This You."


    "Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me? What''s going on? I don''t like it when you''re too serious."


    She looked at the ground a little longer then she sighed and took a letter out of her pocket.


    "I need... To talk to you about something... with each of you."

 The Worst Rift

    The sun had risen, a new day in the best of all possible worlds, where some people''s nightmares were revealed and others'' suffering deepened. After breakfast, the group prepared to return to their routine, this time including Freya and Gersey, but something unexpected took place.


    In the inn''s living room, they were gathered for an announcement from Marie. Intrigued, everyone sat in their chairs while the young girl, with a dark look, took a letter out of her pocket.


    "So... I requested this meeting because something happened. Something that may affect all of us."


    "What? The army finally decided to intern Sana?"


    Lilith giggled nonchalantly, to everyone''s sighs and groans of boredom, but Dora, next to her, patted her head.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not every day that Marie gives a speech, let¡¯s honor her by listening to her. You also have an announcement to make, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Lilith flinched a little and crossed her arms, looking just a little worried. Marie sighed for a moment and continued her speech.


    "So, a few days ago, when we returned from one of our expeditions, I received this letter from someone... Special..."


    She looked increasingly pained, trying to muster up enough courage to formulate her sentence, and looked at Dora who simply nodded.


    "This... This is an invitation from the Silver Space Emissary Guild to recruit me."


    This announcement surprised everyone and almost everyone jumped. Hope stood up from his seat.


    "S-Silver Space? The Silver Space in Lyrapolis?! One of the major guilds in the kingdom with several A-rank members and one S-rank?! How???"


    ¡°How did they¡­ Wait, they came to personally recruit you?¡± Morgiana asked.


    Marie nodded slightly and passed her the letter. It was indeed an invitation with the guarantee of having a good contract.


    In the world of emissaries, it was a common practice, that each professional emissary has data recorded on a website.


    All information about an emissary was recorded, from their ability to rank, their raid results, and even their performance judged by examiners.


    This allowed different instances to choose an emissary for a raid or recruitment, previously Sana had done the same to hire Dora during their first rift.


    "That''s amazing! Good job! That means you''ll get stronger teammates, right? That solves Dora''s dependence problem!" Mercy jumped in her chair while Dora shook his head in confusion.


    Freya glanced at the Shining Sword members and smiled mockingly.


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good news for them.¡±


    "Huh? Why? There are so many benefits... Wait..."


    ¡°Do you understand now? She¡¯s the one who¡¯s recruited, not the others.¡±


    A silence settled in the room. All the members looked confused, Leon, in his chair, was almost trembling even though his face hid all emotion.


    Freya got up and walked towards Marie.


    "It''s not very surprising, in this industry, once you cross the C-rank border, you are considered a valuable asset to the big guilds, but not everyone has talent. There can be millions of people with the same rank, so the more unique you are, the more valuable you become. Puppeteers are very rare and they are a powerful and balanced class, you are supposed to be a mage, but compared to the majority who throw the same fireball or the same freezing wind, you create an army with all types of classes. This is indeed a great talent."


    She stood next to Marie who looked away.


    "So, your friend worked so hard that she got the opportunity to shine more, are you all going to stop her for your own sake?"


    "Wait, I haven''t accepted yet! I just wanted to..."


    "And what? If you weren''t interested, you wouldn''t have kept it, or maybe you want to continue playing adventurers with your friends in a minor guild among the newbies?"


    Marie lowered her head. She felt like she was betraying her friends and didn''t know what to say anymore.


    She understood Freya''s words and knew that the best decision for her was to accept the offer, but her departure would be a big blow to the future of Shining Sword.


    She glanced at her friends, searching for an answer, but the looks she met were filled with confusion.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this also a good time to confess?¡± Dora broke the silence by speaking to Lilith.


    The girl tensed, legs together, looking at the ground.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°L-Lilith?¡± Mary whispered.


    Lilith trembled a little and spoke in a very low voice, without raising her head.


    "I... I''ve received an invitation too... from the Crimson Rhapsody Guild."


    Morgiana looked at her in disbelief, everyone was stunned by these revelations, and the young girl, no longer able to stand this pressure, raised her head, with tears in her eyes.


    "I didn''t want to accept it either! I never asked for anything! I told them we were a team and they should take you too but... they said they were looking for only a warrior to fill the spot of a berserker who retired... I don''t know what to do..."


    "You replied?!" Leon got up from his seat.


    Lilith, startled, tried to hide behind Dora. The latter patted her head and raised his hand slightly to ask for silence.


    ¡°Is there anyone else here who has received a request?¡±


    They looked at each other, panic was visible on Leon''s face. He looked at Sana, but the girl was speechless, Erick was also very confused and Morgiana was stunned, then he set his gaze on the last member.


    "...Oh, you little..."


    Liliana looked at the ground, a sad smile on her lips.


    "... Mr. Dora, you can''t keep secrets."


    "Are you kidding me?!" Leon roared. "You three were invited and you kept it a secret?! What the fuck are you doing??"


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I got a lot of letters actually, but I¡¯ve already rejected them all.¡± Liliana arched her back, she seemed a little scared by Leon but was instead scolded by Freya.


    "Okay, you are very stupid... You have received a lot of invitations? And you rejected them all? What is wrong with you?! Do you understand the meaning of your power?"


    "I... I know, it''s just like... sorry..."


    Freya sat down mentally exhausted. She had criticized them the day before for not taking the world of emissaries seriously and now she had three examples of selfishness rather than global interest.


    "You haven''t learned anything, have you? Do you think being an emissary is some kind of game? Having power means you have a responsibility to use it to protect those who haven''t been blessed, why did you all even become emissaries in the first place?!"


    The three girls were looking at the ground, Morgiana''s gaze was fixed on the wall but she was only seeing darkness and Dora was seriously thinking about why he had become an emissary himself without laughing.


    This moment displeased everyone, except Zuri. She was having a blast, the last two days were an exciting scene for her. She looked at Marie''s face, then at Leon''s rage, she took a sip of grape juice, then glanced at Hope who was looking at Dora, she took another sip and admired Sana''s confusion, hoping to see Erick open his mouth too. She was in the front row of the largest theater in the world, she wouldn''t have traded her place for anything.


    "You... Who do you think you are?! Who are you to talk about our team? That''s enough! All of you, go back to your shitty capital and leave us alone! I''m the leader and I won''t let don''t you destroy our bond!"


    Freya looked at Leon indifferently and sighed.


    "What a surprise, you haven''t even changed at all, I understand why you''re afraid to see them leave."


    ¡°I said shut up!¡±


    He walked towards her angrily, but perhaps because of his anger or his high-pitched voice, Hope lunged at him and tackled him to the ground.


    ¡°Stop it, you idiot!¡±


    ¡°Get off... Get off me!¡±


    "Of course not! What do you think you''re doing?!"


    He struggled but was unable to escape, much to Freya''s amusement.


    "See? That''s what it takes to stop you, know your place, and stop being a nuisance to their evolution."


    Leon did not calm down and Morgiana had to intervene to keep him in control. She looked at her friends, a little less shocked than before.


    "Maybe... Maybe it''s for the best?... Freya... Freya''s right, what if we move up to C-rank and get stuck again? We can''t always count on Dora... at least in a big guild, you will have a more balanced team... you will grow faster."


    She seemed very defeated, Leon looked at her like a traitor and the three lowered their heads. Marie was a big blow, but losing Lilith and Liliana was a death sentence.


    "Why not? After all, what''s the harm in that?" Dora asked nonchalantly, drawing attention to him again.


    ¡°Mr. Dora?"


    "I mean, Freya''s right, I''m not even sure you can crush any D-rank rift, what are the odds you won''t get pounded on your first C-rank rift? What future do you have? This team was too unbalanced from the beginning."


    They looked at him very confused, Leon was burning with rage.


    "You¡­"


    "We can have a future if we work together! Like before..." Sana finally collapsed.


    She looked very desperate and at that moment, ignored Leon''s confused look.


    "We made a promise to each other when we started this team, we had been through so much together, we were all together before it all started, why should we separate now? D-Dora you''re amazing, you''re stronger than anyone, if it''s you who asks, no guild will refuse to recruit all of us!... We had to take a different path because you had other plans, but now you want to fight, don''t you? So what could stop you from joining us again? Don''t you think, everyone? Let''s start over again!¡±


    Tears started to flow, she had never looked so pitiful, it was the worst thing she could imagine and she didn''t hesitate to make a fool of herself in front of everyone else, because she knew that everything could end there.


    But Dora''s expression did not change, like a snake on its way, he turned to Morgiana without worrying about anything.


    "Is this the kind of life you wanted? To be a useless pawn deferring to the strong leader who would do all the work?"


    ¡°Dora please!¡± Sana begged.


    "I refuse. Think about what you want, not just the three of you but you too, Morgy, because there are two things I never doubt: my instinct and my power. I can''t say what you want now, but I remember what you wanted before. It''s difficult for generic classes to be recruited at a low level, and that''s why I''m training you to have a huge attack as a priority."


    Morgiana, despite her firm stance, was already broken inside. Dora''s words reached her, but she had too much to digest. Dora glanced at Freya in help who noticed and looked up.


    "Dragon Killers, that''s what the best spearmen are called. As a C rank, your chances of immediately joining a large guild are quite low, but not impossible, if you focus on your attack and can learn draconic skills, I don''t know where you''ll find it, but you''ll increase your chances."


    Morgiana looked at her, very moved, she wiped away a tear. Marie, Lilith, and Liliana sighed.


    Sana abruptly got up and left the room while Leon and Erick looked at Dora, paralyzed.


    The latter got up and walked towards the door too.


    "Take some time to think about it, like I said, I''m not you, you know what you want. If you choose to accept this path, then that should be the end of Shining Sword. I will personally train Morgiana so you won''t have to worry about her, but I won''t lie to you, I don''t care about the others. Take the whole day, rest, and think carefully. Think as if the lives of your friends and the world''s future depended on your choice."


    He left the room in turn, followed by a very satisfied Zuri, Freya also headed towards the door but stopped before going out.


    "There comes a time in your life when you must choose between living in a happy past or betting everything on an uncertain future. This choice is what separates those who change the world and those who experience changes, and this choice has come to YOU."


    She left, living in a room full of collapsing dreams.

 Leon

    "Grandma, what is a hero?"


    It was one of my favorite subjects since I could read and recognize images. A hero is a person with superpowers who fights evil and saves the weak.


    When I was little I was fascinated by these stories, the superhero comes when you need him most, saves the day, and seduces the girls, well may not be the last part, but he was still meant to be loved by everyone.


    "One day I will be a hero too!"


    What a thing to say when you''re so young, but in this world miracles can happen.


    I was 12 when I did my appraisal, inspectors from all over the kingdom were traveling through towns to appraise future potential, in the face of the increasing number of rifts, and it was probably the happiest day of my life.


    "You are from the Hero branch."


    Dreams come true, I wanted it so much, I helped people so much, to live in the name of heroes, and finally, I was one. Hero is also the strongest class, I trained a lot alone or with other kids and never got beaten.


    The world is in danger, they say, hope is crumbling, they groan, a world like this is not Hell, it is a Hero''s dream come true!


    But life is also a path paved with ridiculous complications.


    "Among the emissaries? The strongest would be the Avatars."


    That''s what an adventurer who stopped by my village told me when I asked him about the strongest heroes. Was I not clear enough? Did he really think I was speaking rhetorically?


    "An Avatar is like you and me, but they can do so much more, you could be a berserker with magic, you could be a wizard with swordsmanship, there''s even this girl in the capital, a tank healer and she can control spirits, imagine this talent when she is older!"


    Talent? Talent? What is the significance of this? Why do you fantasize about someone just because they are a little luckier than others? A true hero starts from zero and climbs the ranks, he is not pampered simply because he was born luckier than the others! I will prove my point.


    After I practiced a lot, my grandmother wanted me to take over her shop, but it''s stupid, honestly. I am an emissary, a strong one, and I have the strongest job of all! I will become the most powerful emissary and we will no longer have to depend on this shop, wait, grandmother.


    Des annees se sont ecoulees, je suis un Hero de E-rank et le plus fort emissaire de mon village, Sofiya. I''ve trained every day, there''s no emissary school in this place, so I have to train by myself or with other emissaries passing by.


    There are more and more E-rank rifts around the village, emissaries pass once in a while, so people are getting worried that an outbreak could happen and no one would save us, grandma has been very sick for a while. I''m about to enroll in a guild and will buy her all the medicine she needs, people often blame me for trying to be an emissary instead of helping her at the shop, why does no one understand that I''m doing this for her too?


    One year has passed, and I am now definitely the strongest in the region, among E-ranks of course. No emissary of this rank has been able to defeat me, I''ve beaten 3 Avatars too, they were strangely weak, who is wrong now? Hard work beats talent, I don''t have this cheat of life but look at me, with only work and discipline made me better than them.


    Everything is perfect, I completely recovered from Grandma''s death a few months ago. People blamed me and some even said that she got sicker because I couldn''t help her.


    It''s so easy to criticize, if you knew she needed help, why didn''t you come when she was suffering? But I don''t care, that''s how you are after all, and soon you''ll be licking my boots.


    A fault has been found very close to the village! We called the guild association but got no answer, plus we can''t confirm when it appeared, it could open at any time... No! This is not the time to be afraid, this is what I have been waiting for so long, I will prove them wrong, I will show them the power of a true hero.


    I made a nice speech to the villagers, I promised them I would succeed, but they kept saying I lacked experience, can you be less ridiculous? How could I gain experience without any opportunity? Take a step back and applaud when someone decides to sacrifice themselves for you. I asked for other emissaries, even if they were weaker, but only one accepted, and worse, he was also an avatar.


    We are now in front of the rift, it''s a small purple gate that diffuses a little energy, I can''t wait! This is my moment.


    "Alright, it''s just the two of us, I''ll make sure we make it out alive... Oh, by the way, what can you do?"


    ¡°Hm¡­ Anything, it depends.¡±


    What kind of answer is this? Tell me you''re useless without telling me.


    " Can you be more precise? So we can plan a good strategy.


    "It really depends, I''ll see what''s inside and figure something out."


    ¡°sigh¡­ GOOD! But try not to be a burden, I don''t want any of us to die."


    As expected, an avatar is always trouble. My biggest fear is that he''s actually incompetent and might die, a hero doesn''t let people die, don''t make it hard for me!


    We entered the rift and surprisingly it was easier than expected. The rift was a swamp with a few reptilians, I did a number of them, what a spectacle! If only people could see that. The other guy stayed behind and started shooting purple mist at the monsters, is this some kind of magic? The monsters became slower so I guess it was a debuff. An avatar debuffer? Interesting, I hadn''t thought about it but it''s actually a good support for my power. We defeated the boss and were congratulated by the villagers.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "You''re not bad, I like your debuff skills, you lack style and strength but you make up for it with that. I would have liked to fight the boss 1vs1 but it was satisfying."


    "Yeah, yeah, good for you man, I could rely on you. Now can we share the stones we got inside?"


    "Hmm? Share? You want to use them?"


    "Yeah, I mean, we fought together so we should share the treasure equally, right?"


    What does this guy say? These are soul stones, does he know how much they are worth? If we sell them, we could distribute the money to the villagers, that''s what heroes should do! I was wrong, an avatar will always be an avatar, gifted with life and greedy at heart.


    We decided to share them equally, I would sell the mines and help the poor and he would do whatever he wanted with his. We are so efficient that we no longer need to call the guild and apparently our reputation extends beyond the village.


    Later that year, 2 girls asked to join us, a beautiful healer and a little girl, also very cute. My dream is becoming so real that it scares me a little, I have never been so motivated. I want to be closer to them, especially Sana, she''s the most beautiful girl I''ve ever seen, she looks like an angel and what''s more, she''s a healer. She really fits the heroine role and she smells so good.


    Lilith is very cute too, she has a sharp tongue but I think she''s just a tsundere. I¡¯m going to work harder and I can¡¯t wait to see how our relationship goes.


    "You are very strong Lilith, I''m impressed that you''re just a newbie."


    "Fufu, right? I''m not going to let Dora look down on me anymore."


    "Hmm? Did he do that? What an idiot! He can''t fight but he underestimates you."


    "Haha, don''t worry, I''ll just need to work a little more on my speed, and I''ll win the bet, I''ll do it! I can''t wait to see his face."


    ¡°Hahaha, yes, show him, but why the speed?¡±


    ¡°To be faster, of course, I could only kill one monster at a time if it doesn''t move, but now with the elemental stones, I can surprise them and I can even land horizontal strikes on them! Wanna see?"


    "Elemental?... Did you... Did you use elemental stones?"


    ¡°Yes, the ones that increase physical strength but Dora said I have to balance it with dexterity and agility, with speed, can you imagine? I''m a warrior, not a swordswoman! And to make matters worse, it really did work¡­¡±


    "But, Lilith, the stones could be so useful to the village if we sold them, you can''t use them!"


    How come I''m the only one thinking about this? And now she looks at me like I''m the crazy one.


    ¡°We''ll be more useful to everyone if we get stronger, so that''s okay, right?"


    ¡°But I¡­ You don¡¯t need to try so hard, I¡¯m here for everyone. Rely on me more, please."


    "Uh, what? Thanks but we are a team, I have to become strong too, you said we would become the strongest team and create a guild right? I can''t slack off."


    I tried very hard to persuade her but things didn''t go very well, Lilith still sticks to Dora and uses the stones as he tells her. I don''t know what fun she gets from hanging out with him, he barely talks and he''s so weak, but it''s her loss, I''ll have Sana instead, she also likes to talk about the cheating power of avatars with me.


    A few months later, the situation is only getting worse. I saw Sana and Dora the other day, when did they become so close? Why did this have to happen? I tried to explain to her how shameful avatars are, but she doesn''t understand that just because they have more power doesn''t mean they have a better future. What''s the point? No one is more selfish and greedy than Dora, he convinced them all not to use the money to buy a house as our HQ, why would she date him?


    We''ve had people offer to join us, but no one is very strong... Nor match my tastes, since Dora had Lilith and Sana, I''ll have all the other girls! No one will mind if I only recruit girls, Dora doesn''t care about the team and the others are too busy drooling over him, but it won''t last much longer! Another girl joined us, a spearwoman, she looks a little tough, but I''m going to show her how awesome I am.


    ¡°Why do you want to do everything by yourself? Dora is also the leader, right? I thought he was the one who trained us and you were the ace of the team, you''re not helping out there."


    I was wrong, no one understands, no one knows what a hero means, and no one wants to encourage hard work, I hate you, I hate you all! I... If only he wasn''t here.


    We recruited another 2 members, I chose a thug guy from a bar, he also hates avatars and respects me a lot, how ironic, wish you were a girl, but at least he can do some work for me undercover, he can say out loud what I''m secretly thinking. The last person is another girl, she is so cute... She always walks around with her white teddy bear and her monotone voice adds to her charm. I''ll try to be a big brother to her first, she''s the kuudere type so it won''t be that difficult.


    After our last rift, I take back what I said, she sticks to him too, she even gave him a nickname. This is the last time I recruit a girl. I''m having a drink with Erick and he hates him too, we talked a lot and we thought about a good solution, we''re going to take advantage of his lack of motivation to kick him out.


    We spent a few weeks criticizing him behind his back, to the villagers and others, one day Erick saw him enter Marie''s room, I don''t know if it''s true but, hey, nice timing. Sana is starting to reason too, she compliments me more and more, feeds me at the restaurant, and watches my training. This game is finally getting interesting.


    Tonight I feel like something special is going to happen. Someone knocks on my door; I open it and see Sana wearing only a dressing gown, almost transparent.


    ¡°Hey, did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°N-No, I was¡­ I was thinking about you to be honest.¡±


    "Oh? In what context?"


    This look, am I imagining things? She''s offering herself, right? I can... I can try it...


    I try to caress her cheek, don''t get angry!... She... She doesn''t react? She smiles!!! She agrees with the idea! Finally! The world is finally smiling at me! I won! Take that, Dora!


    I invited her into my room and I will never forget that night. We''re secretly dating now and Dora doesn''t even know, how amazing!


    After that I convinced everyone to kick him out, they rejected the idea at first so I had to recruit a new girl to challenge him, but he made it easier and left. I finally have my girls'' party! My harem guild is awesome!


    But happiness and despair are way too close... A few weeks passed and we were D-rank, I heard that the hero was the strongest because he reached his peak earlier, but I never understood the drawback. At some point I stop evolving, so other professions will catch up and surpass me until I evolve to Legend class.


    The others are very strong, too strong, Morgiana, Lilith, and Liliana did a great job last time, Marie and Sana are good support too, but I''m starting to have trouble fighting... Even Erick can''t do big things. Why? Don''t give me the role of the guy who''s a burden.


    Morgiana is such a bad talker, she always blames me for spending money on gifts for Liliana and Sana, I was trying to impress them, but I''ll pay it back later!... When we win... Maybe I should use stones? But they cost too much, and I can''t tell them to go to the lower rifts to help me catch up... What kind of hell am I living in? Even Sana starts talking about Dora. You idiot, you don''t talk about him when we''re alone...


    I hate this world, I hate life, y''all, go to hell, I don''t care anymore. Sana did it, she caused it. The idiot is back and with his friends. Everyone is licking their boots, you idiots, you''re so good at this.


    He said I wouldn''t get stones from his raids, and you all accept that? Look at those smiles, damn you Morgiana, damn you Lilith, damn you all!!! But it won''t last forever, I don''t care. When he leaves, we take back D-rank rifts! It''s your fault I''m under-leveled... He''ll leave and you''ll stay, but I swear on my life, you won''t do what you''re trying to do, Sana...

 Sana

    ¡°The healer is the most important role in a party.¡±


    It''s a teaching I received in the orphanage where I grew up. When I was 14, the director of the orphanage explained to us that the rift situation was getting worse. I never really understood what it was, boys often use that term when playing heroes and monsters, so I just thought it was a childish game, but if the director is talking about that then should that be important?


    They called people in black suits, I''ve been here long enough to know it wasn''t moms and dads coming to take us to better places, no one cares about us after all, we get old and then we leave, it has always been like that.


    They came with strange crystal balls to search for something in us, I just wanted to do it before lunch, there''s usually not enough food for everyone so you have to hurry, but this day was very strange for me.


    People in suits would ask us to put our hands on the crystal balls and then usually say something like fingers or nothing, but when my turn came they looked surprised and said I was a hand. Apparently, that means I''m special since everyone has changed their behavior around me.


    Boys used to flatter me, trying to act cool, but most of them were ashamed, it was kind of funny. They thought they were the heroes of their own story and I would be the prize, but it turned out that I was the one with the sword and they were the peasants.


    The director and her helpers have changed too, now they treat me with attention, they pamper me a lot, they give me more food than the others, and compliment me a lot, the director often says how much she considers me as her own daughter, poor thing, I wasn''t your daughter before being appraised? You are all the same, but at least now my life is better.


    "A healer is better than the others because they''re not only useful in battles, they can be doctors, they can cure any disease."


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing Sana, you can be the best doctor in the world!¡±


    Excuse me? Doctor? Aren''t doctors people who never stop working until they die? How is this a good life plan? I prefer to stay at the orphanage and be the healer for everyone, we can''t buy medicine so you should want me to stay there!


    Years passed, and I told the director about my choice, but she wanted me to go on an adventure first, apparently, she would be in trouble if the kingdom found out she kept a healer at home or something like that. Give me a break, it''s not my job to cover for you!


    I decided to go on an adventure with another child from the orphanage, Lilith. We''ve never spoken before but I''ve heard that even though she''s also a hand, she''s not very well liked because she can''t put three words together without one of them being an insult.


    "Finally free, dammit! These fools can go to hell now." She pouted as she said this, was she trying to be cute or look intimidating? If only she was a boy... I could make her carry my stuff.


    "So, what should we do? We need teammates to fight in the rifts."


    "The director said we need to go south, there are many E-rank rift outbreaks, and we will find teammates along the way." She says, You have no plan, so why are you so confident?


    We traveled for a while but no one wanted to let us join, they said they needed people with more experience or at least avatars, they didn''t mind asking me for my phone number, it was good to pretend I didn''t hear that, I didn''t have a phone anyway.


    I was quite fascinated by the type of avatar, I heard that they were so rare and so strong that they would have more opportunities than others. This means that any avatar will have the best future and become very rich. This gave me an idea.


    A group of emissaries told us that in a distant village, there was a duo composed of a hero and an avatar. This seems like a miracle, especially since they are both boys. It''s time to work really hard to get the world I deserve.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, my name is Sana, I hope we can get along well.¡±


    "Ah¡­ Huh¡­ N-Nice to s-see you, I mean meet you too! It''s my honor to have you here." Good, he''s behaving like a good dog, as expected from boys, one smile and they shiver, one touch and they give you the world. This is why I like you so much.


    Leon told us that he was the party leader, a hero, a very strong class apparently, but he''s only a hand. I need to see the other one, I just hope his face will make it easier for what I''m going to do.


    "Dora, how can you be late? I told you we have recruits!"


    "Yes, and I told you ok, what does it have to do with being punctual?"


    They started arguing, but I had to remember to keep breathing¡­ Who was he? I heard that they were two boys but, are boys supposed to be this cute? He doesn''t look like someone who fights a lot, there''s no imperfection on his face, and he looks just like a puppy. Is he really the avatar? How lucky I am!


    It''s been times after we joined them, Leon decided that our name would be Shining Sword because he is the only one using a sword I guess? How selfish, but I don''t care, Dora is the one who will get me to a glorious life. We got a little closer lately, but he''s very reserved, I tried many things, mixed baths, asking for massages, and feeding him, but he didn''t react at all. I''m not used to seeing boys resist me so much, is he too immature? If this keeps going I''ll have to do something very bold¡­ But I don''t mind with him.


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    "Of course, your healing is weak because you have a little magical powers, being healthy has nothing to do with it."


    ¡°I see, Leon often says that I am very pure and that makes me perfect.¡±


    "Leon thinks we can be the best in the world with willpower, and guess who''s been E-rank since he was 12? If you want power, use stones, you also need defense stones since you have to stay safe.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see, you are very competent, you are so smart that it makes me shiver, fufu.¡±


    "... Oh, even someone who knows how to boil water should be able to think about it... Unless... No offense, but when Lilith calls you an airhead, is she rhetoric?¡±


    Hahaha, funny little bastard, I will see how smart you are when you are addicted to me. A lot of girls joined us after that, I don''t know what''s wrong with Leon, I saw a handsome swordsman the other day who had already entered a rift, why did he reject him? As expected, boys will be boys, just look at him, doing a workout shirtless when we''re eating, trying to show off your abs? Please, it''s mandatory for an emissary.


    Dora too has been very different since Marie joined us. Before people said we were dating, maybe I let the word get out but Dora ignored me, but this time he''s acting a little different.


    He asks me if I''m feeling well, and he stays close to me in the rifts, after all this time, I finally see victory. Boys are boys and they will never reject a beautiful girl for long.


    ¡°Are you¡­ Are you seriously asking me out?¡±


    "Fufu, you idiot, why would I joke about that? I love you very much, you have always been with me and I see in your eyes that you are not indifferent either, don''t you want to try?"


    "... I... I don''t know... I''ve never dated anyone before. I don''t know what couples... Can you let me talk to myself and give you a reply later?"


    "You''re so funny, we don''t have to like each other to date. It''s a first impression, but I know it will last forever." Just look at my sexy dressing gown and agree, you''re 16 now, use your hormones!


    "I... okay?... But I really don''t know how to be a good lover."


    I forgive you for being so cute.


    We''ve been dating for a while now, he''s so inexperienced he''s never tried to touch me, I don''t know if I like it, could you at least initiate a kiss? Hm¡­ Do I really want this? I just want him to support me until he becomes rich, then I will have a child with him, and like a good man, he will make me a housewife and take care of me, with a great fortune. This is an incredible plan, I should be patient.


    There''s just one problem. He''s too soft, why don''t you train harder? Leon becomes stronger, but Dora does not change. You''re an avatar, you have other things than debuff, let''s be serious.


    ¡°Do you really want to leave the village to start a guild?"


    "Huh? But that was the plan all along, wasn''t it?" I know we won''t create a guild, Leon is a helpless dreamer, but don''t give me that speech.


    "I''ll tell you the truth since you''re nice to me. I think I''ll leave the party. I don''t want to leave my mother and sister alone, there are too many rifts lately, and they won''t leave the village. Someone has to stay.¡±


    No.


    "But... you''re an avatar! You... We need you! The villagers have guards now, so they don''t need us!"


    "It''s not about the villagers... Or I don''t know how to say it... My world is nothing if something happens to them. I don''t care if nothing bad ever happens, all I do has something about them in my heart.¡±


    Are.You.Kidding.Me?! What is wrong with this guy??? I did so many things for you, I massaged those fucking shoulders, I gave you every hint I could to make you understand my feelings! Why are you destroying everything now?!


    I was wrong, I was terribly wrong! I shouldn''t have dated him, I shouldn''t have made it public, boys are always disappointing! I need... No... There''s always Leon... He''s annoying and I hate the way he looks at my body, he tries to peek at us in the inn baths with his sidekick Erick, but at least he tries to be the best.


    I need this, I need someone like that, and he''s an idiot besides. I can definitely seduce him...


    I treated him the same way I treated Dora, as expected, it''s easier, look at him drooling all over me, but don''t stand too close, your sweat stinks... If only Dora wasn''t a coward¡­


    I went to his room, it was devastating, but I knew it was worth it, I heard that hero is the strongest class, so he will definitely become a famous man, right?


    Money can make the ugliest man a bigwig, so... I''ll just have to be the princess who kisses a toad. He greeted me with his perverted smile, look at him so happy. You don''t mind doing this to your partner, I may be horrible but at least I''m not as delusional. I drank as much as I could only to pass out quickly, this will probably be the worst time of my life. But I will never be hungry again.


    After a few weeks, I got used to Leon, he''s not as disgusting as before, but he''s too childish. He and Erick blamed Dora for cheating on me, I doubt this weakling could touch a living girl, but I don''t mind being the victim, and like that, I can officially date Leon.


    Dora left the party, it was such a terrible feeling... I could have grown attached to him. Maybe I was hoping he would fight a little so I could switch again, but it''s too late. I hate you so much... But dreams come true.


    We saw each other again when we left for the Southern Guild. He apparently decided to be serious. Ahn... Music to my ears, but you''re so slow I might want to slap you again.


    I tested him in the car but there was no animosity in his voice. I''m not imagining things, he still loves me, doesn''t he? I still have a chance! And he''s going to be a royal knight, it''s the height of wealth! Why did you become perfect after our breakup? I need to do something with Leon quickly, and maybe Marie and Lilith, he gave her a phone, you know I never had one? Why didn''t you give me something too? I gave you a clear hint!


    Afterward, things got interesting, we got destroyed in the rifts, I guess Leon was really a bad choice. Look at him, you tried to impress girls with money and now we''re in trouble because of you.


    But that''s okay, I learned that you can lend knights for rifts, so I just have to wait until we''re really desperate and I''ll ask for Dora. When he carries us, no one will want him to leave. But I have serious problems with Marie and Lilith. Lilith pressured me to be a good girlfriend, and even Erick joined in.


    It disgusts me but I''m going to have to domesticate Leon from time to time on certain nights. I hate it, but it works better than talking. But it''s Marie that bothers me the most, what is her relationship with Dora? She''s still looking at her phone, is she texting him? She better not keep her eyes on him.


    It didn''t last long but everything went as planned... Or almost. Dora is back, but I didn''t expect him to be followed by three other girls. Why does this ghost-looking girl always follow him? And Marie no longer hides her emotions! I hate it, I really hate it... It''s a disaster. Dora is strong and rich, that''s all I wanted, so why can''t I talk to him? I just wish there were fewer girls...


    I have one last plan. I convinced Kraim that Dora would be a better ace than Leon, we''ll raid as a team again and he''ll remember how amazing it was so that he''ll join us, and Leon will eventually leave. If he joins us, Zuri will leave, I saw her almost cry about it, so I''m sure that will happen. The only problem is that Dora says he owns her, but I don''t care.


    You can say whatever you want, you can sleep with whoever you want, but I''ll be the one who benefits. I''ll be there in the end, no matter what, I bet my whole life on you and I''m not losing.

 Lilith

    "Who needs to cry when you can sleep?"


    This is our motto at the orphanage. We can barely eat enough, but at least we do it together so it''s fun. My friends often make fun of me because I''m smaller than everyone else, and well, it''s not my fault I can''t drink milk every year! And water with rice doesn''t work either, so what can I do? I punch everyone who makes fun of me, when they are on the ground, they look smaller than me.


    I''m a little proud of my strength, I may be the sho... The least gifted in the orphanage, but I''m the strongest. When we help set the table for the Queen''s Festival, I always help Madam Director, I can lift a table by myself, and I do it in front of everyone to show what awaits them if they provoke me. But maybe I overdid it since they refused to let me join their gang. Their loss, I''m going to create my own team with shor... Not gifted people!


    We had several foster parents visit us, and I was so confused, I was trying to act like a good girl, I washed my hair and I didn''t play in the mud that day, I hoped someone would finally take me!


    I don''t know if it''s good or bad, but they only asked me to put my hand on a balloon and it lit up a little. They looked happy and said I had a future, but the director looked a little scared and Madame Corine told me not to fight anymore. Everyone looks at me like a monster, I shouldn''t have hit them...


    They asked me to go on an adventure with Sana, the director''s favorite child, I don''t know her but I heard she was the best girl. What does that mean? Oh wait, she was the one who was the princess when we played heroes and monsters, I didn''t remember that because I''m always the monster and monsters don''t save princesses. But she seems nice... Hm, wasn''t she very tactile with boys?


    We traveled from village to village, but no one wanted to give us a chance to join them, they were more interested in flirting with Sana, I don''t understand why she didn''t just send them flying, they rejected us after all. But one group told us there was a duo of a hero and an avatar who looked like night and day and were recruiting people. Finally hope! I''m about to become the scariest monster in the world.


    We met in a bar in a small village, Sofiya, the leader is a bit of a weird guy, he talks like the other boys in the orphanage, also the boys from some teams we saw... all the boys in do. We''re supposed to wait for the other member, Leon said he was trouble, looks like I''m going to have more fun.


    We started doing raids and it was a bit awkward. The monsters are scary and move too fast, I couldn''t land a single hit. Leon carried us but I won''t let that happen again.


    Weeks have passed and it''s only getting worse, I can''t hit any monsters. Everyone has a role, but I''m the only one who doesn''t have feats. I''m starting to feel useless... I never thought that eating with my friends would be the most painful moment of my life.


    "You don''t need to be stronger, I''ll protect you all." You''re nice Leon, but I want to fight too, I want to be a monster like at the orphanage¡­


    "What''s the point of hitting harder if you can''t hit anything?"


    Anesidora told me this when I was training in secret.


    "What? I''m a warrior, warriors hit hard."


    "Yeah, but you never touch any living thing. I saw you hit a dead boar out of frustration."


    "It¡­ It wasn''t frustration! Mind your own business! How dare you... I try my best and he laughs at me.


    "Dexterity or precision, I don''t remember."


    "Are you finished? Do you have anything else to blame me for?"


    "I''m not blaming you, I''m saying if you want to be more specific, use these two elemental stones."


    "What? Use? But they have to be sold, right? Leon said that!"


    "Yes, and he also said that you don''t need to get stronger, so take his advice if you want to keep whining."


    How... How dare you!!? I knew I could do this but no one said anything, how would I know? And Leon still keeps the stones... Maybe I can steal some? Like the bread at the orphanage... Huh?


    "Here, I have these 3 stones in my pocket, as an emergency bonus. Use them."


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    "... Huh?... You''re... Are you giving them to... to me?"


    I do not understand why. Why would he do that? You have to be special to receive gifts, right? That''s why Sana always had them at the orphanage. Why are you giving them to me?


    "What? You don''t know how to assimilate them?"


    "N-No!... I... But why? You don''t need it?" The last time we raided was two days ago, how do you still have stones? Maybe... Maybe he saved them for... for me?


    "You look like a penguin playing with a hammer, a baby penguin to be physically precise, I''ll be killed if I keep laughing in the rifts."


    My God... Give me the power not to miss the blow I am about to give him.


    I hit him with all my strength, I know I hit him, there''s a wall behind him, he didn''t go... Huh?


    I look above and he''s standing on the wall, how did he get there?!


    "Hm, good move, but next time try with something like a rock, if it doesn''t move you''ll hit it, right?"


    ¡°C-Come back here!¡±


    "Sorry, I can''t hear you from up there~"


    I tried to jump and reach him, but the people who built this wall, were they angry or something?


    ¡°304 centimeters, you have to do at least better than that.¡±


    Okay, I hate this guy. He continued to test me in the morning but eventually bought me lunch as an apology, I forgive him for now.


    We talked a bit about my power, apparently, it''s a mistake to focus on pure strength, I need higher speed, responsiveness, reflex, and too many words that I never heard in my life. What does it mean to infuse energy? I don''t know if he''s making fun of me but I''ll just pretend to understand.


    A few weeks have passed and everything is perfect! I was wrong about Dora, he''s annoying but he''s a good pal.


    I like playing with him, Morgiana is nice but she is so serious and Marie is too shy, I asked her to talk more and she apologized. It''s weird...


    But the atmosphere is good, Leon is a little scary but I think Dora is like the leader in the shadows, so I feel safe.


    Dora is like my friends at the orphanage, maybe better, at least he never hurts me and he gives me a lot of apolo-lunches.


    Leon and Erick are getting very annoying. We went to a public bath and they tried to peak on us, even when we were bathing in a lake they faked a fight to break in. This is getting very annoying, at least Dora isn''t like that, he doesn''t care about that kind of thing.


    Marie and I often ask him to join us in our bath to keep watch, he agreed on the condition that he called me Lil Lith... I wonder what that means.


    Something strange happened, Sana said she was dating Dora. It''s weird, it''s so weird... I thought Dora wasn''t interested in stuff like that.


    I''m a little annoyed that we can''t spend as much time alone as before, Sana has a sharp tongue and she doesn''t want us near him. He''s also my friend!


    Things are getting worse, Dora is playing with me again but... He seems very distant now. Leon said we should replace him... What nonsense is this? Dora is the reason everyone is doing so well, he helped me, Marie, and Morgiana, why should we kick him out? If it''s not passionate enough, I''ll knock some sense into him, but don''t take him away!


    Sana is really horrible... I saw her talking with Leon and they hugged often... It''s not a normal friendship, you told me to stay away from Dora, why are you doing this now?!


    Everyone in the village says that Dora cheated on her with Marie, but that''s impossible... Marie told us what happened and it was so Dora. Who said that? Why is he so fine with this?


    Leon recruited a new member, Liliana. She''s a little older than me and she seems nice, but he said she would replace Dora.


    I opposed it and even Morgiana asked to at least let him fight for his place.


    Dora is strong, I know he can do it, he has to do it... You never get angry even though I''m a boring person, I need you around...


    Life is so cruel... when I was younger, I was separated from my friends at the orphanage, I don''t even remember the name to return there, and now I lost the only one who paid attention to me. I hate it, I hate it so much... why didn''t you fight? I wish I never left the orphanage.


    Life is full of surprises and always plays with me.


    We met Dora on the way out, and he said he was going to get serious, he even sent Leon and Erick flying... But why Morgiana? If she didn''t talk to you before, it''s because she just doesn''t like boys, boys like Leon and Erick, but she respects you.


    Anyway, I''m glad he''s back, but man, I wanted to go on an adventure with you...


    My other problem now is Sana, she''s a little too happy to see him, I may not know how to read, but I''m mature enough now to know what they call people like her, beach! I heard they''re the worst people, so I better watch out for her.


    Things are a little bad, Leon is wasting our money on gifts, we told him it was useless but he wants to show his big heart, with our money, which he didn''t really contribute to since he is less and less good in battle.


    Marie tried to contact Dora but apparently, this magical device is broken so we can''t. It''s a big problem.


    Leon is scarier than before too, he always yells at us in the rifts, he is angry with Sana so I told her to play the role of girlfriend and calm him down.


    She''s been very happy lately, so I have a bad feeling.


    Life is full of emotions and when you work hard, you are rewarded. Dora is back! I was so surprised that I forgot to hit him, but I didn''t care, we went into a rift and it was amazing...in the end.


    I was so scared but he saved me and the others and beat all the monsters, I knew he was strong but wow, now I''m proud to say you were my teacher.


    We met many new friends who knew him. Zuri is so funny, I like seeing her freak out when Morgiana is happy, Mercy is nice too, she''s a noble but she talks like a friend. Freya is a bit annoying honestly, but now that my teacher is back, wait, I''m going to become the monster I''ve always dreamed of!


    I don''t really care about anything else anymore, Dora is like medicine, since his return, life has been wonderful. We are finally experiencing the adventure I dreamed of, I wish it would last forever.

 Marie(1)

    I don''t remember who I was or where I came from, I know I''m not from there because my parents were discussing crossing a border. I saw snowy fields, white, cold, and endless lands, but what I remember most was the anguished faces of my parents.


    I know today that they were worried, I didn''t understand why, but I suppose they were right since they were killed.


    We were in a car going at high speed when I heard a deafening noise.


    The car hit a group of bushes and several people approached us. My mother came to pick me up and hugged me warmly, telling me that I had to survive.


    My father hugged us, then took something out of his bag and rushed towards them, my mother focused her magic to create a bird that grabbed me and took me away.


    My last memory was the roar of gunfire. The bird carried me for a few minutes before disintegrating further into the forest.


    I got up and walked around a lot crying, I don''t remember why I cried, I''m more intrigued by why I kept walking.


    I don''t remember what it was, but I know I was in danger. I spent months in the forest, drinking water from the river, and picking all kinds of fruits I could find and when I managed to control my magic better, I started hunting animals with my magic.


    When I think about it, without my emissary power, I would have died drunk. But I survived, it was the most important thing for me, the last thing my parents asked of me.


    I continued walking south day after day and one day I reached an abandoned house.


    I was relieved to be able to sleep under a roof for once, but when I broke in, I found children tied up, and 3 large men, alerted by the noise, coming out of a door.


    They spoke a language I didn''t understand, but actions spoke louder than words, so when one of them grabbed a rope and a knife, I knew they weren''t there for anything. GOOD.


    I pretended I was scared, so they would let their guard down, they muttered something and when the one at the back turned his gaze to the left, I broke the first man''s neck. I learned during my hunts that the neck and head were the areas to aim for if you wanted to make a kill.


    I was ready for it, but I wasn''t ready for it to be easy. Humans without powers are so fragile. I hit every one of them and one hit was always enough. They were too slow, they only had knives, it was so easy. Maybe if I had fought that day, my parents wouldn''t be... But it''s too late now.


    I freed the children, they were afraid of me, and some said things I didn''t understand, but one of them took my hand and led me to the room from which the men came.


    What we saw was devastating. I... I... It''s something I''d like to forget... forever. I won''t think about it, humans are the scariest thing there is...


    We ran away from that place, we ran days and nights, surprisingly, the other kids were able to eat wild fruits with no problem, they all had special power like me, but theirs was different, they couldn''t use them to fight. Also, they refused the meat.


    After a few days, we reached an isolated village. The children were happy, I think some recognized the place, we were received by adults and taken to a large house.


    My life became calm from that moment on, I was finally out of this perpetual race and I was able to fulfill my parents'' wishes.


    Here I learned to speak their language, I learned what they call powerful people like me and how valuable we were.


    The children were orphans, kidnapped because they were emissaries but unable to defend themselves. This was an illegal but well-known practice for different purposes.


    A finger has better raw power than a normal human, so it would make better workers, but how can we get that labor without issue? They are too rare in orphanages.


    The answer made me hate the human race a little more, it was obviously by selling them when they are too young and too weak to pseudo-parents who will later become their masters.


    A big investment for a better result, but it also meant that the orphanages would not release the child emissaries for free.


    I realized that I was deemed to stay there when 4 adults followed me on my walks around the village, but they would regret it. I planned to stay a while because I had free food, but when I felt like it, I would run away, no matter who I had to kill.


    But an unexpected event saved their lives. The kingdom sent people to assess the emissaries and ordered the orphanages and families to let them go to the rifts.


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    I knew the situation was serious when they packed my things and rushed me to leave. They gave me very little money, I wanted to steal everything in retaliation but I thought of the other children so I left without a word.


    I traveled for a while, with a road it''s easier not to get lost, and I walked from village to village. Many people asked me to join their team after a demonstration of my power, they told me that the puppeteer class was a very good class.


    I thought it would be easy, so I went to the Rifts for the first time, but then I realized that the reason they were almost begging me to join was because they weren''t even on the level of beginners.


    I encountered a lot of failures, we won a few times but there was no future for us, so I asked to leave. This triggered the self-proclaimed leader, so she tried to intimidate me. I introduced her to the ground.


    I went from party to party like this, I encountered jealousy, hypocrisy, perversity, betrayal, and nothing I didn''t expect.


    I learned to see a liar in his face, so one day, while traveling in Sofia, I did not miss this detail on Leon''s face.


    He was apparently the leader of the local emissary team, the only one in this place.


    I asked to join them and he was very enthusiastic, as was his look at my body.


    He threw a party to celebrate my arrival, there I met all the party members. The healer was a little distant, a safe distance for me, the spear was very cheerful, she was happy to have another girl around and Lilith was acting like a big sister. I don''t know why, but for once, I felt like I was among strong people.


    The chef and his sidekick were livening up the party, I thought they talked a lot, too much, but it was better there than with beginners.


    The day passed, and we had a meeting at our base, there I had an encounter that would change my life.


    "Dora... You''re late again." Leon sighed.


    "... Oh, the ''we have a new member'' intro speech. Who is the new member?"


    Then, she looked at me, yes, it was my impression, and sometimes I think about his reaction if I told him that I misgendered him.


    "... Leon, let''s have a talk for a moment."


    "What? You''re late and you want to argue?"


    "Listen, I don''t care how you recruit people but, maybe it''s time to fix an age limit."


    I shuddered a little, I don''t know my age, I don''t remember how long I''ve been running, but it was the first time anyone had called me a child.


    It was a little frustrating, but I''m used to being underestimated and I know how to make them shut up.


    We went into a rift and the outcome was satisfactory. This was much easier than my previous rifts, I used a swordsman puppet and a knife for myself in case a monster approached, but I never had to use it.


    The monsters were taken care of without problem by the others. At one point, the last guy stayed close to me, it made me uncomfortable, I felt like he was scrutinizing me.


    On the way back, he stayed in the back near me, L¨¦on was still giving a false speech about our achievement, so I took the opportunity to settle things with him.


    "Can you stop looking at me? It''s very unpleasant."


    "Hm? Oh, don''t worry about that."


    "I don''t mind? How could I when you keep looking at me? I have to put up with everyone and I''d like to keep doing that, so sto-"


    ¡°Why are you holding a bomb all the time?¡±


    I stopped abruptly.


    "... What?"


    "That teddy bear you always carry, it''s a bomb, isn''t it? I feel the concentrated energy."


    How did he...


    I froze for a second then slowly moved closer to him. I then took my knife and pointed it at his back.


    "What are you doing?"


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, we¡¯re taking a detour.¡±


    "... Okay. Guys, Marie has to pee but she''s scared, I''m going to go with her."


    ... What''s wrong with this guy?


    The others were surprised but at least no one objected. We went into the forest where no one could see us.


    "So? Why do you want a private conversation?"


    "... Never mind, how did you know about my puppet?"


    ¡°I told you, I felt the energy, it was obvious.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, how do you recognize a bomb?¡±


    He looked at me for a while, I wasn''t afraid, I was ready to shut him down now and run away, I just needed to confirm if he knew me from afar.


    "Okay, you need to calm down first."


    He snapped his finger and to my surprise the feeling on my hand changed, the knife was gone. I was stunned.


    ¡°H-how?" I was ready to retaliate, but I didn''t sense any animosity from him.


    Now it was scary, it was scary because he let me lead him there and didn''t react, he wasn''t angry, he knew the purpose of my teddy bear and made my knife disappear.


    "Why are you overreacting? I just asked you why your puppet is a bomb, why are you acting like it''s a state secret? And let''s be serious, you have almost no physical powers, what do you think you can do with this knife?"


    I only knew how to speak 2 languages ??but I felt insulted in 666 different languages.


    "Thank you... But I know how to use a knife, I have my reasons and it''s none of your business."


    "Yeah, that''s what I meant, and considering how tough you are, I''d be surprised if this thing can break a wall."


    How determined was he to insult me? I talked with him for a while, forgetting my fear, slowly being replaced by anger as he used every word in a dictionary to criticize my power.


    At one point, I don''t know why, I don''t know him, but I felt like I didn''t have to worry about him. I could sense he was being honest, which was worse in a way.


    ¡°This is how I fight, I¡¯ve always done it like this and it¡¯s always worked, I don¡¯t need your advice!¡±


    "Then why did you stop attacking? You took a knife to attack me, didn''t you? Why did you stop?"


    "Because you''re not worth it! Don''t give me advice when you''re weaker than me!"


    I was already exhausted, I was turning my back ready to leave, when a huge wave of energy passed through my body.


    I looked at him, shaking in disbelief, he was the same, but not the same. Before he had no presence, he walked like a ghost and appeared out of nowhere, but as soon as I looked into his eyes I knew he was someone different.


    ¡°Well, can I give you some advice now?¡±


    "... Who... Who are you?..."


    He took a step forward, I shivered and jumped back, but somehow I knew I was finished. He walked towards me and when he put his hand on my shoulder, I didn''t resist. This power... This pressure... It was something I had never felt before.


    ¡°People call me Anesidora, but to you, it will be Gamma.¡±


    This is how I really met the one who would soon become my teacher and the one who would open my eyes to a new world. My strange friend, and his multiple personalities.

 Last resort

    The night was cool and the breeze brought a sweet, and spicy scent to Dora''s nose as he sat alone on a plain. He had his arms crossed and kept his eyes closed.


    "You''re awfully quiet tonight, little toy."


    A familiar voice woke him from his torpor.


    "I''m just thinking."


    "Are you sure? I should be able to read your thoughts, so what is this silent thought?"


    He opened his eyes and looked at the starry night.


    "My heart and brain are bothering me."


    " What''s wrong? Do you regret parting with your friends?


    He remained silent for a few seconds and sighed.


    "I don''t know, I''ve never felt like this before... We have to go our own way but... I wouldn''t mind if it lasted longer."


    The silence was deafening, broken only by Dora''s breathing.


    Suddenly, he felt the presence of someone or something behind him. A chill ran down his spine as a shadowy figure materialized and sat beside him.


    Midgard was next to him, in her normal form, that of a young adult with tired eyes and unkempt hair.


    "... Oh, I forgot you were also an auntie in disguise."


    "You really know how to run your mouth, but I prefer you to be like this. So tell me, what''s bothering you?"


    "Hm... Nothing more than what I said, it''s just a phase, maybe all this time with them has given me some regrets."


    They looked at the stars together without a word, Midgar then placed a hand on Dora''s hair and surprisingly, the boy did not reject her.


    "You''ve changed a lot, the way you care for them, the sadness you feel for those whose dream will be shattered tomorrow... The fact that you share all the stone with them."


    "I knew it was coming."


    "Hm, don''t worry, I''m not mad at you, I''m the one who asked you to use all the synergies with Beta... I suspect he''s the one with physical power, but it seems that we''re still missing something... Dora, after what''s going to happen tomorrow, I think we need to talk about your true nature."


    Dora glanced at her, a little surprised, and looked at the stars again.


    Morning came and everyone was gathered in the living room.


    On one side, the 3 nobles and Hope, and on the other, the members of Shining Sword and Kraim. The latter seemed very annoyed by the subject of the meeting.


    Dora, in the middle, behaved like a monitor.


    "Alright, you''ve had a day to think about it and now it''s time to decide. Will you accept the big guilds'' offer, or will you fight for your team? Decide your fate now."


    Everyone exchanged looks, the pain was visible on some faces and Morgiana was trembling slightly.


    Among them, only Sana remained calm. Dora noticed their concerns and continued his speech.


    "Not trying to influence you or anything, but... If you refuse this offer, you won''t be able to but will remain at your current level. You will advance to C rank, but you will encounter the same wall, 100% of course. If you accept, on the other hand, a brighter and better future awaits you. And you won''t have to wait forever."


    "This... Snake..." Leon sighed.


    He stared at the 3 girls, a look that conveyed a warning, but it was enough to set one of them off.


    Mary stood up and walked over to stand next to Dora.


    "I have made my choice and I will accept the offer. I want to continue adventuring with you all so much... But Dora and Freya are right, this cannot last forever. I made a promise, a promise that requires me to quickly become stronger, and... There is no future for us as a team."


    She looked at the ground, her eyes trembling slightly, but when she felt Dora''s hand on her shoulder, she calmed down a little and smiled.


    "That''s what you taught me, isn''t it? That''s my story."


    "Yes, the Dora Show will continue but you are better than a supporting character, leave your own story."


    Leon was shaking in his seat, muttering inaudible words.


    Once the tap was turned on, there was no stopping it, so Lilith got up and joined them.


    Her eyes were a little red, but she tried to act firm and showed a smug look.


    "I''ll join Crimson Rhapsody, they need someone to train as a berserker and they have taste, so I''ll be sure to become the scariest monster in the world."


    She leaned on Dora.


    "I''m warning you, enjoy while you''re stronger than me because once I''m the strongest monster, I''ll come and kick your ass and we''re off on another adventure."


    "Hm~hm, against me, strongest is a lot of assumption but... If you grow taller then I''ll be really scared."


    She attempted to punch him, but her hand passed through him like a hologram. They then shared a light-hearted laugh.


    Liliana looked at her remaining teammates and raised her hand.


    "Um, Mr. Dora, just to confirm, you said you would take care of Morgiana, right?"


    Dora''s expression suddenly changed and he glanced at Freya. The girl looked up at the ceiling.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Don''t forget everything I did for you. The magic swordswoman and the spearwoman will be a little different than expected."


    Everyone, intrigued, turned to her.


    "For the swordswoman, there is a greater opportunity, one of the holy knights of the kingdom has disappeared, so there is an announcement to recruit a replacement. The only criterion is to be a swordsman... And something ridiculous who follows you well".


    She stood up and walked over to Liliana and leaned closer to see her face.


    "I guess you''re cute."


    "Eh?"


    "I said what I said, we''ll talk about the details later, but for now what about you try to join the holy knights? You''ll be assigned to a noble like Dora but you will receive a special formation, at my mansion."


    Liliana widened her eyes, she had difficulty understanding what was happening so she turned to Morgiana.


    The latter was as lost as she was but nodded in agreement, at this point, every opportunity was welcome.


    "W-Well... So, Morgiana and I will be royal knights? Like Mister Dora?"


    "You will be ''trained'' to become a holy knight. Places are limited, and right now the role of magic swordsman is in demand. It''s like the warrior girl situation. As for the spearwoman, well since Dora asked for it, you will join her for now, but you will be deployed to the Rifts a lot, as a personal employee of our mansion. This will give you plenty of opportunities if you want to attract the attention of larger guilds."


    Morgiana shivered a little and lowered her head. She tried to make a sound, but her face struggled to contain her emotions.


    After feeling defeated, she was certain that her chances were over. She knew that getting back up as an emissary would be more difficult for her, especially since she didn''t have a special job like the others or a miraculous opportunity like Lilith.


    She had lost all hope and didn''t expect to be given another chance.


    "Th... Thank... Y..." Her words were muffled by a broken voice, Liliana quickly got up and hugged her, soon joined by Marie and Lilith.


    "Oh, you said never to show our weakness to others, don''t break your own rule now!" Lilith patted his back, barely containing her tears.


    "She''s right, I told you Idiora wouldn''t abandon you."


    They shared this moment of emotion, under the tender gaze of Mercy, the indifference of Zuri, and the little annoyance of Freya.


    "You shouldn''t thank me, thank instead Dora... No, in fact, encourage him, because now he owes a huge debt to me."


    She threw a burning gaze on the young boy who grimaced and looked to the side.


    Morgiana got up weakly and went to hug him.


    "Thank you... thank you for everything..."


    She was known for not controlling her energy in emotional moments, but, perhaps because she was morally exhausted or because of his enormous defensive stats, Dora felt almost nothing.


    "It''s... okay, I don''t like it when you get too emotional... It''s a win for everyone, so stop crying."


    They wiped their tears while smiling, it was a beautiful moment, the death of Shining Sword, but the resurrection of their dreams, as individuals.


    But not everyone won. The principal concerned exchanged a look with his goon and his girlfriend before getting up and slowly walking toward Dora.


    As he got closer, Morgiana and Liliana intervened while Lilith and Marie remained worried near a Dora smiling, a smile engraved in the memory of the nobles who stood up in turn.


    ¡°Leon, don¡¯t come any closer!" Morgiana warned, arms outstretched, ready to block him.


    "... How funny, you always said you didn''t want to depend on anyone, but look at you licking his boots now."


    She flinched for a moment but did not lose her composure.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bootlicking, it¡¯s defending a friend! Bootlicking is what you expected from us!"


    He spat on the ground, much to Freya''s disgust, and drew his sword, alarming everyone.


    ¡°Hey, Leon, stop that now!¡± Hope quickly walked towards him, but something happened.


    Leon stopped and pointed his sword at Dora.


    "People who have nothing to do with Shining Sword can go fuck themselves! This is a private matter: Anesidora, I challenge you to a duel!"


    This statement surprised everyone, causing even Dora to raise an eyebrow. It had to be a joke.


    Hope looked at Dora, then Leon, lips trembling. He felt the hideous feeling that kept him from sleeping the past few days.


    Liliana was the first to break this new silence.


    "Mr. Leon... What are you saying?"


    "You can''t be serious..." Lilith whispered.


    No one could understand what his intentions were, the most expected reaction was an attempt to attack Dora, in anger, but asking for a duel was the stupidest thing they could imagine, and for a specific reason.


    "And what exactly do you expect? Do you want to go out with some humiliation? Because you can''t hope to defeat him." Freya crossed her arms.


    "She... She''s right, no offense, aren''t you way outclassed here?" Mercy added.


    Leon did not move, all the time, his sword was still pointing at Dora, he hesitated to answer because this scenario made no sense.


    "Hmm... I don''t understand. Care to repeat that?"


    "I''m telling you, you bastard, I challenge you to a duel, right now, anywhere will be fine."


    Dora was so intrigued that he decided not to consider his insult, after the undead rift, no one could doubt his power, and after that, he got even stronger. There was simply no world where he could lose to Leon.


    "Hmm... No, why would I? It''s not that I don''t want to crush your face but... Your hatred for me is matched only by my indifference towards you. I have no reason to give you what you want.¡±


    Leon laughed and glanced at Zuri, alarmed, Hope rushed towards the girl.


    "Leon, are you crazy?! Dora, don''t stay like a tree, do something!"


    He called on his old ¡°rival,¡± but something had changed in the atmosphere. Dora didn''t react and just smiled.


    "You really need to control your emotions, Balder, there''s only 5 meters between us, he won''t even take a step forward."


    "... Maybe, but he challenged you, so show a little pride as..."


    "You will give me advice the day you can land a single blow on me, right now, as the uncrowned prince said, let it count for the members of Shining Sword."


    Hope shuddered, he wanted to say something, but as he looked around, he saw the annoyed looks of Freya and Mercy.


    "You''re just a nuisance" No one said the words, but that was what their looks conveyed.


    Dora took 2 steps forward and placed himself a few centimeters from Leon''s sword.


    "So, you... Want me... To beat you? You know that''s not a feat, right?"


    "Hmph, I''m the leader of Shining Sword, I created this team from scratch, we fought together and rose through the ranks. Do you think I''m going to let you destroy everything?"


    "... Okay, but what are you trying to prove anyway? You are childish but not an idiot, you know I could wipe the floor with your body. What is your real intention?"


    ¡°Will you just shut your fucking mouth for a second?!¡± He screamed and delivered a swing that grazed Dora''s shoulder and landed on the ground.


    "I''m tired of your stupid words, you understand? You''re a nuisance, idiot, everyone hated you in the village and that hasn''t changed... no... you''re even worse. At least before you were just the idiot mommy child, by the way, how is your widowed mother? Does she know that you are trying to break our team bond? No wonder Daddy ran away in the after-"


    ¡°LEON!!!¡±


    Marie screamed for the first time. Her breathing was heavy and her shoulder was shaking.


    "One word... If you say one more word, I''ll be the one to shut you up."


    "... Oh? Coming from the always selfless Marie, it''s great, you finally recognize m-m...!!!!!" It was a second too late, but he finally realized that her scream was not meant to intimidate him but to save him from a future wave.


    In front of him, Dora''s expression had changed, and the atmosphere was literally becoming heavier.


    "D-Dora, let me take care of him..."


    "... Marie." He closed his eyes and the pressure disappeared. Marie shuddered slightly and lowered her head.


    "This is not something that can be resolved with words, false impressions have brought us here, so an explosive conclusion is necessary to get out of this."


    He walked up to her and patted her on the head, to the surprise of the others who expected him to simply bury Leon.


    "I''m not angry against him, it was the requiem of a wounded animal, he knows he''s screwed anyway."


    "... Understood."


    He smiled and turned to Leon, hands on his hips, with a sad expression on his face.


    "I don''t know what you have in mind, don''t try to make me angry, there are better ways to commit suicide... But just to be safe, this is your last warning: if you make me fight you..."


    He closed his eyes and opened them again, no need for words, the message was clear.


    Leon pointed his sword at him again.


    "I am a hero and a leader. I will never go back to my words. But I have one condition."


    "... Someone else fighting for me? Even so, I doubt you could beat anyone here."


    "If I win, Shining Sword will not be dismantled, no one will leave, and we will continue to fight together, like a real family. If you win... I will quit being an emissary."


    That statement left everyone in a state of shock and surprise. Even Freya''s facial expression turned into a frown, while Dora''s eyes widened in disbelief and then slowly narrowed.


    ¡°You will regret it.¡±

 The Hero Never Fails: Leon vs. Dora

    The sun was high in the sky, as was the tension in the air as a hero prepared to face a monster on a plain. Everyone was gathered in a corner, and several meters in front of them, the 2 founders of Shining Sword were facing each other.Kraim stood in the middle and was about to give the signal.


    "Very well... So this is a battle to determine the future of the Shining Sword team. If the gray-haired snake wins, Shining Sword will be dismantled, the false hero will retire, and many dreams will be crushed... If only someone with just a little compassion, a little love, and a human heart, would certainly have mercy... But who am I kidding?"


    "Indeed." Dora nodded indifferently.


    Kraim sighed and glanced at Leon with annoyance.


    "Well... I''m not a hype man, but it really is suicide. The rules are the same as a traditional mock battle, you use everything in your power, and kill if you want to live a life in prison... Well, even there, the law is fine for royal knights, so... Begin when I''m far enough away." He walked away en trainant le pas.


    All eyes were on the two adversaries, Leon with his fierce posture and Dora looking at him curiously.


    "Let''s fight fair and square, with honor."


    "... You call this a fair fight?"


    "Haha, yeah, an avatar is always an advantage, but mark my words: Heroes never run away in front of a challenge."


    A white aura emerged from his body and he rushed towards Dora, the echo of his words ringing in Hope''s ears.


    "Take th-URGHT!" He suddenly froze in mid-air, as if he had crashed into a wall.


    "That''s why they always die in the end."


    Dora snapped his fingers and Leon''s body rose at high speed into the air and stopped before precipitating to the ground and crashing, creating a small crater.


    "... Ridiculous."


    Dora turned his back on him, under the stunned eyes of their audience.


    He took a few steps when a blade of air brushed his shoulder. He stopped for a moment and turned, only to see Leon getting up.


    "Aaah... Aah... Where... Are you going?... I didn''t hear any bell."


    Dora stared at him, looking very surprised, and suddenly started laughing.


    "Ah, yeah... I didn''t use my body so of course you didn''t break... Ok, I''m taking this a little more seriously now."


    He stomped the ground and a black pillar emerged from the ground, under Leon, and hit him right in his stomach.


    Leon rose into the air, coughing saliva but quickly regained his composure, took hold of the pillar, and launched himself at Dora.


    "Body enhancement!"


    He was surrounded by a red aura as he approached Dora, swinging his sword. Although it only lasted for a moment, it was not enough to catch Dora off guard. However, the young boy chose to stand still instead of dodging the attack.


    "I wonder if can tank it..."


    He put his arm in opposition to block the blow and a shock wave spread upon impact.


    "AAAAARH!! AHT!!!! AHT!!!! It hurts! It hurts!!!!"


    The sword had penetrated half of his arm and blood was beginning to flow.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "What the..." Freya frowned.


    Everyone was surprised, even Leon looked incredulous.


    "... that''s... That one was for underestimating me!... So what? Is it still funny?"


    "Uh!... It''s barely a scratch..."


    "Good, now I''m going to be more serious, body enhancement."


    A red aura covered him again and he pushed to cut Dora''s arm, but his sword disappeared.


    "Damn- UGH!!!!"


    A powerful slap threw him onto a tree further away. He crashed painfully and crouched, slightly dizzy.


    "... Hm? Oh, my bad, it''s not fair if you''re not armed."


    Dora made his sword reappear in the air and threw it at him, the speed of the sword increased gradually and pierced the tree, next to Leon''s head.


    ¡°Ah!!¡­¡±


    "What? Need help getting up too?"


    Leon growled and lunged at Dora, his fist pointing forward, but as soon as he touched him, Dora''s body exploded into black spikes, seriously injuring Leon.


    He took a step back and flew into the tree without explanation. Mercy frowned.


    "S''that... Gravity magic?"


    But Freya shook her head.


    "I don''t feel that kind of power, it must be something else, anyway, Zuri, maybe you should ask him to end it now, I can''t see the idiot giving up."


    "... No, if this is his last fight, let him enjoy it." She took a bite of the sandwich she had brought.


    Freya sighed and watched the fight as Leon lunged at Dora again before getting slapped hard on the ground again.


    "You know I only use slaps because I don''t know if my fist could kill you?... Haha, just kidding, it''s only because I know it hurts more."


    Leon got up with great difficulty.


    "H...he..."


    "Hm? He? Heal? You want me to heal you? Why? You won''t have to fight after this anyway... Unless you''re just a big talker."


    "Hero!!!!"


    He jumped on Dora and hit the invisible wall again.


    ¡°On the bright side, no one expected you to win, on the sad side, I¡¯m not even trying."


    Leon''s body rose into the air and fell.


    ¡°For everyone¡¯s sake, don¡¯t get up this time!¡±


    He pointed at Leon who was falling and a luminous explosion occurred directly on the hero. He fell heavily, unconscious, his armor partially destroyed.


    The others were stunned for a moment and most of them lowered their heads.


    "As expected." Freya crosses her arms.


    "It''s sad, I wanted Dora to beat him bloody for threatening me, but I guess a career-ending defeat will be enough." Zuri shrugged.


    No one was really surprised, either by the result or by the ease with which Dora had gotten rid of him.


    The members of Shining Sword sighed, Sana and Erick unphased.


    Mercy clapped her hand lightly.


    "I just hope he stays down, t''ll be too dangerous for Dora to go stronger than that if he''s that weak, might really kill''m."


    They were about to leave, but someone was shaking slightly.


    ¡°Is that¡­ Is that really?¡± Hope whispered, then took a breath and screamed.


    "THAT''S WHAT YOU CALL A HERO?! A HERO NEVER STAY DOWN!!!"


    He shouted so loudly that everyone shook.


    "Oi? Hope who are you cheerin'' for?"


    "I''m sorry, my lady, but this is a personal matter... HEY! LEON!!! YOU SAID YOU WANT TO FIGHT TO SAVE THE WORLD, YOU HAVE THE HEART OF A TRUE HERO, SO STAND UP! DON¡¯T LET HIM WIN!¡±


    Mercy shook him to silence him, but the boy remained firm.


    Kraim looked at him with disdain at first but ended up smiling, turning towards Leon.


    "Hey, are you still conscious? If you can win this fight, I''ll have the guild make you the ace! Don''t let that selfish snake beat you, Hero!"


    They cheered in unison, their faith and joy leaving the girls stunned but reaching another man.


    "You''ve got him! Look how he''s bleeding, you can get him! You can win, kick that bastard''s ass!" Erick yelled.


    Their cheers reached the sky, they stood up with their fists raised and sang until they were out of breath.


    "HERO! HERO! HERO!"


    And under this cloud of praise, a miracle happened, Leon raised one arm, then another, and pushed the earth to get up.


    "HERO! HERO!"


    He stood up, raised his head to the sky, and breathed.


    "... Everyone..."


    He clenched his fist and raised his sword, the cries of support increased in volume. Leon smiled and looked at Dora whose arm had just healed.


    "See, that''s the difference between you and me. You can have the power, you can have all the cheats you want, but you''ll never get it, you''ll never know what it''s like to be truly loved... to be a true hero. It''s just a word to you, but to us, that''s it."


    He pointed his sword at the spectators.


    "These are the real heroes, they are the ones who make up our power, the power of each person! The power of our bond! We are family! And we will stay together no matter what, burn that somewhere in your brain, monster !¡±


    He pointed his sword at Dora, a white aura emanating from his body. Dora, until then amused, stopped smiling for the first time.


    "Crushing your body will be the second most violent act I commit today, preceded only by crushing your dreams... Polymerization."


    A powerful wind picked up and swept across the scene, converging on Dora and swirling around him taking on a black and yellow hue.


    |Greed 7%


    The others gazed at him with unease. Even the supporters lowered their hands and Leon sheathed his sword.


    The storm dissipated and the one in front of Leon slowly raised his head, opening his yellow, luminous irises with a mischievous smile.


    "So... You asked for a monster?"

 Massacre, The Monster with Yellow Eyes

    Leon''s eyes twitched frantically and his poor self fell back, perhaps in an attempt to wake up from a nightmare, as the monster before him looked at him curiously, its yellow eyes reflecting the soul of a soon-to-be broken hero.


    "Wh-What... What..."


    "Hm?... Curious, it''s too early for you to be afraid of us. Take a breath and calm down."


    Leon took a step back, feeling a shiver across his back.


    "How do you plan to reach us if you keep walking away? You wanted to play the hero, so we''re just giving you a suitable opponent. Let''s play."


    He took a step forward and spread his arms.


    "Hello, Hero. We are the monster with the yellow eyes, and our name is... G####"


    A powerful wave of energy emanated from his body, spreading across the plain.


    Leon felt his body burning and freezing to the extreme, several times in the blink of a second and instinctively dropped his sword... Or so he thought.


    "....?"


    He tried to move his body, to move backward, but nothing happened. He realized he could no longer control his body.


    "A hero needs a sword to be glorious."


    Dora clenched his fist in front of his face and Leon found himself in a bubble with his sword.


    The bubble gradually narrowed, compressing Leon and his sword against each other. Imperceptible screams vibrated the bubble, the walls of which had become black again and soon the bubble was less than a meter in diameter.


    "What a beautiful work of art... But you can''t die yet."


    He snapped his finger and the bubble exploded, scattering pieces of the sword everywhere.


    In this mess, Leon was kneeling, bleeding from several places on his body, and holding his ear, bleeding profusely.


    "You can fight without a sword right?"


    Leon offered him a death stare, a burning rage growing in his chest.


    "It won''t matter anyway, we need you to be tough enough for our experiments. Let''s see."


    The system screen reappeared in front of him, but very different from usual, this time it glowed yellow, but still invisible to Leon.


    "Look at all these skills, these stats, it''s the result of our greed, our thirst for more... Please, hero, don''t break until we''ve tried them all."


    "... Ngh... You... Son of a-AAAARRRH!!!!"


    His body burst into purple flames. He fell to the ground and turned to put out the fire, which disappeared but remained on each of his wounds.


    "Don''t scream too much, it''s the best we can do to stop the bleeding, we don''t want to waste energy if it''s unnecessary."


    He pointed his index finger at Leon and a black ray pierced the latter in the shoulder, then another in the knee.


    "We have to thank you somehow, everything is only possible because you challenged us." As he spoke, he continued to use all the skills on the screen randomly.


    "You see we can only manifest when we use polymerization, let''s think of it as a package or as a treasure. One is the chest, the other is gold, the other is the map and together we''re a treasure hunt... However, we had to put our souls on the line to reach the superuser of the system, but it was for... Heal."


    A warm light enveloped Leon who was reduced to a bloody mass of burning flesh and put him in one piece again, but almost naked.


    Dora walked over to him annoyed and leaned down to his ear.


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    "Looks like that''s how far you can go, it''s disappointing, but more healing will put us back to sleep again, can you believe this is our most exhausting skill? But look at you, this recovery is clearly on another level."


    Leon was trembling all over, a million thoughts were mixing in his brain and preventing him from having a clear idea.


    He was angry, he was afraid, he was disappointed, he was humiliated. He gritted his teeth and, without looking up, shouted with all his might.


    "This is what you want?! This is the kind of monster you all want to follow?! Look at him, for God''s sake!!! This is the one you want to look up to as a role model??! "


    He was breathing heavily, defeated, he felt the power in his arms weakening, but he was slightly relieved. In the end, he delivered this golden message.


    "Hm... Interesting. So that''s what you were after all this time. You wanted us to slaughter you so that we would look like a horrible monster in front of the others. Clever, very clever. No matter the cause, a sane human with nothing to lose would never follow a demon, so your only hope of keeping your team is to demonize us. Very smart! What a great idea!"


    He leaned closer, and Leon could almost feel his breath on his neck.


    "But... We''re millions of years ahead of you in terms of intelligence. Look at them."


    Leon slowly turned his gaze towards his comrades and suddenly froze.


    Throughout this fight, he was beaten, thrown, and lost focus on his surroundings, and when he finally looked around, nothing looked like what he expected.


    The spectators were still, but not in shock, they were literally frozen in the air, the environment was gray and only a small perimeter inside which Leon and Dora were standing was colorful.


    "H...Aah..."


    "Consider this as an... "abstract reality". This skill consists of creating an illusion with all the elements in its domain. To put it simply, from their point of view, they will only see what we want to show them, and what we want them to hear. For example, if I want to show them an image of you insulting Marie..."


    He turned towards them, and at the same moment, from their point of view, everyone saw an incredible scene.


    Leon, slightly beaten, turned towards them, his head reddening with anger.


    "Damn Marie! This only started because of you! YOU BITCH!!!!"


    Marie looked at him in disbelief and slowly frowned.


    "And there he goes, insulting again." Zuri sighed.


    On his knee, Leon shivered, it was a disaster, it was impossible, but it was also just the beginning.


    "Let''s make it so you can see their reaction too, and at least hear the illusion."


    His eyes glowed and the color around them returned to normal, the only change was the look of disdain in everyone''s eyes.


    "Dora, do you perhaps find pleasure in letting him insult us? Finish him!" Lilith shouted.


    In response, Leon''s illusion turned towards her.


    "SHUT UP!!! You idiot, I only took you because I wanted to sleep with you, but you''re too stupid!"


    "... KILL HIM!!!"


    Even Hope was looking away, his face full of disappointment, Kraim was leaning against a wall, enjoying the show and Erick was on his knees.


    "...aah..." Leon felt himself on the ground.


    "Isn''t that amazing? They expected us to ruin you, but from their point of view, we only calmed down and deemed you unworthy, you attacked us while we turned our backs on you and we sent you fly with one kick. And now every 10 seconds you attack, get kicked, and insult one of them."


    "...n....no...."


    "Heroes become stronger when encouraged? But you forgot the character development arc, you must eat the ground first."


    "STOOOOP!!!!"


    He got up and tried to run away, but right in front of them, Dora stomped on his head and crushed him to the ground.


    "... A... Aah... aa... this... this... ish.... shomeone.... shomeone help.... meee...."


    He struggled to raise his head, but the sighing of everyone else broke his spirit.


    "Disgusting." Morgiana shook her head.


    "You''re... You''re so horrible..." Liliana lowered her head.


    Tears began to flow, his body was broken, his spirit was broken, and his dreams were shattered. It was too disastrous to be real, it had to be a nightmare.


    "And you''re never waking up."


    Dora raised his hand and black spikes came out of Leon''s body, his hands and feet, planting themselves on the ground and forcing him to stand up.


    Leon was crying openly, his tears melting with sweat and blood, his face was unrecognizable.


    "You know, we didn''t tell you earlier because we wanted to keep it as an asset but, we know you asked Erick and Sana to encourage you, but did you see that Sana didn''t encourage you? Do you know why? Do you know why we know?"


    ".... I give up... I give up, please!"


    Dora approached, drawing with his fingers on the spikes.


    "She came to our room yesterday, apologized for everything, and asked us to come back with her. She even offered herself to us."


    Leon, steam coming out of his mouth screamed with all his power.


    "FUCK YOUUUUU!!!! FUCK YOOOUUUUU!!!!"


    At this moment, something changed, the spikes disappeared, and Leon fell to his knee, crawled, and stared at Sana.


    "I don''t care!!! I don''t care about you!!! You all can go to hell!!! You want to have her? I''ve already toyed with her! GO ahead... Take my leftovers !"


    Sana flinched and looked stunned.


    "W-what? Sh-shut up!"


    "Look at her... she wants to play the nice girl... with everything you know in bed you call yourself a saint? Let me laugh! Haha...."


    " Shut up!" She clasped her hands and threw him a small magic ball, Leon rolled to the ground with his eyes widening.


    "Come on... ahead... I... her... mine..."


    Dora slowly walked towards him.


    "It was a lie, but we needed proper closure to make sure you lost everything. Now, hero, the illusion is over, our time is up too. You can now enjoy your audience. "


    He walked away past the others, Sana was crying profusely, and everyone looked at the broken hero with disdain and followed Dora, except for Sana, Hope, and Erick.


    No one realized the massacre that had occurred, no one understood why the hero was on his back, muttering into space, and no one noticed the amber eyes that had turned red again.

 Farewell Shining Sword

    Leon was lying on his back, looking at the blue sky, he wasn''t thinking about anything in particular, or even feeling. Little by little, everything turned white, everything around him disappeared and when he blinked, he was in his hometown, in his little house next to his grandmother.


    She was about to read him a book about the hero, but as soon as she opened the book, he felt uneasy.


    "Being a hero isn''t so great after all."


    A hero must fight to the end, isn''t that too tiring? Maybe a normal life as a shopkeeper would be better? Especially when we have the blessing of the emissaries. You can work better and you don''t have the burden of always getting stronger. You''re not competing against nature''s tricksters like avatars...


    He didn''t feel anything, but he smiled, he was happy.


    He raised his hand and whispered.


    "... just... just... you wait... andma... I''ll... I''ll take care of... the shop... don''t... don''t... do not worry..."


    The hand hit the ground, and his fighting spirit disappeared. Leon was no longer Leon.


    Only Erick and Hope witnessed this scene, Sana rushing towards Dora.


    Erick, barely holding back his tears, turned to the others.


    "CURSE YOU!!! I WILL KILL YOU ONE DAY! I swear I''m going to kill you DORA!!!!"


    The group stopped and turned around for a moment, everyone looked annoyed and only Dora showed concern.


    With dark circles, testifying to his fatigue, he noticed Leon smiling.


    He looked away, seemingly worried, but not because of his opponent''s pathetic state, but because from his point of view, this was Leon''s state after his strongest mode.


    (¡­ Didn''t I use polymerization? How is he still conscious?)


    "Don''t look back, he brought that to himself." Freya led the way, Dora looked confused and put a hand to his face, he was only worried because his opponent was fine, but the circumstances made it seem like he was really worried about Leon.


    Morgiana placed a hand on his back and encouraged him to move forward, Marie held his hand.


    "Wait!... Dora!"


    Sana joined them, but as she tried to grab him, Lilith hit her hand.


    "I can''t believe it... Why are you so persistent?!"


    "N-no... I... Dora, he lied, I didn''t..."


    "Enough already!!"


    She gave her a powerful slap on the cheek, not hard enough to knock her out but enough to shake her spirit.


    "... I''m tired of you... You''re not better than Leon... Go away..." Tears began to flow in Lilith''s eyes.


    Sana knelt down and spoke in a broken voice.


    "Please¡­ Let me explain, don''t trust him¡­ Dora, please¡­ it''s just a lie, I didn''t trust him, I never followed him, I was¡­ I was just lost. .. I didn''t know... you... you can''t... I''m like everyone else... don''t abandon me..."


    She started crying profusely, it was a poor sight, Lilith couldn''t hold back her tears, even though she was the most furious with her.


    Freya, amused, began to lecture her.


    "Some people really have no shame, even in such a position, you are begging? Right in front of... Huh?"


    She stopped when Dora walked over and crouched down in front of Sana, the healer looked at him with pleading eyes.


    "Sana, let''s stop this now, it''s no use."


    "Please... please... he''s lying... I... I never betrayed you... I was fooled... like everyone else... ."


    "... Look... Urgh... How can I say this... Okay, so... I don''t hate you, I never hated you."


    Her eyes shone and their audience began to open their mouths wide.


    "You... You don''t hate me?..."


    "No."


    "... Really?... D... Dora... even... even after... ugh..." She started to cry again, she cried with all her might and leaned on him for a hug, but a finger on her forehead stopped her.


    "But I never loved you either. That''s why I can''t hate you or Leon, this love triangle game means nothing to me."


    She froze, her arms still open. She opened and closed her eyelids several times, unable to process what was happening.


    "I don''t know why we started dating... Or... let''s just say it was a mistake, I didn''t want that and you just wanted to date someone who would be a serious emissary, am I wrong? Remember our discussion about my purpose in life?¡±


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    "... no... no..."


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not stupid, okay? I know what''s going on behind my back, more than you think in fact, I know what you and Leon have been doing all this time, and the only reason I haven''t intervened is the same thing as why you did all this: to get rid of you."


    "Stop... Stooooop!!!"


    She covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes, but his words could still reach her.


    "We''re both guilty, you wanted me because I was... I''m strong, then you used Leon to get rid of me, and I agreed to go out with you because... A part of me is a fool, and I let you use Leon to get rid of you. Leon is the real victim in this story but screws him... If you want to date someone with a bright future, there is still Hope, or the mage with a prosthetic leg... Oh, sorry, Freya.


    "... I''ll ignore it." Freya frowned.


    Dora looked at Sana who was trying to make herself deaf and gave her a pat on the head.


    "I didn''t ignore you because I hated you but because I knew what you wanted, and I won''t be trapped in that anymore. I hope we don''t see each other again, I don''t hate you, but I have a feeling it won''t be reciprocated, and you might want revenge, so, goodbye and sorry."


    He got up and walked away very slowly, his face showing immense fatigue.


    Sana burst into tears and fell to the ground.


    "I gave you everything!!! I did everything because of you!!! Why?! Why???... It''s not fair... it''s... give it back !... Give back my happiness!...ugh...why..."


    She burst into tears, Dora, turning his back on her, stopped for a moment.


    ¡°I wish you find true happiness one day.¡±


    He walked away and Sana''s tears redoubled. Everyone else looked at the ground worriedly.


    They were relieved to see this cursed romance finally over, they were so satisfied to see the young boy settling down free that they forgot to think about how they ended up in a relationship.


    But they still respected this moment. No one spoke because they knew it was a conclusion for all 3 of them.


    They didn''t know what kind of relationship they could actually have, Dora and Leon were supposed to know each other before the creation of Shining Sword, and no one knew what Dora and Sana''s love life was like.


    They could only count on his reaction and, judging by his calm and seriousness, they thought he was seriously affected.


    But during all this time, Dora never felt sadness, or even joy, or even boredom. It was a normal day for him. He heard Sana crying, he could have done anything to help her, anything would have worked at that moment.


    She desperately needed any kind of help, she lost herself in the process of realizing her dream and couldn''t erase the image of the boy who was after all more than an Avatar in her heart.


    All she needed was a word, some form of support, but Dora never responded.


    He looked at her and said nothing, he could have, he knew, but he chose not to. Everything that happened that day was his fault, every decision he made led to this day, but he never felt bad about it.


    |Greed: 11%


    |Sigma: 14%


    Two days had passed in a gloomy atmosphere. Following their decisions, Marie and Lilith packed their bags and were ready to leave, Morgiana and Liliana initially wanted to return to the Southern Guild, to greet their friends one last time, but having to follow Freya to her mansion, they had to take the minimum of their belongings and leave for the capital the same day.


    Leon had not left his room since his defeat. Meanwhile, Sana left the inn on the first day. Her final whispers indicated that she would no longer be an emissary and would return to the orphanage. Erick stayed next to Leon, to be sure that he would at least eat, and thus, the time of separation had come.


    The night was cold, and the mood was finally more pleasant.


    Lilith loaded her and Marie''s suitcases into a train and returned to her friends'' house.


    "Okay, these are the last ones, I guess we''re ready."


    Dora looked at the train, feeling as if it was a little distorted by the weight of the load.


    "... Don''t you want to bring the rest of your room too?"


    "Kuku... Be careful, you look better now, maybe I should try to give you an autograph with a bump."


    ¡°Oh, you wouldn¡¯t reach my head.¡±


    She jumped on him, barely held back by Morgiana.


    "Come on guys, it''s our last day, can''t you make peace for once?"


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do, I¡¯m going to smash him into pieces!¡±


    But despite the words, they laughed together. Liliana joined them and all 5 looked at the train.


    ¡°Well, I guess this really is the end.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong, Miss Morgiana.¡± Liliana, arms behind her back, was smiling. ¡°This is just the beginning of a new adventure.¡±


    "Yeah, but not in the name of Shining Sword this time." Lilith rubbed her nose.


    They remained silent for a moment, far behind, the nobles had decided not to get involved in this last conversation.


    "... I''m going to sound cringe but... If I had one wish right now... I''d like to start from the beginning, just with the four of you." Morgiana said, in an unusually weak voice, but perfectly conveyed.


    Dora glanced at her, then looked up at the sky and crossed his arms.


    "... You know, we can''t turn back time, but we can choose the future we want."


    They looked at him, a little surprised. "I also want to go on an adventure with you, but not with the matter of strength or pressure of the rifts, just... Just like what we were doing the last... weeks..."


    He held his head, confused by his own words, but a familiar head nudged his arm.


    ¡°You really are an idiot, you could have said that from the beginning and we would have followed you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Marie, you forget the whole purpose of this operation, to get out of dependence on Dora.¡± Morgiana laughed lightly, then looked at the nobles behind her.


    "Moreover, Dora also has his own story, we must respect that, we must also leave our own stories."


    "... Idiora, you''re only planning to be a knight, right? There''s no husband promotion, right?"


    They all laughed heartily, exchanged a few more words, and got ready to leave.


    Lilith and Marie stopped at the door before exiting and rushing to their friends for one last hug.


    "Promise... Promise me that one day we will really go on an adventure, even if I''m not strong enough." Marie muttered, with tears in her eyes.


    "Marie... Only if you don''t mind sticking to a monster like me."


    "...You''re... You better not forget that."


    She buried her head in his chest, trying to hide her tears, soon joined by Lilith.


    "We''re going to get stronger, awesome and so beautiful that you won''t have a choice, you better not replace us with some shady, snake-eyed women!"


    He laughed and rubbed their hair.


    "Don''t worry, if you eat well, workout a lot, and drink plenty of milk, you will definitely beat all the evil snake women."


    They also hugged Liliana and Morgiana and returned to the car. Through the window, Marie sends a farewell message to Dora.


    ¡°Message me as soon as you get a new phone, Zuri has my number!"


    "Hm? Why Zurui? I already have it!"


    "Because you''re Idiora! Don''t keep me waiting!... it''s so hard growing up away from you..." She said the last part in a very inaudible voice and sank into her seat, her tears now uncontrollable.


    "... It is so hard..."


    The train left, under the stars, Dora waved his hand for a few seconds, then a minute until the train had completely disappeared into the horizon.


    His hand then rested on his chest, trembling, Morgiana and Liliana wiped their tears and could not notice Dora''s desperate look on the ground.


    (It hurt... Why? Why does it hurt so much?... It''s just ... it''s just goodbye...we''re not separated...we''ll always see each other again...)


    Because they belong to us.

 The Monster Table

    The train, carrying Dora''s group, towards the capital passed through a sleeping landscape. Cabins equipped with beds served as dormitories and were divided between the girls and Dora and Hope.


    Dora turned around in his bed, seeing the images of Mary and Lilith leaving, again and again.


    He clutched his chest, troubled by this burning sensation that hadn''t existed in him years before.


    Regret? Sadness? Melancholy? He couldn''t give it a name and decided to walk to clear his mind.


    He disappeared from his bed and reappeared in another car, but as he used his power, he held his hand.


    Our power shouldn''t be wasted on this.


    He opened his eyes, looking at his reflection in the glasses as if he had just seen a monster.


    He was breathing heavily and his hands were shaking.


    "What is happening?"


    "!!!... Mid... Midget...?"


    "What are you doing? You don''t need to speak out loud, do you want someone to hear you?... What''s bothering you so much?"


    He calmed down a bit, looking at his fingers, even though they weren''t in the same place, he shared his body with Midgard so she knew what he was going through.


    "This isn''t like you, Sigma... Look, I have an idea what''s going on, close your eyes for a moment, no question."


    He shivered a little but complied anyway, it was a very strange sight for Midgard to see one of the 2 problematic personas obey without hesitation, nor argue, yet she did not express anything and closed her eyes from her abyss.


    Dora felt like he had lost his footing and that the environment was moving around him, he tried to open his eyes but could only see darkness, and then, a candle lit.


    He opened his eyes wide, seeing the surroundings, 2 luxurious armchairs in a richly decorated room, a table with a bottle of wine and a chandelier lighting the room, and a rug resembling snake skin on the floor.


    Midgard, in her true form, sat in one of the chairs and invited Dora to sit in front of her.


    As he did so, she looked at him through her reptile eyes and sighed.


    "You''ve changed a lot, Sigma."


    "Ah... I... I just don''t feel good..."


    "I saw that, is it because you were separated from your friends?"


    He looked down, the flame of the candlestick seemed to sip his spirit.


    "It''s impossible... We''ve been separated before, why does it hurt now? I don''t know what''s wrong with me... You said you know what''s going on?"


    She remained silent for a moment, looking thoughtful, then took the bottle and poured 2 glasses in front of her.


    "Yes, I know why you feel more emotional towards your friends, I also understand why this pain is killing you."


    She handed him a glass, and Dora, more and more strange, took the glass without asking questions.


    "Listen to me now, I want you to pay attention to what I''m about to say, to every word."


    He nodded hesitantly, Midgard looked, her snake eyes into Dora''s ruby ??eyes and spoke words in a language foreign to him.


    "Come out, Greed."


    The boy froze, beneath him, he felt a void open and swallow his soul, he collapsed into his seat like a puppet, without dropping his glass.


    He stayed like that for a few seconds, when a sinister smile appeared on his lips.


    "Greetings, Player."


    Midgard sighed, the one in front of her looked around, like an animal in a new cage, and took a sip of wine.


    "Delish, You do have taste, but reassure us, You''re not using our kill points to do your shopping, do you?"


    "So you have awakened, the monster with yellow eyes, sin of greed. I expected you to wake up when he would be S-rank, but I guess I still have to understand all the mysteries of avatars."


    "You still have? Aren''t you supposed to know more about this world than the current civilization? Funny, maybe you have Sloth''s blessing, I can feel it over you."


    Midgard''s pupils narrowed.


    "I''ve been with her for a while, but this isn''t my interrogation, darling."


    Greed laughed in his chair. He took another sip and placed the glass on the table.


    ¡°Very well, we owe you our awakening, so we will answer some of your questions.¡±


    "Well, first of all, I saw a new pattern in the System, a percentage of greed. Is this related to your awakening?"


    Greed looked around, admiring the decoration then turned his yellow eyes towards Midgard.


    "Hm, that''s a problem, we really want to share this knowledge but... What if we told you that if you knew, you would stop helping us?"


    "... I really doubt I''ll stop, please don''t play with me."


    "Oh? You won''t stop? Even knowing that in the end, we''ll have to kill each other?"


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    The flame of the candlestick waved. The two interlocutors faced each other, in an increasingly heavy atmosphere.


    "So you know... I understand now, you are not Dora, you are the emanation of the System carrying the sin of greed, you are a Sin."


    Greed put a hand to his face and laughed maniacally.


    "My... Why are you so determined to separate us? Wasn''t it you who suggested using our Synergy?"


    "... Um?... What does that have to do with it?"


    ¡°Now we are really offended, are you just a newcomer?¡±


    The flames thinned, reducing the little light in the room, Greed and Midgard''s eyes glowed brighter.


    "Dora? Anesidora? Sigma, Gamma, Beta, The Knight, the founder of Shining Sword, all this is us, Greed. We are the daily quest who hungers for more skills every day, when we decide to take a quest with less experience but more skill as a reward, that''s us. When we motivate ourselves with the system''s penalties, that''s also us. When someone is important to us, the will to keep them close, it''s also us. It''s who we are, every persona you''ve met is a small part of a greater being, Greed."


    A weak wind rose behind him and extinguished the candles. The two beings observed each other in silence in the dark, the light of their eyes testifying to their presence.


    "I see, so you''re the reason there are many people in one body?"


    "To be precise, it''s about efficiency. We are Greed, so we take whatever interests us, in this case, it''s about skill. But unlike another Sin you know, we don''t just take the skill, we take the technique, we take the most we can get."


    "Another sin? You mean gluttony?"


    "See? You know more than your looks, Gluttony only takes skills indifferently, we call it being stupid, but in our case, we learn to use them thanks to one of the wonderful blessings of Greed."


    "The personas."


    Greed clapped happily.


    "That''s right, you get it. Our personas are vessels for understanding our environment, Sigma takes all abnormal skills from cooking to void magic, Gamma is in charge of the broad path of normal and elemental skills, everything that revolves around the elements is on it, and Beta..."


    He remained silent, despite his silence, Midgard could imagine the smirk he displayed, but suddenly, she realized.


    ¡°Beta is the one for physical skills?!¡±


    Greed''s eyes shone brighter.


    ¡°At last, it took you so long.¡±


    "But... How?! We... We used a synergy with Beta all the time! Why didn''t it increase?!"


    She was genuinely surprised, she had pushed Dora to accomplish every kind of quest and kill different types of monsters, always using a synergy with beta, but the physical jobs remained at level 1.


    "Is this because we didn''t use only Beta? We were wrong using the synergy?"


    "Not accurate, we would appreciate that our Beta part could assume its job by itself, but even like this it wouldn''t work, because you need to trigger the power of this body."


    "... How? What more should I do???"


    "The same way that you accidentally triggered our Sigma part, as the same way as the vessel of Envy triggered our true form: you need to infuse our Beta part with a power of its nature."


    Midgard shook her head. All her brain cells were working at 100% to properly understand the words of Greed, she reviewed in her head the events leading to the awakening of Greed, the black crystals from Envy, and she thought about the power of Sigma, the power that she had presumed infused. She remembered the moment when Sigma, in her body committed the taboo of using one particular power, a power which made him act unnaturally and created amnesia.


    She then found the concordance with Beta.


    "... Light magic?"


    ¡°Hm, what a great partner.¡±


    "... We couldn''t get any kind of physical power... because we needed light magic to trigger Beta real power?"


    "Correct, Player, as a forgetful person once said, dark and light power, the creation magic affect directly a person''s mind. In our case, for a better understanding of light magic, we needed a proper saint body, someone with a human heart, a noble person, and which one of our personas corresponds?"


    Midgard lowered her gaze, her head feeling heavier. She had lost count of how many times she thought about a way to complete this segment of the system, and she had finally got an answer from the most unexpected person.


    "Don''t cry with joy now, I''m still curious about one thing: now that you know how to bring us to our peak, are you ready to do it? Knowing the consequences on our personas?"


    The flames reignited, illuminating Greed''s face.


    "You asked about the Greed percentage, don''t you want to know why there is also one for each persona? And why each of them is at 25 but Sigma is at 14?"


    He raised his almost empty glass and looked at her.


    "This number represents us, our presence, like this empty glass. Imagine that the void represents a person and that the wine is us, Greed."


    He began to pour wine into his glass.


    "The more Greed there is inside, the less Sigma can exist, and at some point..."


    The glass fills completely, letting a few drops flow.


    "... You will fully take over."


    "That''s right, every time we use the true power of Greed we spread around the persona using it, thanks to our amazing friends, we have managed to spread around Sigma. Soon, we will be fully able to absorb it, then Gamma, then Beta, and finally we will no longer need to use polymerization or any other form. We will finally be awakened... and that is why we are confused, is this really fine with you? We know what relationship you had with us, the way you took care of us, the way you liked our attention to you, even our jokes or our teasing. Haven''t you become close enough to our personas? Are you really willing to see them disappear?"


    The flames have gone out. A little silence fell, and then Midgard, in a light voice, murmured.


    "Why are you asking me that? You want me to lead you to your true form too, right? Why would you want me to change my plan?"


    "We''re just curious, we''re not used to this kind of ''friendship'' between a Player and an Avatar, so we just want to convince you that you shouldn''t stop us."


    "... Convince? Don''t you mean threaten?"


    "Oh, no, we don''t need threats, blackmail is a horrible way to deal, bribery is much better."


    ¡°And how do you plan to convince me?¡±


    "You''ll like it, you already know that the Twilight of the Gods is coming, right? Lust has fully awakened, making us the last. Do you understand what that means?"


    A new silence settled. In this darkness, Midgard''s eyes closed and her lips trembled.


    "... When?"


    ¡°In less than a year, in a few months, the first wave will hit. This is the time that remains before the rifts lead the apocalypse into this world. This is the time that you have left to take our body, Before...¡±


    Greed laughed heartily, doing his best not to spill his drink.


    He knew he had all the cards in his hand, Midgard could no longer oppose him and would play his game, however, a strange event happened.


    The flame reignited with a greenish light, Midgard, a glass of wine in hand, took a sip while smiling, provoking Greed''s curiosity.


    "Is that true? Well, considering how fast we were before, that won''t be a problem. Thanks for the information on light magic."


    "Hm? Really? So you won''t mind seeing them disappear?"


    "Ahn, my little toy, this game was a bit awkward, to be honest, but now that I have a real challenger, I can only be more motivated. Do you think you can take on a Player in its prime?"


    "... Interesting, very interesting, we underestimated you, Player. You have guts, your kindness to us has clouded our judgment, but we are happy to see that we are on the same page."


    "Hm, but just to be sure, aren''t you sharing your memory with them?"


    "Ha? I wonder why you ask, but no, none of them will remember our discussion, but the more they use our power, the more they will remember other things."


    "... Is this why Sigma is affected by the departure of his friends?"


    "Not accurate, because you asked us to use a synergy with Beta, there is some Beta in Sigma. In the future, we would appreciate it if you asked them to only use polymerization, each of them of course, this will greatly help us."


    "I see, that makes sense. Then I''ll do it and have this body ready for me very soon."


    "Great, you''re a wonderful partner, Player. We''re excited to work with you. Let''s wreak havoc on this world and lead our personas to their finality until we reach our climax, then let''s kill each other in a flamboyant finale."


    They took a last sip of wine and the flame plunged the room into emptiness.

 The Danger Lurking

    "Hello everyone, I hope you''ve been well during these past months, for those who got chosen as knights of course. For the others like me, it has been a wonderful 2 months, going to studies learning new things, with the same people, having to see the empty seats of our classmates who got chosen... Even some E-rank have beautiful noble ladies... There were boys but maybe there are ulterior motives..."


    ¡°HM-HM!!!¡± Thomas coughed.


    "Oh, yeah, let''s get back to today''s topic. I am Maxim, but for the ladies, Max, or Sir Max, or Sir M... Sounds like maso... And today we are reunited for the 3rd meeting of the student council, after the break. Allow me to introduce you to some special guests."


    Maxim took a few steps stopped in front of Iris''s table and curtsied.


    "From the very first time, this year, we have the blessing of enthroning our wonderful princesses, the Queen in our heart, the symbol of grace and beauty, Lady Freya... and Cid, the unworthy."


    Cid groaned in his seat while Freya ignored Maxim, just reading a book.


    Maxim then turned towards Hope and Mercy''s table and made another curtsy,


    "Here, the space girl, strong and beautiful, don''t be fooled by her cuteness, she can step on any of you... hehe... wouldn''t mind... Lady Mercy... and Balder."


    Mercy felt a shiver run down her spine and looked away, Hope sighed and checked the papers before him.


    Maxim finally turned towards Iris and Thomas'' table.


    "And finally, the main event, best for last, ladies and gentlemen, the one considered by many to be the most beautiful girl in the kingdom, shining like the sun in the sky, our majesty, our future ruler, Princess Solaria!"


    Next to Iris, a beautiful girl with bright yellow hair tied in a ponytail and fierce red eyes rearranged her hair, looking a little angry.


    "Iris, when I said I expected to be treated differently, I didn''t mean to feel worse."


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m here too!¡± Moonra added.


    Iris laughed lightly and did her best to appease them. All this audience was gathered in the same room, a few weeks after their return to the academy.


    As planned, each noble and their corresponding knight attempted their courses based on valor. The nobles were then also enrolled in the royal academy.


    Maxim was holding the meeting and walked to a large blackboard on which several documents were pasted.


    "Very well, dear people, as you all know, this meeting will not be related to the upcoming selection for the Holy Knights Tournament, but to a serious matter that has troubled the council for far too long: the case of E-Rank, Anesidora, or as I called it, E or C?¡±


    A loud sigh escaped, and in the meantime, Dora and Zuri headed to the academy library. Zuri examined a vial filled with a disgusting translucent substance while Dora calmly surveyed their surroundings.


    "Look, the witch and her toad are back."


    Some students in the corner were laughing at them. Zuri ignored them, more interested in the contents of her vial, but without her noticing, Dora stopped his walk.


    An insect shouldn''t disrespect our belongings.


    Back in the council room, Maxim took a long ruler and pointed it at a picture of Dora.


    "Welcome to E or C, we are going to discuss this strange man who is a real enigma to the council. So for those who don''t know, subject Anesidora is an E-rank emissary who had the worst result in the entry test, but later devastated so many people that we had to do an investigation to evaluate his real level.


    Most of the council members watched intently, some took notes, while others, mostly from Lisa''s group, read or counted their fingers.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Moonra looked at Dora''s photo and frowned.


    ¡°Why does she look familiar?¡±


    This startled Hope who jumped out of his seat.


    "He! My prince, she''s a he! Please don''t make this mistake in front of him!"


    He found himself being looked upon like a clown. Moonra seemed especially taken aback by Dora''s gender, but Thomas quickly refocused his junior.


    "Don''t talk to the prince like that! Please forgive him, my prince, this one is a bit emotional."


    "I know, I''ve met him before... Oh yeah, this was there that I''d seen this Dora... This bastard... he disrespected Freya."


    Thomas and Maxim jumped, and a few voices rose behind them.


    Freya looked up and Mercy nodded slightly.


    "Okay then? You said it would be an important meeting, what''s so special about him?" Solaria tapped her fingers on her table.


    "Speaking of him, why isn''t he on the council? I thought you recruited only strong people, Iris."


    Freya looked indifferently at Iris who was smiling with excitement.


    "I''m working on it, Lady Freya, please Maxim, continue."


    Maxim spread his legs slightly to look more impressive and hit the board with his ruler.


    "Very well, my Lady, as we said, subject Dora has accomplished a number of acts that lead us to do a study on him, and these acts revolve around beating the honor out of people. So we made a list of all these people and without further ado, victim number 1: Walter and his gang."


    He tapped a picture of Walter on the board with his ruler.


    "So this guy here is the biggest victim of all. For those who don''t know, he applied to join the council several times, claiming to be a great noble, but we are only elite here, hehe, so we always rejected his offer. He is in the weakest class among the E-rank classes, but he was the very first to commit the taboo of challenging subject Anesidora."


    At the same time, on Dora''s side, a problematic event occurred.


    Several angry students confronted him, the face of the student who mocked him and Zuri under his foot. The girl herself watched from a distance with smugness.


    "You... How dare you... Who do you think you are?!"


    Dora, looking a little confused, raised her head.


    "You won''t remember my name after I finish with you."


    The next minute, several screams arose in the courtyard. Back in the council room, the annoyed faces had been replaced by intrigued faces, Maxim continued his speech by noting Dora''s actions against several students of the academy, with his own vocabulary.


    "But before talking about how this guy ended a whole career, I need to talk about how he defeated Hope, Yeah the Hope Balder."


    Hope stood up, looking annoyed.


    "Oi, don''t bring me into this, I haven''t fought him... after the entrance."


    "Yes, you didn''t, because this is exactly how he defeated you!"


    ¡°What?¡±


    Maxim turned toward Moonra.


    "I take you as a testimony, this Anesi dude walked toward Hope who challenged him, and his pure aura, his only presence was enough to convince Hope, the Balder boy, the brother of My glorious Lady Elizabeth, this guy who always seeks for battle, to forfeit! In front of Lady Freya!!!"


    This time, some gazes turned towards Hope. He trembled slightly and took a glance at Mercy. When he saw her indifferent gaze, which meant that she wasn''t even surprised, he walked towards Maxim.


    "What''s your problem, man? Do you need all these insinuating to explain your stupid thing? I know you have a problem with me!"


    "No, I''m not interested in boys.... for my research! It''s nothing personal, I hadn''t even spoken about the D-rank hero who got humiliated so badly that he quit being an emissary."


    ¡°What?!¡± Lisa, until then silent, stood up.


    Realizing her overreaction, she sat back down, coughing, but someone else stood up.


    ¡°What do you mean quit? What is this story?"


    "It''s in Balder''s report, Prince, a D-rank hero, the strongest class, challenged subject Anesidora and was humiliated, I think Lady Mercy can take me on that."


    Mercy looked disgusted by his choice of words, but when she saw Moonra''s anxious look, she did her best to hide it.


    ¡°Well, like he said, t''was fight to determine the fate of a party, so Dora won and the other one quit, but he was the one who asked.¡±


    "Not only did he lose, but he was lucky to escape with only a broken spirit, his goon lost a few fingers." Freya added with a smile.


    Hope became annoyed by the sudden hype from the ladies but then noticed the expressions on Moonra and Solaria''s faces.


    "How can he quit? Moth... The kingdom has asked all the emissaries to go on adventures, everyone! Is he crazy?!"


    ¡°Well, the report said he was acting a bit crazy, my princess Solaria."


    "... Okay, does anyone else outside of the council know?"


    Solaria turned to Freya and Mercy, who noticed her sudden change in attitude. Before they could mention Shining Sword, Lisa unknowingly spared them the trouble.


    "Won''t that Anesi guy talk about that? From what I understand, I can see the kind of guy he is, he''ll definitely want to hurt that hero''s ego."


    Moonra stood up abruptly, sweating profusely.


    ¡°Thomas, take me to this guy quickly!¡±


    ¡°P-Prince?¡±


    "Do as he says! We don''t have time!" Solaria ran towards the door, surprising the council. She stopped and turned towards them.


    "If word gets out that a healthy hero has decided to stop fighting... He will-"


    ¡°My God, your tongue is too wagging, princess.¡±


    The princess and her brother were startled as the door slowly opened. A figure appeared, unfamiliar to many but a haunting reminder for Hope, Mercy, and Freya of the day everything changed.


    "My apologies for interrupting your meeting, but allow me to introduce myself. I am a maid serving the two heirs of the kingdom, Eryl, pleased to meet you."


    She opened her eyes, glowing orange.


    ¡°But today, I will be my second affiliation, a messenger of gluttony.¡±

 One Step Before the Tragedy

    (A few weeks ago)


    In the royal castle, the Queen sat on the edges of her fountain. Charming ladies, wearing chitons, sat around her, some singing captivating melodies and others with harps, playing light music, a true heaven on earth.


    The Queen took a glass of grape juice served to her by one of the young ladies and drank a few sips, when further away, the wind blew, followed by the appearance of a servant with elf ears.


    "Queen Gloria, I''m back."


    She curtseyed to the queen who handed her her glass, smiling.


    "Well, I felt bad for letting one of my precious nymphs perform such a shameful task."


    "Do not worry, my Queen, it is my pleasure to be a weapon for the kingdom."


    "Hm, come, join us."


    She took a few steps forward, and one of the ladies opened her hands and blew towards her, spreading a pink wind that covered the servant and illuminated her clothes.


    The spark faded gradually, revealing the outfits replaced by an angelic white chiton.


    The servant slowly walked towards her but suddenly froze. Around her, the atmosphere had changed, and the ladies, with worried expressions, looked at the Queen.


    "Oh... Eryl... Why?"


    The air took on an orange hue and dark clouds formed in the sky, the ground seemed to shake ever so slightly.


    The ladies slowly moved away from the somber-looking queen.


    "Why do you want me to erase you?"


    Eryl lowered her head and put a knee on the ground.


    "I would never dare to anger my Queen."


    "Then why do I feel the disgusting taste of another sin on you? And a new one to make it worse."


    "My Queen, I had a strange encounter during my mission, I think it will interest you."


    She explained the events of the Undead Rift in full, and during the speech, the pressure slowly eased and the queen, in a better mood, took a sip of grape juice and looked up at the sky.


    "Hm, so the player has overstepped her bounds, leaving her charge to Sloth was a bad idea... What kind of person is Greed?"


    "I mostly hear about him from nobles wanting to follow him, he is a very talented man, he seems to care about the people in a team from the Southern Guild, and he is also very protective of a Baron''s daughter, so if you want to control him... And from the power I''ve seen and his academic rank, I''d say Greed hasn''t fully awakened yet."


    "I see... Greed has appeared, so there are 7 of us now... Hmm..."


    "My Queen, are you worried about the Twilight of the Gods?"


    The queen looked down at her servant. She got up and walked around a bit before looking up at the cloudy sky again.


    "Worried? Do I look like I should be worried about something?"


    She raised her glass and the clouds cleared, bathing her garden in rays of sunlight.


    "I could never worry about the coming cataclysm. At worst, it might bother me that my beautiful paradise will be disrupted, but I will remain, and I will build everything back brick by brick if necessary."


    She finished her drink and walked over to Eryl, the maid lowered her head but made sure to leave her neck exposed, for the Queen''s ultimate punishment, but it was a gentle pat on the head that greeted her.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "It''s okay, you didn''t do anything wrong, you were in a rift involving 2 sins, it''s a miracle you''re alive."


    "My Queen... Thank you."


    The queen walked towards the fountain.


    "This land must be cursed to birth so many sins... Hm? You said that Greed was a knight?"


    "Yes, my Queen, in your Royal academy, it appears that he is hiding his power, however."


    The Queen stopped and a wide smile slowly appeared on her lips.


    "What are the odds... And he can fight? He can be like me and... Her?"


    "... I''d be a fool to assert that someone could sit on this table, but he is definitely different than Sloth."


    She resumed her walk and sat down on the edges of the fountain.


    "Of course, anyone is better than Sloth, but this is also this singularity that distinguishes us from the humans. But I never expected to get a second chance after all this time. Eryl, tell me honestly: how manipulable is he?"


    (Back in time)


    In the student council room, the maid in front of the door managed to completely change the atmosphere by this last sentence, Moonra and Solaria were visibly shocked, and the prince managed to mutter a few words in his tense.


    "... M-Mother?"


    "Hey! Are you allowed to use this name in front of everyone?!" Solaria shouted.


    She faced the maid angrily, but Eryl took a thinking stance and closed her eyes, with a mocking smile.


    "Hm? You talk about this when you were about to say a horror about your mother?"


    "I... I wasn''t about!... But... Whatever! You can''t talk about it in front of everyone!"


    "Y-Yeah, what are you doing here? I hope you''re not here to watch us!" Solaria joined his sister.


    The council members were confused by this scenery, Freya, Mercy, and Hope seemed worried, and Cid, who was unconscious during the main event of the battle, did not understand the tension.


    "Well, why don''t you tell me more about the healthy hero who decided to quit?"


    It was enough to defeat the 2 heirs. Moonra and Solaria lowered their heads, admitting defeat, which added to the incomprehension of this moment.


    Iris then approached and put a hand on their shoulder.


    "I am deeply sorry, miss, but as this little lady''s knight, I cannot allow you to embarrass her further, even if you are an acquaintance."


    "My, if it isn''t the daughter of Avalon. It''s a pleasure for me to meet the heir of one of our future Holy Knights."


    She bowed slightly, Iris was a little surprised but stepped forward to stay between the maid and Solaria.


    ¡°What do you mean gluttony?¡± Mercy joined them. Moonra tried to stop her with his gaze but the girl ignored him.


    ¡°Oh, Lady Mercy, good to see you so fine, is your knight now strong enough to compete as a Holy Knight?¡±


    Mercy glanced at Hope and sighed.


    ¡°I had others plan anyway, but what did you mean by gluttony?¡±


    "Mercy! I believe it''s not that important!" Solaria grabbed her hand.


    "I heard my... Someone mentioning this before, s''not nothin''!"


    "Someone? Could that be your brother?"


    This time, Mercy stopped moving and turned toward Eryl. Her orange eyes shone slyly, giving the girl a pitiful look.


    "But he would be so worried to know that you''re going into rifts by yourself, my lady."


    "It... It''s none of your business! I don''t need your advice!"


    The nobles exchanged a glance, sensing an air of danger emanating from the maid.


    Soon after, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard and a young boy with short blue hair appeared at the door.


    "M-Miss Iris! Come quickly, there''s a fight in the courtyard!"


    "What?!" Iris rushed down the hall without warning, so quickly that no one else could react.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s already started.¡± Eryl smiled mischievously.


    Thomas signaled the other members of the council to leave but Eryl positioned herself in front of the door.


    " What are you doing? Move!" Lisa yelled at the maid while the woman remained unfazed and rubbed her ear.


    "My apologies, but I believe that among the council, only Iris will understand how to handle the situation."


    "What?!"


    "Ma''am, with all due respect to the Kingdom, this is the Royal Academy. Only the council members are responsible for maintaining order here. We have been dealing with this issue for a long time now, so please step aside."


    "Sir Thomas, I am speaking for your own good. You seem to be a little tense lately due to all the assumptions made about a particular student. I can guarantee you that going there right now will be like a death sentence."


    For the first time, a new expression appeared on Thoma''s face.


    His eyes became shady and his teeth etaient serres les uns contre les autres.


    "It''s... Him?"


    Eryl didn''t answer but slightly moved aside, as to invite Thomas to meet his fate.


    The young boy took out his glasses and gave them to Hope next to him.


    "Enough."


    He in turn rushed into the corridor, followed by a few students.


    Hope and the nobles stood by, looking at each other worriedly. They knew why Thomas was so angry, they knew who he was running towards.


    "Ah... Such a promising talent... What a waste." Eryl sighed, but her sad words didn''t match her amused face.


    "Prince, he''s your knight, so I suggest you stop him quickly, otherwise we''ll have to find you another one."


    "... What? I don''t... I don''t understand, what''s going on?"


    He looked at his comrade, but when he met Hope''s desperate gaze he understood that this was a serious matter.


    "It''s this Anesi again? What''s the problem seriously? You''re acting like he wants to kill someone, if he is trouble, just expel him!" Solaria supported her brother, and she in turn headed towards the door.


    "I think that''s where the problem is, what happens after he kills him." Freya stepped forward, looking at Eryl. "That''s the Winter Wolf''s lesson, right? Testing his limit."


    "Good, You''ve studied well."

 A Snake Without A Leash

    ¡°How can you do this!?¡±


    A silver plate fell to the floor, spilling cups of tea and their contents onto the tiles of a luxurious living room. A man in a tuxedo had just slapped a little boy covered in mud.


    A woman with short, elegant hair knelt in front of the little boy and embraced him.


    "Please! Honey, he''s just a child!"


    She rubbed the little boy''s cheeks, crying.


    ¡°Your father only wants what¡¯s good for you, please, please, Thomas, don¡¯t ever do that again!¡±


    It was at this moment that something was born in the little boy, an awareness of his environment.


    (This world is really rotten...)


    In the hallway, the council members rushed after Eryl.


    ¡°What do you mean by knowing his limits? You mean Dora will know how strong he is? And how come he could kill Thomas?"


    Eryl smirked at Hope''s question.


    "You get it wrong, Sir Balder, it''s not about the strength of one but... Let''s put it this way, what is the most important rule in the kingdom?"


    "... Protect the people?" a young man from the council asked.


    "No, the most important rule, the one that has been verified has the first commandment..."


    ¡°The nobility is above the world.¡±


    "Good, Princess, the nobility is above the law, anyone, absolutely anyone who is noble is protected by the law, it seems very ridiculous but a noble can commit a crime and will be not judged the same as a commoner, it''s literally in the law. Now, the second rule, the second commandment..."


    ¡°The emissaries are assets of the kingdom, so they are also above the law, but below the nobility.¡± Mercy completed, eliciting a smile from Eryl.


    "Very good, I''m taking a liking to this generation. We are in a world that could collapse at any moment because of rifts, we need strong people to protect the world and these people are emissaries. The nobility is above the law, but without emissaries, there is no world, so no nobility, so a powerful emissary will also be above the law, even more, if this emissary is sworn to protect the kingdom."


    They reached the end of the corridor and entered the courtyard, distant screams could already be heard.


    ¡°Okay, that makes sense, but what does that have to do with Dora?¡±


    The principle is quite simple, your Highness. Think of it in terms of a hierarchy. At the very bottom, there are the commoners - the poor, the rich, and the foreigners - without any distinction. Above them are the emissaries, and the stronger they are, the higher up they are placed. Then come the emissaries who have dedicated their lives to the kingdom, and even if they are weak, the mere fact that they are assets of the nobility places them higher in the hierarchy. Above them are the nobles, regardless of their rank, whether they are barons or dukes. Although they are not on the same level among themselves, they will always be above everyone else. Now, consider Anesidora, who is a commoner but also an emissary. He is a knight and, therefore, an asset of the kingdom. He is affiliated with the daughter of a baron and will be stronger than you can imagine. Do you understand now what''s the problem?"


    They slowed down a little, realizing her point, suddenly everything made sense, and in a disastrous way.


    Dora never displayed any interest in monarchy, power, or anything that would elevate someone above him.


    However, the reality was that he did mind it, but he had developed a habit of eliminating it, often in a violent manner.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    This was how he dealt with other nobles or why he avoided direct confrontation with Leon until he was certain he could defeat him.


    "To put it simply, if he kills Thomas, nothing will happen to him, and from what I''ve seen of him, you don''t want him to realize that now."


    "... Well, I''m a princess, and an emissary, so by your little arithmetic I shouldn''t be worried, right? No matter how strong he becomes! How are you even sure he will become strong?"


    ¡°One word, princess: Greed.¡±


    The next moment, Solaria and Moonra stopped moving. They froze in mid-air, staring blankly ahead.


    ¡°Hey, guys, what are you doing?¡±


    A council member shouted at them, leaving them there.


    "Greed? What does that mean... Hm? What''s their deal?" Mercy noticed their reaction and stopped as well.


    Among the council, only Hope kept running, worried after hearing too many times that Dora was going to kill Thomas, but what motivated him was something else, something he couldn''t explain.


    Meanwhile, Thomas finally reached the war zone and stared in disbelief at what he feared most.


    Dora was standing with one foot on a student''s face, and 3 other students were hovering above him, groaning in pain.


    In front of him, Iris, holding her hands like a prayer, tried to reason with him, but none of her words made sense, her eyes shone as she observed Dora''s power, like a child before the gift that she waited all her life.


    "Dora, I can''t believe it... Is this... Is this gravitational magic?"


    Dora looked at her in confusion, not expecting her enthusiasm, but it was only the beginning.


    "Oh! Please, could you let them go? There''s no need to fight them."


    ¡°Does this look like a fight?"


    "Of course not! And that''s why you must spare them, they don''t understand who they are dealing with, they can''t understand your power, and they shouldn''t be the one tasting it."


    Most of the other students were stunned as Iris spoke happily, which was a rare sight, especially at such an inopportune time. Even Zuri, who was a little behind Dora, appeared confused.


    "... So what you''re saying is that I shouldn''t beat them, because they''re unworthy?"


    "Exactly! Look at this potential you have, you can''t possibly go all out on them, you can''t be satisfied with that!"


    This situation was so bizarre that no one dared acknowledge it. The student council president, the epitome of every student, was seen petting the school monster.


    Dora looked at the student under his foot and shrugged.


    "... Well... That should be enough for Zuri''s honor."


    He snapped his finger and the floating students fell to the ground, then he walked towards his Zuri.


    "Wait! Dora!"


    "What? Are you going to tell me that I should accept punishment because I''m strong enough to handle it?"


    "No! I told you it was just an accident, we sometimes use mock battles to resolve conflicts so we can just call it that. But I need to talk to you about something else."


    Dora''s eyes narrowed.


    "About what? If I am cleansed from this... fight, then don''t waste my time."


    He walked away, followed by Zuri with a smirk. Iris looked a little confused but shook her head.


    "Wait! Look, it''s about... I... I''m just curious about your power, I think I misjudged you..."


    "Excuse me ?" Dora stopped and turned back. "Misjudged? Misjudged, how? You mean when you told us to leave you alone at the entrance?"


    "Ah... Yeah... sure... You''d remember... But that''s exactly why I want to talk to you... please? Just a minute."


    Dora looked at her for a moment. He never expected her, of all people, to ask him something, but he clearly remembered the moment when his attention towards her had dropped to zero.


    Funny.


    "Hm? Is that true? Is that how you talk to someone you''ve treated like trash? Because I was weak?"


    "Ah... No... Huh... It was... I..."


    "Stutter a lot, you can''t even form a sentence but you want to talk. Please."


    "L-Look, I-I''m sorry. I admit I did something really wrong, I have no excuse, but please just let me talk to you."


    He crossed his arms, a mischievous smile on his lips.


    ¡°Then go ahead and talk!¡±


    Iris stood in the middle of everyone, her body trembling slightly as the sound of murmurs rose around her. The other students were giving her disapproving looks, making her feel even more self-conscious.


    Her heart raced, hoping that she wouldn''t be singled out or reprimanded in front of everyone.


    She placed a hand on her chest and lowered her head, unable to comprehend her emotions as they burned with a newfound desire.


    - Don''t let him go.


    "I''m sorry. Forgive me for the way I treated you, I''m a horrible person, I don''t know how... I''m not very good at dealing with people... But I have the feeling... You... If you could just give me a minute, in private."


    She lowered her hands, looking defeated. She was the best student in the academy, the first prodigy since Elizabeth, the highest grade in the academy, and yet here she was, agreeing to be humiliated by the one deemed the weakest.


    Surprisingly, this annoyed Dora a little as he grimaced, turned his back, and walked away.


    "Disgraceful... And you really think I would devote my time to you and your people, you idiot.¡±


    "Enough!!!" A powerful voice roared behind them.


    Thomas, fuming with rage, stood among the students.


    Iris startled, turned towards him and was surprised to see a whole new expression on his face.


    ¡°This is the last time you disrespect this academy, Anesidora Carper.¡±


    Dora stopped, without even looking at him. His eyes were focused on the corridor in front of him, but a yellow glow in his eyes flickered.


    It should be entertaining.

 Everything To Lose

    I played with her a lot in the afternoon. We ran a lot in the fields and played with the pigs. My best memory was when we climbed the tallest tree near the forest."Ugh... Hey! Wait for me!" she shouted, unable to catch up as I literally jumped from branch to branch, all hail the power of the emissaries?


    (My parents used to say that people in the countryside were like animals, but here I was the real monkey.)


    **


    In a second, a flash passed between the council members who were approaching the conflict zone.


    They shuddered and widened their eyes as they saw Princess Solaria several meters in front of them, rushing with marvelous speed.


    "Shit! Shit! Shiiiiiiit!!!! There was a sin?! Among the knights??? Why didn''t anyone tell me? Whyyyy??? Damn, you Eryl!!!... Damn... Mother will kill me..."


    In contrast, Moonra stopped moving, frozen in a running stance, his eyes twitching in disbelief.


    "I... insulted him... I insulted a sin... I insulted... a... sin..."


    The group was divided between those who were slowing down for Moonra and those who wanted to catch up with Solaria, but in the end, they were mostly trying to stay around Eryl, the only person who understood what was happening and was willing to talk.


    "Greed? What is it? Is it so hard not to be enigmatic?" Lisa groaned, already tired of the situation.


    "I agree with her, I''m starting to understand what''s going on but if you''re willing to leave major clues you better talk about it already."


    "Hm? I expected you to be more interested in cooking your own food, Lady Freya, but something important happened, so don''t worry, I''ll tell you everything... But we have to ensure the future of another great potential knight in priority."


    Freya nodded, despite the urgency of the situation, she didn''t feel moved at all, she already knew Dora''s potential, she knew how strong he would be, but she also knew who he was facing.


    No matter how strong he is, an E-rank will always be an E-rank, a popular saying among emissaries, and the most important factor in a possible fight between these 2: Dora remained a D-rank at most, so there was nothing to fear for Thomas, nothing bad could happen.


    ¡°By the way, Lady Freya and Mercy, isn¡¯t it very quiet all of a sudden?¡±


    The two looked at each other briefly before slowly opening their mouths.


    "Oh no!!!!" They screamed.


    In the turbulence zone, the drama had already begun. Dora was facing Thomas when a ray of light appeared behind Thomas and brushed against Dora, who only moved his head to dodge it.


    "Hm? How did you miss? I was 25 feet in front of you, how did you miss?"


    Thomas sighed and looked at his back.


    ¡°You two stay out of this."


    Behind him, Hope and Cid were breathing heavily. The young hero seemed very frustrated while his companion was angrier.


    "I can understand why Cid would want to test me but... Hope?"


    Hope clenched his fists, he wanted to speak, but his heart was beating faster than ever, his blood was boiling in his veins, but it wasn''t anger.


    He looked at Dora''s face and remembered Leon''s cruel fate, so he could only lower his head.


    ¡°Damn stupid peasant, you dare to insult my tutor? I''m going to kill you!!!"


    "What? Are you going to trample me with this prosthetic leg?"


    "... Fuck it."


    Cid spread his arms, and several luminous balls appeared around him, but nothing bothersome to Dora.


    ¡°Cid, no!¡± Hope cried desperately, while Dora, impassive, smiled provocatively.


    ¡°Go ahead, step out of your boundaries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your face I¡¯m going to take out, you idiot!¡±


    He fired the bullets towards Dora, the students behind him barely had time to throw themselves to the ground.


    An explosion occurred, spreading a light cloud of dust.


    The students were stunned and the council members had finally arrived, just in time to witness a disturbing scene.


    The cloud of dust that cleared revealed that Dora was, as expected, unharmed, but what surprised everyone was the location of the impact marks on the ground, all around Thomas.


    The young man, one arm raised, cast a dark look at Cid who flinched.


    ¡°If you had managed to hit him, you would have hit Lady Eilejveden as well.¡±


    Cid gritted his teeth and spat on the ground, Thomas turned back to Dora who was now genuinely surprised to see Thomas pronouncing Zuri''s name perfectly.


    ¡°T-Thomas¡­¡±


    "Hope, I think I taught you to never fight someone stronger than you."


    "Ah... Huh... I wasn''t... Sorry..."


    He lowered his shoulders, with a pitiful expression on his face.


    "It''s okay, I was mostly speaking for Barron since he''s an idiot."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Huh?! Say that ag-"


    "QUIET!!!"


    Everyone jumped at the young man''s angry cry. He looked angrier than ever, glaring at all the students.


    "I will no longer tolerate anyone disrespecting this academy. Noble or not, no matter how strong you are!"


    He said this last part while looking at Iris. The girl was at a loss for words. In front of her, the council and the Princess, her duty, but behind her, the one who moved her for some reason.


    The princess herself looked at Dora in silence and smiled.


    (Great... He actually looks better than in the picture, now I have a very good motivation.)


    "Hm, Thomas, don''t shout in front of dear Anesi, he is a very formidable student and I would appreciate it if you would not annoy him."She walked towards them and placed herself between Thomas and Dora, then noticed Iris.


    "... Oh... You... I forgot you were there."


    "Huh? The P-P-Princess knows me?! Awawawa...Thank youuuuu!!!"


    Iris jumped with joy and shook her hand, much to Solaria''s dismay, but this small peace would soon be considered a memory of a time when everything was okay.


    "Princess, I only allowed you to finish your sentence because I respect you, now please refrain from interrupting the council."


    "What?"


    ¡°Thomas!"


    "Stay out of this, Miss Iris! You''ve clearly shown your limits."


    Iris opened her eyes wide, no one could put a word to what was happening.


    Thomas had reached a level of anger never seen before.


    "This is the Royal Academy, a place where the future guardians of the kingdom are raised. Many generations of great figures have succeeded one another here, so it is a sacred place for me."


    He then turned around, looking at each person.


    "But look at you, look at everyone you see. Do you think you are worthy of this inheritance? Do you think you are showing the level of merit needed for this academy? Be a little ashamed!"


    He turned to the council members, mainly Iris and the heirs to the throne.


    "What part of you is truly worthy of being a leader? You value people in the name of their strength, you ignore their crimes and their horror, and you consider yourself the best student. The best students are a bunch of honorless discriminators, how can we expect normal students to be better?¡±


    He then looked at Hope and Cid.


    "We may all be different, in power, but aren''t we all human? Why are we so obsessed with being special? Does it make you feel better saying poor people are worse than you? At least, they live in the trash because they have no other choice, you are trash by insulting them!"


    With a very resolute expression, he finally turned to look at Dora and took a step forward.


    "Do you know how little these people think of the common people? Isn''t it horrible? People come here and act like monsters towards people who are less fortunate, then jump into the arms of their parents to receive love... How? How can someone understand the beauty of life but still be such trash? I wish I had never been a noble!"


    He stopped, right in front of Dora whose eyes had narrowed.


    "I wanted to believe in you, I wanted to believe in trash people who would rise above rich idiots and teach them humility... Why are you such a monster?! You''re just like them... Do you know what sets an emissary apart from a monster? A monster acts without thought, regardless of the damage it inflicts. Doesn''t that make you a monster?


    He remained silent, waiting for a response. Dora seemed a little confused, not because of Thomas but because around him there was no murderous aura, from his point of view, that was what really made him dangerous at that moment.


    "Iris, I''m willing to talk to you if you take him off my face."


    Dora suddenly said with disinterest. Iris was a little surprised but walked towards them hesitantly.


    "... Thomas..."


    But the boy just smiled.


    "Hmph, of course, you would accept it. It doesn''t matter anymore, Anesidora, you have long been suspected of beating other students, today we finally have enough witnesses to prove it. Do you know the penalty for public fighting?¡±


    "It will not happen." Zuri walked forward and stood in front of Dora. "My knight only defended me when these people insulted me, that was chivalry. Of all things, they should be the ones expelled for insulting a baron''s daughter."


    Thomas couldn''t help but laugh lightly, a laugh that terrified Hope and the other council members.


    "You prepared your shot really well, well done. Oh, let me guess, you''re also going to ask You did a great job preparing your shot. Let me guess, you''re going to ask for him not to be punished too, aren''t you, Princess?"


    "Huh?... Yeah! Of course! That was my plan all along, you bad guy who bullied poor Anesi, stop reading my mind." She winked at Dora, who was at the limit of his understanding.


    "Do I know you?"


    "... Fufu, you don''t? Fufu, look at my face, are you sure you don''t???"


    "... Should I?"


    As they argued, Thomas took a deep breath and looked at his right arm. Without him realizing it, Iris had already grabbed him, like the perfect puppet for Dora. She looked at the ground with a sad expression.


    Thomas smiled and looked at the sky.


    ¡°You know, Iris, I admire you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Hey?¡±


    ¡°Yup, today I think I can finally say it.¡± He lowered his gaze and put the confused eyes of the student council President. ¡°I loved you.¡±


    A cold cheer spread through the crowd, followed by screams of amazement. Iris, paralyzed, dropped her arm.


    "W-w-w-wha... HUUUUH?!"


    ¡°T-Thomas?!¡± Hope shouted at the ears of his mentor.


    Hm? You seem surprised, I thought that I couldn''t hide it very much. But yeah, I''ve always loved you, from the moment I met you. The reason I joined the council, the reason I kept trying again and again to be better, it was all you. You were my model, the one I wanted to see on the throne."


    "W-w-wait!... What are you saying... Everyone is watching!"


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us!¡± Lisa shouted in the back.


    ¡°You big ass traitor!¡± Maxim started to cry.


    The reactions were varied and confused, some cheered for him, and others, Iris fans cried in anger, and Sunnah was on the ground, unable to handle the pressure her friend was put into.


    Zuri''s sharp teeth could be seen as she grimaced.


    "Ew... What am I watching? Dora, let''s go, it''s getting weird."


    "... Yeah... This escalated way too weirdly."


    He turned his back, ready to leave, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.


    "Wait, I''m not finished with you yet."


    "I''m not interested in your love life."


    "Don''t worry, it won''t be about that, don''t worry about listening to me."


    He turned toward Iris again, with a sad expression.


    "I really liked you... But I can''t lie to myself anymore, Iris, you''re really a terrible person too. You used to be so dazzling... but look at you now, I can''t ignore anymore what you''re doing... I can''t follow you."


    ¡°Thomas¡­¡±


    "You''re not different than him. Now, Anesidora Carper..."


    Dora, more and more annoyed, narrowed his eyes.


    "I know people like you, you can have what you want and you''re acquaintance with nobles, but you''re cruel, so I know you won''t refuse that: I challenge you to a duel, right now."


    "... Crual... Let me guess, if I win you will quit being an emissary?"


    Thomas shook his head and took out his glasses.


    "Let''s not choose this, as emissaries, we have a duty to fight as much as we''re alive, the loser should suffer from the winner''s cruelty, don''t you think? If I win, you will leave the academy, on your own. Like this, there won''t be a problem with the nobility."


    "I see... Interesting... I''m getting the template now, so what should I choose?... Oh, but I don''t know you well, how can I be sure I''m choosing something you''ll really hate? Unless Hope gives me some ideas?"


    He looked into his eyes for a moment, the tension gradually rising. The council members looked at each other, and the situation went from a potential danger, from a funny moment to a dramatic outcome.


    Dora looked at Hope, Cid, and Iris, then smiled darkly.


    "I see, I see what kind of person you are... Good, now I can choose a suitable punishment. If I win, I will fight Hope and Barron, one by one and if I beat them, they will leave the academy, and Iris will become my servant and leave the council."


    He took a step forward, Zuri stepping back slightly so the two could face each other properly.


    "Of course, you are prohibited from quitting the council or the academy, and no one from the council will be allowed to bother me anymore, is that okay? Vice President?"


    Thomas remained silent for a moment. The council panicked as murmurs rose among the students.


    ¡°Oi, Thomas, you don¡¯t think about accepting, do you?¡±


    "V-Vice President Thomas, I think this is a bit extreme..."


    He glanced at Hope for a moment, the young boy was trembling slightly, and fear was clearly visible in his eyes, at the idea of ??facing the undefeated monster.


    He smiled softly and turned to Dora.


    "If that''s what it takes to purge the academy of its biggest poison, so be it."

 The Honor Of A Trash: Dora VS Thomas (1)

    The young girl was leaning against a fence, humming a nursery rhyme, when her young friend arrived, carrying a tray of fruits and various meats.


    "Again?" She frowned. "I told you that I won''t give you money later."


    "Hehe, don''t worry, it''s a gift, you don''t owe me anything."


    I handed her the plate, she kept warning me for a while until she took the first bite.


    Later, she asked me to bring something for her father too.


    (The poor cannot eat when they are hungry, but when they have a little, they share among themselves.)


    *


    *


    The battlefield arena was rumbling, and every seat was filled. A few students were scrambling to their feet, which usually meant that a famous student was about to perform. All the important personalities of the academy were gathered - the professors sitting in a special spot, and in the middle, the Dean.


    They had been called urgently to watch a fight involving Thomas, an important figure among the students. However, since the case of Dora had been covered by the council, they saw this as a simple dispute between him and the weakest student and considered it a ridiculous case among the professors.


    "I don''t understand young Thomas. Why would he fight an E-rank? This is ridiculous," said one of the professors.


    "I''ll have a talk with him later. This is not like him."


    As they talked, Candace watched the two opponents closely.


    A few months ago, a special person had warned her about the potential of Dora, but after the result of the entrance exam, she had focused on him less and wasn''t expecting a serious fight.


    "I crave to wot how it befell, fine? ''tis not  ''i Thomas'' habit to challenge a weaker opponent, find me what''s going on ''twixt ''em."


    They nodded in agreement and observed quietly.


    No matter how strong Dora was, an E-rank would always be an E-rank. It was a universal law by this point, and Dora could never beat Thomas.


    The two combatants were already standing in the center of the arena, poised to engage in a fierce battle. A teacher stood nearby, ready to signal the start of the match.


    "This is an official exhibition fight between E-rank Anesidora Carper and C-rank Thomas Villeneuve," announced the teacher. "The rules are the same as in traditional mock battles: you win if your opponent is unable to continue the fight, surrenders, or is severely injured, except in the case of a special technique."


    As the spectators murmured, many of them mocking Dora''s low rank, some expressed their doubts about Thomas'' abilities.


    "Isn''t he the one who lost to a goblin-golem?" one person quipped.


    "Why didn''t he just surrender?"


    The majority of the crowd was unaware of Dora''s deadly reputation among E-ranks. They had gathered for what they believed would be an easy humiliation of a weaker opponent. The unfortunate Dora, who had previously crossed paths with one of the strongest students, was about to pay the ultimate price.


    But little did the crowd know, they had also gathered for an execution.


    "Begin!" The teacher signaled the start of the match and then vanished.


    The spectators erupted in excitement, eager to witness a bunny being devoured by a lion.  sinister.


    Dora and Thomas gazed at each other without a word, both aware of the high stakes of the fight. Thomas looked at the stands where the council members and Zuri were and nodded.


    "I think I''ll lose no matter what," he said.


    "Hm?"


    "This kingdom prefers the worst kind of people. You only have to hide behind someone like her if you lose, and no one will expel you. You know that, don''t you?"


    Dora looked at him with a puzzled expression before laughing lightly.


    He put his hand on his forehead and stared at Thomas with his ruby eyes.


    "You know what the difference between you and me is? You think about that because you know I can win. I only think of crushing  you."


    "I''m only making sure you won''t backtrack on your words," replied Thomas as he unbuttoned the cape of his uniform, releasing his aura.


    A wave of energy passed through the arena, leaving behind a warm and calming sensation. Dora let the waves flow through his body and slowly spread his arms.


    "It''s delicious. It''s the first time I''ve felt something like this. It feels like a wind at dawn."


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    Thomas raised his hand and pointed it at Dora.


    "A compliment from you is as valuable as trash."


    "Don''t mind me. I''m not talking about you." Dora replied.


    Suddenly, a black mist appeared all around the arena in the blink of an eye.


    "Huh?"


    In the stands, the spectators looked around. Most surfaces were covered in mist, which gave a sinister sensation.


    Eryl frowned, showing a sign of anxiety for the first time. The council members were incredulous about the situation, while on the teachers'' side, none seemed particularly upset.


    The mist was only worrying in its origin, but in itself, it did not emit anything notable at the moment. In their center, they did not notice the lady in a young girl''s body, who was tense in her seat, her eyes wide.


    On the battleground, Thomas looked around him and turned back to Dora when he heard his laughing.


    "Is this your doing?" he asked.


    Dora, arms outstretched as if about to hug the sun, closed his eyes.


    "To achieve such richness in the quality of one''s aura, one has to inflict grueling training on his body. Even with effort, not everyone can filter the mind to this level of purity. It is truly a work of art... And talking about a work of art..."


    He opened his eyes and looked at Thomas with a mournful smile.


    "I heard that you were a master magician, let''s see which of us is the best in this field... Synergy: Sigma-Gamma, Omega body."


    The black mist suddenly ignited, causing a violent yellow explosion that shook the entire arena. Dora''s aura was as bright as a shockwave, emanating a blinding yellow glow.


    Many spectators had hoped for a quick victory, but the current phenomenon was more than enough to fulfill their wish. With their eyes closed and their arms shielding their faces, the waves of energy shook the very foundation of the building.


    Even the most experienced audience members were left paralyzed by the shock. Moonra screamed in disbelief, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening explosion of the aura, mixed with the screams of the terrified spectators.


    Many students fell unconscious, those who managed to stay awake felt extreme burns one moment then a cold that tore the skin the next, at intervals of a few hundredths of a second.


    On the ground, Thomas had jumped several meters back and was trying to understand what was happening, shielding his face with his hands.


    Suddenly, a gigantic jaw appeared from the eruption of light a few meters in front of him.


    He leaped into the air to evade an incoming obstacle. As he looked down, he realized that it was a snake made of stone. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, three more giant stone snakes charged at him.


    "Wind spirit"


    Several balls of air formed around him and rushed towards the snakes, shattering them into pieces.


    As the light faded, the terrain became visible once again. The spectators, who were a little more at ease, were left in awe of the scene they had just witnessed.


    The destroyed stone serpents had transformed into hundreds of rocks that were swirling around Thomas like a cyclone.


    The young man deftly jumped from one rock to another to avoid the hurricane, but as he was about to escape, an invisible force held him in the air and hurled him into one of the rocks.


    ¡°Argh!¡­¡± he groaned in pain.


    He barely managed to dodge four small rocks that shattered the rock he was standing on.


    (... Damn, wind, rock, and gravity? This guy...)


    Just as he spoke, a flaming rock brushed past him. He turned around, stunned, and saw all the rocks covered in flames, one after the other. The cyclone had transformed into a hurricane of meteorites while maintaining the shape of a gigantic bubble spinning on itself.


    The spectators were all standing, no one understanding what was happening. They had seen and felt the burst of energy coming from Dora, and Thomas'' actions showed that he was the one being hunted, but what they were seeing was impossible.


    On the council side, Dora''s aura having dissipated, they noticed that they were in an orange bubble.


    ¡°E... Eryl?¡± Solaria turned towards her maid.


    "It''s only a safety measure to support Greed''s pressure."


    ¡°Pressure?¡±


    The maid sighed and dissipated her aura. A shiver ran through the group, and Sunnah fell to her knees. Eryl reactivated her shield immediately.


    "Pressure is an ability unique to those who bear the name Sin. Consider it like an attack that hits directly to your spirit. The spirit is a part of you that you can''t boost with stones or training, so it will always be vulnerable to spirit attacks. The only way to handle it is to be of the same level or stronger than the user, or have spirit abilities from birth, like Lady Freya. If you don''t have any of that..."


    She pointed at the students around them, most of whom were unconscious. Hope looked at them in fear, remembering the day Dora had made him give up just by releasing his energy.


    (So... it was...)


    As the fight raged on, an explosion caught his attention. Thomas was covered in balls of light as he flew at high speed between the meteorites, destroying those he couldn''t dodge.


    (If I try to escape, his gravity magic will pull me back in... I need to get rid of him from here...)


    He pressed on one of the stones and made a powerful leap. The stone attracted all the stones around it and grew in volume. He repeated the process with another rock, continuing the operation.


    "You''re not the only one who knows how to use the earth element!"


    "It wouldn''t be funny."


    Thomas jumped and turned around.


    Dora was also in the vortex, holding a blue energy orb in one hand and a white one in the other.


    "Blizzard!" From his blue orb, a snowstorm formed and ravaged the cyclone.


    ¡°Thunderwave!¡± From the white orb, a cloud of lightning joined in the dance.


    The vortex presented a mind-blowing spectacle to those who observed it, so astonishing that no one dared to say a word. Barron slowly lowered his hands, his eyes shaking in disbelief. Lisa clutched Eryl''s barrier, morally unstable after trying to distinguish how many elements Dora had mastered.


    "Aah... Th-This one is not a rock in fire... is that... magma?... No! It looks more like some kind of metal... What the hell is this guy?"


    The entire council was mesmerized by this young prodigy who possessed exceptional abilities, far beyond many of them. Despite being only an E-rank, he displayed proficiency in the use of various elements, leaving everyone stunned, especially the nobles and Hope.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Mercy whispered in disbelief. Although they had witnessed Dora''s fighting abilities before, this was the first time they had seen him use pure magic. He had already mastered every weapon, and now he was reproducing it with different elements, including gravity magic.


    Even the teachers were dumbfounded and could not understand how this was possible.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t Avatars supposed to master many elements?¡± asked one of them.


    ¡°It still makes no sense, Mister Fuller. A prodigy with three elemental affinities is already rare, but this student used every basic element. How is he doing it? Who rated him E?... D-Dean?!¡±


    The Dean sat in tense silence, her eyes fixed on the battle. She suddenly noticed that her hands were emitting a white light, and her irises had turned white.


    ¡°Dean! Your eyes!¡± exclaimed one of the teachers.


    Realizing what was happening, she placed her hands on her knees, her expression increasingly terrified.


    ¡°I know... He is... He is like... like me... He''s a Sin too.¡±

 The Honor of a Trash: Dora VS Thomas (2)

    "Get out of here!" My father shouted desperately at the girl. She was shaking slightly, probably scared by my father''s anger, and was looking at me with incomprehension.


    Now that I think about it, maybe she was waiting for me to defend her.


    (Poor people have no strength so they help each other a lot.)


    I regret having been such a coward.


    *


    *


    (Hm? Why am I thinking about this?)


    Thomas effortlessly avoided Dora''s multiple attacks in the vortex without showing any signs of fatigue. The smaller stones moved at bullet-like speed, only to be intercepted by the orbs of light surrounding Thomas.


    The spectators were in disbelief and stood up from their seats. Some of Dora''s classmates put their hands on their heads, unable to accept what they were witnessing. They could not help but question why even Thomas couldn''t defeat him.


    No one could remain seated; some of them, victims of the retaliatory violence of Dora, wished to get rid of him for good. However, a defeat from Thomas here would mean that even the council would have no power over him.


    Some fell to their knees, others remembered that they used to pray to a God and reproduced the movements, every heartbeat has the same wish:


    ¡°Please... Make Thomas win!¡±


    The council members were in awe of this feat. Eryl dispelled her shield as Dora''s pressure lifted, and what remained was a powerful wind that raged and stung their skin.


    They watched in horror and admiration. Solaria was trembling, she turned to Zuri and grabbed her by the collar, asking for an explanation.


    "How... How did you become his noble?! How??? What trick did you pull?"


    She was boiling with rage, more than most people present, she knew that Dora was a miracle, and with each second that passed, she could no longer handle her emotions.


    But in front of her, the girl with black circles around her eyes was laughing at her.


    "Kukuku... What''s wrong, Princess? You look a little tense."


    "... Are you laughing at me?"


    Zuri stepped aside and looked at the group with a ladylike smirk.


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    "You think I don''t see what you were trying to do? Kukuku... You wished it was you, right? You''d like him to choose you, wouldn''t you?"


    "... Fuck it."


    She jumped on her, her hands aiming for Zuri''s neck but stopped in mid-air, pulled by Eryl.


    "Unhand me! Unhand me this moment, stupid elf!"


    "Princess, you can''t attack another noble."


    "Well, she can, but Dora would tear apart anyone threatening me, Kukuku... sorry, Solaria."


    Solaria struggled like an animal to get rid of Eryl, but the grip of the maid whose hair had turned purple was from another world.


    ¡°This is why you don¡¯t give a gold ingot to a monkey.¡±


    Everyone turned toward Freya. Arms crossed, the girl stared at Zuri in disdain, the baron''s daughter narrowed her eyes and pretended to watch the fight.


    Freya sighed and did the same.


    "Do you realize what is happening? You are indeed just the daughter of a baron, you can''t read a situation."


    "... urgh... why is everyone bullying me?"


    "Will you stop making a fool of yourself now? Because of you, the Kingdom will lose a precious fighter!"


    Suddenly, everyone''s attention was drawn towards the battlefield. Thomas skillfully dodged a barrage of lightning bolts, while his orbs shielded him from the rocks hurled at him by Dora. The council members began to realize, to their surprise, that Thomas was untouched and unharmed even though he was closest to Dora''s pressure amidst all the chaos.


    "... huh?"Hope was taken aback and shuddered.


    Despite Dora''s continuous attacks and the increasing speed of the cyclone, Thomas remained calm.


    "Who do you think his opponent was? Did you expect him to be like that other hero? Thomas is at C-rank, weren''t you there when Dora said that he wasn''t at this level yet?"


    At Freya''s words, Zuri frowned and looked at the battle. She had known Dora the most, among the person present, and it wasn''t an understatement.


    No one, not even Hope was as close to him as Zuri was, she knew him in all his facets, but it was this aspect that made her blind to the situation.


    Dora was unbeatable, undefeated, if he lost, it was a plan, if he ran, it was because he had another plan, but never did he get into a fight voluntarily and lost.


    The council members were astonished as they watched Thomas withstand Dora''s relentless attacks without any harm.


    "He may be strong, but there''s a difference between being the strongest and having the best potential." Freya said.


    Suddenly, Dora burst out of the vortex like a rocket and clapped his hands. The vortex froze and collapsed into a huge block of stones.


    "Good, now it won''t be so easy to dodge."


    He raised his hands, mimicking the act of holding a bow and arrow. The wind gathered at the tip of his imaginary arrow, ready to be shot. Suddenly, a shockwave shook the arena, causing the stone block to explode and sending debris flying in every direction. A few pieces of debris brushed against Dora.


    He lowered his hands slowly and observed the phenomenon before him. The students, who had been distressed moments ago, now gradually raised their heads to see what was happening.


    ¡°L-Look!"


    ¡°T...Thomas?¡±


    Some of the teachers wiped the sweat from their foreheads, looking anxious.


    "Here we are."


    Then, Hope and Barron''s eyes widened as they felt a new sensation in the air. Dora''s previous aura of chills was now replaced by a strange and pleasant cold mixed with a feeling of dizziness.


    "What is this?" Hope whispered as Freya closed her eyes.


    ¡°Thomas¡¯ True Ability: Star Power."


    The ground of the field began to resemble a starry sky, with a nebula rising around Thomas.


    ¡°I hope you had fun.¡±


    A light wind blew over Dora and the energy around Thomas exploded around him.


    The young man had glowing symbols on his arms and face, his eyes were glowing, and the entire arena was covered in a starry sky.


    ¡°Because now it¡¯s my turn.¡±

 The Honor of a Trash: Dora VS Thomas (3)

    (When was it?)


    A cloud filled with light particles swirled around Thomas. The sky was covered with several constellations, offering a dreamlike view to spectators.


    (When was the last time...)


    The cloud spread across the arena, covering the ground. Dora looked around curiously and his attention shifted to the young man in front of him.


    Thomas'' aura ignited, in a dazzling blue light.


    (... That I wanted to defeat my opponent so much?.... Nebula!)


    The cloud exploded in blue light, and at Thomas''s feet, a galaxy formed.


    Dora instinctively jumped back.


    "What is this?"


    "Libra"


    A constellation formed on the star vault and lights emerged from each star before converging on Dora and falling on him like a gigantic lightning bolt.


    A green explosion followed, illuminating the scene and throwing debris into the air.


    The spectators'' eyes widened at this situation. For some of them, it was the first time they witnessed Thomas'' full potential.


    The latter maintained an offensive pose, staring attentively at the crater he had formed.


    "Of course."


    Dora emerged from the debris, patting the dust from her chest and rubbing her shoulder.


    "It should be enough to knock out even a D-rank student, but I was sure it would need more to take you down."


    Dora''s aura freed himself in turn, he gave a slightly annoyed look to Thomas and spread his arms.


    "Nothing to say? Good, it means at least that you felt it."


    The galaxy reappeared under Thomas, while Dora''s aura exploded again.


    Everyone held their breath, and a shudder ran through the audience, preparing for the upcoming cataclysm. Eryl''s eyes shone in a bright orange.


    "From now on, I''ll need you all to stay silent. I must understand his abilities."


    For a moment, the world seemed to stop. No voice, no breath, only the raging wind of two calamities, and the next second, both vanished.


    A tremendous explosion of light occurred and a devastating shock wave ran through the stadium.


    The ground was covered in a swirl of smoke and white particles, the air was torn with flashes and explosions, sprays of fire, rocks of ice, and the vault formed of constellations shot rays of light.


    Everything was going at crazy speed, the blinding flashes prevented us from seeing clearly what was happening, but they were a testimony of the presence of Dora and Thomas.


    In front of this festival, Hope fell on his behind. He stammered, unable to form a word. Next to him, Cid was shaking.


    Both were blind to the fight, but their case wasn''t a generality. A few C-ranks, of very high level, were able to catch up with the fighters. Eryl, Iris, Freya, Mercy, and the two heirs also managed to follow, and the teachers and the Dean closed this list.


    Their only commonality was the shock visible on their faces.


    ¡°Aquarius¡±


    Rays converged into a huge blue laser and hit Dora head-on, however, the latter emerged, three orbs spinning around each arm and fired a multitude of lasers of various colors at Thomas.


    (When was... The last time I hated my opponent this much... Magnetic Field!)


    A succession of multicolored waves formed around Thomas and Dora''s attacks slid over it, without affecting their target.


    ¡°Scorpio¡±


    A new constellation formed and converged into a black aura in Thomas''s hands, Dora, until then impassive, stopped in mid-flight and changed direction.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Every move you''re making is a testimony of your anxiety, you won''t run away!¡±


    He fired several thin red beams at Dora, who managed to dodge them and charged a fire attack.


    (That''s it... I must confirm it...)


    He turned around and fired a huge jet of flame, but just then, a red ray pierced his back.


    ¡°Argh!!... What?!¡±


    He looked behind him in disbelief, only to see five other rays emerge from the clouds onto the ground and pierce him.


    "Urgh... H-how?... Is this the same attack?"


    He looked above, and once again, the fire had slipped around Thomas, he took a new pose, and a constellation lit up in the vault.


    "You''re strong, I give you that, but maybe you just have a high magic resistance? Let''s figure it out, Nebula."


    He glowed blue again.


    ¡°Meteor Shower¡±


    Several stars lit up and shot meteorites onto the ground.


    ¡°Darn it¡­¡±


    Dora flew through the meteorites and shot lightning bolts at the ones he couldn''t avoid, all the while looking up at the stars.


    "I see... All his attacks come from there, and he can repel mine... Could it be the sam- Oh shit!"


    He narrowly dodged a ray coming from the ground, followed by another meteor shower.


    ¡°From the ground too?!¡±


    He zigzagged at high speed and dodged each object, thinking.


    "I understand... It must be it... The stars launches the attacks... The cloud sends back the attack that I dodge... Urgh... what a pain... but what''s about his shield?"


    He managed to regain his balance and glanced at his opponent when a large yellow ray engulfed him.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    ¡°Lio¡±


    The beam hit the ground in a stunning explosion. A thick cloud of smoke rose into the air.


    The spectators watched with visible anxiety. But as the cloud cleared, smiles of deliverance appeared.


    In the air, Thomas was coming down slowly, without the slightest scratch, and on the ground, Dora was lying on his stomach, his clothes partially torn.


    "He... He is doing it... Thomas is winning!"


    There followed howls of joy and tears, everyone cheerfully encouraged the Vice Council President.


    The council members were in shock.


    Freya gritted her teeth and glanced at Zuri who was shaking.


    "Congratulations, I hope you''re satisfied."


    A thunder of applause and encouragement fell on Thomas, the concerned stood in front of Dora, slightly intrigued.


    "You''ve received a total of 18 techniques, 6 with Nebula''s buff, but you''re still conscious... What a waste."


    Zuri held the fence in front of her, wide-eyed and trembling, helplessly watching her knight''s demise.


    "If you were a little wiser you would have forbidden him to fight Thomas. Thinking about it, Dora always seemed to manipulate you as he wished, maybe this is why he chose you?"


    Freya stared at Dora struggling on the ground and sighed.


    "There''s only one way out now, you will put dirt on his name and use your veto to forbid him to leave the academy... or Moonra could force Thomas to give up on his wish."


    ¡°Eh?...Why me?¡±


    She sighed out loud and pointed toward the ground, with an exasperated facial expression.


    "Are you all stupid and blind? You''ve been in this academy all this time but apparently none of you have noticed his potential. Look at this fight, what he did, what it took to defeat him! Are you going to let him go just because of some stupid quarrel? Are you forgetting your role in the kingdom?"


    She turned toward the battlefield again, biting a nail.


    "What a mistake... I shouldn''t have renounced... I should have done everything to get him... This girl would be nothing to stop me... I was too prideful..."


    She talked to herself, yet everyone behind her could hear her. They remained silent for a moment before a raging voice alarmed them.


    "Fuck? What are you saying?!" Cid shouted angrily. "What did you mean? Should I understand something?"


    He advanced towards her angrily, so threatening that Hope and Maxim had to hold him back.


    "Urgh... Let me go! Hey! Look at me! What do you mean? Who would be your knight? Aren''t you the one who chose me? Aren''t you the one who made me go over this stupid rift where I lost a leg? Say something, idiot!!!"


    "C-Cid! Don''t talk to her like that! She''s... We''re..."


    ¡°Stay out of this, you bastard! You can''t even satisfy your girl so shut up!"


    Hope flinched a little but tried to stay calm. He never wanted to admit it but it was true that Mercy often complained about him and began to ignore his advice.


    But his feet and stitches were tied, he had managed to convince her in the worst way possible for him, he couldn''t afford to be rejected.


    Faced with such a scene, Solaria burst out laughing.


    "Well... To be honest, you''re just unlucky. You''re not that bad, I grant you, but you''re unlucky enough to be entering the same year as Dora. The comparison is just too unfair for you. Can any of you claim to be on the same level after seeing this fight?"


    She crossed her arms and walked towards Zuri.


    "I agree with Freya, maybe he just chose you because you look... are weak? Someone that interesting wouldn''t like being ordered around... But it''s okay, cheer up! Now that he has lost, he will be expelled, but as the Princess, I have the highest authority here, even in front of the Dean. Dora will stay but at a condition..."


    ¡°Curious, didn¡¯t you lick that girl¡¯s boots earlier to please her?¡±


    Freya and Solaria looked at each other grimly. The council members were a little uncomfortable and some were watching Hope and Cid''s reaction.


    Both were shaking, with different emotions, Hope looked at Mercy, wishing she showed some support, but the girl kept her eyes fixed on the battlefield.


    "M...My lad-"


    ¡°Dora!¡± Zuri exclaimed.


    On the ground, Dora slowly got up, his rage-injected eyes sparkling a bright yellow.


    His aura exploded again, casting a chill over the spectators. The cheers stopped and terror returned to everyone''s faces.


    "Damn! Damn! Damn! Stay quiet!!!"


    He placed a hand on his face, and little by little black smoke mixed with his yellow aura.


    "I said I will defeat him, it''s a contest of magic power! Don''t interfere!!!"


    - Don''t be stupid, G! You''re getting recked! He''s immune to your magic, let''s switch!


    ¡°And you think you¡¯d do better?!¡±


    - At least I won''t be hit!


    Thomas watched more and more intrigued, from his point of view, Dora was talking nonsense, was he going crazy with defeat? He couldn''t put a word on it.


    Dora''s aura exploded, like a volcano. His face expressed every shade of anger.


    "I''ll crush you, even if I have to break every bone in this body, Polymerization!"

 The Honor of a Trash: Dora VS Thomas (4)

    In the luxurious living room, Midgard observed the System screens. Several data scrolled and a silhouette slowly rotated on itself on the main screen.|Sigma: 7%


    "Sigma, category: physical and magical. Body capable of using the power of shadow, the possibility of having access to the power of creation. Sociability: 5/10, will taunt his opponent before attacking. Overall a normal person, but too calculating."


    Outside, Dora took a finger sword pose and the black smoke revealed spikes floating.


    Thomas got into position, and the festival resumed.


    Rays of light fell from the stars, black crystals destroyed in the air, the ground was a multi-colored ocean and lightning of various colors tore through the air.


    Midgard touched the screen and a new window opened.


    |Gamma: 11%


    "Gamma, category: magical. Body capable of using all types of elements, the possibility of being compatible with origin beasts. Sociability: 1/10, will attack as a warning. Too dangerous for human interaction."


    Dora raised his arms and several balls of light swirled around him before shooting a laser at the stars of the vault, but without creating the slightest damage, Thomas took a new pose and a green ray fell on him.


    |Beta: 25%


    "Beta, category: hypothetically physical. No opinion on his affinity, maybe the origin of their healing skills. Sociability: 10/10, would not attack, even if threatened."


    Outside, Dora crashed on the ground but immediately flew back toward Thomas, several black crystals behind him, he punched the latter but his arm hit the barrier and bounced back.


    He lost his balance and fell backward, Thomas took a new pose.


    "Scorp-"


    But just then, the crystals appeared from behind Dora and hit Thomas in different places.


    |Greed: 32%


    "Omega, category: physical, magical, spirit. As an amalgam of all characters, he is affiliated with each of the elements and possesses all their abilities. Hypothetically the true body, but without fully awakening Beta, any hypothesis is not substantiated. Sociability: 0/10, the awakened form of Greed, dangerous for all living beings. As for his special ability..."


    Dora fell, without struggling. He could have used an infinite number of abilities to regain his balance, but he didn''t, his eyes fixed on an object floating in front of him and witness to a ray of sunshine in his nightmare: a drop of Thomas'' blood.


    "... That''s it..."


    He stabilized and landed on his legs then took his finger sword pose.


    Around him, the field was covered with brambles covered with thousands of blackthorns.


    He disappeared and the brambles rushed at Thomas.


    "Synergy, a mode that allows abilities to be exchanged between two personas. Pros: useful to give Gamma''s abilities to Sigma. Cons: the psychology of each persona will rub off on the others."


    Thomas took a new pose and a new constellation lit up.


    "Sagittarius!"


    A volley of arrows rained down upon the brambles, obliterating them. Suddenly, Dora materialized behind Thomas, his black claws poised to rip his opponent''s neck, but the magnetic field resurfaced and repelled him.


    "Scorp-"


    As he was about to use his ability to shoot his opponent, thorns suddenly hit on his back. He remained motionless in the air, his expression stern. Meanwhile, Dora reappeared on the ground, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.


    Thomas slowly descended and faced his opponent, showing no emotion. However, Dora knew that a conversation was about to take place, and he knew what it was about.


    "Well done, you exceeded my expectations."Thomas said.


    He cynically applauded, and Dora''s eyes narrowed.


    "I was already impressed by your endurance, but I see that you are also a genius. You are the fifth student who managed to hit me in this mode, the second this whole year. So you figured it out? The magnetic field protects me from incoming attacks, but I can''t use it when attacking, so your only chance is this small window when I''m charging an attack. Congratulation."


    "... And now everyone else who heard that will know it."


    Thomas chuckled and shook his head.


    "There''s a difference between knowing one''s mistake and managing to use it. This is why I can''t understand. You are strong, stronger than so many students... Maybe only I and Iris am above you. You have the best grade of your promotion... Do you know that neither Hope nor Cid managed to touch me in training?"


    ¡°As if it was a feat.¡±


    The vault over the sky disappeared, but Thomas'' aura slowly increased.


    "You could have made a great trio, you could have lived the best life: Iris as a tutor, lady Freya as noble, the best student of your promotion... You could... You could have been the face of commoners, the one standing for the poor people against the nobles."


    Thomas'' aura took on a reddish tint. Dora looked around him, seeing the wind converge around the young man.


    He managed to find an opening before but it barely dealt any damage, every cell in his brain was working to find a flaw in his opponent''s defense.


    When the opponent was insurmountable defensively and offensively, the last resort was psychology.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "W-What do you mean, fighting for the poor? Aren''t we serving the nobles?"


    A bottle in the sea that hits its target.


    Thomas clenched his fists. He slowly raised his face and looked at the audience cheering him on.


    "I hate this... I really hate this situation... This is the worst..."


    ¡°You said you wish you weren¡¯t a noble? Do you have anything against the monarchy?"


    "You''re suddenly becoming curious? I know you well enough to see that you are up to something... But hey, I''ve been fooled too many times. You remind me a lot of her... I''ll tell you, so you will know everything... If you can withstand this: Stargazer.


    Thomas'' aura exploded in a bright red color, Dora couldn''t help but take a step back in surprise. However, to her amazement, Thomas had already moved in front of him in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Great Crux¡±


    He placed his index fingers in the shape of a cross and a flash occurred.


    "Ngahh!..." Dora fell backward as a white cross burned on his chest.


    ¡°Years ago, while my family was on vacation in the countryside, I escaped the vigilance of our servants and ventured into nature.¡±


    Dora turned around on one arm and cut the air with his other arm, dozens of spikes came out of the ground but Thomas reappeared in front of him.


    "Solar eruption".


    Thomas''aura exploded, engulfing Dora and part of the ground. The spectators screamed with joy and encouraged Thomas more strongly.


    "There, I realized... How rotten this world is. All my life, I was raised in luxury, I never knew what hunger, pain, and suffering were, I read fantasy books thinking that the outside world was like that... The birds sang because they were happy, the pigs played in the mud... I was stupid, wasn''t I?"


    Dora came out of his shadow, but just as he was about to touch him, a ball of energy hit him in the stomach and threw him into the air.


    "Shooting Star... I found out the hard way what the outside world was like and I was so devastated. The poor people live in incredible poverty, and they use rags ... no, even things that we wouldn''t use as rags and they wear them. They eat so rarely that their bones are almost visible, their houses are like our dogs'' kennels... How is this allowed? How can we tolerate people living in this hell ?"


    Dora managed to break free from the attack, which had lifted him several meters above the ground.


    He fell back, his eyes widening and gasping for breath. He struggled to orient himself, unable to distinguish between the sky and the ground, and his vision began to blur.


    "That day I met someone. It was a girl, about the same age as me. Her hair was unkempt, she obviously hadn''t washed in a long time. She wasn''t different from an animal, but she was so kind to me."


    Little by little, the encouragement diminished. Thomas spoke out loud, and very lightly, his voice became perceptible to everyone.


    "She had nothing, but she shared the few she had with me... How do you share a slice of bread? In the capital, everything is easy, everyone is healthy, we have everything we want to eat, do you realize how lucky we are? But look at everyone around you, every single one of them. Commoner this, peasant that... How can you treat a living creature like this and hope to receive love? Just how?"


    The earth cracked beneath Thomas''s feet and he found himself thrown into the air.


    Dora rushed to him, a lightning javelin in the hand, but Thomas raised his arms and several particles of light formed on Dora.


    "Spark"


    A bright explosion occurred, followed by the young man''s fall. On the stands, Zuri fell to her knee.


    "Please... stop..."


    Thomas'' speech and Dora''s persistence gradually froze the public''s enthusiasm.


    The council members observed the rebus''s perseverance with slight compassion, or rather, it was something else.


    Among the public, this feeling was shared, the sight of a weak E-rank, defying the order of life and putting a fight against an insurmountable wall.


    ¡°Just give up¡­¡±


    ¡°How much can he take?¡±


    The teachers, the students, and every witness of this spectacle unknowingly let their hate or incomprehension be absorbed by a deep admiration for Dora.


    Only 4 persons burned with a different desire: Candace, Eryl, and the two heirs. They knew the full extent of his power and how lucky Thomas had been to fight him at this level.


    Dora fell to the ground, on one knee. He struggled to keep his balance but got up.


    Thomas came back down in front of him, breathing slightly heavily.


    "I knew it. No matter how battered you are, you won''t give up, this is something that I admire about you, the poor. You''re not fighting for a fictional family honor, you''re fighting for yourself. The girl I talked about was like this too, she was weak and frail, yet she became a real animal when you dared laugh at her... She was the one who opened my eyes to your world... If only... If only I wasn''t such a coward."


    On the council side, Eryl sighed and her hair turned back to its natural color.


    "I see, the battle was over a long time ago."


    The gazes were down, filled with concern, while Zuri was visibly shaking and whispering something.


    Solaria furrowed her brows and looked towards Iris, who was biting her lip and staring at the battlefield.


    Dora stood up slowly, with black mist forming around his body, holding his forehead as several voices fought in his head.


    - It doesn''t work, it doesn''t work! Let''s switch again!


    "... Why? To get beaten again?"


    - If it doesn''t work then use something else!


    ¡°At least I touched him!¡±


    Dammit, will you both shut up? He''s only a C-rank, he won''t be able to use this power forever! Just let him burn out!


    The mist spreads more and more around him. Thomas blew lightly and his aura became bluish again.


    What?... No! He''s using more power when he''s red, don''t let him rest!


    "One day my parents discovered that I was playing with her. Ha... How laughable. They saw wild animals in cages but all it took was a little peasant to make them die of fear. They insulted her right in front of me, they blamed me for not listening to them..."


    |Greed: 36%


    |Sigma: 5%


    |Gamma: 9%


    |Beta: 25%


    "This girl looked at me like a traitor... After everything we went through together, I saw her being insulted... And I didn''t react. It''s my biggest regret, and that was also the last time I saw her... Dora, I''ll be honest, I didn''t trust you at first, I wanted to meet a poor man, a peasant, strong enough to rise among the nobles... Nebula."


    The galaxy reappeared at his feet. Dora looked helplessly above, seeing another constellation glowing.


    He''s going to attack! He''s going to beat us!


    |Greed: 38%


    |Sigma: 5%


    |Gamma: 7%


    |Beta: 25%


    "Hope is the first of this category that I met, not only a peasant but also a true hero at heart... A little stupid but with a pure heart. I wished that he would be the one who would stand up for the poor... But in a world where you exist, that will never happen. I wanted to humiliate you to teach you humility, I wanted you to open your eyes and understand your role... But you are like Iris: blinded by your own power, you have lost sight of reality, and that is why you are no longer relevant. Anesidora Carper, your kingdom falls here."


    He took a pose, shining in bright blue, Dora took a step backward, his eyes fixed on the shining stars.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    ¡°Farewell, commoner, Virgo.¡±


    The light emitted by the stars gathered in the sky and formed the shape of a celestial woman who was in a prayer position. Gradually, she opened up her palms and a massive beam of white light struck Dora.


    The arena was engulfed in a blinding light, and the explosion''s thunderous sound drowned out the audience''s screams and Zuri''s desperate cries.


    A large cloud of smoke replaced the light, causing everyone to fall silent. They watched in anguish as a crater formed.


    Emerging from the smoke, Thomas walked towards the corridor. The students were hesitant at first, but then they started applauding one by one. Soon, cries of joy filled the air.


    "Sleep, when you wake up, everything will have..."


    The spectators were silent, but suddenly an explosion in the crater interrupted the stillness. The wind picked up, converging in the crater, and the faces grew increasingly distressed.


    Slowly, Thomas turned around, his face frozen in a grimace.


    "What more do I have to do to finish you?"


    Then, something unusual caught his attention, and he widened his eyes in surprise.


    Even Freya, in the council, was shocked and opened her eyes wide. A whole new aura swept the field, inspiring those who witnessed it.


    In her room, Midgard''s lips quivered for a moment before she gave way to a wide smile, her cheeks blushing a deep pink.


    "... Thank you... thank you... Oh, thank you!... For your offering... Vice President."


    |Greed: 40%


    |Sigma: 5%


    |Gamma: 7%


    |Beta: 23%

 The Honor of a Trash: Dora VS Thomas (5)

    "Omega, category: physical, magical, spirit. As an amalgam of all characters, he is affiliated with each of the elements and possesses all their abilities. Hypothetically the true body, but without fully awakening Beta, any hypothesis is not substantiated. Sociability: 0/10, the awakened form of Greed, dangerous for all living beings. As for his special ability, Avarice. Like all sin, Greed has a special ability to affect any soul in contact with its pressure. Gluttony''s Voracity skill allows it to eat someone''s soul, and thus Greed''s Avarice..."*


    *


    *


    Only 4 persons burned with a different desire: Candace, Eryl, and the two heirs. They knew the full extent of his power and how lucky Thomas had been to fight him at this level.


    "Is he toying with him? Why isn''t he using his Sin''s blessing?" Moonra whispered to his sister.


    "... Maybe... Maybe he can''t? Is he fully awakened? It looks too weak for a Sin."


    *


    *


    The Dean sat in tense silence, her eyes fixed on the battle. She suddenly noticed that her hands were emitting a white light, and her irises had turned white.


    "Dean! Your eyes!" exclaimed one of the teachers.


    Realizing what was happening, she placed her hands on her knees, her expression increasingly terrified.


    "I know... He is... He is like... like me... He''s a Sin too."


    "My God... We need to stop them! Thomas will get killed!"


    He tried to stand up, but a fragile grip stopped him.


    ¡°D-Dean?!¡±


    Her eyes filled with fear, she gathered her energy to formulate a clear sentence.


    "We don''t... We can''t interfere..."


    ¡°Dean?!¡±


    She slowly rose her head, watching the field in terror.


    "We are... I am not allowed... To act... Again another..."


    "Have you lost your damn mind? What are you saying?!"


    ¡°Fool!¡± Another teacher, imposing and bearded, stood up and pulled the young teacher by the arm to make him sit down.


    "I told you to pay attention to the Code. Don''t you know the last rule?!"


    "Sir Gerard? What do the kingdom laws have to do with letting a student get killed? We are..."


    "Listen here you indiscipline self-absorbed imbecile, the law concerns only the Kingdom, THIS kingdom, but the Code is universal for every single human, in every continent, even above religions! As part of the kingdom''s authority, you should be aware of that! If we breach it, we will trigger the end of the world."


    The young teacher looked around him, confused, but the facial expressions of his seniors indicated to him that the situation was very serious.


    "What is... The last rule of the Code."


    ¡°The moral of the nursery rhyme we teach to children like you, the Winter Wolf.¡±


    Candace''s irises shone in bright white as she frowned.


    ¡°A Sin must never go against another Sin.¡±


    *


    *


    A warm energy covered the arena. The crater lit up, as the boy emerged in a white sphere, carrying him to the rim of the crater.


    Thomas gritted his teeth, he had used too much energy and was starting to feel the weight of his efforts.


    "... A shield?... How... How many more abilities do you have?"


    The white sphere disappeared, but the energy around Dora grew stronger, however, unlike earlier, it did not carry a scent of fear, but a benevolent warmth.


    Next to Zuri, Freya held the fence, her face showing more emotions in this moment than her entire life.


    "This... Is this... Light magic? When? Since when does he have it?"


    "Uh? Zn''t he a healer too? Every healer has light magic, right?"


    "Not with that amount of power! He isn''t planning to heal!"


    Mercy frowned, not realizing the frightened stares of the council members learning that Dora could use another branch.


    Eryl''s smile widened, as her eyes shone brighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out¡­¡±


    Her hair slowly turned back to its purple color, Solaria looked at her out of the corner of her eye, very subtly but in this form, nothing could escape Eryl''s vigilance.


    "My apologies, Princess, but if he''s already at this level, his fate is no longer in your hands."


    "Tch... Darn, it... I thought he wasn''t awakened..."


    "He isn''t, remember, never below the maximum level... but he is now able to use a dangerous form of Greed''s blessing, so from now on, my orders have changed."


    They looked at her in confusion. After so many innuendos, almost everyone was lost in this situation.


    What was happening, Dora''s prowess, Thomas''s true feelings, and the repetition of two sins, every ingredient was gathered for a buffet of nonsense.


    Proud of this chaos, Eryl rubbed her cheek.


    "This is the real power of the one bearing the Sin of Greed: the ability to steal the power of an opponent."


    Gazes filled with amazement were focused on the field.


    Greed''s ability was rather simple: when an opponent was in contact with his pressure, and unable to defend himself, he was able to progressively sip his energy in any kind of form.


    Stamina, attacks, buffs, anything that was at the origin of the power of the emissaries, or rather, with more contextual terms, anything that had a skill status or that was exhaustible could be under the influence of Greed.


    This phenomenon had occurred earlier in the Undead Rift, and here, Greed''s ability affected Thomas in a specific way: absorbing his stamina and the powers of the attacks he used on Dora.


    Midgard, euphoric, raised a glass of wine.


    "You could have used one thousand techniques, but because it''s more symbolic, you had to use a light attack. Thank you... For being such a typical idiot hero."


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    |Greed: 40%


    |Sigma: 5%


    |Gamma: 7%


    |Beta: 23%


    Dora held his head with one hand, black mist mixing with the light aura coming from his body.


    He seemed to be in pain and gritted his teeth.


    Thomas walked toward him, his eyes shaking with emotion.


    "This... This feeling... Yes... This is more like it... This is the kind of warmth that I would expect from the face of the poor... You had it in you, so you really could have been a hero..."


    He lowered his head, black mist appearing around his body.


    "You act like a monster, but this is just a facade. I know more about you than you think, I know what you think... You''re not evil, you''re just like other peasants."


    He took a few breaths of air, looking thoughtful before staring at Dora with a determined face.


    "It would be such a waste... So... I''m going to ask you one thing, depending on your answer, I will take a decision-"


    ¡°The name.¡±


    Surprised by Dora''s interruption, Thomas widened his eyes and frowned.


    ¡°... What?¡±


    "What''s her name? What''s the name of this girl?"


    He looked at Dora for a moment before lowering his arms, looking defeated.


    "And I was about to give you a chance... Do you want to blackmail me now? This is what I don''t understand... Why would you-"


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you even know her name?!¡±


    Dora opened his eyes and put a chill on those who managed to see his face.


    In front of him, Thomas froze and for the first time, a new feeling shook his legs.


    Dora''s eyes were black, completely black, his yellow irises shone in a black sphere severed with veins, but the most disturbing thing was what was happening in the stadium.


    ¡°D-Dean Candace!¡±


    "... Crap, a protection field, split and put a protection field around the students! No one touches Thomas!"


    The teachers vanished instantly, and the Dean clutched her knees looking down and finally muttering to herself.


    "I''m sorry... I am so sorry..."


    Around the arena, the students were frozen by a new phenomena, the arena landscape had completely changed.


    The sky was red, the air was filled with yellow and black mist, the walls were cracked, and the ground was covered with broken weapons planted in the ground.


    Beyond the arena, gigantic chains encircled the arena.


    Screams of fright rose from everywhere, and Dora''s aura gave off a new emotion.


    "Peasant this, poor that, if you care so much about her, if you hate people insulting us, why do you keep calling us by these terms? Why don''t you know her name?!"


    Dora''s pressure rose again, but surprisingly, Thomas was unphased by the scenery around him, a yellow spark in his eyes.


    "I understand why you ask that, for you people, a name is important, it''s what makes you so amazing! I know how you function, especially you... Uppercrest, does it sound familiar?"


    Dora''s lowered both his hands, his demons'' eyes widening.


    "This is the name of a certain place in the capital that you''re very familiar with, aren''t you? A house as close as possible to the capital center, but close to a special school with a major population of foreign students... I made an investigation on you, Dora, you''re trying to buy a house for your family."


    The cries of fear gradually stopped, and eyes filled with amazement, as Thomas''s voice could be heard clear as crystal.


    "Hope talked about you, you may act tough, but even you have people to care about... I know that you send each month half of your monthly allowance to a faraway village in the countryside, you are the only hope for your family... you are doing everything for them... For your mother, for Wendy."


    After hearing this, Eryl instinctively reactivated her shield and stayed on guard.


    A shock wave crossed the field and, slowly, Dora spread his arms.


    "I know you, I know more about your people''s lives than you imagine, I only wish to help you! I wish to fight for the poor! Don''t you see how much you''re putting dirt on your kind? Open your eyes for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    Dora''s arms stopped, and the arena started to shake.


    "... do you think..."


    Each teacher stood at a corner of the arena and spread their aura around the students, using enough power to keep them from running away, in preparation for what was coming.


    ¡°WE ARE?!¡±


    Dora clapped his hands and the whole arena got engulfed in light.


    Midgard took a sip of wine and opened her eyes as if she was about to hug the sky.


    ¡°Welcome to my world, wonder of nature.¡±


    | Greed: 40%


    |Alpha Body


    A blinding explosion occurred, plunging the students into discord.


    Screams of terror mixed with the fireworks.


    They felt as if the ground had disappeared and they were falling, but under them their seat remained, the stadium was intact.


    Immobilized by the shields, they had no other choice than to witness the battle reaching its peak.


    Several meters above, Thomas was falling, but still conscious.


    "... Stargazer!"


    He stood up and took a quick look around before parrying a spear strike that sent him onto the ground and onto his legs.


    He looked ahead, surprised, as Dora landed, a spear in his hands.


    "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Who do you think you are?!"


    He threw himself at him, delivering several blows that Thomas barely dodged.


    "Why do you keep calling us poor and peasants?! You think too miserable to be considered as humans?!"


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that!¡±


    Dora twirled the spear above him before hitting the ground, which Thomas avoided.


    "I''m on your side! I''ve never mistreated the poor!"


    A sword brushed his shoulder, he frowned and jumped into the air, followed by Dora, several swords forming behind him.


    "Then why don''t you know her name?! She opened your eyes, she was nice to you, why wasn''t she worthy of knowing her name?? Why do you talk about her like an animal?! what do you take us for?"


    He stretched his arm forward, twenty swords rushing towards Thomas.


    "Is that that important to you?! I''m caring about her, I dedicated my life to them! Comet!"


    He shot several comets on the swords, destroying them, but Dora immediately appeared above him, a huge ax on the hand.


    "Damn! Damn! Damn you!"


    "Great Crux!"


    He hit Thomas hard, but the latter repelled the blow using his technique.


    Blood began to flow from Thomas'' nose.


    "How are you different than them?! How are you different than the idiots who mistreat us?!"


    "I''m nothing like these monsters!"


    ¡°You¡¯re talking like we were animals!¡±


    An explosion occurred, Dora chased Thomas in the air attacking him with all kinds of weapons, and Thomas managed to deflect them, using his skills.


    The spectators were frightened, looking in horror at this hunt.


    Iris walked forward until the barrier stopped her. She put a hand on the shining wall, her lips trembling.


    ¡°Why?... What is he doing?¡±


    Her eyes were more and more filled with confusion, Eryl narrowed hers and shook her head.


    "I said it before, the battle was over long ago. The moment Greed''s shards hit him the first time, he was doomed. He failed to defeat him before being affected by the Sin''s curse, so now he''s done for."


    ¡°Curse?¡±


    Eryl''s eyes narrowed, the memories of black crystals spreading on her hands in the undead rift resurfacing.


    "As Envy can affect one person''s emotion, making them wish for something, Greed disposes of a similar ability, and now Thomas isn''t fighting for winning but for... it seems like, the greed of Dora''s approval."


    Black circles formed around Thomas'' eyes, witness to his fatigue. He was stronger than Dora, even in this new form he could have put up a better fight, but at this moment he only burned with one desire.


    "Why is it so hard to understand?! Everything I''m doing, everything I''m fighting for, is for you! For your family, for your people!"


    "... Don''t talk about them!"


    Dora spread his arms, and Thomas landed on the ground, trying to catch his breath.


    He raised his head and his jaw opened as the energy around the arena was converging around Dora.


    "You are nothing special, You are a coward who couldn''t help a person! If you cared about her, why are you still here? Why do you want to put your responsibility on us? She doesn''t need your approval to live, she doesn''t need you to eat! And we don''t need your damn pity!"


    The sky flashed in black and white color. Dora took the sword finger position with a yellow light on his forehead, which took the shape of an eye, meanwhile, white smoke emerged from Thomas'' body on the ground.


    "I''m only trying to be like you!"


    "WE ARE NOTHING LIKE YOU!"


    The arena was suddenly engulfed in a golden and black light, which then spread to everything around it, forming a yellow sphere striped with black.


    "Aurum Serra"


    The space cracked around the sphere as if the whole world was inside a broken mirror. The arena was then engulfed in a bright white light, and after a few seconds, the light disappeared.


    White particles fell everywhere, like a snowy morning, but they disappeared on contact with objects.


    Everyone slowly opened their eyes, frightened by this surreal experience, but they soon realized that they were back in the normal world.


    They looked at the battleground and saw the unthinkable: Dora was standing in front of Thomas, who was crawling on the ground and grabbing his leg.


    They watched in horror, eyes shaking, lips trembling, paralyzed.


    Candace grabbed her head, still lowered, seemingly about to cry.


    "... Sorry... I''m so sorry..."


    Moonra fell to his knee, while Solaria seemed shocked.


    Eryl dissipated her shield, eyes filled with regret.


    "What a tragedy. It was very unnecessary, but I wish your legacy to be remembered."


    Midgard put down her cup and closed the System screen.


    She lay down on the bed, a little drunk, but with a satisfied smile.


    "Thank you for your sacrifice, now you can enjoy a peaceful life, forever."


    Zuri was trembling with joy, tears were flowing and her nose was running, she was crawling on the ground, morally exhausted, but next to her Hope was trembling, for another reason, tears were beading from his eyes.


    He jumped from the council spot and rushed towards the battleground, screaming desperately.


    Around Dora, several shiny objects floated ominously: soul stones.


    Thomas looked weakly above, unable to speak, only the sound of dry breathing could be heard.


    Dora wasn''t exactly in the best shape, barely standing, blood pouring from his eyes and ears.


    he used his anger as fuel for his strength and breathed heavily.


    He raised his head, closing his eyes. His whole body was trembling, but the worst part was over.


    He took one last breath and said loudly.


    ¡°I forfeit.¡±

 The Death of a Star

    The spectators fell silent in unison, watching Dora in disbelief. The young boy had spoken lightly, but surprisingly, from the moment he awakened a new form, any sound he made was clearly audible.


    The students'' eyes widened, and the teachers were confused.


    Thomas, whose eyes turned back to their usual blue color, released Dora''s leg, his eyes shaking in incomprehension.


    "I forfeit... you win." Dora spoke ominously, while the soul stones started shining, a sign that he had initiated their assimilation.


    Thomas used his last amount of strength to maintain his consciousness.


    His brain hardly gave him the will to think, he pushed the ground to stand up but his body seemed to be separated from his legs.


    He gave a desperate look to Dora and finally managed to let out a clear breath.


    "... Why?"


    "This is... What you wished... right?... you''ve won... it''s your win."


    Dora''s leg started to shake, due to immense fatigue.


    He thought about using healing on himself, but it seemed like this simple act would send him to a dreamland.


    "Congratulations... You... Are the winner.." He then closed his eyes and took a few breaths, before opening them with a fierce look.


    "Now... according to... our bet... I''m gonna... leave the academy... so congratulations, you... you will be remembered as... the reason Anesidora isn''t serving the kingdom."


    He put one knee on the ground and leaned towards Thomas.


    "I know... my worth... You will... bear the responsibility... for the loss of a... powerful knight... and you will never... be allowed to quit... every time... someone will get killed... in a rift... you will bear the... responsibility... every time they won''t... be able to send a knight... to help Iris or anyone else... you will be responsible... all your life... your bloodline... you will be the one... the one who gave... a fatal blow to the kingdom... and every day... those people you insulted... you will bear their reaction... their hatred... everyone knows what you think of them now... so good luck... because now you have what you asked for."


    He stood up, turning his back to Thomas. Three soul stones disappeared in bright light.


    Dora''s eyes shone for a second, and after that, his breathing calmed slightly.


    "You wished you weren''t born special? Now you''re as weak as a commoner."


    He walked away, heading for the corridor. Thomas''s view blurred and he fainted.


    Two teachers jumped into the battleground immediately.


    They rushed toward Thomas and immediately applied healing magic on him.


    Noises rose again among the audience, perhaps joy at being rid of Dora, or distress for Thomas, but everything sounded garbled to Dora.


    Each step he made was heavier, the colors were mixing around him, he fought himself to stay awake and not give them the victory of seeing him on the ground.


    (Walk... Keep walking... if you fall now, you''ll acknowledge... that he pushed you... to your limits...)


    Two more soul stones disappeared, only one remaining. He grabbed it with his right hand and held it against his chest.


    He closes his eyes for a few seconds, or so he thought, already unable to keep up with the flow of time. He opened his eyes and saw many students passing next to him, rushing toward Thomas, most of them from the council.


    He was a few meters away, but he couldn''t hear their voice.


    He closed his eyes once more, and when he opened them, a fist was right in front of him.


    ¡°... uh?¡±


    A violent punch made him walk backward but not strong enough to send him flying. His eyes opened wide, and the world was once again filled with color.


    He lowered his gaze and discovered Hope in front of him, shaking, and tears flowing through his eyes.


    "... That''s... That''s it! How could you do that to my senior? How dare you?! How dare you do that to Thomas! I... I''m done watching like a coward... I''ll kill you for good... you beat him right? So like you said, I''ll be your next opponent!"


    He clenched his fists, readying himself to pounce on Dora, but his facial expression and his shaking betrayed the fear he felt.


    ¡°What ya doin¡¯ yer idiot?!¡± Mercy rushed to him and pushed him away. "You crazy?! Apologize to him, now!"


    "Stay... Stay out of this, my Lady! N-No one else should interfere! It was my senior! I will avenge Thomas!"


    "... The heck is wrong in your head?! Dora, yer ok? Did he..." She turned around, ready to see Dora''s fury, but to her surprise, the young boy held his nose with a sad expression.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He looked right into her eyes, a gaze without any malice, enough to make her forget to breathe.


    "This idiot isn''t wrong... I can''t forget that you designed us as your next opponent if you beat Thomas, I can''t let that slide." Cid joined them, hands in his pocket. "Even though I know that you''re currently a little stronger, I won''t stay in the corner."


    Hope smiled lightly, wiping his tears, and turned to Dora.


    ¡°Are you both serious?¡± Solaria walked furiously towards them, followed by Freya.


    "Princess, stay out of this please, we are bearing Thomas''s will, the fight isn''t over!"


    Hope said confidently, next to him, however, Cid frowned and glanced at him. Mercy stood firmly between them and Dora.


    "Because he''s exhausted now? Since when were you such a coward?"


    "My lady, this is not cowardice, we are Thomas..."


    "Oi, peasant, I''m not gonna fight him now, the hell is wrong with you? Don''t you have any shame?"


    "... ah?"


    Cid spat on the ground, looking at Hope like trash.


    "I don''t need help for fighting, I know my potential. I couldn''t train during the past month so of course I''m overwhelmed for now, but I''m going to make up for lost time and we''ll have this match, Anesidora. Even if you''re not a knight anymore."


    The nobles sighed lightly, none of them believed at this moment that Dora could be defeated by one of these two, but this outcome was better than the alternative.


    Freya however gave a deadly gaze to Cid.


    For his part, cold sweat broke out on Hope''s forehead.


    He looked at his hands, seeing them shaking when a shadow startled him and everyone else.


    Dora started walking again, passing next to them silently.


    He stopped next to Hope, holding his nose and his ruby ??eyes took away his ability to speak.


    "Next time... I''ll bury you."


    He walked toward the corridor, under the gaze frozen in shock of the council members.


    They looked one by one at Hope, who was openly shaking in fear, but another scene caught their attention.


    Dora was about to finally reach the corridor when a soft projectile sent him to the ground.


    He looked up painfully and found himself inches from Zuri''s tear-stained face and runny nose.


    "Wha dija do?! Wha dija zurender!?"


    She shook him by the neck while babbling nonsense.


    Moonra shivered when light energy emitted from Dora.


    "Shit! S-Someone, take her!"


    Everyone, alarmed, flinched. At this moment, there was no saying of what Dora would have been able to do.


    He raised his hand and put it in front of the girl''s face.


    A white light covered her face, to their horror, but none of them dared to interfere until the light disappeared.


    ¡°You never... walk with a... handkerchief, do you?¡±


    Zuri''s face was then as clean and as white as milk, soon buried again under her tears.


    "You''re... You''re... You''re supposed to be the one... the one thinking about it... I can''t... I can''t... I can''d do abything widout...Widout you!¡±


    She started crying again, burying her wet face on Dora''s shoulder.


    "There... I''m here, you see?... it''s ok..."


    "Iz not OK! Why did you zurrender? Now you won''t be by knight adybore! Why?!"


    She beat his chest very lightly, while Dora patted her head.


    "Zuri, this is stup-"


    She blew her nose heavily on his shoulder, then looked at him with a sad and innocent look.


    Dora took a deep breath, forcing the widest smile possible through his trembling lips.


    "Zuri, I don''t need to be your knight... to keep our relationship... We are together now... no matter what, don''t bother about the terms."


    He wiped a tear from the girl''s cheek and smiled warmly.


    "I promised... to your father too... right? You won''t get rid of me... so easily."


    Zuri''s tear flow exploded and she cried loudly on Dora''s chest.


    The young boy showed a gentleness foreign to him, a very unique scene.


    Solaria bit her lips, seeing her target too close to her rival.


    She gave a worried look to Freya, also aware of the toughness of the competition, but they respected this moment between a noble and her fallen knight.


    "My apologies for disrupting your celebrations, but I''ll need to talk with you, Anesidora."


    Eryl materialized behind them, carried by a soft breeze. The Dean''s eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned forward in her seat, her eyes wide and trembling in fear.


    "Aah... Ah... Wha... She is... Why is she here?"


    Dora frowned and tried to stand up, helped by Zuri.


    "... The elf mage."


    "... Thank you, my good sir, but I prefer Eryl. First of all, I would like to congratulate you. I do know the full extent of your peers, but it''s something else to witness the progress you made since that day."


    She bowed elegantly and glanced at Moonra and Solaria, a mischievous smile on her lips.


    "Sadly, I come with a request, good or bad for you, depending on what will happen."


    Dora''s eyes narrowed, he looked away slowly but then saw the frightened expressions of the two heirs.


    "Why bad?... What is... going on?"


    "Anesidora... Or rather, Avatar of Greed, you have been requested to the Royal Palace for an audience, with the Gluttony."


    *


    *


    At the same time, in the small, remote village of Sofiya, a young girl stood in front of a fruit stand.


    Passers-by stopped around her and observed her with curiosity.


    She had a petite body, warmly dressed, but her most disturbing feature was her large mouse ears which seemed to be a part of her short black hair.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you check in the back of the shop?¡±


    "... Miss, this is a fruit and vegetable shop, I don''t sell cheese!" The shopkeeper, a young boy wearing a large coat took off his hat, in frustration.


    The girl pouted, turning her index fingers and looking aside.


    "N-no need to yell... I was just trying to stay in character... ok, can you please... uh... lead me to the backyard? J-just to see something..."


    "... Miss, if you have no money, go hang yourself elsewhere!"


    "Eeeh?! You are evil! I... I just want to be alone with you! Why are you unpleasant?!"


    The boy put his hands on his hips, more and more furious.


    The passerby continued on their way, laughing.


    He sighed and led the girl into an empty alley behind the shop.


    "Ok, we''re alone now, what do you want from me? Want to confess your love or something?"


    "... Just to be sure, you are Leon, former leader of Shining Knife, right?"


    A silence settled, and the young man slowly opened his mouth and narrowed his blue eyes.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    "... I... So it''s you?... um... I... Wait! Give me a sec."


    She turned around and took a paper from her bag.


    She read it carefully and looked at a picture while staring at Leon.


    "... Yeah, it''s you... but it''s Shining Sword, why didn''t you correct me?!... Well, anyway, do you know the house of a girl named Ane... Anesio... A... Goddam five-syllable first names..."


    Leon froze for a little while, his eyes filled with shock.


    He gritted his teeth and grabbed the girl by the collar.


    "Get... The hell out of here... before I crush you."


    "Eeehk?! N-n-no! What are... Who... uuuhk... you''re making this too complicated..."


    ¡°Piss off, you idiot!¡±


    The girl started running away, terrified, but as she reached the end of the alley, she stopped and came back, running.


    "Wait-wait-wait! I can''t leave yet, I still have business here!"


    "... What the hell do you want?!"


    She put her bag on the ground and took out a little black box.


    "Li-li-li-listen, I''m only here to kill you, ok? So stop yelling at me!"


    Leon froze for a moment, his eyes wide open.


    He watched, astonished, as the young girl, anxious not to get a response, trembled.


    He slapped his face, desperate for this idiot in front of him.


    He had met a lot of strange people in his short career as a shopkeeper, but that day he met the most ridiculous person, and later that day he would also meet his end.

 The One Above

    Iris was sitting in an infirmary room, peeling an apple. She went about the task in silence, her face closed.


    In front of her, Thomas was lying on a bed, staring at the ceiling. The sound of the air conditioner was the only sign that time had not stopped.


    Iris finished peeling the fruit and proceeded to cut it up, and for the first time since that day, Thomas was able to speak.


    "You should have gone with them."


    Iris froze for a moment, holding the apple and a knife, then, silently, resumed her duty.


    Thomas, still looking at the ceiling, folded his hands behind his head.


    "There''s no point, really, I''m fine, a little lighter than before, but at least I''m alive."


    He raised his right arm and looked at the back of his hand.


    Noticing the silence, he smiled, mockingly and turned to Iris.


    "Don''t give me that, if you''re angry because you stayed here instead of following them, it''s your fault...


    Ah, but good for you haha, now you''re stuck here with a loser. "


    He laughed lightly, Iris, with trembling hands, placed the knife and the fruit on a plate.


    "Could you stop that? If you don''t have anything better to say, just stay quiet."


    She placed her hands on her knees, clenched together.


    Thomas sat up, looking at the palm of his hand.


    "Are you saying that because it''s your honest feeling or is it your ''he''s too weak to deserve my attention'' side?"


    "sigh... What did I say? I could never understand you... Why did you have to do that?"


    Thomas looked at her for a moment, her face illumin¨¦ par les rayons du soleil couchant offrait un spectacle ang¨¦lique.


    He remembered the first time he lost the ability to speak, as he watched her.


    He gently smiled, turning his gaze to his hand.


    "I tried to help you... If I had lost, you would have been his plaything... Somehow I feel like you wanted that."


    Un bruit sec r¨¦sonnait dans la pi¨¨ce. Thomas porta sa main ¨¤ sa joue rougie.


    He smiled and looked at Iris, who was shaking.


    "Idiot... Idiot!... Why are you always like that... One moment you say something about me and then you insult me... I can''t understand you... Why are you so mean to me?... I just can''t get it..."


    She clenched her fists, a spark of light running throughout her cheek.


    "... You said..."


    "Forget it, it wasn''t important."


    She opened her eyes widely and slowly leva la t¨ºte.


    "Everything that happened before will stay in the past... Everything."


    He turned toward her, his smile disappearing.


    "Thomas Villeneuve is dead, consider that the one I was before doesn''t exist anymore."


    He turned his gaze towards the window, a melancholy expression on his face.


    Iris looked at him, as if waiting for him to say it was a joke. But the pun never came up.


    Head down, she muttered.


    "This is what you want?"


    Thomas smiled again and looked at the palms of his hands.


    "It''s the only logical outcome, I know how this world works, I know how everyone sees the weak... how you see them. I''d rather be the one to cut ties."


    She took her bag and slowly got up. She looked at him for a moment.


    Thomas didn''t dare raise his head, he forced himself to smile and clenched his fists.


    "I''m really disappointed. Hurt and disappointed... You really hurt me today."


    She turned her back on him and started to walk away, but as she reached the door, she stopped and began to slowly turn around.


    "Don''t do that, Iris. We both know you want to see him... He can give you what you want, isn''t that amazing? Meanwhile, I can''t... I can no longer... "


    He opened his hands, his voice starting to sound broken.


    "I don''t feel my power anymore... I can''t see the stars anymore... I saw their eyes, I saw how the teachers looked at me... I know it''s not just fatigue... I have lost all my power, Iris. I can no longer stay by your side... please go away."


    He lay on his side so as not to show his face.


    Iris looked at him one last time with a frown.


    "You keep saying I''m obsessed with power but look at you... Do you think I need people to be strong to care about them?"


    "You don''t even realize it, it''s the worst thing about you!"


    He stood up, tears streaming down his eyes.


    "That''s why I wanted to defeat him now... because I knew... I knew... I did all that and now what do I have left?!... If you can''t not understand now, just leave..."


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He lay down, covering his face with his arm.


    Iris gave him a pitiful look then shook her head and left.


    In his bed, Thomas murmured.


    "You''re such a bad liar... I looked at you... I watched all your reactions... you smiled when he put you in the bet... I saw your face when I was about to defeat him... You were desperate... I saw your joy when he got up... what was I fighting for?"


    He laughed lightly, alone in his bed, supported only by the rays of the setting sun.


    *


    *


    Meanwhile, the car stopped in the courtyard of the royal castle.


    The surroundings were luxurious, beautifully decorated, and reminiscent of fairy tale gardens.


    Dora got out of the vehicle, followed by Moonra and Solaria.


    In the vehicle, Freya, Mercy, and Zuri were with Eryl.


    Hope had remained at the academy, at Mercy''s request, for fear that Dora would regain enough strength to erase him from existence and Cid had received the same order from Freya.


    Solaria and Moonra looked around.


    "Isn''t anyone there?... Damn, so Mother is really planning something..." Moonra sighed.


    Solaria, walked next to Dora, with a worried expression and after taking a few glances around them, she whispered to him.


    "Look, maybe we still have a chance, if you tell her that you really want to become my knight, that you really, really like me, my charisma, whatever you could say... maybe she will see you as a toy instead?"


    "... Is this another attempt to trap me?"


    "You fool! You don''t understand who you''re dealing with! Look around you... She''s probably asked everyone to leave the castle... She''s not just waiting for you, she''s expecting a Sin... anything could..."


    "Geez, princess, you really need to fix this running tongue problem." Eryl appeared right behind them, startling the two heirs.


    "I-I was just advising him! Stop being scary!"


    The servant placed a hand on Moonra''s shoulder and slowly stroked his neck.


    "Your mother would prefer that he wasn''t a normal citizen, she wants to meet a pure Avatar, you know what I mean? How about you join us in the car instead? I''ll tell you the whole story as promised."


    Moonra and Solaria lowered their heads and walked towards the car.


    Solaria looked at Dora with a pleading expression.


    "... please... watch your mouth..."


    They left, followed by Eryl who returned and smiled at Dora.


    "Oh, my apologies, you might be a little lost. The castle has been completely booked to welcome you, so there''s no one... Well, there is one person, and she''s waiting for you."


    Dora glanced at the huge golden gates of the castle and turned to Eryl.


    "Okay... Am I going to be executed by the devil or something?"


    "... Terribly accurate."


    His eyes opened wide, and Eryl slowly turned towards the vehicle with her natural mischievous smile.


    "I trust you, you are a very smart person, you won''t let the situation lead to that."


    The huge doors opened, without anyone pushing them.


    Dora, grimacing, began to walk. Step by step, without any knowledge of his direction, only Eryl''s words.


    He walked through the door and suddenly lowered his arms.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    He placed a hand on his chest, his heart beating gradually, then turned towards the door, only to see an endless corridor.


    "Damn..."


    He looked furtively around him, like a beast in a circus.


    In a matter of seconds, he found himself standing at the bottom of a grand staircase, bewildered by the sudden change of scenery. As he took in his surroundings, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.


    Suddenly, a new message appeared in front of him.


    |Special Quest: The Path to Survival


    |Escape the castle in 60 seconds


    "... What?"


    *


    *


    In the car, Eryl was about to begin her meeting with the nobles.


    The vehicle was a long limousine model, popular among the bourgeoisie, and the passenger seats faced each other and were separated by a small table, usually intended for storing alcohol.


    "Very well... I hope this time you won''t tell us another nursery rhyme." Freya crossed her arms.


    "Oh, don''t worry, I wouldn''t have used the name Gluttony if I hadn''t wanted to change the world today... I''m not just going to tell you the story, I''m about to teach you history, and thereby condemn your peaceful life."


    Eryl leaned back in her seat, her hair turning a shade of purple and her orange eyes making the girls in front of her, as well as Moonra, shiver.


    ¡°What is this...transformation?¡±


    "This, Lady Mercy, is the result of what is called the blessing of sin, but we will have plenty of time to talk about it. For now, let us begin with the origin of all things."


    She ran a finger over her chin and crossed her legs.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why this country is still a traditional kingdom?"


    *


    *


    In the infirmary, Thomas'' mother was crying on the floor. Her husband held his face to the point that drops of blood beaded from his scratches.


    "Idiot... now you''ve done it... You''ve sacrificed your entire family..."


    Thomas was stunned. He expected his parents to blame him for losing his power, jeopardizing their inheritance in the royal knights, he had publicly insulted the nobles, in his eyes, there were many reasons to disinherit him of his own name, but what his mother had said before collapsing to the ground had just dealt him a big blow to the head.


    "How could you fight a sin?... What have I done to the Good Lord to deserve this? Do you want us to die so badly?"


    That day, for the very first time in his life, Thomas''s eyes were opened to the reality of the world around him, the real reason why his parents had violently rejected a poor girl.


    *


    *


    Dora, in a state of urgency, hastily opened the door to a room. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead as he scanned his surroundings. He found himself in a culinary space, filled with an assortment of cooking tools, including sharp knives and a hot oven. Two tables were set before him, each one adorned with an array of delectable dishes.


    "Stop... Make it stop..."


    He looked exhausted, in a completely new way. Every instinct urged him to leave, the System offered him a new quest to support his worry, and most of all, every time he turned to look back, the room he was in instantly changed.


    He suddenly remembered that he possessed the power to teleport anywhere in the kingdom and began to focus his energy.


    "Don''t even think about it."


    Midgard''s voice echoed in his head. He opened his eyes, feeling a cold wind on his back.


    "...Why? Even the System asks this, so why?"


    ¡°Do you believe in me?¡±


    He placed a hand on his chest, the beats of which continued to intensify.


    "I will... die if... I stay here..."


    ¡°We may... But I can assure you that we will if you run away.¡±


    He lowered his arms, trying to recover his composition.


    "Did you know about this thing? How many secrets are you still keeping? How can I trust you like that?!"


    She was silent for a moment, the wind grew colder behind Dora''s back and he felt the pressure of the last messenger of a human''s life: death.


    "I didn''t have permission... to talk about this. I know you won''t trust me again but... just for the last time, please turn around."


    "... Midgard, I''m going to die! I can feel it! It''s right here!"


    He began to tremble, his teeth chattering against each other, a very rare sight for this formidable individual.


    He raised his head, staring desperately at the ceiling.


    "Everywhere... It''s everywhere... How is this possible? This entire castle is the palm of one hand..."


    ¡°Dora, we were doomed the moment we walked in... Please turn around.¡±


    The first drop of sweat hit the floor, echoing throughout the room.


    He lowered his head and watched the palms of his hands tremble.


    That day, Anesidora discovered a feeling that he inspired in others without ever experiencing it: fear.


    He was not a danger, he was not trying to escape to stay alive but to answer a natural call.


    He knew he was already done.


    As soon as he arrived, his life no longer belonged to him.


    As he turned around slowly, the icy wind grew stronger and stronger, and when he finally faced the front, the landscape had transformed again. It was now a luxurious garden with richly decorated fountains and squirrels and birds perched on the trees. Dora observed this paradise around him, and the air had become pure and light. He gazed at the setting sun which cast a golden hue on this wonderland, as if to distract him from the nightmare he found himself in. Suddenly, he froze his focus on the ground and began to smile cynically. The sound of a glass of wine being placed on a plate sounded like a funeral oration.


    "Ah, I was wrong, I almost thought you wanted to run away."


    A woman''s voice behind him.


    He turned around for the last time and finally saw her.


    Long Golden hair, blue eyes, a bang hiding her right eye, and was wearing a black dressing gown.


    The ruler of the Kingdom wearing a name well-known and feared beyond the horizon, Avatar of Gluttony: the Queen, Gloria.

 History

    "More than 1000 years ago, civilization was divided not into countries, but into different kingdoms, scattered on each continent, among them, 3 rose above the others, the kingdom of Ambrosia on our continent, the kingdom of Fenrir in the far north, and the kingdom of the elves on the continent of Kalaharis, the land of the giants. This period was called the ancient era"Eryl snapped her fingers, and a hologram of a world map appeared on the small table in front of her. "We don''t have all the information, but historical accounts suggest that each of these kingdoms was struck by natural disasters after a massive incident. The resulting economic crises led to internal revolts by citizens who were severely affected by poverty. As a consequence, monarchies around the world were gradually abandoned, making way for new political systems. Though not always effective, these systems no longer limited suffering only to peasants."**


    In the heavenly garden, Dora slowly lowered his gaze, as the azure eyes of the Queen pierced him.


    She stood up and walked toward him, and for each step she did, Dora felt his anguish growing.


    "What an ambiguous appearance... Your name was Anesidora? I suppose your guardians couldn''t decide if they should give you a male or a female name, but let me know if you have any preference."


    She stopped in front of him and leaned closer to his face.


    "It''s surprising to see another one who has beautiful eyes like that. Nice to meet you, I''m Gloria, People call me the Queen, but I''m also an Avatar, too, just like you."


    Dora''s eyes moved unconsciously towards the ground.


    He hoped to drown the terror that consumed him by losing sight of the lady, but the opposite effect occurred. His impressive senses told him, all too accurately, that death was right in front of him.


    "Hmm? You look a little shy... Oh, are you perhaps feeling uncomfortable?"


    "N-No! Not at all..."


    Dora replied, speaking without even trying. He felt like his body was no longer under his control. The Queen chuckled softly, seeing him panic.


    *


    *


    Back in the car, Eryl continued her speech.


    "To overcome rising revolts, ancient nobles resorted to silent negotiations or political marriages with some of the rebel leaders. At this time, the kingdom was on the brink of civil war. Like many other kingdoms, the future had to come at the price of the heads and blood of the nobles. It was then that a "miracle" appeared."


    Solaria''s mouth opened wide in surprise.


    "A thousand years ago?" she asked.


    "Yes, Princess. This is the first miracle, information that was kept secret by everyone and transmitted to the elites through a rulebook written centuries ago, the Code."


    The faces of the young nobles showed concern, gradually understanding the servant''s implications.


    "Mother existed... one thousand years ago?" whispered Moonra.


    *


    *


    The queen placed her hand on Dora''s head. Suddenly, his vision became blurry and he felt like he was losing his balance.


    Do not touch me!


    He felt as if the ground disappeared beneath his feet and he shivered. When his vision returned, he was surprised to find himself sitting on the ground.


    The Queen shook her hand and walked towards the table.


    "My, what a nasty pest," she said. "I see, it''s already awake, but it haven''t taken over yet. I''m lucky to have met you now."


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    She sat down to a service of tea and cake and invited Dora to join her. He stood up shyly and walked towards her.


    "Don''t be so stiff, We''re the same, two miracles fighting against the invaders within us."


    Dora sat down, understanding the Queen''s terrible words. He didn''t know anything about her, but he was sure that she could read him like a book.


    "You know?" he asked.


    "Of course I do, haven''t I told you we''re the same? I know the danger that slowly devours you from the inside, but don''t worry, I''ve waited too long to meet someone like you to let this thing take you away."


    "Wait, it''s a misunderstanding, she didn''t do anything bad to me!" Dora stood up abruptly. The Queen looked at him curiously and smiled mockingly, making him aware of his own embarrassment.


    "I mean... We... We work together, like a team. She''s not doing anything bad to me, so please, can''t you... Not forbid her to take me away? "


    "Ah, it''s just too precious... But you''re wrong my dear, the thing inside you is the embodiment of a Sin, yours is called Greed, and contrary to what you think, sooner or later it will try to devour you."


    She took a macaroon from one of the trays and brought it to her mouth.


    "I know this, this is how we operate, we are the Avatars, and we play their game, and once the game is over, in their language when their Avatar is at max level, they will get them back as their body."


    Dora was becoming more and more confused.


    "... What are you talking about?"


    "Hm?... Gosh, it''s really hard to understand everything you''re saying, were you actually talking about the snake girl?"


    In her darkness, Midgard shivered. Dora opened his eyes wide and met the Queen''s azure, how far was she able to decipher him? She laughed softly and poured Dora a glass of wine.


    She didn''t ask him his preferences, neither if he drank alcohol, Dora quickly understood that he was living in her world at the moment, and therefore, if the Queen offered you a drink, you drink it, no question permitted.


    He grabbed the glass and poured the sour liquid into his mouth, before grimacing horribly, much to the Queen''s amusement.


    "Don''t worry, if it''s her you''re worried about, you can relax. I learned a few things about her and... I wouldn''t mind."


    She rested her chin on her hands and looked at the young man.


    "I don''t know yet how you communicate with her, but give her this message, from Gluttony: you will not be punished for initiating a pact, as long as Anesidora remains in control."


    Dora stood still for a moment, he couldn''t see her, but he felt that Midgard reacted the same way.


    He lowered his head and sighed.


    "... Thank you."


    "It''s normal, I''m a very generous person, you can also tell her that she no longer needs to stay at the academy, her new cage will extend to the borders of the kingdom. Only the borders."


    "Thank you... My Queen."


    She laughed and lightly offered him another glass of wine, both of them enjoying a wonderful afternoon.


    *


    *


    Eryl touched the globe and three continents lit up on the map.


    "As war struck at the kingdom''s gates, legend has it that a young girl, from the lowest social caste among the nobles, rose and overthrew the ancient royal family. Well, that''s the fairy tale version, the true story is that Queen Gloria, who was then a teenager, woke up as the sin of gluttony. With immense power, beyond the norm of reality, she massacred the people who threatened the castle one by one, but since rebellion is a form of treason, among the hostiles were nobles. She massacred any of them, civilians, rebels, nobles, everything that carried the will to fight was buried."


    The hologram showed the silhouette of the Queen on the central continent.


    "It took a few months for Gloria to establish herself as a powerful figure and bring peace to our kingdom. Her reputation preceded her, and her fear-inducing tactics ultimately led to the cessation of fighting. Gloria was no longer seen as just another emissary; she was recognized as a unique life form, distinct from humans and other emissaries. She was close, but not equal, to a God. A God is someone who transcends time and space, and has the power to create anything, making them capable of manipulating reality. Gloria, on the other hand, was feared because, at heart, she was still human, and as such, imperfect. Nine hundred years ago, she emerged from the castle where she had been hidden for twenty years. Legend has it that some people who saw her for the first time after so long died of shock, because they witnessed one of her species'' blessings: immortality."


    She touched the globe again and seven figures appeared in different boxes.


    "After that fateful day, she vowed never to leave her castle, except once every half-century when the heirs of each noble family were set to succeed their parents. On such occasions, she invited them to the castle to impress upon them the fact that they lived in a world where a monster held their very existence in the palm of her hand. She established the laws of the kingdom based on her own whims and fancies. If she wanted sheep to be raised in a lake, people would raise them in a lake; if she decreed that Monday was a fast day, no one would eat on Monday. The kingdom was a kingdom only because she loved the system of monarchy, the power of a long pure lineage, and nothing else. She loved her world in a certain way, a futile dream, and yet she made it a reality. That was the power of a god, the power to bend reality to one''s will."


    She looked wistfully at the silhouette of the Queen on the hologram, then at the figure right next to her, and her eyes darkened.


    "As I said, a human will always be a human, and humans are skilled in malice and destruction. But what about another species possessing the blessings of a god? Six hundreds years ago, the kingdom received a report from adventurers exploring Kalaharis, and this would prove to be a revolutionary revelation: the existence of another being, transcending time and leading her people, the current Queen of the Elves, carrying the sin of envy."

 The Roof of the World: Sin Avatars

    Eryl observed the hologram on which one of the silhouettes had taken the appearance of a beautiful dark elf with long black hair, around thirty years old, her irises shining in a dazzling emerald green.


    "The Elf Queen? Is that her? I thought there was no trace of her existence?"


    The others leaned over to get a better look at the Queen.


    ¡°I heard that no one can enter Kalaharis and that elves never leave. How did you take this photo?"


    "As I said, Lady Mercy, the unseen world is greater than the eye can see. There have been expeditions to the Kalahari, and that is how we obtained this information... At a very high price."


    She leaned back, caressing her ear, quickly making them understand her words.


    Freya folded her hands for a moment, thinking.


    "You said... Envy? And the Queen is Gluttony, and Dora is Greed? This new life form, does that mean there are seven?"


    Eryl laughed and smiled at Moonra.


    "Ah, Lady Freya, if only you were the Prince..."


    ¡°Leave me out of this!¡± Moonra shouted.


    "As you may have guessed, there are seven beings who are equal in rank to the Queen. When an expedition returning from Kalaharis revealed the existence of a transcendental being, the Queen reportedly said to herself, "So, there are other avatars." Although she was speaking to herself, her words were overheard and the term "avatar" began to spread among the citizens.


    Later on, an interesting event took place. The Queen ordered the Parliament, one of the kingdom''s factions, to eliminate this term from their vocabularies. However, it is impossible to completely erase the power of murmurs, so the Parliament had to think of an alternative. They decided to use the term "avatar" to designate something else and allow its true meaning to disappear with time. That day, they replaced the word "arm" with "avatar" and that''s how this word entered our vocabulary and remains in use today."


    Freya snapped her fingers and five images appeared on each figure.


    "What I''m going to tell you now is secret information that you, Freya, Zuri, and Mercy would eventually learn the moment you took over from your parents. As you said, there are seven people with a powerful transcendental, beyond anything your mind could imagine. We use the ranking system from E-rank to S-rank, but they could erase an S-rank in the blink of an eye. These people have been known for centuries as Sin Avatars, the reality benders, with achievements made on the blood and ruin of so many worlds that they have become more feared than Disasters. These are real natural calamities, you are not fighting a volcanic eruption, you are doing anything to escape, but if you can''t, you know you will die."


    The hologram showed images of. Dora, Gloria, and three other people, who were not strangers to some of them.


    "Over the centuries, we have confirmed the birth of seven Sin Avatars: the Sin of Gluttony, Gloria, the Queen of Ambrosia, and the First Sin. The Queen of Elves, Sin of Envy, Apophis. Details on her longevity are unknown, but as only two expeditions out of hundreds returned from Kalaharis, with only one survivor, we considered her an enemy. The third is considered the King of the Giants, Shaka, Sin of Wrath, on Alkebulan, under the Kingdom of the Elves. Traces of its existence come from a gigantic naval war near the Kalaharis, the fourth is someone you know very well, the current dean of the Royal Academy, Sin of Sloth, Candace, her case is very special, but for now, the next one will interest you, Lady Freya..."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Freya looked at the fifth figure on the globe with a frown.


    "The Wolf of the North," she said.


    "That''s right. The general of the Fenrir Empire, Sin of Pride, Rhea Silva. Her story is unique and almost as impressive as that of gluttony. It is said that she awakened her powers when a rival kingdom was invading the kingdom of Fenrir. She was just 12 years old at that time. She single-handedly decimated the entire army of the enemy one by one, until the enemy was eradicated down to the last human. Immediately after this, she was integrated into the army of Fenrir. Later on, she traveled through the territory of the rival country, and like Queen Gloria, every soldier, every citizen, and every trace of life had been erased. Despite the casual nature of her powers, she is the only Sin who truly impressed Queen Gloria, leading to the last rule of the Code and the story of the Winter Wolf."


    Eryl touched the globe, enlarging the image of a young girl with white hair, dressed in a black military uniform. Her irises glowed a sparkling purple.


    "It is said that one day, the Queen herself decided to meet the Sin whose name was spreading throughout her kingdom, for peace and friendship. She only wanted to meet her equal in this world, so she went to Fenrir. But it was a terrible idea, because like I said, a Sin is not a God because they are humans, and as humans in a heaven, what they fear more than anything, is the end."


    The globe showed them the silhouette of the Queen and Silva face to face.


    "As Avatars, they were unparalleled and unstoppable forces in this existence, but the moment Rhea was within range of Queen Gloria, they sensed each other''s aura, and they had the worst reasoning possible: she could end my world. It is said that Rhea showed hostility so the Queen left. The truth is that a Sin will never die of old age or illness, but can still be killed, they learned that the only thing capable of doing this, the only filth in their world, was another Sin. From that day on, the Queen returned to her castle and swore never to leave the Kingdom and Fenrir''s territorial expansion stopped. Later, the Queen would request this final rule from the Code, to protect her paradise: One Sin must never interfere with another Sin. The Queen would never protect another country if Fenrir were to attack it, and Envy''s troops should never be on Ambrosia."


    Freya jumped, understanding a thousand things in an instant.


    "So that''s why you asked me not to be an enemy of Dora... His true place in the hierarchy... If he is a Sin, he will become just as strong, and... Nothing in the world could oppose his decision, not even the Queen..."


    "Precisely, if he decides to kill the young Balder later, there will be no consequences."


    The nobles exchanged concerned looks. Suddenly, many things made sense. Dora was not a hero; in fact, he was quite the opposite. He had always shown that he would never hesitate to use underhanded tactics to get what he wanted. And now, with total immunity, the worst was bound to happen.


    Solaria whispered.


    "But then... Mother doesn''t want to kill him?"


    "No," Eryl replied. "Sin Avatars have a special power that allows them to see their power on a screen. The Queen calls it a System. It''s like a screen showing you the strength you have within you. With this, they can sense anomalies in the air, such as Rifts or monsters nearby. Now that Greed has awakened, he has probably already been detected by other Sins. If he were to disappear, it would mean that the Queen has broken the Code and plans to erase all other Sins. This would lead to an attack. For example, we have no idea where Lust is, but we do know that he has fully awakened."


    Eryl looked at the image of Dean Candace mockingly.


    "Well, everyone is different, and even among Sin, some are very special. Sloth''s case is ridiculous. She awakened about a hundred years ago. But Sloth''s blessing is tragically ironic. Her power allows her to train anyone except herself. To put things in perspective, she was the one who trained this generation of Holy Knights and the famous Balder girl, but I guarantee she is weaker than any of them."


    Eryl snapped her fingers one last time and the orb disappeared.


    The nobles in front of her were looking at the ground without even realizing it.


    It took them a long time to process everything they had heard that day,


    They had listened to so much information that destroyed their view of life and even reality, everything in their world was just a woman''s fantasy.


    Meanwhile, at the top of the castle, Dora was also about to experience the full extent of her madness.


    *


    *


    The gray-haired boy looked in disbelief at the woman in front of him.


    "... You''re actually serious?"

 All Hail The Queen

    After a few drinks, the atmosphere became jovial between Dora and Gloria. They were chatting amicably and laughing, a different image from what their meeting foreshadowed.


    "That''s so funny, so technically she''s your servant? Have you tried making her do the chores?"


    "No, but now it''s definitely on the menu, it will be her reward for keeping so many secrets. Oh, can I use your name to threaten her?"


    He bit into a cupcake, the Queen smiled at him in agreement.


    Everything was perfect in that moment and everything seemed to portend a fruitful alliance between them.


    "By the way, what kind of power do you have? I heard you can use any weapon and magic, is this related to your blessings or is it just training?"


    "Hm? Blessings? Isn''t that normal for people like us?"


    The Queen shook her head.


    "No, not at all, we are all different in the affinities of our powers and their use. For example, I... Hm, taking this little girl instead, Sloth, the dean of your academy."


    Dora, with a shocked expression, dropped his cupcake.


    "What? Sloth? Who??"


    "Yes, the dean... Hm? You didn''t know that? How come? Aren''t you two acquaintances?"


    "N-No! We''ve never been!... Well, I know her but... like a student would know the director! Is she an Avatar too?!"


    Gloria lifted a raisin to her mouth and blew on a cup of warm milk.


    "No wonder you don''t know, that''s what I wanted to talk about. Her case for example is special, in a deceptive way. She may be a Sin like us, but she never evolved. Among all of us, she is the weakest."


    "... Seriously? I... That''s a lot to process."


    "Not much, I met her about a century ago... Or more? At first, I was very happy, another sin in my world, how gracious... But despite having trained her for years, giving her more soul stones than needed to fill a pool, she never got any stronger than that. I lost hope when after checking her stats I realized that she was already awakened... It was obvious though, she stopped aging at a certain point, it was a sign that she was at her peak; I just didn''t want to accept that."


    She stirred the contents of her cup of milk, annoyed. Dora looked at the woman''s face and understood the meaning of her words.


    "Stopped aging... A century ago... Wait, are you both immortals?"


    "... Of course, we''re all immortal, this snake didn''t tell you anything?"


    "We?... WE?! I am immortal too?"


    "Yes... Don''t be so... Ah, my bad, you''ve been an Avatar since recently, of course, you would be surprised. Once we are fully awakened, we become immortal... Or more like, frozen in time. Our body stops aging and we get immune to any disease or infection."


    Dora, troubled beyond belief, looked at the palms of his hands.


    Never in his life had he seen himself with this kind of ability, nor had he dreamed of it. He had heard of legends of elves having very long lives, but that was all, he didn''t consider it a big thing, but rather a problem, because the downside of a very long life was seeing loved ones perish, one after another.


    He was in shock after this news, but the queen, oblivious, continued her speech without a care.


    "If you ask me, the best age to become immortal is around twenty, having the body of a child isn''t practical to be impressive, and at least at that age, you''re pretty young for being cute and old enough to bear children, not that it''s a necessity but we might as well use the whole extent of our body, don''t you think? In her case, Sloth awoke around fifteen, so she''s frozen forever at that age. How cruel, now not only will everyone make fun of her, but if she loves someone she will be too young for them at some point. I should feel guilty since I trained her, but considering her uselessness, I call it fair and square."


    She drank a few sips of milk while watching the last rays of the sun.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "However... She has a purpose. We have studied the full extent of her power and realized the true nature of Sloth''s blessings: she can create synthetic Rifts."


    "... Uh?"


    "Yes, you heard right. She calls them ''dungeons'', basically, it''s like a Rift, but man-made, and she can choose the level of the monsters inside, and you still get soul stones if you kill them."


    Dora placed his hands on the table and let his jaw relax.


    "UH?"


    "Plus, completing these dungeons gives a huge amount of experience points, even for normal people. Basically, she''s a leveling machine."


    "WHAT?!"


    He stood up abruptly, knocking over his chair. The Queen seemed a little surprised but raised her hand in front of her face, calling for the young man to calm down.


    "I know what you''re thinking, that sounds pretty useful, right? Seems like the best power out of many... BUT, as I said, Sloth never levels up, so no matter how many Rifts she makes, she will never benefit from her own abilities. To put it simply, Sloth''s blessings are only useful to others, not herself."


    Dora was surprised. He straightened his chair and sat down again.


    "How... How is this possible?"


    "This is only possible because of our abnormal powers. The blessing of sins can be cruel, someone like you, with barely any training, gains enough power to use any weapon and she who has been trained for a century could be defeated by any S-rank. She''s strong as an emissary, but as an Avatar she''s a disgrace."


    She took an apple and held it towards the setting sun, looking melancholy.


    "What a disappointment... Imagine how disappointed I was when, after that stupid meeting with Rhea, I found out that the only Avatar I could ally with was a failure... I was already completely awakened, so I couldn''t even use her as a power source."


    She bit the fruit and placed it on an empty plate.


    "But since I''m a nice lady, I accepted her only request to be helpful: she wanted to raise future generations of emissaries, with her power we would have a strong country and no one would fear the Rifts anymore. She was so desperate to be useful... But in my world, we do things my way, I allowed her to use her power, but only on the knights I would choose, I called them Holy Knights. She has done this task ever since and she was so appreciated among the people that they made her director of my knight academy. I permitted her, on the condition of keeping my rules alive among them."


    Her gaze darkened, Dora felt drops of sweat on his forehead and tried to hide by eating a macaroon.


    "It''s... It sounds so sad. Oh, but did you say Rhea?"


    She turned her gaze towards him, Dora quickly understood that he had stepped on a landmine.


    "I don''t want to talk about her, I hate her guts, she''s an arrogant and selfish brat, I wish her all the pain in the world."


    "... Ah? How troublesome..."


    "Yes, I just wanted to meet another... Another Avatar... but she''s a paranoid idiot. She must have criticized me a lot when Sloth proved useless... But with you, I''ll take my revenge."


    She wore a cynical smile. Dora, anxious, finishes his drink.


    "With me?"


    "Yes, with you, you''re an Avatar who can fight and I can see you have so many interesting skills. You''ll be a better asset than Candace."


    She placed a hand on her cheek and her left iris turned orange.


    "So many skills... Now I''m starting to understand how your greed works... Oh? You even have stars power? Aren''t you quite the hard worker?"


    "I have what?"


    He stood up and brought up his system screen. He looked at each of his skills at high speed and stopped when he saw one of them.


    "... Nebula? How?! How do I have it???"


    He discovered around Nebula the names of other skills, until then, foreign to him.


    His surprise was matched only by his anxiety of the moment, so much so that he did not realize that the Queen had been able to read his techniques.


    "Calm down, if it''s not you, that must be the thing. It can take control from time to time and you don''t realize it."


    "But how?... When? I didn''t lose..."


    He replayed the day over and over again and remembered this moment, after having being hit by Virgo when his memories became blurred.


    "... That was it?... But how? Is there something... Controlling me?"


    ¡°There¡¯s no point thinking about it now, but don¡¯t worry, I have a solution.¡±


    He raised his head, meeting the Queen''s gaze.


    "I won''t say everything now, because the thing is sentient and might try to stop us, but for now, we''re going to give it exactly what it wants."


    She got up and walked near the fountain.


    "I will send an announcement to the academy, from now on, you are an honorary citizen and official property of the Queen, you will be personally trained by Candace, until you fully awaken."


    Dora looked at her with astonishment, he was torn between the horror of the monster consuming him and the joy of being treated with so much attention by the Queen.


    He got up and approached her.


    "Really?... You mean from now on I can really do whatever I want? And my training will be taken care of?"


    "Sure, just remember who you owe all this to once you awaken."


    "I-I will! I will never betray you, my Queen, all hail you!"


    He curtsied so gracefully that the Queen laughed.


    "Ah... I''ve waited so long. I expect great things from you, whatever you ask will be granted, of course always respecting the Code."


    "I''m going to learn this book! Just for you! And I''ll even remember the contents!"


    He jumped for joy and let out a wave of his aura. The Queen smiled in response and watched as two birds flew out of a nearby tree.


    "Good, come to think of it, if Candace does a great job, you will be awaken at this age and therefore you will physically be the second youngest Sin, before Candace, so you will both be around the same age... Hmm , that could be interesting, we could mate you, I''m curious to see what the offspring of two avatars would look like."


    ¡°Haha, thanks but I¡¯ll pass, this girl is weird and I like my freedom too much.¡±


    He laughed happily and snapped his fingers, making an apple appear in his hand.


    He bit the fruit, eager to discover these synthetic Rifts.


    "Hmm... But I left the academy... Oh, but since I''m honorary, do I still need..."


    He turned to Gloria and froze as the Queen looked at him with incomprehension.


    "... You''re actually serious?"

 Hungry for more

    The Queen nodded, intrigued.


    "Serious?... Did I spell something wrong?"


    She looked at him with confusion, but a confusion that gradually terrified Dora.


    She meant what she said, she wasn''t making a joke or a proposition, she truly intended to make Dora and Candace a couple, for her own curiosity.


    "You want me... to be with the dean?"


    "... Um? So you heard? Why are you repeating it then? Yes, you''re both about the same age, and I don''t have children from two Avatars in my world, so that would be really great to have you make one, why did you think I wasn''t serious?"


    She seemed genuinely intrigued, which added weight to Dora''s anxiety.


    The Queen was an absolute entity in this world, she had lived longer than anything and was the only remnant of the ancient era.


    She was the queen, a goddess in her own world, and Dora had just discovered a terrible consequence: she was no longer human in mind.


    As Eryl had said in parallel, a human could not possess the powers of a God and Gloria showed it, she could no longer reason like a normal person.


    "Imagine this, two Avatars, and even a Player! Imagine having all those species reunited in one single kingdom. Like this, even Candace will be useful, I also would like to add a Disaster in this, but these things are too unpredictable... not dangerous for me, but I would like to not have to kill them later... Oh but thinking about it, since you''re precious and around this age, I could also give you my daughter, like this you will be even part of my bloodline! What a perfect son-in-law! I was bothered by this matter, no one fit her in this kingdom, but you will do just fine. It''s decided, you will also marry my daughter, leave me the matter of the grandchildren, I expect the children from Candace to be weaker, but Solaria''s genes are good... Maybe this Player too, since she''s female. And with this, my world will be so much more interesting than this idiot Rhea will be jealous... Should I make Candace train everyone? It would be amusing if all my people were the strongest, but it would be a problem if the Player could brainwash her descendant... Maybe I should threaten her... No, I don''t want to keep an eye on her every time, I won''t train them then, only your descendant with my daughter, and for my son, if you could have a daughter with Candace or the Player it will be settled. This is perfect! The next century is already covered! I can''t wait to live together under one roof"


    She clapped with jubilation.


    "Do you see me¡­ as a breeding bull?"


    "What a disgusting term! I was thinking of progenitor."


    Dora didn''t take his eyes off her, his gaze filled with distress.


    About an hour later, the castle gates opened again.


    The nobles, outside the vehicle, noticed Dora and rushed towards him.


    "D-Dora? Are you okay? What happened?" Mercy asked hesitantly, noticing the young man''s blank look.


    "Did she threaten you? Did she blame you? Listen to this, she... I''ll talk to her, I promise she will never hurt you, let me handle this." Solaria puffed out her chest.


    Dora, looking depressed, sighed, alarming the nobles.


    "Don''t worry... She won''t do anything to me anyway..."


    "... Dammit, did she tell you about the Code?"


    "Could you be less obvious, Princess? This is getting ridiculous." Freya shook her head.


    They looked at each other angrily, until they noticed how depressed Dora was and ended up nodding towards Zuri, the last hope of getting him to react.


    She twirled her fingers for a moment and tried to come up with a word.


    "Ehm... Don''t be so greedy for your knowledge?"


    "... Wow." He placed his hands on his hips, while the others facepalmed.


    Eryl walked towards them, leaving Moonra alone near the car.


    "Yes, it''s the face of someone who is devastated by the truth."


    "... It was you."


    "Hm? You mean I was the one who reported you? Well, my apologies, but it was inevitable."


    He looked at her angrily, the others trembled, fearing the coming cataclysm, but the blow never came.


    Dora sighed and walked towards the car.


    "Hm? You''re not going to get revenge on me? I''m the cause of your problems you know."


    "Without this Code, I would have ripped those ears off, damn elf... But I will get revenge in another way."


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He stopped and turned towards Solaria who began to follow him.


    "Your crazy mother wants to talk to you and your brother hiding over there."


    "Huh? EEEEEH??? She what?!"


    Solaria jumped in horror. She looked at Moonra and then at everyone, hoping to find an escape.


    "... You... Did you say something about my knight?"


    "Yes."


    "... And what did she say?"


    "Yesn''t."


    She looked at him with trembling lips and gritted her teeth before walking furiously towards the castle, followed by Moonra.


    Dora got into the vehicle, Freya, Mercy, and Zuri sitting next to him and Eryl driving.


    "Hm, should we go to Zuri''s mansion? Or maybe you''ll finally return being a..."


    "Quiet." Dora interrupted the maid. "Keep driving until I''ve had enough."


    Eryl looked at the rearview mirror, a smile on her face.


    "Is that true? But what about Lady Mercy and Freya''s opinion?"


    "I''m the Queen''s equal so you will do what I want, I don''t want to hear you anymore. Drive."


    Eryl laughed and started the vehicle. The three girls around him seemed uneasy, Eryl had warned them about Dora''s future from that day on but they didn''t expect to see that happen so soon.


    He looked at the rearview mirror, from where he saw the maid''s glances from time to time, so he snapped his finger and made a barrier appear behind her seat.


    "There¡­ at least she won''t hear anything."


    "... What did you need to do so she wouldn''t hear anything?" Mercy slowly pulled away.


    "I need to talk to you... There are so many things I don''t understand..."


    Freya and Mercy looked at each other for a moment, then the former asked.


    "The Queen, did she say anything about... About you? Your true nature?"


    "Yeah, she did... And it looks like we won''t have to talk about it too much."


    "Well... Yeah... I still can''t understand... You''re a Sin, and you''ll become so strong... it''s amazing." murmured Mercy.


    "My senses did not deceive me, you are truly a rare element." Freya crossed her arms. "I won''t say it again but you impressed me today... Now everything is different."


    "No, it''s not good."


    They looked at him in confusion.


    "Hm? What do you mean? Being strong is good, right? And you''re... You''re immortal... you should be happy..."


    "Zuri, do you really believe all this? Look around you! Look at this elf in front of us!...it''s a tragedy... This world is in the palm of seven... Five fools, how come GOOD?"


    As they looked down, they were fully aware of the gravity of the situation. However, they also realized the significance of giving up when they were at a disadvantage. The reality of this world was a tragedy, a game played by powerful beings who could easily wipe out everything if they so desired. But what could mere mortals do to change it?


    Zuri leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.


    "It''s okay, I was scared until I found out you were one of them. You''re not that scary, so I know you''ll protect us if anything happens... And let''s be honest, the worst you can do is ask to be paid without working. I know you, Dora."


    She closed her eyes, Dora placed his hand on the girl''s head and arranged her hair.


    "Maybe I wouldn''t hurt you, but what''s inside me might. I''m a walking bomb to everyone, and until I find a way to remove it, I''ll be as dangerous as the Queen."


    "I don''t care, I know you''re going to beat him, you''re mister solution, aren''t you?"


    Seeing this charming scene, Freya and Mercy seemed annoyed.


    "Y-Yeah, I mean you beat Thomas, if anyone can overcome any situation it''s you."


    Mercy coughed.


    "Indeed, you have shown impressive results, I do not doubt your abilities. But you still lack good manners and temperance, I will help you with this." Freya added.


    "Stop licking my knight''s boots, you dirty gold diggers! He''s MINE."


    Freya and Mercy laughed and continued to tease Zuri.


    "I don''t ''lick boots'', I ''make my way''."


    "He''s not even a knight anymore, don''t be so selfish."


    They laughed happily, gradually forgetting their anxiety as they noticed Dora''s expression.


    "Hm? Are you mocking us?"


    At Freya''s insinuation, Dora realized the smile on his lips.


    "Oh, sorry... I wasn''t laughing."


    He tried to suppress his smile but only succeeded in making the girls laugh.


    The good atmosphere was back, the rest of the evening was filled with jokes between everyone, and for the first time, everyone laughed as one person.


    Meanwhile, in the castle, Moonra and Solaria sat in front of the queen on chairs.


    The Queen, with a glass of wine in her hand, sighed deeply.


    "So, you''re telling me there''s a Sin in this academy and he''s not your knight? Is that what you''re telling me, Solaria?"


    The walls were starting to shake. Moonra tried to make himself as small as possible while his sister bit her lip.


    (Keep apologizing sister, at least she can''t be more mad...)


    "That''s stupid..." Solaria replied, surprising her brother.


    "Hmm? What did you say?"


    The ground began to tremble in turn, and the garden, as if the victim of an earthquake, shook everywhere.


    "Did you just call me stupid?"


    "N-no, mother! She didn''t! She was talking to herself! Tell her, Solaria!"


    He looked at her with anguish, but his sister focused on the ground, seemed to be in her own world.


    "Mother... I made a mistake... but you are the Queen! Why didn''t you force him to become my knight? He was afraid of you! You could have done it there! Why let me take care of this? Do you know how tough he is?"


    The tremors redoubled, causing Moonra to fall.


    He looked desperately at his sister and realized that Gloria was right in front of her.


    "Solaria, please apologize!"


    The Queen leaned towards her daughter. She put a finger under her chin and slowly lifted it to look into her daughter''s eyes.


    "Are you criticizing my methods?


    Moonra tried to scream, but his voice was stuck in his throat.


    Solaria looked at her mother and, much to her surprise, her eyes were filled with anger.


    "Mother... You knew he was an Avatar too, why did you let him know now?! He''s your equal! How am I supposed to control him now that he knows? My veto doesn''t mean anything now! You should have never told him... Or at least forced him to become mine!... Do you know how little he looked at me? How am I supposed to have him now?"


    "That''s another matter. If you had found it sooner it would have been yours, it''s your fault for being careless."


    "Aaah but you could have fixed that, Mother!!! You didn''t need to make him your equal! He has more authority than me, how can I control him? HOW???"


    She stood up abruptly, facing her mother. Moonra was shaking on the ground, in memory, it was the first time Solaria spoke up to her mother.


    The latter, surprisingly, didn''t seem bothered by this.


    "Things are different now, there is an urge to fully awaken Greed, so I had to tell him the truth."


    "But you could have forced him to..."


    "Greed is still a human being, do you understand that? If you force a human to do what you want, it will only last until they have the power to fight back. I can''t force him to love you, you must win him."


    "... But what if he doesn''t love me? I don''t know anything about him!"


    "Is that enough to discourage you?"


    Solaria frowned, trembling with rage.


    She clenched her fists and looked her mother straight in the eyes.


    Gloria smiled and caressed her daughter''s cheek.


    "Good, no need to answer. As long as you have such hunger in your eyes, be sure that you will always get what you want. I''m proud of you, so don''t disappoint me."

 Changing Wind

    Later that night, Eryl was still driving the car. In the back, the girls had fallen asleep and Dora was looking at the moonlight. He closed his eyes and focused his energy.


    "Are you here?"


    He waited a few seconds, without getting a response.


    "Are you mad at the Queen? There was no way out for us anyway, she had us all along."


    "Sigh... What do you want?"


    "I was just thinking..."


    "Well, keep thinking then, I have something else to do."


    He opened his eyes in surprise, not expecting such frustration from her.


    "Did you hear what she said? You can leave the academy now, aren''t you happy?"


    "Great, thanks, do you want a medal? If that''s all, leave me alone!"


    She locked herself away again. Dora sighed and looked at an empty spot in front of him.


    "That''s not all, Midgard, can you come out?"


    Midgard was silent for a moment then sighed heavily.


    A shadow formed on the seat and took the form of the young woman.


    "Alright, what do you want?"


    She crossed her arms angrily, looking Dora straight in the eyes.


    "... Nothing actually."


    "... What?"


    He laughed lightly and tidied up Zuri''s hair.


    "I just... I just felt like there was a void."


    "What are you saying, can you make some sense?!"


    "I mean, we had fun this afternoon, I''m glad to have such good friends, but I missed you."


    Midgard was about to utter a curse when she shook her head and opened her eyes wide.


    "... What?"


    "Midgard, the Queen said you don''t have to hide anymore, right? So I''d like you to stay out from now on... Well, more often I mean. Everything started with you, my power, our power, is you and me, so I would appreciate it if you could get more recognition."


    Midgard looked at him in disbelief, blinking several times, not understanding the young man.


    "Wait a minute... You''ve been acting strange since that fight, what does that mean? Why do you want me to be recognized? Didn''t I tell you that I... Well, no matter what the Queen says: I am a danger to your world, to humanity! I will not stay out."


    "I know, I won''t force you, just know that I would appreciate it, okay? I don''t care what the world thinks, you are my friend and I want to be close to my friends."


    "... I''m your Player, PLAYER! Keep that in mind! There is no friendship between a Player and an Avatar, haven''t you heard the Queen?!"


    "I don''t care, I told you, to me, you''re my friend, and I trust you, so I don''t care how you see yourself or what other people think. You, Zuri, Freya, Mercy, Marie, Lilith, Liliana, Morgiana, Wendy and Mom. You are what I would like to focus my greed on, I would like to see you all together in one picture..."


    He looked melancholy at the moonlight, unable to notice the movement of the eyelids of the three sleeping girls.


    Midgard placed a hand on her head, troubled.


    "Is it Beta again? I shouldn''t have let you awaken your powers after all..."


    "Hmm? What do you mean Beta? What is it?"


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    "Uh? Are you kidding again? Please give me a break... But fine, I''ll stay out more often, happy now?"


    ¡°Yeah, really, I really missed seeing you¡­ It¡¯s so nostalgic.¡±


    "You''re weird... And all your friends are girls? How funny."


    She crossed her arms, smiling.


    "No, I have a lot of bo... Guy friends, we''re more like brothers and sons actually, but that''s how close we are... By the way, your hair reminds me..."


    Dora''s eyes turned to Midgard who began to stare at him like crazy.


    "... What are you saying?"


    He looked at her, seeming even more surprised than her.


    "... I don''t know..."


    He looked at his hands and then at the moon, more and more strange.


    ¡°Who were these people? Why do I remember this?


    *


    *


    (Hope P.O.V.)


    A few days had passed since the fight between Thomas and Dora.


    At the academy, all the students talked about it every day.


    In every room, in every hallway, someone was talking about Dora and his fantastic powers.


    It is now said that he is no longer an E-rank, but that he would have worked hard to reach this level, at least that is what the teachers say.


    Mercy and Freya accompanied him when the Queen summoned him, I thought he would be punished for what he did to Thomas, but a statement from the faculty brought me back to my reality.


    *


    *


    "From now on, student Anesidora Carper will join our establishment but as a Royal personality! This is an announcement from Her Majesty herself, so please learn how to behave around him."


    *


    *


    It made a lot of noise, the most problematic student in the history of the establishment became untouchable. I now understand what Thomas meant, this kingdom is rotten to the core.


    I entered the combat arena, where Barron was finishing his training, a little further away, Thomas observed. He doesn''t participate in anything after his loss, and surprisingly Iris was no longer there with him... But I know how to cheer him up!


    ¡°Hey, Cid!"


    ¡°Uh?¡± He turned back to me and frowned when he saw me.


    "You don''t rest anymore, it''s good, with a rival like you I have to continue working every day so as not to let you surpass me."


    Isn''t having a good rival a great thing? The pressure of always doing your best, the thrill of the next fight.


    But Barron looked at me weirdly.


    "Surpass? Who? Do you think you''re above me to ask me to surpass you?"


    "Haha, it''s the spirit! What if I tell you that I am? Do you want to find out?"


    I took off my sword, I''ve been training a lot since my raids with Shining Sword.


    I was rated D-rank a few days ago, so I''m very confident in my powers.


    I can''t wait to show it to Mercy, Freya and the Princess!


    Barron shrugged and walked away.


    ¡°The worst part is that now everyone associates me with you.¡±


    "... Uh? Where are you going? Don''t run away!"


    I started to rush after him, but then he turned around and fired a bolt at me.


    ¡°Argh!!¡± I fell to the ground, slightly injured. "Hey! What was that for? If you want to fight, don''t do such a sneak attack!"


    ¡°Who needs a sneak attack to beat you?!¡±


    I stood up, so we faced each other. Thomas had to come to the battlefield and separate us.


    I don''t really understand why he intervened, Barron and I were like that, although lately, Barron has been very nervous.


    "Guys, no need to fight, please, your nobles will visit the academy again this week, don''t show them such a display."


    Barron spat on the ground and turned his back on him.


    "I don''t receive advice from a loser."


    "Hey! Don''t talk to him like that!"


    I tried to run towards Barron, but Thomas held me back.


    "It''s okay, Hope, let him go."


    "But... You... We can''t let him talk to you like that!"


    "No, huh... He''s not really wrong, I''m a loser who lost a fight he started, It will be a good lesson in humility for everyone."


    He lowered his head as he said this. Thomas has never been the same since his defeat. The day after this fight, the Prince revoked his knighthood.


    The reasons are unknown, but rumors are circulating that he is now unable to fight, and his statements about nobility have made the situation worse.


    Looking down, I saw his left cheek a little redder and the corner of his glasses a little broken.


    "Thomas... Is it true that you''re being bullied?"


    He looked a little surprised, then smiled and stroked my hair.


    "Your eyes wander too much! For now, you need to focus on yourself and stop challenging others."


    "Thomas, if you''re being bullied, why are you keeping quiet?... I heard Lisa say it was you who brought this on yourself... How come the council doesn''t intervene?"


    "... Ah, Lisa and her sharp tongue... But yes, she is right, I am the idiot who insulted the nobles and lost my powers in a kingdom dominated by the nobles and the strong, I deserve my daily beating."


    I was in shock to hear this. I don''t remember the last time I felt my blood boil so much in my veins. Thomas noticed this and placed a hand on my shoulder.


    "Hope, I was the one who asked the others not to intervene."


    "... What?"


    "Look, I made a terrible mistake that day, a mistake that disgraced my entire family. Maybe you don''t understand this clearly, because you''re not a noble, but that''s why I want you to keep fighting your way. In my case, I can never be freed from my cage, and now my life is just a little bad... But it could be even worse if I refuse this punishment. "


    I couldn''t help but tremble with anger. Thomas was my mentor, the one who introduced me to this world, the one I followed like his little brother... Seeing him so broken was unbearable.


    "It''s his fault... only his fault."


    "Hope!"


    He grabbed me by both shoulders, shaking me a little.


    "That''s what I really wanted to talk to you about, please don''t try to get revenge on Anesidora!"


    He grabbed me so hard that it started to hurt a little, surprisingly, for someone supposedly weaker.


    ¡°I know you are stubborn, but if you would respect me for once in your life, just a little bit, please!... This would be my last advice as a mentor... Nothing good comes from crossing his path."


    I lowered my head in frustration, I was so angry at being so helpless.


    "THEN GO AHEAD!!!"


    A sharp cry startled us. We turned towards the entrance of the arena and were surprised to see Barron and Freya. When did she come back? And why was Barron so angry?

 Those Who Stay On The Sidelines

    Cid had just left Hope and Thomas, heading towards the main corridor. He casually looked up and noticed Freya leaning against a wall.


    "Well, look who''s here? Lady Deserter."


    She glared at him.


    "Be careful what you say when talking to your superior."


    "My superior? I don''t see her anywhere, all I see is a spoiled traitor. So? How was the meeting with the Queen? I''ve heard some funny things about this commoner, it seems like your veto means nothing now."


    He looked at her with a mocking look. Both of them had been at odds since the fight between Thomas and Dora.


    Freya sighed and rolled her eyes.


    "It''s a waste of time... Look, I only came here to give you a warning, one that you are obliged to obey: stop antagonizing Anesidora."


    Cid frowned and crossed his arms. Freya looked down the hall, as if to make sure no one was listening.


    "I realized last time that you seem to have something against him, I don''t know what happened between the two of you, but from now on, don''t provoke him."


    "Hm... You''re still belittling my power, aren''t you?"


    She looked at him with raised eyebrows.


    "Belittle? Do you really think you''ve done anything in your training? Or maybe you''ll show me your strength by fighting Hope? Just follow my orders for God''s sake, if you continue to provoke Dora, he might associate me with you."


    She looked behind her again, but a sudden change in the wind made her focus again on her knight.


    Cid, visibly furious, unconsciously released his aura.


    "Don''t piss me off... So your real problem is that you don''t want to make this commoner your enemy?"


    "I really hate it when a subordinate behaves like an animal. Until I decide on another outcome, you are under my family''s house, so your actions will only taint my name, I don''t want to make Dora an enemy, so stop calling him a commoner! As soon as he marks you as an enemy, you will be revoked as my knight."


    "THEN GO AHEAD!!!"


    A furious cry that alerted Hope and Thomas. Both of them looked surprised and rushed towards Cid and Freya.


    "Revoke, revoke, why don''t you do that? I''m sick of your ways and your shenanigans! Do you think you''re anything? Who are you to insult my power? You always expect better from me , do you think you''re in a good position to ask for better? What can you even do for yourself?!"


    "I can do many things, as a noble, but I can also as an emissary. You, on the contrary, were a dead weight during your very first rift, you are not even one of the strongest emissaries in your academy and you have no education. Where do you exist? Look in a mirror and repeat everything you just said."


    "You..." Cid raised his arm to hit the wall next to Freya, but Hope grabbed him from behind, joined by Thomas.


    "Enough! Cid, are you crazy?"


    "Let me go! I''m tired of playing with this bitch and her insults! You keep reminding me how much you would have preferred him as a knight... Don''t make me laugh, you have the memory short! Have you forgotten how he dodged you? Do you think he''ll choose you over his ghost-like girl? Why are you still here then? We both know you have no choice!"


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Thomas tried to pull him behind him, but Cid''s raw strength was enough to push him back like a doll.


    He fell on the ground and tried to get up quickly when he noticed Freya looking at him with pity.


    "Aah... hehe..." He lowered his head.


    "What a decline... But such is the fate of those who cross his path."


    "... Please, Lady Freya! Despite everything, Thomas has always been there for us!" Hope exclaimed desperately, but Freya turned her back on him, ready to leave.


    "If you really think of him like that, learn from his mistake and leave Dora alone."


    "Lady Freya... With all due respect, Thomas is always on our side, Dora on the opposite, I can guarantee you that he doesn''t care about you at all."


    He was so determined that he forgot to grab Cid.


    It was then that a surprising scene occurred, with grace in her movements and a radiant smile on her face, Freya swept a lock of her magnificent hair to the side and looked aside.


    "Oh? I wouldn''t be so sure."


    The three boys, under this angelic vision, almost forgot their anguish, but the awareness of the insinuation brought them back to reality.


    "What do you mean?" Hope asked hesitantly.


    Unfortunately for them, Freya just turned her back and headed down the hallway, unable to suppress her facial expression.


    "What I mean is, Anesidora is not my enemy, so I won''t tolerate if any of you bother him in any way... Well, if you know what''s good for you..."


    She left without caring about their response, she didn''t make a request anyway and they understood it.


    Hope clenched his fist in frustration.


    "It''s so messed up... Why is everyone like this? Everyone supported us before, why are they under him now?"


    "That''s how this world works." Thomas stood up and patted the dirt on his back. "The strong reign and the weak bow, even among the strong, the weakest will be destroyed and lose everything if they do not quickly understand their place. This is the best lesson I can give you."


    Cid, very annoyed, began to walk away.


    Hope tried to call him back, but Thomas stopped him with just a look.


    He knew how bad Cid''s situation was and the need to leave him alone.


    They stood together, silent for a while, until Thomas slapped Hope''s back to cheer him up, but with very specific reason.


    "First the Prince, then Freya, and now this, I don''t know what happened with the Queen, but it seems our downfall is already decided."


    "Uh? What do you mean... Oh..."


    They looked down the hall and saw Mercy coming towards them.


    Hope felt his strength abandon him, as he understood what awaited him. Thomas patted him on the shoulder and smiled.


    "Whatever happens, remember that the only one above emissaries are the nobility, I''m counting on you." He then leaves his former student, to face his depressing destiny.


    Mercy glanced at him a little before reaching for Hope.


    "Looks like he''s doin'' fine, it''s great that he didn''t gave up on everythin''."


    "My Lady... He''s not doing well at all... he can''t use his power anymore, people are bullying him... it''s horrible!"


    Mercy seemed surprised and turned towards Thomas who was leaving.


    "For real? I heard he asked for no one to intervene, is he going back on what he said?"


    "My lady, how could you think like that? What he said doesn''t matter, he''s hurt! He''s suffering! We can''t let him down!"


    He began to shake nervously, Mercy looked at him worriedly, biting her lip.


    "See, that''s the thing that''s really twirls my mind with you... Hope, do you have any consideration for other''s pride?"


    "What?"


    "Have you wondered why he''s doin'' it? Are you so blind? HE challenged Dora, HE is the reason Dora is no longer a student, and He insulted the nobles! Not blamin'' him, but I understand how thick ya need to be when you walk on that path. He lost the fight and his power, so now he is vulnerable and he made himself a target."


    She crossed her arms looking away.


    "He knows he messed up, so he''s taking responsibility. Don''t put dirt on him by trying to do what suits only you."


    Hope lowered his head, devastated by Mercy''s words.


    He looked at Thomas one last time before he disappeared into the hallway.


    Mercy sighed and shook her head.


    "Anyway, it''s not why I''m here, Hope, I wanna ask you somethin'', as your noble."


    Before the girl could say anything, Hope smiled cynically, as if he had gone crazy.


    "Ya see, I know you have like a hateful burning desire for Dora..."


    It was probably a nightmare, the young boy tried to convince himself, as his blood rushed dangerously to his head.


    "So, if you could refrain from that... T''would be good. He''s my pal, so just don''t, ok? Also, about the punch you gave him..."


    She suddenly interrupted him and looked behind her.


    In the distance, screams rose, but not screams of horror, but cheers.


    "Ah! Darn it, it was ten minutes early, she played me! I have to go now... Oh! And, stay away from Dora for a while, ok? Don''t ever come close until I ask you to."


    She turned and hurried down the hall.


    From behind, as she ran, she stopped looking like a noble, she was like another young girl happily running towards her beloved.


    This was Hope''s perception, he felt an unbearable weight on his chest.


    He tried to look at the ground, but he felt like he was going to fall.


    "Haha... Ha... Yeah... Do that... haha... I''m used to it now... right?..."


    He looked at his trembling hand and was surprised to see a tear running down it.


    "... Why is it always like this?"

 Tension: A Meeting Between Two Avatars

    In the main building, students were gathered in front of the entrance where Dora had just arrived. Alongside the young man, Zuri and Eryl, and all around them, four members of the council served as escorts, including Lisa and Maxim.


    The students eagerly applauded Dora, a very different spectacle from what was happening a few weeks ago.


    "Happy to see you again!"


    "It''s so nice to see you!"


    "Good job in this fight, you showed him!"


    Cheers rained from all sides, not failing to amuse Lisa.


    "Look at them, I recognize faces that were still insulting you yesterday but now they are singing your praises."


    Maxim followed her gaze.


    "Can you blame them? They don''t want to be the next Thomas, or the next William... Or the next Andrew... Or the next future Hope... Or the next..."


    "Quiet." Dora''s menacing voice sounded behind them. "They''re loud but at least they''re far away, speaking of which, why are you here? Do you think I need bodyguards?"


    Lisa gave him a mischievous look.


    "Precisely, we are not your bodyguards, we are their bodyguards... Well, rather your offerings."


    "The sacrificial lambs." Maxim smiled nervously.


    Dora raised his eyebrows and showed a satisfied smile.


    "Hm... Good answer."


    He looked at the students around him and noticed the one who had insulted Zuri a few days ago. He backed away slightly and muttered something with a glare.


    "Knee." Dora whispered and the student fell to the ground, compressed by gravitational magic, unable to make a sound.


    Maxim was jubilant when he saw him.


    "Oh, look over there, this one is so touched that he lost conscientiousness."


    He clapped happily, without noticing his peers'' anxious gazes.


    (Give me a break, I''m not paid for this.)


    (I saw nothing, everything is fine.)


    They arrived at the Dean''s office to find Iris, two teachers, Freya, and the two heirs waiting.


    "That''s a lot of people for a friendly visit."


    "It''s just a security measure, it''s not every day that two Sins have a meeting." A tall teacher answered.


    Iris placed her hand on the doorknob as an uneasy feeling filled the room.


    "If you''re here, it means that you''ve agreed to the meeting conditions. As previously suggested, only those designated by each party can attend. On Dora''s side, we have Ladies Zuri, Freya, Mercy, and a Joker. On the Dean''s side, we have Professor Oddeg¨¹rd, myself, and a Joker. Finally, in the third party, we have Princess Solaria, Prince Moonra, and their maid Eryl. Anyone else is prohibited from entering."


    Each person nodded in agreement and they entered the room.


    Three sofas were installed in the center of the room, Candace was sitting on the one with her back to the window with a serious expression.


    Iris and the teacher sat on either side of Dean, followed by Dora and the three young girls. Finally, Eryl and the two heirs completed the last sofa.


    Eryl pris la parole.


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    "Thank you all for freeing up some of your precious time for this meeting. This will be the fourth official meeting between two Sin Avatars. Each person here is part of a very short list of people aware of the secret of the seven above, for a more or less long time. I will act as a representative of Gluttony, to ensure that the Code is respected, but I do not doubt that you will demonstrate a great example of discipline and courtesy. Now we can begin.¡±


    Everyone stared at each other as a heavy silence weighed on the scene. The Dean glared at Dora, displaying clear hostility. Dora furrowed his brow but quickly replaced his displeasure with a smile.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Grandma?¡±


    "Here we go..." She closed her eyes and massaged her sinuses, the others flinching in surprise.


    ¡°Let''s cut to the chase, I know why you''re here, this witch already sent me a letter, with a sentence, which was also an order. I know you''re here for me to train you."


    She took a sheet of paper out of one of her pockets and handed it to Dora, but instead of taking it, the boy looked at her in confusion.


    "What? Is there something on my face?"


    "... Weren''t you talking with a weird accent last time?"


    She gritted her teeth, looking away slightly, Professor Oddeg¨¹rd coughed.


    "It was the only way to keep the dean''s longevity a secret; she used a different accent every century and pretended to be her own daughter."


    Zuri laughed, struggling not to break the mood, Dora, with less effort, rubbed the tip of his nose.


    "I see... Just out of curiosity, what would you do when you''re supposed to be forty? Pay for a substitute?"


    "Isn''t that obvious? Meh! Like If I would tell you my tricks. Why are you bothering with that? That''s not the point!"


    She crossed her arms and looked at the nobles near Dora.


    "I see you didn''t waste any time, it''s amusing to have all the attention when you have a power like this, isn''t it? You three too, do you realize what hell you have walked into?¡±


    The three girls looked around the room indifferently, causing Candace to sigh in annoyance.


    "You truly live according to the will of this power-hungry fossil, no matter how evil it is... But who am I to judge? I can''t change anything, so I choose to live with it. Let me reintroduce myself, I''m Candace, dean of the Royal Academy, leader of the scholar faction, and trainer of the Holy Knights, but some people also call me the Avatar of Sloth. Not nice to meet you, Greed."


    She smiled brightly and placed a hand on her chest.


    Dora looked at her like trash and rolled his eyes.


    "You forgot the most important thing: the weakest Avatar in history."


    "... Say the first human to be defeated by a golem in this academy?"


    The two looked at each other furiously, it seemed like a lightning bolt was forming between them.


    Eryl applauded, laughing.


    "Come on, it''s a very special day, the second meeting between two Sin Avatars in a week, I think we should celebrate instead."


    Dora crosses his arms, without taking his eyes off Candace.


    "Forget it, elf, partying is for kids... Oh, wait, she looks quite small actually."


    ¡°Please, I know you walked into her castle with your tail between your legs like a beaten dog, don¡¯t play tough here.¡± The dean replied.


    This time, the tension between the two was visible. Mercy and Iris tried to calm the antagonists while Eryl laughed. Freya nodded.


    "You two don''t know each other and yet you are already at each other''s throats, are the Sin Avatars biologically enemies?"


    "He called me grandma!" she exclaimed.


    "She called me evil!" he grumbled in response.


    "Look me in the eyes and tell me you''re not evil."


    Dora leaned forward in his seat and locked eyes with Candace.


    "You look like inside a retirement home."


    "And with that, the meeting is adjourned! Everyone, get out!"


    *


    *


    A group of students gathered outside, concerned about their friend who was still affected by Dora''s gravitational magic.


    "It''s strange... It''s like he''s glued to the ground. Can someone call a teacher to help him?"


    "It''s not something a teacher can fix." Another voice sounded from behind.


    Startled, they all turned toward the source of the voice and gasped.


    *


    *


    In the meeting room, Iris was massaging the dean''s shoulder and Zury was patting Dora''s head.


    Mercy scratched her chin and turned to Eryl.


    "Is it always like this between the Avatars? You said it goes south between the Queen and Pride too, right?"


    "Like I said, the only limit to an Avatar is another Avatar, no one likes to have limits, do they?"


    " Limit? Who limits me? Candace huffed. "This brat can''t do anything to me, and he knows it!"


    ¡°At least I¡¯m legal.¡± Dora replied.


    Candace, furious beyond belief, got up and tried to jump on Dora, barely held back by Iris and Oddeg¨¹rd.


    ¡°Dora, stop testing her!¡± Mercy grabbed the young man''s arm.


    ¡°She is the action, I am the consequence!¡±


    Moonra grabbed his head in desolation.


    "This isn''t going anywhere... Hey, Eryl, you''re the mediator, do something!"


    The maid, busy laughing coughed and glanced at the door.


    "Too bad, I was having fun... But hey, let''s move on to the next phase."


    She clapped her hands and stood up.


    "The first part was the meeting between the two sides, now that that''s settled, let''s move on to the more interesting part... I hope, at least, it''s time to present your jokers."


    The two avatars looked at each other and crossed their arms.


    Dora looked around the room and fixed his gaze on the desk behind Candace.


    "Go ahead."


    Those present exchanged astonished glances as they witnessed a shadow rising from the desk behind the dean, gradually taking on a human form.


    ¡°D-Dean Candace!" Oddeg¨¹rd stood up, but the doyenne waved him off.


    ¡°Calm down, everything¡¯s okay, I expected that.¡±


    All eyes were fixed on the figure that had just appeared and was caressing the dean''s neck with her fingertips.


    "Ah? Were you waiting for me? I hope you missed me too, my little toy."

 The Truth Revealed

    The three nobles widened their eyes at this person who was no stranger to them. Solaria and Moonra couldn''t hide their amazement either and Iris stood up.


    "Tch... So you really did it..." Oddeg¨¹rd groaned.


    Behind the dean''s couch, Midgard delicately caressed the dean''s head, a smirk on her lips.


    "It''s so nice to see you again, how long has it been? Ten years? Twelve?"


    "Of course... Midgard... You couldn''t just be a school nurse right?"


    Midgard chuckled and walked towards Dora.


    "Ah? You are the Sloth Avatar, dearie, staying patiently in a cage forever is your thing."


    She passed next to Iris who looked at her like a ghost.


    "... You... You are Miss Midgard? The Miss Midgard from the infirmary?"


    Midgard glanced at her with a mocking smile. As a disciple of the Dean and best student, Iris had been selected to participate in this meeting and had therefore been informed of the transformation of what was once a young nurse with tired eyes and a cynical tone.


    Midgard smiled at her in response and sat down between Dora and Zuri.


    Mercy looked at the snake woman from head to toe.


    "You... You were the girl from this Rift... Who are you?"


    Midgard chuckled and placed her hand on Dora''s shoulder.


    ¡°No one important, just the owner of this boy.¡±


    Everyone looked at her with confusion, which had the gift of amusing her.


    "It''s a life form called Player," Candace replied. "You already know the mystery of the Avatars, consider it the tip of the iceberg. Now, however, we will talk about the hidden side."


    She coughed to clear her throat and looked at the door.


    ¡°Come in, my Joker.¡±


    The door opened, releasing a delicious scent into the room.


    The gazes, initially intrigued, froze when they turned towards the door.


    Dora continued to stare at the Dean and opened his eyes wide as he felt an aura he hadn''t felt in several months.


    ¡°Well, there are more people than I expected.¡± Elizabeth Balder closed the door.


    *


    *


    Hope shuffled down a hallway, hands in his pockets.


    He looked around and noticed a few students going about their business.


    Two girls walked past him and he managed to hear a little of their conversation.


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t?¡±


    "He created many weapons when he defeated Thomas, I''m sure he can master the katana too."


    "No, I mean, what if he refused to teach me? I heard he was..."


    Their voices faded as they entered a classroom.


    Hope smiled and walked away.


    ¡°It seems like no one talks about me anymore.¡±


    He reaches a wide staircase and notices a whole crowd of students jostling each other, barely held back by the council.


    "Hm? Oh, yeah, Dora might be near... I guess I could use the library."


    He turned his back and started walking, but as three students passed by him, he had to step down slowly and manage to hear a sentence.


    "I also want to see Lady Elizabeth, hurry up!"


    He stopped walking, frozen like a statue.


    *


    *


    In the meeting room, Elizabeth sat next to Candace and Iris, who were shaking with excitement.


    "It''s good to be back home... Good to see you too, Professor Oddeg¨¹rd."


    The professor nodded with a proud smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s always nice to see you, sorry for making you move.¡±


    "Oh no, please, I''m always available for anyone, especially if it''s an order from my lovely teacher." She said leaning towards Candace who was coughing with blushing cheeks.


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    Elizabeth looked at the sofas opposite with a warm smile.


    "What a wonderful cast, I''m happy to see how much you have grown, Prince Moonra and Princess Solaria."


    Solaria fixed her hair and nodded, while Moonra placed a hand on his chest.


    "Thank you... It is an honor to meet in person one of the greatest emissaries in the history of our kingdom."


    "Haha, thank you very much, you can give all the credit to my wonderful teacher." She leaned towards Candace again and bumped into her.


    She then looked at the chair next to them.


    "Nice to finally meet you, Lady Freya, you are even more impressive than your reputation says about you."


    Freya nodded and looked away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t listen to what people say about me, but I appreciate it coming from the strongest person.¡±


    "Hahaha, please, I''m definitely not the strongest as they say, the strongest would be this little lady''s teaching." She bumped into Candace, her chest thrusting forward, almost knocking her over.


    "E-enough already! Stop licking my foot, you little pest, I won''t give you any special treatment!"


    Elizabeth laughed softly as Candace grew redder and redder.


    She tried to regain her composure and glanced at someone who was piercing her with his burning gaze.


    "And the best for last, my old best friend! Hi Dora."


    She gestured to the boy whose aura had begun to spread around him.


    "You¡­"


    She stood up to hug him, but Zuri leaned in front of Dora with a serious expression.


    "Eh?... Oh, yes, my apologies, I haven''t forgotten you, Lady Zuri and Lady Mercy, but I couldn''t resist any longer."


    Mercy looked at her and then at Dora successively.


    ¡°You guys know each other?¡±


    "More than I should... She''s the cause of all my troubles." Dora frowned.


    "Huh? Don''t be so harsh, I really missed you, future best friend."


    Elizabeth sat back and smiled at Mercy who flinched and looked away slightly.


    Candace coughed to ask for silence.


    "I know you''d like to chat more, but we need to stay focused on the subject. So, like I said, Elizabeth will be my joker, so let''s get back to business, let''s talk about another layer of Avatars: the Player."


    She looked at Midgard who was busy counting her fingers.


    "As you have been told, we, Sin, are also called Avatars, but the origin of this name comes from this evil woman''s people. No one knows where they come from, but Players are creatures of another world looking for emissaries with Sin in them. Think of us as a person with a parasite, and this parasite gives us access to the abilities according to their essence.


    She closed her eyes when she opened them, her irises were glowing a bright white.


    "It is a signature of Sin Avatars, these Sins manifest in us in the form of an artificial intelligence, or System, giving them missions to accomplish according to our Sin. It is the incarnation of Sin, its primal form. From our point of view, it''s a bit of what the new generation calls video games, RP... RPD?... Well, whatever, you get it! And so, they call us Avatars as the character they''re going to play."


    Her eyes returned to normal, she glared at Midgard and sighed.


    ¡°The stage is yours, old snake.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my broken toy,¡± Midgard smirked. "So, it''s almost true, except for the example. The Sin is not a parasite, or it could just travel from one person to another. Gluttony used this expression because she wants to dissociate the monster of the human, but the truth is that Sin is basically the true form of the Avatar, it is your hidden power, your pure form, which is why the ultimate stage is called awakening."


    She crossed her arms and glanced at Dora.


    "The value of a Sin Avatar is something you will never understand, it has been a thousand years and the seventh appeared just sixteen years ago. Each Sin manifests as a System giving specific missions following its blessings, for example, Greed is the eternal desire to acquire goods, so its system will focus on obtaining all types of skills, their functionality, and their concepts, Gluttony, on the other hand, is the eternal appetite for everything, and would give it the power to acquire any skill, but unlike greed which is also thirsty for knowledge, Gluttony is content to eat and will not have the same mastery as Greed ."


    She patted Dora''s head proudly.


    "Ah, I got so lucky... I got the Avatar with the best potential. You''re the one with the hardest requirements to improve but in the end, you will be unstoppable."


    She laughed, not paying attention to the stunned looks of the people around her.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    Candace interrupted her reverie.


    "Ah? Oh, I forgot that you and the Mad Queen shared this fear for that other girl... But I do not doubt that my Avatar will surpass you all."


    Candace sighed heavily, and Elizabeth began to massage her shoulders.


    Freya, whose brain was starting to function like a supercomputer, didn''t miss this little deviation.


    "Girl? Are you referring to the Elf Queen or the General of Fenrir?"


    This time, Candace and Midgard shared a worried expression.


    Dora felt the snake woman''s grip tighten on his hair.


    "Like I said, the power of a Sin varies according to the very concept of Sin, beyond the description. Gluttony isn''t just the hunger for food, it''s the hunger on a conceptual level, for knowledge, tool, people, feelings, without a need to understand them, just having, it works like that. Greed is similar but will perfectly assimilate them in all their aspects: Gluttony takes blindly, Greed takes also the knowledge. The third Sin that we know comes from observation only."


    She stared at Eryl whose smile had disappeared.


    "In the undead rift, those who have been touched by the black crystals suffered the power of Envy''s pressure, the mage boy lost focus on the battle and only wanted to be healed, the maid forgot her mission and focused on her hate for Envy, I suppose that Envy can affect people''s minds... But that''s also something that others Sin can do relatively, like when Dora''s made this astrologer forget his fighting purpose and focus only on a hypothetical greed for recognition."


    Iris flinched for a moment and looked at the ground.


    She remembered the strange behavior of Thomas who was deliberately attacking Dora''s weapons and not Dora himself.


    "So it was that..."


    Midgard''s grip tightened, alarming Dora that a heavy revelation was coming.


    "Now concerning Pride... I was already trapped in this school when she met Gluttony, but from Sloth''s description, I may have an idea."


    Candace was twiddling her thumbs like a child who had done something stupid.


    "D-Dean... You knew her?" Oddeg¨¹rd murmured


    "No!... Not exactly... I was under the training of the old witch when they met... So I just got her explanations, well, more like complaints. She said something weird about Pride''s power."


    Very embarrassed, she lowered her head and spoke in a very small voice.


    ¡°Even I have more skills than Pride.¡±


    They looked at the dean as if she were a national liar.


    She was known as the weakest among them, she admitted that how come she was stronger than someone who terrified the queen?


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she just upset?¡± Solaria shrugged. ¡°Mother can be very salty when she¡¯s angry.¡±


    "Yeah, I mean... No offense, but didn''t she also say you were disappointing? Dean?"


    Mercy added.


    Midgard laughed, drawing all the attention to herself.


    "That''s what I said earlier, with Sins, always take the words literally. Gluttony didn''t say that Sloth was stronger, but that she had more skills than Pride."


    She leaned back in her seat, stroking Dora''s hair.


    "Pride possesses only one skill, and with that, she is biologically the strongest Avatar."

 The Last Confrontation

    All eyes were fixed on Midgard, whose smile had disappeared.


    "One skill? What do you mean one skill?" Dora asked Midgard, then turned to Candace. "How is she strongest with just one skill? What skill is it?"


    Candace flinched and looked at Midgard annoyed.


    "I don''t know, I''m just repeating what the witch said, I''m sure that snake has more information."


    They turned once again to Midgard with insistent eyes.


    The concerned sighed and looked away.


    "It''s useless, I can only deduce. The only person in this Kingdom who might have the answer is Gluttony, and what we do know is that despite the amount of power she has accumulated over a thousand years, she fears Pride."


    She nodded her head, nothing more could be gotten at that moment about Pride''s powers.


    Freya sighed in disappointment.


    "I thought Sin Avatars were compatible with all elements... And how are you sure she''s the strongest?"


    "Concept, little girl, Greed and Gluttony can have all the elements because they will never be satisfied, on the opposite Pride will be to take pride in its only power and make it better. That''s all I could guess."


    "Well, that''s a lot of assumption there... I guess that''s why the Dean isn''t getting stronger... And do you even know anything about the last two? Lust and Wrath?"


    Midgard glanced at the girl in annoyance and noticed Dora looking at her in confusion.


    She had never intended to discuss it with him since a terrible event, but as she had said before, from the moment the Queen noticed her, her game was over.


    "I have no clue about these two I can''t imagine what they can do."


    She glanced once again at Dora, waiting for his reaction, but the boy frowned and looked away.


    "I see... That''s an incredible story... Seven people with that kind of power... With you, there wouldn''t be..." suddenly, Freya frowned and stared at the Dean. "If you people are so strong, why didn''t you do anything about the Rifts? Why are you staying hidden instead of taking them down once and for all?"


    The dean placed her hands on her knees and began to tremble.


    All eyes pierced her and each response weighed on her heart.


    Oddeg¨¹rd spoke to support his mentor.


    "This is all due to the Code, the Dean''s wish was to train everyone for exactly this purpose, but the Queen ordered her to train only her personal Holy Knights. For her part, she never left the Royal Castle, no one knows why, but since it is Gluttony, the first Avatar, no one could oppose her. I don''t know why the others don''t try anything. From memory, Anesidora is the first Sin to have done raids."


    The gaze turned to Dora. Candace clenched her fists, lowering her face.


    "There''s a reason... They don''t care because they''re not in danger."


    "D-Dean?"


    She raised her head, her eyes shot with rage.


    "She doesn''t care if people die, she doesn''t care if the kingdom gets destroyed, if it''s because of her she won''t care, and if it''s because of someone else she will kill this person. That''s how they work, even this one isn''t different!"


    Dora''s eyes narrowed.


    "He''s only doing Rifts because he is Greed, greedy for soul stones, he doesn''t care otherwise, every Sin is like this."


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    "Do you mean that you''re comfortably sitting here instead of fighting because you''re too lazy to go in Rifts? You''re weak but not that much, why aren''t you even in an E-rank Rift?"


    They stared at each other in an increasingly heavy atmosphere.


    Elizabeth scratched her chin as she stared at them.


    "Why do you hate him so much, Miss Candace? I know that boy, I can assure you that he is not like the Queen."


    "Then why did he do that to the Vice Council President?!"


    She stood up, facing Dora. Mercy and Zuri intervened for fear that she would throw herself at him.


    "Did you need to fight him? Did you need to use this last technique? What you did to him... I felt that... I can recognize that, it was Greed''s blessing, wasn''t it?! He can''t use his power any longer because of you!"


    She trembled in rage, Oddeg¨¹rd and Elizabeth stood up in turn, in an attempt to calm the Dean.


    The situation was at its lowest point, nothing good was about to come from this sad event.


    "How shameful."


    A voice imposed silence in the room, but what was more shocking was its origin.


    Candace looked behind her, confused, meeting the angry gaze of Iris.


    "... Iris?"


    "I said how shameful!... Miss Candace... With all due respect, how dare you blame him?"


    She stood up and with one step, found herself face to face with Dean.


    "Don''t you think you''re being very unfair there? What happened to Thomas was unfortunate, but do you even know why it happened? Have you ever asked?"


    "I... That''s not the..."


    "Yes, that is! This boy has suffered several bullying in YOUR academy from his first day, there was a report that a student beat him on the very first day of his class, have you been noticed? He has been enrolled here because he was strong, he never had a choice, then he got bullied, insulted and finally Thomas decided, of his own will, to make him leave by confronting him, he who is a C-rank challenged a weaker opponent with the intention to humiliate him! Why are you now blaming Dora for fighting back?!"


    The Dean clasped her hands once again, looking slightly away.


    "I''m not blaming him for fighting back... I really didn''t know that he was getting bullied, I''m angry because of what he did to Thomas..."


    "What did you expect? Would you be angry against the Queen if she killed someone challenging her? Thomas was unfortunate because he challenged the wrong opponent, but what Dora did was perfectly legitimate!"


    She looked away angrily, clenching her fist.


    "Even if he had lost his powers, Thomas could have started again, gotten support... But he decided to make everyone his enemy... It''s his fault! Dora never attacked anyone first..."


    She seemed increasingly concerned and, with a little smile, she put a hand on her chest.


    "Of course, you don''t know... I''ve been keeping it secret with the other council members... Because I am a selfish idiot... I learned about it but I got captivated by the power you used to defend yourself... I... From the beginning I felt like you had more in you, it was disappointing to imagine you as a weak warrior... so when I heard that you were toying with every student from E-rank classes. ..I got goosebumps."


    She lowered her head, scratched her ear, and turned towards Dora.


    "I''m sorry Dora, looks like you had a very bad experience here because of me... If there is a responsible for what happened to Thomas, it''s me."


    "I still hate you." Dora shouted nonchalantly.


    "Come on..."


    She forced a smile, the Dean in front of her lowered her arms and also stared at the ground.


    Elizabeth placed her hands on their shoulders.


    "I will be on Iris''s side in this, Miss Candace, I''m really sorry but I feel like you''re projecting your hate for the Queen on Dora. He may have his defaults, but who is a Saint in this world? No one knew he was a Sin before this fight, and we agreed that the thing was already conscious... Maybe it was this that stole Thomas''s power? I am the one who took him from his little home so I also feel responsible, so... Sorry Dora."


    Dora widened his eyes and looked away.


    "This... This won''t save your brother."


    "Hm?"


    "I said I feel like your brother."


    She looked surprised and laughed happily.


    Everyone went back to their seat.


    Iris, a little embarrassed scratched her ear.


    "Hum... Sorry, Miss Candace..."


    "Ah, forget it... I was just a little heated."


    "Eh... Little." Dora chuckled, making her groan.


    Eryl applauded happily and turned to Midgard.


    "Now that it settled, could we proceed to the last part of the meeting? It''s time we discuss our action plan and the reasons for this meeting."


    Midgard rolled her eyes and fixed Candace.


    "You... I still feel nothing in you, so I guess you''re still an empty shell."


    "... Did you just..."


    "What I mean is, did you get approached by another Player?"


    Candace, more and more surprised shook her head.


    Midgard sighed and looked quickly at everyone around her.


    "Some of you, aware of the behavior of the Mad Queen May find it strange that she would want to train Greed to become stronger than her. The real purpose of using Candace is not to make him just stronger, but as quickly as possible."


    Everyone looked at her attentively, worried about the revelations she was about to make.


    "Most of you are aware that over the past few months, the number of Rift spawns is increasing, and their level is getting higher and higher. Know that it isn''t a coincidence, we, Players are looking for Avatars to get a powerful body, for the fateful day."


    She leaned forward, her snake eyes fixed on Eryl.


    "The world is reacting to an anomaly that has disturbed the balance, and now all the ingredients are there, the seven have appeared, six Players have descended, and the energy of the Rifts is being devoured by larger Rifts, one thousand years ago, a similar situation happened and led to the downfall of the ancient era, and the current situation is getting dangerously similar: the Twilight of Gods is coming."

 Twilight of Gods

    ¡°Twilight of Gods?¡± Freya whispered. "This is the name given in the ancient era to what will lead to the end of the world. One thousand years ago, after a certain event forgotten in time, the world has almost been wiped out by an unprecedented calamity: an S-rank Rift.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other intrigued and their eyes were unconsciously focused on Elizabeth.


    "A S-rank Rift? Isn''t that a common thing?" Mercy asked.


    "Depends, a Rift can be a little walk in the park or like the undead Rift, but this case is different. It''s not just a normal Rift, but a Rift draining energy from other Rifts, this one is a variant."


    With a graceful raise of her hands, a breathtaking image of a Rift materialized before her. The onlookers gasped in awe, and Moonra rose from his seat, moved by the sheer terror of the moment.


    ¡°What the... Is that a Rift?¡±


    "... It''s huge..." Mercy murmured,


    The Rift takes on the appearance of a massive hole in the sky, created by a swirling purple cloud that resembles a cyclone more than a portal.


    "This is the Rift that appeared one thousand years ago, this Rift had been evaluated as beyond any S-rank Rift seen until then. It is said that when it appeared, every Rift in the world disappeared. For five days, until one day the Rift opened, it was called, the countdown to the apocalypse."


    The image of the Rift glitched and a light burst out of the center before disappearing.


    Midgard watched the vanish hologram melancholically.


    "This was not just a special Rift... What was more surprising was what came out of this."


    A sinister smile formed on her lips, frightening the others.


    Eryl crossed her arms, unable to recover her smile.


    ¡°Players.¡±


    A shiver ran down everyone''s spine.


    "I see that Gluttony can be a parrot from time to time."


    "What? Seriously?" Solaria shuddered. ¡°A Rift of Players?¡±


    "Correct, this Rift was the door that led my kind to your world. In an instant, the world had been submerged by ominous beings of power, bringing the apocalypse with them. Fenrir, the Beast of Frost, Ymir, the Mother of the Giants, Hecate, the monster with one thousand faces..."


    ¡°Midgard Serpent.¡± Candace said, her eyes fixed on an amused Midgard.


    "Exactly, this is also my origin, the wonderful story of how I ended up trapped in your world."


    Dora looked at her in confusion, noticing her gaze, the girl''s smile disappeared.


    ¡°I planned to explain to you earlier, remember when you thought Leon?¡±


    "... Why didn''t you say anything since?"


    She never put her eyes on him, all this time, she was fixing Eryl, but her mind was elsewhere.


    "I didn''t want to tell anything to you because... The thing inside you is already sentient, and able to take control anytime."


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Everyone on Candace''s sofa stood up.


    Eryl put her hands on her knees and her eyes started glowing orange.


    "Calm down folks, it won''t take control unless you''re using... THAT form."


    "... Which one?"


    "The one who looks like a mixture."


    "... Me?"


    "... No, the dark one."


    ¡°G?¡±


    ¡°The one who is a mess!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s me!¡±


    ¡°Holy... Do you want me to tell your secrets right in front of everyone?¡±


    "That''s so you... I''m not worried anyway, you''re very good at keeping secrets."


    They looked at them in confusion, Midgard sighed heavily and put a finger on Dora''s forehead.


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    "I''ll deal with you later, for now, let''s get back to the topic. The Rifts that appeared a millennium ago brought devastation to the world, nothing was able to subjugate that kind of monster at that time, but Players had a weakness. Without an Avatar, we are energy without a body, so we ran out of power and ended in sorry states. I don''t know what happened to the others, but I took consciousness of my existence in this kingdom, due to the lack of energy, I had to use all my remaining strength to create a husk of flesh and blood in the image of the inhabitants around me. This way, I could survive, but I was vulnerable."


    She started looking at her hands. Dora looked at her, tilting his head.


    "Form? You transformed before?"


    "The form that all of you know as the nurse Midgard, my true form is that of a gigantic snake."


    Dora''s jaw opened and he stared in front of him, in shock.


    "When I took that form, the people were about to execute me. Humans find satisfaction in humiliating those who hurt them, so they chose to bring me to their city to show my death to everyone... but this is thanks to that that I''m alive today. The announcement reached the Royal castle and Gluttony ordered them to bring me to her."


    She frowned and stared at Eryl.


    "I was like a child who just awakened her consciousness, I had no idea what was going on. But the moment I met her, I realized what was my goal in this world, Gluttony was possessed by a Player, like Dora with me."


    With a mocking smirk, she gazed at Moonra and Solaria.


    "One of the Players made a pact with her and decided to keep me under control, Gluttony was already on the verge of fully awakening. I stayed in their castle for a while, little by little, recovering my memory, and I knew I needed an Avatar... But one day I witnessed the peak of the Queen''s madness and I gave up on that dream."


    She remained silent for a moment, noticing that everyone was listening attentively.


    "The Queen had succeeded in taking over Gluttony, she was not only the first Avatar but also the first to conquer the Sin within her, she became a being of power above the laws of this world... And after that... She assimilated her Player too."


    She looked at her claw and glanced at Dora.


    "A fight between an Avatar and two enemies: the Sin, and the Player, and whoever wins will have this formidable body... And this is why she warned me that if I win, she will kill me, as she had killed her player."


    She observed Dora''s strange reaction. The boy crossed his arms, rolled his eyes, and looked tense. She couldn''t understand his thoughts, so she continued her speech.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t try to steal your body, you defeated me before I could even try something, congratulations... But now you have to be prepared for what will happen to you, in a few months when the variant will appear and Players will enter this world. I don''t remember my life before coming to this world, but I know that the real countdown will begin once the seven sins are awakened."


    She lowered her head.


    "You must be strong, beyond anything you have imagined, to face it, and let me tell you something, in case you misinterpret me, we still share the same powers, which means that the player that gluttony killed was as strong as her, they told you that the only thing that could stop an Avatar was another Avatar? Well... Try to guess why the Queen was happy because you could be stronger than her."


    She ended her speech there, sending a shiver through the room.


    Everyone lowered their heads, trying to understand what they were hearing.


    Mercy laughed cynically and placed a hand on her face.


    "Well... Shoot... really shoot... I didn''t expect this crap... stronger than the Queen? Stronger than Disasters?... we''re screwed."


    "... Seems like it wasn''t our fight to begin with... A Rift of Monsters of this level? Even Lady Elizabeth shouldn''t be able to do anything there."


    ¡°You are losing hope too quickly, my little ladies.¡± Elizabeth smiled at the two girls. ¡°That¡¯s when the whole purpose of this meeting comes into action.¡±


    Candace coughed to speak.


    "I have made up my mind and decided to train Dora as order... Promised, and since you are his acquaintances, according to the rules of the Code, the Queen cannot forbid me from training you as well. I''m going to take everyone here and make you absolute monsters for that fateful day."


    She puffed up her chest proudly but noticed the lack of reaction from the girls. "What''s the point? We will never be as strong as an Avatar or a Player," Zuri murmured.


    "Is that your concern? Ha! Then brace yourself because your heart might start racing pretty badly," Candace said, crossing her arms. The three girls and the heirs widened their eyes at the allusion of the Dean.


    "What... do you mean?" Mercy asked.


    "Listen to this: maybe not as strong as an Avatar, but close enough. What if I tell you that there is a way for an Avatar to transmit its blessings to a normal person and make them a sort of pseudo-Avatar?"


    "What?!" Mercy jumped and landed at Candace''s feet. "What do you mean? What is this??"


    "Ha! Are you interested? Yet you have already witnessed it... Look at this servant, for example."


    They turned to Eryl, the maid, seemingly bored, closed her eyes, and her hair turned purple.


    "She''s right, it''s another layer of a Sin''s blessing, to put it simply, everyone can be compatible with at least one sin, and when a person is, the Avatar can synchronize with that person and pass on the power of their Sin to this person, for example. I received the blessing of Gluttony, so I have access to some of her skills."


    She glanced at them and couldn''t hold her giggle after seeing their faces.


    "I just want to clarify that you can''t acquire this kind of knowledge simply by hanging out with an Avatar. It requires a certain level of compatibility, which often comes at a great cost... However, for now, let''s focus on our goals."


    She got up and walked towards the door.


    "I''m pleased that we could reach an agreement, Miss Candace. Anesidora will be in your hands, and I do not doubt that you will succeed in awakening him."


    ¡°Hmph, do I even have a choice?¡±


    ¡°Yes, You can also refuse and say hi to the Glutonny.¡±


    Candace made a noise with her mouth and pouted.


    "As for you, Midgard, I''m impatient to see you wander freely, people will really be pleased to see such a beautiful lady... However, they certainly wouldn''t want to know your fate if Gluttony were to see Greed take control of Dora."


    "You''re too shallow to threaten me, little chimera."


    Eryl chuckled and grabbed the door handle.


    "As for you, Dora, I have great expectations in you to become the strongest and the wisest Avatar. If you can achieve this and stop the Twilight of Gods, then you will get the freedom, you''ve always wished for."


    Dora sighed in response, more worried about Mercy''s grip on his arm tightening.


    ¡°On this note, thank you all for coming today, the meeting is officially over.¡±


    Amidst the opening of the door, the secrets that were once heard through the walls of this room disappeared, making way for a new beginning.

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    Thank you all for reading this book and sharing your advice.


    After consideration, I decided that starting from the end of part one (After two more arcs) The book will be exclusively published on Webnovel, to prevent piracy since it appears that this book is getting published on many websites without my consent.


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    Thank you all for reading this book and sharing your advice.


    After consideration, I decided that starting from the end of part one (After two more arcs) The book will be exclusively published on Webnovel, to prevent piracy since it appears that this book is getting published on many websites without my consent.


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    The part here won''t be deleted though, I hope to see you soon as active there too, thank you all for your support.


    Webnovel Perfect Avatar on mobile and internet and soon FictionMe.


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    Thank you all for reading this book and sharing your advice.


    After consideration, I decided that starting from the end of part one (After two more arcs) The book will be exclusively published on Webnovel, to prevent piracy since it appears that this book is getting published on many websites without my consent.


    The part here won''t be deleted though, I hope to see you soon as active there too, thank you all for your support.


    Webnovel Perfect Avatar on mobile and internet and soon FictionMe.


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    Thank you all for reading this book and sharing your advice.


    After consideration, I decided that starting from the end of part one (After two more arcs) The book will be exclusively published on Webnovel, to prevent piracy since it appears that this book is getting published on many websites without my consent.


    The part here won''t be deleted though, I hope to see you soon as active there too, thank you all for your support.


    Webnovel Perfect Avatar on mobile and internet and soon FictionMe.


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Thank you all for reading this book and sharing your advice.


    After consideration, I decided that starting from the end of part one (After two more arcs) The book will be exclusively published on Webnovel, to prevent piracy since it appears that this book is getting published on many websites without my consent.


    The part here won''t be deleted though, I hope to see you soon as active there too, thank you all for your support.


    Webnovel Perfect Avatar on mobile and internet and soon FictionMe.


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 The Bark of a Dog in a Cage

    The group came out of the room and found themselves facing a crowd of students, barely held back by several members of the council.


    "What is happening here?" Oddeg¨¹rd asked.


    "It''s fame," Solaria said grabbing Dora''s hand. "Look at this, they love you! It''s all for you!"


    "Hm... No, I could add them to the afterlife census at any time and they know it."


    Dora smirked, but as he looked at their happy faces, he frowned.


    "Wow, do they realize who they''re cheering for?"


    He tried to scratch his chin, then noticed that both his hands were held by Solaria and Mercy, Zuri behind him pulling his sweater.


    "And I''m supposed to be the sinner..."


    "She''s here!!!"


    The cries of the students had increased as Elizabeth had just left.


    The girl looked around and realized that she had forgotten to use her face-change spell.


    She waved a hand, a little embarrassed, wondering how she was going to get out of this.


    "Wait, stop!"


    "You can''t go now, you idiot, calm down!"


    The group turned around and noticed Maxim and Lisa busy with a student.


    "What are you lot doin''... Oh, shoot!" Mercy let go of Dora and rushed towards Maxim and Lisa.


    The others looked on, intrigued, and eventually noticed the out-of-breath student who was causing all the trouble.


    "... Oh no," Iris whispered.


    "Hm? What is that?... Ah! Elizabeth, look there, it''s... it''s... By gar!" Candace turned to Dora, followed by everyone else.


    "Why don''t ya ever listen to me? Back home now!" Mercy shouted at Hope who was struggling against Maxim.


    Elizabeth noticed her brother and opened her eyes wide in fear.


    "Oh... Ah shit, I''m screwed."


    "You... Why are you here?! Why didn''t you say anything?!" He shouted to Elizabeth.


    "Don''t talk to her like this! Go back to your room now! It''s an order!"


    "Stay out of it!" I''m sick of this, I''m sick of you all!"


    Mercy flinched and desperately spread her arms in a pathetic attempt to hide him from Dora.


    The concerned looked at them, slightly intrigued before being questioned by Iris.


    "H-hey! It''s already so late, let''s start training right away! Come on, Dean!"


    "... Who said you would participate?" He frowned.


    "Hahaha! Of course she will, unless you convince me otherwise in a heated argument, little rat! Let''s fight over there." Candace grabbed Dora''s other hand, helping Iris.


    "... What the... Oh... Oh yeah, you''re right..."


    "Haha, right? Come on, let''s decide if Iris joins us!"


    "Haha... Yeah, I forgot, I''m an Avatar!"


    Dora''s hands suddenly became intangible, like a hologram, and passed through Candace and Iris.


    "Hick! No! Dora please!!" Mercy tried to run towards him.


    "Oh don''t worry, I won''t do anything..." He stopped right next to Elizabeth.


    "You, Elizabeth, by the authority given to me by Her Glorious Majesty the Queen, and by the authority of what I am, I order you to beat this guy until blood flows from every orifice of his head!"


    Everyone stood still for a moment, even the students looked at each other.


    "Freak... You''re a real freak." Moonra murmured.


    Elizabeth looked confused at Dora, thinking it was probably a joke, but the faces of her comrades warned her that it was pretty serious.


    "Uh... What''s going on here?"


    "Do it!" Hope shouted, drawing all eyes towards him. "You really like him don''t you?"


    "Hope, what are you¡­"


    "You never visited me once, you weren''t there for my first day, my first Rift... I almost died there!"


    Tears started to flow through his eyes.


    "You told me that you wouldn''t come because I needed to... to create my own name, to work by myself... But apparently, it didn''t prevent you from coming to see him, and to show everyone that you know him!... people doubt that you''re even my sister!"


    He lowered his head, trembling with rage, and looked at Dora.


    "You''re really enjoying this, right? Yes, you are... Don''t tell me you''re not, because you''re wasting my life!"


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    Dora raised his eyelids and looked at him intrigued.


    "I don''t even calculate you."


    "This is why I hate you even more!"


    A sharp sound frightened everyone, as Mercy slapped Hope.


    The young man placed a hand on his cheek and glared at the girl.


    "Enough... Enough... Why are you always like this? You always put me in situations like this... You nev... Ah, no, we''re not doing that here, come with me now!"


    She grabbed his hand and pulled him further, but the young man turned around one last time and looked at Dora.


    "I''ll kill you later! Wait for it, I won''t let it slip anymore! "


    "B-But shut up! What the heck?!"


    "Mercy." Dora''s voice rang out and made the young girl flinch.


    She slowly looked at him.


    "Dora¡­"


    "Everyone has a limit that we should make sure to not cross, mine has been three times already."


    He walked toward them, Mercy lowered her head and moved away while everyone else''s eyes filled with fear.


    "It''s the third time that a human said that he will kill me, and all of them had the same common point: they insult me, they attack me, and I erase their purpose in life."


    He stopped right in front of Hope who seemed infinitely smaller than him.


    "Well, except for the last part, I usually prefer when they attack me first, so I can say that they brought this upon themselves, and this is exactly why you can open your mouth now."


    "Then... Why are you waiting? Go ahead, come at me!"


    He clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance. Frightened looks were focused on him.


    Dora stood still for a few seconds then took a step forward, releasing a shockwave.


    "I will, but it''s hard to take you seriously when unlike everyone else, there''s this smell of fear all over you."


    Hope clenched his fists, but his face began to twist in terror.


    Dora took another step forward and Hope unconsciously stepped back.


    "Stop!" Candace shouted. "He''s Elizabeth''s brother, and she''s my acquaintance, so technically the Code forbids you from touching him!"


    She rushed towards them and stepped between them. The tension was palpable and Elizabeth, completely oblivious to the situation, looked at them both with incomprehension.


    Dora, ignoring the dean, continued to look at Hope, who suddenly seemed more determined, and looked at Eryl.


    "He hit me in the face, if he''s under her, doesn''t that mean she broke the Code?"


    Candace flinched and looked at Eryl anxiously. The servant took a thoughtful pose and nodded.


    "Technically, he hit you before Candace listed him as a follower, so we can''t say she''s responsible."


    "Ha!" She exhaled, relieved.


    "It also means that if she intervenes now, she will be breaking the Code."


    "Hwa?..."


    "Thank you."


    Dora stepped forward, forcing Candace to step aside. Hope took another step back, showing growing fear.


    Elizabeth stepped forward, but Eryl stopped her by raising her hand in front of her.


    She didn''t know what was going on between Dora and Hope, but she knew she had no power to stop Dora after that meeting.


    The latter were now walking normally, while Hope constantly tried to further the distance between them.


    "Leon insulted me, lied about me, threatened me, and challenged me, I only destroyed his dreams, Thomas insulted me, challenged me, and I only stripped him of his future... Now you, you called me a coward, weak, a monster, and probably many other things behind my back, that''s a lot of insults."


    Hope slipped and fell on his behind. Dora''s foot landed right next to him.


    "Do you know how many times you have challenged me? 367 times in two years, that''s more than any living thing I''ve deleted before."


    Hope began to shake frantically and his gaze focused on the people around him, but everyone looked at him helplessly.


    He understood that no one would intervene to save him.


    Dora''s hand slowly moved to his forehead.


    "Aah... W-wait... I... I was talking to Elizabeth first!... S-s-stay out of this!"


    "I''m talking to you, so focus your eyes on me, no one will save you."


    Dora''s hands moved closer to Hope''s forehead.


    He lowered himself to the ground, terrified more than ever.


    "But there are two things that you did that really settled me off... No one before you punched me and lived the following days without paying this debt, in blood. And this idiot with glasses said something that I can''t let slip... Hope, how did he know about Wendy''s name?"


    Hope''s view blurred.


    He couldn''t handle his body''s frenetic dance as he remembered that conversation with Thomas months ago.


    Normally, Hope wouldn''t be that scared and could at least respond to Dora, even without realizing the anger of the latter, but since the day Dora exposed him to his pressure for the first time, and all the events with Eric, Leon, and Thomas, he started associating him with a sickening fear of death.


    "Did you talk about my family, Hope?"


    Dora''s fingers seemed to get closer indefinitely and finally touched his forehead.


    "Sorry!..." He muttered under his breath.


    He trembled, his eyes closed, waiting for his end, but the blow never fell.


    He slowly opened his eyes and regained his sight, and the first thing he saw was Dora walking away.


    "And this is exactly why I still haven''t taken care of your case, the others could at least motivate me with their determination or their hatred for me, but this stench of fear on you is a big turn-off... I don''t feel the will to finish you as I would like."


    Hope opened his eyes widely, looking at Dora''s back. Around him, many people sighed in relief, adding weight to his shattered spirit.


    Dora passed next to Mercy and froze a moment then turned to Hope again.


    "As long as she is defending you, I may rethink of my payback, she''s my friend and apparently turning you into Leon would be a bad advertisement for her."


    Mercy raised her head and stared at Dora in surprise.


    "... What?"


    "You look like it would be the end of the world, so, in memory of your loyalty I will ignore him."


    "You will¡­ forgive him?"


    "Ignore, ignore for today, vengeance will be made, but not right now."


    He walked past her, Mercy looked at him for a few seconds, her face showing a full display of her stupefaction.


    "Lo...yalty?"


    She opened her eyes wide and placed a hand on her cheek, a small smile on her lips.


    "Thank you."


    Dora waved at her, without looking behind, and walked toward the stairs, followed by Midgard, Eryl, and the two heirs.


    Elizabeth looked at her brother, sitting pathetically on the floor. Iris glanced at him for a moment and met his gaze.


    The young man looked away, he would have liked to disappear at that moment.


    "Hope... Please, stop provoking Dora."


    She turned her back, ready to join them.


    "Miss... You too?" He whispered.


    Iris lowered her head, then frowned.


    "Hope, we can''t have more loss, if something happens to you, by Dora''s hand, we might lose Lady Elizabeth''s support. Don''t make it harder for us... Don''t follow Thoma''s mistakes."


    She started walking, joined by the other council members. Hope was left behind, Candace, Oddeg¨¹rd, Mercy, and Elizabeth close to him.


    The students gathered around Elizabeth, trying desperately to get her autograph, a photo, or just a word from her, Candace and the teacher tried to keep them away.


    "Ev-everyone, please! Calm down!... Hope..."


    She tried to reach her brother, but the wave of students kept increasing. Candace had already disappeared under the many centimeters that the students had above her.


    Elizabeth tried one last time to see her brother then noticed Mercy, taking him away and waving at her.


    She said something that she couldn''t hear, but the girl''s illuminated face told her enough.


    "Okay... I''ll see you later... Miss Cand... Miss Candace?" She looked around her, realizing the disappearance of her mentor.


    In Dora''s group, the students'' attention being focused on the heroine allowed them to move freely.


    "Why are they taking so long? We need to start right now." Solaria groaned.


    The others shrugged in agreement, but this conclusion suited them more than Hope''s execution.


    Midgard, next to Dora seemed amused and leaned toward him.


    "Really? Ignore? After everything he did, you''re just gonna ignore it? I remember that you cut someone''s fingers just for touching you."


    Dora thought a little bit and nodded.


    "I just thought that it was pointless, it''s not interesting anymore."


    Midgard looked at him for a moment, her smile disappearing.


    "I see... It''s also true that they became very silent... Since that day."

 Synthetic Rift

    The group consisting of Dora, Midgard, the nobles, Iris, and Eryl had gathered in the arena. Iris had assigned other council members the task of watching the surroundings to make sure no one else entered.


    Elizabeth arrived, accompanied by the dean.


    She walks towards Dora, looking bored.


    "Really... You... You''re a problem, you know that?"


    "No, I''m an Avatar. Now let''s get back to business."


    She sighed heavily and shook her head.


    Eryl sniffed the air and looked around.


    "I suggest we start now, we''re chasing time."


    "Yeah, yeah, I know! Don''t pressure me!"


    Candace turned towards Midgard.


    "You, old snake, you have been inside him long enough, how does his power work?"


    Midgard barely looked at her.


    She observed everyone, eagerly waiting to hear her great wisdom.


    "There''s nothing in the Code about sharing secret information, right? I don''t think Gluttony is allowed to investigate Greed."


    Eryl smiled and pretended to look away.


    Candace frowned and waved her hand, signaling the others to move away, much to Solaria''s anger.


    "Alright, now you can talk."


    "Ah, but what about you? Why would you need this information? We only need your Rifts."


    "Oh my God... You said earlier that there was a way to trigger the Sin, right? I need you to tell me what it is so I''ll make sure to avoid it, it is so simple!"


    Midgard smiled mockingly and turned to Dora.


    "Do you mind if we share a little of our assets, my dear?"


    Dora frowned and looked at her suspiciously.


    "You know, I''m starting to think it would be better if you stayed inside."


    "Ah? Do you prefer a housewife?"


    " Damn it¡­ "


    She laughed lightly and glanced at Candace who was very annoyed.


    "Okay, but this is going to be complicated to explain, even for you. So first of all... Dora, which one are you?"


    Candace raised an eyebrow, not understanding Midgard''s sentence, but Dora nodded and responded with disdain.


    "Midget."


    "... Ah, so you''re back... I really wonder when you... Well whatever, then, Sloth, this person in front of you is not exactly Dora, but a being called Sigma. "


    "... What?"


    "Think of it like a person with a personality disorder. The power of Greed is to split one''s soul into multiple beings, each mastering a specific area of ??skill, for example, the one in front of you is a specialist in what Greed calls abnormal magic, such as dimensional or gravity magic."


    Dora nodded and illustrated his skills by snapping his fingers and making Moonra''s shirt disappear.


    "Wait... I''m not sure to get it... Anesidora isn''t Anesidora?"


    "He is, all of... Ah, this is getting nowhere, this isn''t that complicated, many people in one body, each has a specific power, all of them together is Anesidora!"


    "But then who is Greed?!"


    "Greed is them!"


    Midgard yelled at Candace, Dora patting her back in compassion.


    "Well, forget it, for now, I''ll just follow your lead, You tell me what he needs to level up and I give you a Rift."


    "... Great, at least now you''re talking my language. What we need right now is a Rift with light element, only light element, can you do it?"


    "Hmph, don''t underestimate my power!"


    "More than now?" Dora scratched his chin.


    "Shut up, you persona disorder lunatic! What is your rank?... And I mean your true rank."


    Dora crossed his arms and looked above


    The System screen appeared right in front of him.


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    "D-rank."


    "... Hmph... boastful."


    She moved away a little and closed her eyes.


    A white aura began to cover her body and she raised her arms to shoulder height.


    The others noticed her and came closer.


    "What is this?" Moonra whispered.


    "The Sloth Avatar''s most wonderful blessing, Prince, you''re about to witness the birth of a synthetic Rift."


    The aura formed a white circle around Candace and exploded, taking the shape of several white cards.


    "God Mode: New World ¨C Stage II"


    The cards converged into a single card that lit up the arena.


    The Dean grabbed the card and released it in front of her, it flew further before exploding in a flash of light that engulfed the field.


    The light blinded the group for a moment then dissipated slightly, and when everyone could finally see clearly, a white vortex swept waves across the field in the middle of the battlefield.


    Everyone held their breath, stunned by the miracle before them.


    Candace slapped her hands and came back to them.


    "There, a D-rank Rift with only light monsters inside."


    The nobles widened their eyes, even Iris couldn''t contain her excitement.


    The Rift was slightly smaller than a regular D-Rank Rift, but the powers released were significantly stronger.


    Midgard and Eryl were unmoved but right in front of them, Dora was frozen by a sudden alert on his system screen.


    "Midgard¡­"


    "Yes, I see it too."


    |Main Quest: Evolution


    |Complete 13 Rank D dungeons using the Light Element


    The snake woman smiled and placed a finger on her lips.


    "It seems that the thing is satisfied by our cooperation."


    Candace put her hands on her hips and pouted.


    "Hmph... This should be a big warning that we''re being fooled," she said. "Well, whatever. Now we have no choice. This Rift is exactly how you wanted it, but first, I have to warn you."


    She stopped in front of Dora.


    "This Rift is similar to any other kind of Rift you might encounter elsewhere, but it was created by my Blessing. Although I am the weakest, I am still an Avatar, so don''t be surprised if the monsters seem stronger than expected. There are also many things inside, so it will be better to see them directly. Get ready."


    S


    As he headed towards the Rift, Dora carefully observed the message on the screen.


    For years he wondered about the origin of this entity, how it worked, and why only he owned it, but all his questions were answered that day.


    "So this is how you want to do this... Alright, let''s see which one of us gets eaten." He whispered to himself.


    As the group moved forward, he led the way toward the Rift, and everyone followed in anticipation. With each step, the intensity of the light grew stronger and brighter, and before they knew it, they were immersed in a dazzling white vortex. The sensation was indescribable, as if they were being pulled through a tunnel of pure energy.


    Suddenly, the vortex dissipated, and the group found themselves standing in front of an ancient shrine. The structure was weathered and adorned with intricate carvings and symbols that hinted at a rich and mysterious history. The shrine was surrounded by a serene garden filled with lush greenery and vibrant flowers, and in the distance, they could see floating islands that added an ethereal touch to the environment.


    The islands were unlike anything they had ever seen before, with their majestic structures and shimmering aura. They were suspended in mid-air, defying gravity and adding an otherworldly element to the already surreal atmosphere. The group stood in awe, taking in the sights and sounds of this mystical place, eager to uncover its secrets.


    Everyone looked around, amazed by the scenery.


    "Wow... Is this a Rift?" Moonra whispered. ¡°It¡¯s different from anything I¡¯ve read before.¡±


    "Hm? You''ve never been to a Rift before?"


    Freya asked out of the blue, Moonra remembered she had done several raids the previous month and felt ashamed.


    "I mean... Sure, I... I was busy training, but I''m C-rank so it''s weaker than..."


    ¡°You¡¯re at your peak, yeah.¡± Solaria interrupted and jumped towards Dora, ignoring her brother''s rage.


    "So? What do you think? Feeling nervous? Need emotional support?" She clung to his arm, but a toad leaning over her head made her jump in horror and run away.


    "Y-You!! Toad Witch, what''s wrong with you?!"


    "Hm? How are you sure it''s not just a monster from this Rift?"


    They began arguing behind the others, not noticing what was happening far beyond.


    "Guys..." Iris smiled, placing a hand on the hilt of her sword.


    Around them, from the shrine, around fifty monsters resembling statues of angels, armed with weapons of all kinds, rose, a sight that made Freya smile.


    ¡°Beautiful, such a shame these things are made to be killed.¡±


    She gathered her magic in her hands, ready to fight, imitated by the others except Elizabeth and Eryl.


    Candace, noticing them, quickly turned around.


    ¡°Wait, kids, I only need Dora for this one.¡±


    They looked at her, surprised by this statement.


    "Look, it''s a D-Rank Rift, and you''re all at least C-Rank, for him to level up properly, he would need to try more solo."


    "Huh? But it would be easier if we helped him, right?"


    "Iris, you are B-rank, what kind of help are you going to provide? One shot everything? You and Elizabeth are forbidden from fighting, your job is to make sure nothing bad happens !¡±


    The two girls groaned in annoyance and moved aside, beside the nobles, leaving Dora, Midgard, and Candace in front.


    "Alright, the stage is yours, fight like you fought Thomas, it shouldn''t be that hard."


    Dora glanced at her for a moment and focused his gaze on the monsters that were getting closer.


    "Remember not to use Omega form," Midgard warned.


    The boy nodded, a smile growing on his lips.


    "Oh, don''t worry... I want to try something, I''ll do just what old timer said."


    He took his traditional finger pose, his eyes turning white. The monsters had reached their location and were hovering above them, forcing Eryl to reactivate her barrier for everyone.


    Suddenly, a yellow mist formed around them, converging towards Dora.


    "Nebula"


    Before everyone''s astonished eyes, the mist, instead of exploding, lit up with a fiery blue, and a galaxy was formed under Dora''s feet.


    Iris placed her hands against the barrier, speechless as she recognized the power Dora had just used.


    A vault formed in the air, but much larger than Thomas''s, and with several constellations.


    "Shooting Stars"


    A cloud of blue rays burst from the depths of the vault and strafed the ground and the air, all around the temple, and the neighboring islands and destroyed the statues.


    The ground was destroyed by the blows, pieces of status were floating here and there, and a deafening noise mixed with bright flashes left everyone in shock.


    A final wave hit the ground and kicked up dust and chunks of earth.


    The canopy disappeared from the sky and visibility became clearer, offering a lunar spectacle.


    Dora stood in the same place, around fifty soul stones floating around him.


    Eryl dissipated her shield and couldn''t help but applaud.


    "Amazing, very good, that''s a superb display of the true power of the Avatars, it was as good as Thomas could do."


    Midgard smiled amusedly, she was already aware of this power in Dora but seeing the shock in everyone filled her with pride.


    Candace shook furiously, forced to witness the symbol of Thoma''s fall, but a more intense reaction occurred behind her.


    Iris unconsciously walked towards them but stepped on part of the body of these statues.


    She looked at the thing and noticed that her hands were shaking, she then looked at Dora.


    "Wrong... It''s wrong... It''s much stronger than what Thomas could do... He''s perfect..."


    She smiled, excited by the literal work of art Dora was illustrating as he absorbed the soul stones.

 The Beauty of Avarice

    A giant statue of an archangel fell in several pieces into the abyss, Dora on the creature''s head was covered with a red aura.


    Stargazer, a spell from mages called astrologers that allows you to use star magic directly from the body, was an excellent alternative for melee.


    He looked up, two archangels raising their halberds, ready to deliver a phenomenal blow.


    "Sagittarius"


    Rays of light fell from the constellations onto the vault and destroyed both statues instantly.


    The power of the constellations is used through a specific mode, Nebula, similar to a transformation of the terrain, whereas Stargazer would rather be a transformation of the body.


    Normally, it would be impossible to use both spells simultaneously, and Stargazer had the fault of consuming an excessive amount of energy, yet, here in front of everyone, the boy could use Nebula while holding Stargazer.


    It wasn''t even that he was switching between them, he continued to glow red and attack smaller angels with Stargazer while he used Nebula to destroy the archangels.


    Beyond a certain level, when they specialized in a field, emissaries could no longer rely on soul stones to obtain skills specific to their class.


    For example, the usual process was the same: an astrologer like Thomas discovered an affinity with the power of the stars and used elemental stones to increase his magical power.


    With practice his magic would eventually evolve into star powers, he could however obtain powers from that branch via soul stones but since no one could predict the contents of a Rift it was like finding a golden dog in every pound in the world.


    In Thomas'' case, everyone knew his work ethic.


    They knew him, whether through words or personally.


    Freya, Iris, and the two heirs had known him for years and watched him reach his fantastic level through extensive training, so they could all tell how difficult it was to be a top astrologer.


    But right now, in front of them, a boy who had obtained these powers less than two weeks ago displayed complete mastery of this power.


    To be more precise, it was more than that, Thomas'' vault was a beautiful starry sky with some constellations, covering the arena, but Dora''s was an infinite starry sky, with galaxies and asteroids, planets in the distance, it was like being directly in space.


    Thomas had a phenomenal mastery of the power of the stars, to put it simply, he was a genius.


    All his movements demonstrated an abnormal level of concentration for a young man of this age, it could be read on his face.


    You can tell what a person is feeling just with their eyes, and Dora''s eyes at that moment were a hammer blow to everyone''s consciousness.


    "Libra"


    The boy showed no signs of fatigue, concentration, or excitement, he stared straight ahead, no longer paying attention to the monsters around him.


    "This is so boring", was his thought at that moment.


    A few minutes ago, while destroying the monsters, he lost all passion and care, all he had to do was use one skill and that was it.


    He could have used the same move endlessly, but he decided to review his catalog just so he wouldn''t fall asleep.


    The reason for this miracle was not that complicated: Synergy.


    Sigma''s power allowed him to freely use Stargazer, while Gamma allowed the use of Nebula.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The rest, his endurance, the amount of constellation he used, it was all due to his nature.


    This was not a feat accessible to any human being, not even the Sin Avatars.


    This was Greed''s true power, the ability to not only master a skill but to take it far beyond.


    No one dared to speak, because they could witness the full extent of the infinity of the true Avatars.


    "Sun"


    A gigantic orb of flame had formed above them, far away in space.


    Dora raised his hands and the angels were caught in his gravitational magic and converged on the star.


    |Main Quest: Evolution


    |Complete 13 Rank D dungeons using the Light element


    |01/13


    The vault disappeared, revealing a ruined sanctuary.


    Dora has absorbed the last souls and elemental stones.


    |Jobs


    Warrior lvl2


    Knight lvl2


    Healer lvl30


    Swordmaster lvl2


    Archer lvl30


    Rogue lvl30


    Mage lvl30


    Special Job (Locked)


    |Greed: 40%


    Sigma: 5%


    Gamma: 7%


    |Beta: 23%


    Midgard nodded at the statistics and sighed slightly annoyed.


    "This might take longer than expected..."


    "Long?" Candace looked at her in shock. "Longer than that? It lasted a few minutes! How do you expect it to be faster? How did he do it so fast???"


    She shook her head, paralyzed like everyone else.


    "This is the power of Greed, we must follow a specific pattern to move to the next level."


    "What pattern? Can you do it tonight?" Elizabeth asked.


    Midgard took a thoughtful pose and looked up at the sky.


    ¡°Sloth, can you control the monster race in your Rifts?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes I can, does it matter?¡±


    "Yeah, look, we''ll need more time than we thought, we need twelve more Rifts to get a boost in his different ranks, and we''ll also need Dora to complete Rifts with different jobs."


    ¡°Jobs?¡± The dean nodded, intrigued.


    "Just create as many rifts as you can... In fact, just stay out there and keep creating more, until you''re really exhausted, Dora will clear them all."


    The dean opened her eyes wide.


    As far as she remembered, she had never received this kind of request.


    She crossed her arms, worried that she was able to do it.


    "Don''t bother Mid, it''s Sloth, it''s probably above her pay grade." Dora smiled, hovering above them.


    "... Alright, we''ll see if you can keep up with the Rifts I''m going to throw at you, stupid kid."


    "It''s bold of you to say ''keep up'' to someone."


    There were at least ten meters between them, but when Dora opened her eyes, the dean''s foot was beside him, missing him by a few centimeters.


    They were all outside a little later, several light cards circling around Candace.


    "Alright, did you want a lot of Rifts? There! I''ll do 22 every ten minutes! Do your worst!"


    Dora looked at Midgard and both smiled at each other.


    He began to stretch his arms, wondering what style he would use when Iris''s sword stuck to the ground.


    "Wait a minute, you can''t shake a meat in front of me and not expect me to take a bite!"


    The three looked at her incomprehension, but soon the others joined her.


    "She''s right," Freya followed. "I understand that you need to reach C-rank before we join your raids, but if we''re just going to watch, we might as well go back to our room."


    ¡°Hm¡­ the point is, we need this brat to be as dynamic as possible if you know what I mean.¡±


    "Hm... How about a challenge?" Elizabeth joined them. "Dora against everyone except me, and Eryl, Miss Candace creates as many Rifts as possible and the winner is the one who clears the most Rifts? And Iris can''t use any skill or weapon, a real challenge for everyone."


    They looked at each other in sync.


    The idea of ??only teaming up against Dora seemed quite shameful but they also understood that he was already way above the level of mot of them.


    "Very good for me." Dora cracked his fingers. "I''ll even give you a handicap by always using only one move."


    "Just when I think you can''t disrespect me anymore... Alright, I''ll make sure you eat your words." Freya focused her energy.


    ¡°Should we call Mercy?¡± asked Zuri, noticing that the girl still hadn''t returned.


    "You guys begin, I''ll go see her." Elizabeth turned around and jumped out of the arena in a single bound.


    The others made their final preparations and stood facing the Rifts.


    Freya, faced with the breath of the vortex, felt an excitement that had been foreign to her until then.


    She looked at Dora with a smile.


    ¡°If we win this, you should get a punishment, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    "Please, we all know I''m going to win, but go ahead."


    She clenched her fist and put it to her chest, her smile illuminating her face.


    "If we win, you will join my house."


    ¡°Haaa?!¡± Zuri roared. ¡°Won¡¯t you ever give up?!¡±


    "I didn''t necessarily mean as my knight, but as a sort of partnership."


    "Ah? T-then me too!" Solaria puffed her chest. ¡°If we win you will be linked to me forever!¡±


    They both looked at the Rift, determined and ready to destroy everything.


    Dora looked at them and stared back at his Rift.


    "If I win, you will both address Zuri as your mistress."


    Their faces turned blue and their jaws opened.


    Eryl couldn''t hold her laugh while Candace and Oddeg¨¹rd sighed.


    They looked at Zuri with flashes in their eyes.


    "... My... What is this weakness that I suddenly feel in my tummy? kukuku..."

 The Green-Eyed Monster

    (A little earlier)


    Mercy entered Hope''s room, accompanied by the latter.


    It wasn''t quite a room, but more of an apartment, spacious, with two separate bedrooms for Hope and his roommate.


    The girl closed the door behind them, after making sure that no one was following them.


    "Phew... Will be hard walkin'' around tomorrow... Well, gonna just stick to Dora, he''s always the center of focus."


    She sighed and looked at her knight who was more defeated than ever.


    "Alri''t, let''s see... Gonna stay like this forever? Hello?"


    He slowly tried to raise his head but lowered it again, smiling.


    "If you want to beat me, please just do it."


    He slumped to his knees pathetically.


    Mercy stayed silent for a moment then walked toward him and crouched down in front of him.


    "What''s in yer head, dumbo, no one is gonna beat ya... even though ya need a serious wake-up slap."


    She put her hand on his cheek and gently raised his head.


    "Hope, why are you always so fire with Dora? You said you were pals, but no one can believe that."


    Hope looked at her and from his point of view, the girl and everything in his sight moved frantically.


    Tears fell, and the boy took away Mercy''s hand to not show her his face.


    "Hope, if I was a stranger I would say that Dora is a menace but... Can we be honest? You do know that you''re the one who keeps bothering him."


    "Why..."


    "Hm?"


    He looked at her again, crying profusely.


    "Why can''t you talk about anything but him? Why? Why always something about him? I''m in pain... I''m in so much pain! Why don''t you beat me instead of talking about him ?"


    He lowered his head again and began to cry.


    He felt like the lowest life form, there was no way he could be more crushed than that.


    It was then that Mercy''s warm embrace brought him back to life.


    "Listen, I''m sorry. I understand a little more what''s bugging ya... Hope, you''re jealous of Dora, aren''t cha?"


    He looked at her again, her words pierced him like a dagger, but when he looked back, the girl showed not pity or anger, but something filled with warmth and compassion.


    "Do you want to talk about it? You''re my knight so I should listen to your troubles and help ya."


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    She smiled at him, hammering the last nail into his coffin.


    He held her hands tightly and cried like a child.


    "It''s unfair... It''s so unfair... I''ve done everything, I''ve trained, I''ve studied, I''ve tried again and again... I''ve been nice to everyone... I did my best, I really did!... But people never remember my name... To them, I''m just Elizabeth''s brother... They don''t know anything about me, they never care about me... I don''t want to be selfish... I just want... to be myself..."


    His head fell to her belly.


    "I wanted... to be chosen... when this Rift opened in my village... I trained a lot, I''m Elizabeth''s brother... they knew it... I wanted to be... be asked to save everyone... be asked to join Leon... when the Rift was announced, I went to the public market to train... I wanted them to realize that I could save them, that I was there... but without me knowing it, it was already over... Dora and Leon did it and became famous."


    Mercy patted his back, keeping Hope from hitting the ground by letting his head rest on her lap.


    "They created Shining Sword... I wanted to join them so bad... I thought if I kept training they would notice me... I wanted to be the one to carry them... I could do it... but they never called me... So I started to challenge Dora... Because everyone, EVERYONE... everyone knew him...everyone was talking about him... always Dora, always, ALWAYS! I was only Elizabeth''s brother but he was already the talk of the village."


    He began to regain his calm


    "Dora has always been so lucky... he was a leader of the only party in the village, he was liked and popular, he was strong, very strong!... he had experience in Rifts... when I could only study them on books... he had the most beautiful girls around him, the most beautiful girlfriend... but he never cared... He could have the best life, but he didn''t care... because he is used to that..."


    "Hope¡­"


    "I was so angry when he let them kick him out... haha... I was angry, yeah... because I imagined myself in his place... I imagined me as the one being kicked... I envied his situation, I wished I was the only one to see Marie''s kindness..."


    He wiped away his tears and sat up on his knees.


    "When we joined the academy, I thought things would be different... I was introduced to the dean... Personally... I met the most beautiful girl I''ve ever seen, and she wanted me to join her council... and she was so strong... every student knew who I was, a beautiful nurse was interested in me... everything was perfect... but Barron took the merits... he got a historical performance, he got Iris... I was so jealous..."


    "But then, why did ya reject Dora? I know you were harsh to him there, right?"


    "...I don''t know! I was angry... He never cared about anything, he could have been the one with a historical performance, with Iris as mentor, with Freya or the princess as noble... I got enrolled in the academy because I am Elizabeth''s brother, he got recruited because he is strong, Do you understand how painful it is? But he chose to ridicule himself just to be... free?! Come in my life, I''ll show you freedom... I understood that my fight wasn''t his, so I wanted him as far as possible of my story... I just had to train, everything was close enough."


    His hands started to shake.


    "But he never disappeared... the council noticed him again and talked about him, over and over, I met Freya first, I was nice and polite, but she ignored me... later she said that she wanted to use her veto to get him... why always him?... and I... He chose a nobody again... and I... I had to tell you that I am Elizabeth''s brother for you to pick me..."


    Mercy frowned lightly but kept patting Hope''s hands.


    "I wanted to impress you, to impress Freya, to become her friend... I trained a lot, but Barron always defeated me... when we went to the Rift, I wished to be the superhero who would put a masterclass... but Dora did it again... and you slapped me... and you were so nice to him..."


    "Hope¡­"


    "Now even the Princess is clinging to him... and I know you will too... the dean, Iris, and my own sister... all of them joined him... I haven''t seen her for months... but apparently Dora is so important that she must come without even calling me... and I know you will too, won''t you? He said that you were loyal-"


    "Hope!"


    He raised his head, startled by Mercy whose gaze had darkened.


    "Hope, I wanna help ya, but you''re doing a bad thing now."


    "Bad? It''s bad? What is bad? Saying the obvious is bad? You''re going to join him, aren''t you? You''re like everyone else, like Iris, like Freya, like the Princess, you don''t care about what people do, you only care about the power... You always seemed unreachable, you never showed emotion, but the way you''re looking at him..."


    "Hope."


    He flinched, realizing that he had gone too far, and hesitantly looked at her.


    "See? This is exactly what I hate about you."

 Choice of life

    Hope looked at Mercy in distress.


    He wished to be comforted, to see some compassion for the first time, but he realized too late that he let his emotions get the better of him.


    "Hope, you''re not just jealous, you''re selfish. I wanted to cheer ya up, but now you''re really pissing me off."


    "Wait... I didn''t mean to..."


    "Did you once think about what the others were thinking from time to time? Dora this, Dora that, tell me why do you act like he owes ya somethin''? Did he force ya to not join Shinin'' Sword? Did he forbid ya from being friends with Marie? Yer talking like if he did somethin'' unforgivable... but the only one who keep crying over everything, the cause of all yer problems, is ya."


    She stood up, looking down on him.


    "Ya don''t want people to see ya as Elizabeth''s brother? Then why do you keep hidin'' behind this excuse of a name? Every time ya need to prove somethin'' yer saying stuff like you''re her brother, every time we meet someone, you''re the first one bringing it up! Of course, people will always forget yer name!"


    She clenched her fist, her anger so strong that she couldn''t control her dialect.


    "Ya wanted to become part of Shining'' Sword? Why didn''t ya just ask? You think you''re the center of the world, what''s wrong in yer head? Dora asked to join Leon, that''s how they started, who do you think you are to ask for people to just beg you?"


    "I didn''t..."


    "You''re just egocentric!"


    Hope stood up angrily.


    "If you''re just going to insult me, then I''d prefer to leave!"


    "Ya stay here, yer space punk! Get some balls for once!"


    She grabbed his arms, showing a display of abnormal power on her part.


    "I shouldn''t try to join Dora? I would be a bad bitch if I did so? Oi, have you forgotten why I chose you as my knight? Are ya playing dumb or is it natural for ya?"


    She pulled him by the collar and found herself facing him.


    "That day, at Saint Nova, everyone wanted to get a strong knight, everyone has their reason... I specifically needed a strong knight for... my family... but every good one was already taken, Thomas, Iris, Lisa, Cid, every powerful knight I heard of was already taken... Then you showed up, no one was interested in ya, no one wanted an E-rank, you asked left and right, of course picking only gals because yer like this, then ya came to me... Remember how you introduced yourself to me?"


    Hope trembled with rage and looked away, but Mercy gripped his chin and turned it towards her.


    "Ya told me that ya were Hope Balder, brother of the legend Elizabeth, and ya were a hero too, ya said that no one was stronger than you and you were personally trained by yer sister, ring a bell? And I warned you, that if ya really wanted to become my knight, I needed ya to become stronger than my brother as quickly as possible, I told ya that I wasn''t interested in chivalry stuff, all I wanted was a powerful fighter to be able to defeat Peters!"


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    She let go of him, starting to calm down a little bit.


    "You think you''re being played? Think about how I felt when I realized that you lied to me... But even so, I didn''t want to give ya up, I wanted to help ya as much as I could because I put my faith in ya, ya were the one doing all the work, I couldn''t ignore ya... but I swear, yer so dumb and annoying..."


    "... enough..."


    "Hope, please I suffered a long time because of you, so bear with it. I told ya how important it is for me... But you''re so self-centered... Do you even remember what I told ya about my family?"


    Hope looked at her, a faint smile on his lips, and lowered his head.


    "See? That''s what I''m talking about. You never care about others, me, me, and only me, this is you... how do you think I felt after sharing my secrets with ya? You always try to take me out of fights, don''t ya understand how important it is for me to get stronger? I am a noble, I am not allowed to fight, I should behave like a cute girl... That''s what they always say, I hoped you would be different... but all you see in me is this picture."


    She turned her back and walked toward the window, looking at the magnificent view.


    "That''s why I appreciate Dora, he never cared about who I am, he sent me to fight without hesitation because he knew I could do it, he trusted me... I''ve improved more than ever in just a month thanks to him... this is what I want, what I need, and now... now it can even be better than I''ve ever expected..."


    She felt her heart beating rapidly and a warm feeling invaded her veins.


    She looked at Hope, and under the young man''s eyes, Mercy radiated like a goddess of beauty.


    "Hope, I know I put too much pressure on you, but now you don''t have to force yourself anymore. I''ve finally found a way to save my family by myself."


    Hope felt his heart tighten.


    "No..."


    "No, for once, for the last time, please, listen to me, I don''t want to abandon you now that I''ve finally got a chance to get better. I will train with Dora and everyone else, I can''t explain everything to you yet, but I will get stronger than ever in no time. All thanks to Dora."


    "Please, stop."


    She looked at him with a sad smile and leaned against the window.


    "See? That''s why you can''t be right in this story, Hope, Dora never did anything to you, no matter how much you deserve it. Ya think he should do your game because you envy him? This isn''t how it works."


    She walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Dora doesn''t care, not because he is used to it, but because he is Dora, not you. Stop wishing others to do what you want, everyone has their own story. I want to protect my family, Zuri wants to enjoy life with her knight, Freya has her own business, and Dora has a greater mission. We are all living our story, this should be your way to live too."


    She walked towards the door and stopped right in front.


    "Dora isn''t the person you think, if you could look at him with less jealousy, you''d see what I mean. You will hate it, but for the sake of his relationship with Elizabeth, I would appreciate it if you could apologize to him... But, well, I''m not used to seeing you listen to me."


    She opened the door and left Hope in his misery.


    He fixed the door for a few seconds before bursting into tears, it was all he could do at this point.


    Mercy leaned against the door and took a few breaths. She opened her eyes and noticed a shadow in the dark hallway.


    With a slight smile, she greeted Elizabeth.


    "Lady Elizabeth?¡­ Would you like to speak to him?"


    Elizabeth looked away, a similar expression on her face.


    "Hm, girl, you''re too young to smile like that, come with me, we just decided on something good."


    She turned her back on her, leading the way. Mercy followed her hesitantly.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to talk to him? Maybe he really needs to."


    Elizabeth smiled and stretched her arms.


    "There''s nothing I can say that will help him more than what you said... It also makes me realize my mistakes but... Let him get over this first, okay?"


    "... Sorry."


    "Please, you heard him, I''m a disaster as a sister, maybe I''m just running away so as not to face my responsibilities."


    She laughed loudly and joyfully, as she walked out of a shadowy and seemingly endless corridor.

 The Second Coming

    "Okay, pause!" insisted Candace.


    Several hours had passed since the start of the challenge.


    In front of a Rift, Mercy, Freya, Solaria, and Moonra were on their knees or sitting on the floor, trying to catch their breath.


    Zuri cleaned some blood from her misshapen wand, and Iris crossed her arms, glancing at Dora.


    The boy, who was about to enter a Rift, stopped and walked over to Midgard, lying on a deckchair next to Eryl.


    "Wanna clear those six one? I need to hydrate my mind."


    "Hm? Can''t Sloth just close them? They won''t open anyway."


    "Yes, but that would be a waste... Well, never mind, let''s take the next step."


    He joined the nobles and began applying healing magic to them.


    The girls recovered their breath little by little and sighed as soon as they had recovered enough energy.


    "So... Anything to say?"


    Freya threw a deadly stare at him, then sighed in annoyance.


    She looked at Zuri, who was pretending to look around the arena.


    "It shouldn''t be over if we don''t give up."


    "... No problem, it''s only 52-11, I''ll make it 100."


    "Ugh... Don''t you ever get tired?"


    They stood up and looked at each other, only Solaria and Freya seemed angry for some specific reason and did their best to ignore Zuri.


    "Are you all right? Frey-Frey? Soly?"


    Both remained silent, looking away.


    "Dora, they''re not answering me, I feel so sad..."


    "Hmm?" He looked at them, scratching his chin.


    Solaria laughed angrily and leaned on Zuri.


    "But of course, fufu, I was so choked... You''re not hurt? I was so scared for you... in that Rift... where you were barely moving... and I''m sure the debuff I suffered didn''t come from a monster..."


    Zuri looked away, Solaria following her gaze until it met Dora and G¨¦mit.


    "M-M-M.... Miss... Tress.... Z... Zu... urk..."


    "Aren''t you ashamed?" Freya crossed her arms.


    *


    *


    |Jobs


    Warrior lvl30


    Knight lvl30


    Healer lvl30


    Sword Master lvl30


    Archer lvl30


    Rogue lvl30


    Mage lvl30


    Special work (locked)


    |All stats at maximum


    |>>The evolution<<


    Dora smiled as he finally saw these jobs, unmovable for so many months, at maximum capacity.


    Midgard stood up and joined him, beckoning the others closer.


    "Is it time? Is it finally happening???" Iris insisted, growing increasingly impatient.


    Dora grinned at the girl and turned to Midgard, who nodded.


    The screen glowed periodically, signaling that it was much more than a visual screen.


    He raised his hand and touched the screen, which glowed a luminous yellow.


    He hadn''t evolved for months, and now, as his body began to glow, Dora realized he was about to enter a new world.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Outside, Lisa, Sunnah, and another D-tank student stood guard.


    Lisa yawned loudly and groaned in annoyance.


    "I told you to go to sleep, boss, what are you trying to prove?"


    "Sleep is for the weak who need it, like normal humans, an emissary must control her body."


    "... But we''re still humans." Sunnah murmured, before being silenced by Lisa''s murderous gaze.


    Suddenly, a powerful earthquake shook the three of them.


    A jet of white, yellow, and black light erupted from the arena, visible from outside.


    The council members, scattered to several corners, joined Lisa''s group in front of the entrance.


    "What the hell is this? What''s going on?" asked a student.


    The earth shook slightly, far from the initial shock, but the energy grew exponentially.


    Everyone held their breath, transfixed by the cyclone of energy.


    Lisa was in a trance and suddenly rushed inside.


    "Wait! Boss, we can''t..."


    But she was already far away.


    The wind blew for a few seconds before stopping abruptly.


    In the middle of the arena, the group was protected by an Elizabeth''s barrier and watched the young man emerge from the light.


    Dora stood upright, his eyes glowing in a captivating yellow. He inspected his hands and then shook his right arm up and down a few times as if to assess the condition of his joints. After that, he tensed his muscles, displaying his impressive muscular physique before relaxing and examining his hands again.


    "Is that all? Maybe it''s better than healing... But I don''t really feel any difference."


    He turned instinctively behind him, to where Midgard was looking at her own body.


    No change could be observed, her skin was as pale as ever and her hair still had its natural softness.


    For their part, the others watched, petrified, as the young man''s energy increased tenfold in seconds.


    If a person closed their eyes, they would think Dora was all around them, such was the reach of his aura.


    Midgard opened the system screen and widened her eyes.


    "Little Dory, look at our system."


    She smiled, opening her mouth wide.


    Dora did so and was surprised by what he discovered.


    |Stats:


    |Attack: 931


    |Physical Def: 1013


    |Intelligence: 787


    |Magic Def: 1098


    |Speed:612


    |Stamina: 702


    |Mana: 1016


    |Agility: 510


    |Sensitivity: 398


    |Luck: 26


    |Stat Points: 50


    |Jobs


    Warrior max lvl


    Knight max lvl


    Healer max lvl


    Swordmaster max lvl


    Archer max lvl


    Rogue max lvl


    Mage max lvl


    |Special Jobs


    Berserker lvl1


    Fighter lvl1


    Paladin lvl1


    Black Mage lvl1


    Priest lvl1


    Hunter lvl1


    Lancer lvl1


    Assassin lvl1


    Magic Swordman lvl1


    Hero lvl1


    .


    .


    .


    Dora opened his mouth wide as the list went on and on.


    "What... the fuck..." he whispered, next to him, Midgard had an opposed expression as she looked like she was about to pass out from pleasure.


    "My God, look at this, look at all this, oh my Gosh..."


    Candace was the first to join them.


    "So for you to have different reactions... What kind of witchcraft is happening?"


    Midgard coughed, trying to regain her composure, her face remained pink with euphoria.


    "Glory, Sloth, I realized how wonderful my other half is."


    She took Dora''s hand and rubbed it against her cheek; the young man, continuing to read the endless list of tasks, became more and more pale.


    "E-enough! Now let him go!" Zuri stepped between the two.


    She glared murderously at Midgard while hugging Dora like a precious treasure.


    "Ah, be careful, in this state, he could accidentally dislocate your shoulder just by sneezing."


    She laughed hysterically until Iris bumped into her back.


    "So? What''s going on??? That explosion earlier, it worked, right? He''s a C-rank, right??"


    "... Why do you care so much? There are a lot of good reasons to feel involved and I don''t sense any in you."


    "Come on... we have to work together, remember? Please..." She clasped her hands in supplication, much to Midgard''s disgust, but seeing the others gathering around them, she decided to speak.


    "Yeah, it''s a C-rank, it worked as expected."


    "I can say¡­" Eryl nodded. "But why is he so afraid?


    They looked at Dora who stopped reading, without having yet completed the list, looking ahead in distress.


    Midgard sighed and smiled at him.


    "It''s just that the condition for getting to Rank B might be¡­ Fancy."


    "Fancy?..." He finally looked at her. "How the hell am I supposed to complete all these jobs? How many more will appear when I''m B-Rank?? And A?! What the hell?!"


    Everyone looked at each other, intrigued.


    "How many jobs do you have?" asked Elizabeth.


    "YES!" He responded with a cry of despair.


    Freya frowned and asked the same question to Midgard who smiled and placed her hands on her face.


    "Yes!"


    *


    *


    *


    A few minutes later, Midgard and Dora managed to read the entire job list, skipping a few lines.


    The task seemed impossible at first glance, but Candace reassured them that her powers would be enough to cover Dora''s raiding needs.


    "I hope you''re ready for this, this one isn''t your average holy knight, this is..."


    "Yeah, yeah I know, old reptile, he''s the androgynous monster with a personality disorder who carries the sin of ''uuugh, my money!'', I know what I have to do!"


    Dora looked at her for a few seconds and looked at the sky.


    "Sloth but with a ''u''."


    Candace jumped on him, held back by Elizabeth.


    Eryl looked above as well before turning to him.


    "If possible, I would like to confirm your power now, can you have a quick duel?"


    Everyone looked at each other in surprise.


    Dora had become famous for his performance against Thomas and for those who had followed him since, the realization of his level at that moment placed him above the rest.


    To put it simply, no one could be a real challenge in this place, Elizabeth was out of reach and the others were not at Thomas'' level, or rather before this night''s training.


    Dora''s eyes wandered and landed dangerously on Oddeg¨¹rd.


    "No, you''re not fighting a teacher." Candace groaned.


    "So what? Are you gonna take his spot? Or should I ask Thomas for a rematch?"


    "... You barely know him yet you''re acting as if he wasted your life!"


    "Well, someone''s life definitely got wasted but hey, that''s not mine."


    They glared at each other with intense hatred until the tip of the sword hit the ground.


    "S''kuse me, but I think you''re dodging the best challenger possible."


    They turned around, facing the face of the academy, student council president, and strongest emissary of her generation.


    "I''ve been waiting for too long."

 Them Who Sit Above: Dora vs. Iris

    Iris stood in front of the group with a smug look.


    "You need a test subject for your assessments? Leave it to me! I''m tougher than anyone and not as tough as Lady Elizabeth, I''m definitely the best dummy!"


    She smiled enthusiastically, Dora looked at her with disgust and rolled his eyes.


    "No thanks."


    "Huh? Why??? I''m the only person stronger than you, and I said first!"


    "Please stop this, we get nothing by arguing, sounds familiar?"


    "... You didn''t forget?... But I said sorry... What more should I do." She looked away, clutching her sword to her.


    "Hm? Actually, that might be a good test." Midgard looked up.


    "Mid, I''m trying to get revenge."


    "I know, honey, but look at it this way, she is the perfect person to assess your level, the D-rank you could compete with a talented C-rank boy, maybe the C-rank you could defeat a B-rank genius."


    She looked at the others who agreed.


    Dora frowned and glanced at Iris who turned pink with emotion.


    "It''s not a question of level, it''s a question of self-respect! I could test my talent differently!"


    Iris flinched and looked down in pain.


    Midgard crossed her arms, annoyed.


    "And how? You cleared these Rifts solo like a walk in the park, what makes you think you won''t do the same with the C-Rank Rifts? Or maybe you''ll use a student weaker than Thomas?"


    "You''re not allowed to fight students either!" Candace groaned, soon supported by Mercy and Solaria.


    "It sure would be a big fight, I mean, don''t ya want to see what ya can do?"


    "Yeah, my wonderful fighter, wouldn''t this be the perfect opportunity to determine who is the strongest?"


    Everyone gathered around him, forcing him to make this decision, with Zuri delivering the final blow in her own way.


    "You are the best meat."


    "Oh my God..."


    A little later, Dora and Iris faced off in the arena.


    The group stood at the edge of the field, silent in front of these two behemoths.


    "Wait... Since his fight with Thomas affected the entire arena, are we really safe if these two fight now?" Moonra asked.


    They looked at each other, then at Eryl.


    "I doubt my shield will be enough this time, but I don''t think it will get out of hand."


    "You young people worry about everything, Elizabeth will intervene if things go south."


    Elizabeth nodded and clenched her fist, worrying Freya about her own mentality.


    In the middle of the field, Dora frowned more and more while Iris showed signs of joy.


    "I should just refuse¡­ It doesn''t even sound interesting."


    He sighed, not understanding the true meaning of this feeling.


    From his point of view, he hated Iris, so he didn''t want to fight her, but he didn''t realize that something bigger was alerting him about the girl in front of him.


    "Alright, then! Now that we''re good, we MUST fight!"


    "Who said we were good?"


    "... How about I give you a free punch?"


    Dora placed his hands on his hips, stretching his neck.


    "A free punch, huh? Are you assuming I''ll need one?"


    "Huh? No, I didn''t say that to offend-"


    A powerful punch to the jaw silenced her.


    The shock echoed throughout the arena, leaving the spectators paralyzed as they watched Dora in front of Iris whose head was turned to the side.


    "There, free punch."


    He squeezed his hand, looking at her, but the next moment he opened his eyes wide.


    Iris placed a hand on her reddened cheek and turned around.


    "Haha, good one, got me good, you little rascal, but I deserved it."


    She laughed and raised her sword, with a determined smile.


    "I guess we''re even now? Can we then forget the past?"


    Dora frowned and jumped back.


    He looked at her for a few seconds, troubled by her reaction.


    (I''m sure I could break everything with one punch before evolving... how did she...)


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He was in a state of intense thought, what he was seeing was an obvious anomaly.


    It was clear that as a B-rank, Iris was leagues above, but she took a punch from a Sin Avatar without even being thrown and without defending herself.


    In comparison, he played with Thomas before he used his star power.


    "Can we start now? I''ll be serious, okay? Use... Wait, maybe I''ll go small first, I''ve waited too long to get this over with."


    Veins appeared on Dora''s forehead.


    "Who does she think... She''s dealing with?"


    *


    *


    The following moment would later be considered the premise of a natural disaster. All souls in the academy, surrounding buildings, and even further among the talented emissaries were facing the same direction.


    "What is this?"


    *


    *


    The arena was shining so brightly that it seemed even brighter than the sunlight. Suddenly, the ground started to shake again. Eryl was knocked down on her knees as her shield was taken away, but Elizabeth reacted quickly and deployed her own shield around them just a few hundredths of a second after Eryl''s shield fell.


    But despite her quick action, Mercy and Zuri lost consciousness, the others on their knees, and only Midgard and Candace were standing, the dean''s irises glowing white.


    "... This idiot..."


    Dora''s pressure reached a whole new level and expanded infinitely.


    His face was furious, and soon the earthquake subsided and the violence of the waves faded.


    The field was perfectly lit, Dora standing on his kingdom, but as soon as he noticed Iris''s face, he stopped his pressure.


    Iris was trembling all over, a smile revealing deep madness on her lips.


    She slowly raised her sword towards the sky, Dora, several meters in front of her was more and more in shock.


    "I take back everything... Everything I said about this place, about this world... About you!"


    Her foot lifted off the ground and her sword descended onto Dora. The arena shook violently, causing the building to crack.


    In the academy, students came out of their rooms, thinking they had been attacked.


    Elizabeth''s shield floated above the ground, carrying everyone away.


    Mercy and Zuri had come to their senses and looked with fear at the gigantic crater formed by Iris''s attack.


    The girl jumped out of the crater and looked behind her in distress.


    "No... Oh no... Please, no... D-Dora? Are you there?!"


    She looked more stressed than ever, throwing down her sword and jumping into the crater.


    It was then that Dora''s finger appeared right in front of her.


    "X"


    A cross formed on the girl''s face and a shockwave threw her backward at high speed, but she stopped mid-air and landed safely next to her sword.


    Dora landed in front of her groaning, a facial expression that Thomas had made famous as a sign that he was in trouble.


    "Oh thank God... No... Thank you... You''re amazing... I hit you point blank, but you''re okay... I''d be so devastated if I knocked you out by mistake..."


    Dora''s aura exploded once again, but this time his energy was more homogeneous and concentrated around him.


    "Polymerization:... Alpha Body"


    He burst into a bright light, Iris took her sword but kept it in its sheath, so as not to risk hurting her opponent.


    Dora disappeared from the ground and reappeared above, the starry sky of Nebula behind him, but Iris remained focused on the void before her.


    "... Yeah, you''re not only powerful, but you''re also very smart."


    She launched a powerful sword strike in front of her and a wall of arrows and spears that were rushing towards her were destroyed.


    Dora flinched and spread his arms.


    "Sagit...!!!"


    Iris smiled and leaned forward.


    Dora flinched again and brought his hands together, he spread them and a large white sword appeared, making Iris tremble.


    "... Aah... He... He did it... He really did it!"


    She lost her concentration and put a hand over her mouth, almost crying with joy.


    Freya, recovering from her shock, looked at her like crazy.


    "... I see." Elizabeth raised her finger. "Miss Candace, she might actually be the worst person to fight Dora, he will be really angry if she continues."


    "... If you wanted me to stop him, do you think it was wise to give me this information? I''m going to enjoy his downfall."


    "Come on..."


    Candace laughed maniacally, the noble looked at her with incomprehension and noticed that Midgard and Eryl were watching the fight in annoyance.


    Noticing their reaction, Candace took the initiative to explain by puffing out her inexisting chest.


    "It''s a very beautiful story, Iris has fought many students throughout her brilliant scholarship, knights, heroes, hunters, mages, all classes! And among them, three students stood above: Barron, Hope, and Thomas."


    *


    Dora lunged at Iris, but she parried his sword strike before being thrown into the air by his gravitational magic.


    *


    "Hope was... well, you already know him, a good talker but he got knocked out on the first hit, Cid was a good distraction at most, which is normal for an E-rank, but Thomas was supposed to be her best challenge, but all their fights had the same pattern."


    *


    Dora fell to the ground and quickly leapt back, while Iris leaned on the arena''s edge and charged at him with her sword. They collided in a flashy display of black and white, swords clashing.


    *


    "Every mage has the same weakness, their defense is generally low, so as soon as she hit Thomas, it was over. Now, aside from the speed difference, she didn''t even need to go all out, all she had to do was wait when he used Nebula to hit him, very easy, and like everyone else, one hit and he was on the ground."


    *


    Dora crashed to the ground again, he stood up angrily and looked furiously at Iris who was breathing hard, but not because of fatigue, she smiled while blushing, expressing something inappropriate.


    Dora gritted his teeth and spread his arms, yellow and black orb on both hands.


    *


    "So what happened earlier really moved her... I hate to compliment him but... He simultaneously defeated Thomas and Barron without a fight, when he created this sword he realized that... she would attack him directly, so he changed his style. It doesn''t sound like anything, but it''s something no one has ever done against her, it''s literally like anticipating the move she was anticipating to make before he anticipated using Nebula. Plus, he lasts longer than anyone else, so... Hey, are you listening?"


    She placed her hands on her hips, noticing everyone gawking and looking behind her.


    "D-Dean... The arena..."


    She froze and slowly turned around to finally see it.


    Half of the arena behind her was completely destroyed.


    Around it, gigantic chains rose to the sky, and two stars clashed everywhere.


    At certain moments, a powerful shockwave occurred and Dora landed on the ground before bouncing back with an attack of some sort.


    The clashes continued everywhere, Dora roaring with rage and Iris euphoric.


    Another flash of lightning in the sky, and Dora flew across the stadium, landing next to a dormitory.


    A new wave of energy occurred, and the students around felt unconscious.


    Candace looked at the beautiful landscape of her academy, visible beyond the destroyed arena, and began to tremble.


    "Ely?"


    "... Miss?"


    "Do you like death?"


    "... No?"


    "I can make them wish for it."


    "... Roger."


    She jumped in the sky.


    Dora appeared above the arena, all the surrounding energy converging towards him.


    "I will erase your happiness no matter how I have to do it! Aurum..."


    Elisabeth''s sacred foot made him crash right in front of Iris.


    The girl continued to look at the sky, where Dora was supposed to be, she laughed with immense pleasure before returning to normal.


    "... Uh... Uweh?... Where is the attack?"


    "Here." Elizabeth appeared behind her and sent her into a dream world with a trowel.


    The cataclysm of energy faded in the final air, leaving the spectacle of Dora and Iris unconscious on the ground, next to Elizabeth who did not dare look at Candace.


    The rest of the arena collapsed, all the students within a 200-meter radius had fainted, and only the group under Elizabeth''s shield had witnessed this apocalypse.


    Iris''s sword rested peacefully in its sheath, never able to see the sky.


    Eryl, for the first time, showed anguish in her eyes, glancing at Midgard who was rolling her eyes, visibly annoyed.


    (Even for the Twilight of the Gods... We shouldn''t let something like this get stronger...)

 When the Cat Sleeps...

    The smartest man in the world is a baby. Imagine that one day, out of the blue, you would definitely think that the speaker is an incredible idiot or a prankster.


    What if a serial killer was the Pope of Peace?


    You might think the world is crazy.


    But what if they decided that they were and you had no way of contradicting them? This madness was the reality of the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Ambrosia.


    After their destructive fight, the arena was under renovation, and Candace had taken away Dora and Iris.


    Oddeg¨¹rd left to fend for himself behind her, claimed that the cause of the destruction was a natural explosion inside the arena, but no one believed it.


    Everyone had already heard someone talking about the boy landing near the dorm, everyone remembered the feeling of the aura before, and some overly emotional council members had already said words.


    Dora and Iris had a fight, and this was the result.


    The heroine and the monster fought, but the outcome was unknown and the authorities committed the taboo of lying down right in front of them.


    They were strong and so reality had to bend to their desire so that a student could beat people from honorable families, threaten death, destroy a cultural monument, and continue to walk freely.


    They were strong, what would you expect to do?


    This was the world they lived in, this was their reality.


    A month and a few weeks had passed since then, the academy was entering a study period before the end of the second semester, this was the time when students formed groups and spent more time reading books.


    Those with strengths in raiding, that is, students who raided frequently, could be excused, as they were then special assets of the kingdom.


    It was also a privilege for the strong, but a strong person would always consider a stronger person a privileged person.


    Due to their meeting, Dora''s group was also excused from these studies.


    Candace decided that he would train separately in the C-Rank Rifts, then fight Iris to gauge her level.


    In the meantime, the others would go to other C-rank Rifts with Elizabeth as insurance.


    The reason was rather simple, Dora''s pressure had reached a level where just being exposed to it was enough to knock out most of them.


    This also allowed them to let their knights train with them, but neither Hope nor Barron answered the call.


    Hope spent all his days training in Sunnah''s mansion.


    The latter''s family concession occupied a vast territory including a forest and a field in which the young man spent his days.


    He had just completed his morning routine, consisting of a thousand blows into a tree trunk with an iron bar reinforced by magic.


    He was shirtless and wiping his face with a towel, Sunnah was watching him nearby, next to her a box of sandwiches and juice.


    "You''re finishing early today?" she asked as he walked towards her.


    "I''m just waiting for someone, but they''re late... Ah!"


    A little further on, Maxim, Lisa, and behind them, Cid arrived.


    Hope threw the towel over his shoulder and walked to meet them, followed by Sunnah.


    "What are you all doing here?" he asked indifferently.


    "Hm? Did you hit your head? You confirmed that you would be joining the raid, correct?" Lisa frowned.


    "Ah? I did it?... I don''t know, you can''t do this without me?"


    They looked at each other, intrigued.


    "Um... What are you saying, seriously?" Maxim scratched his nose. "You haven''t stopped crying for your sister and Lady Mercy for weeks, now that we''re about to join them in a Rift, why-"


    Hope grabbed him by the collar, staring him straight in the eyes.


    "Be careful what you say, the Hope that acted like a child is long dead. Don''t mess with me."


    He let go of him and walked towards the mansion with his arms stretching his arms.


    The others looked at him with slight disdain before Lisa groaned.


    "Oi, idiot, if you don''t want to join us, don''t make us move for nothing."


    "Yeah, and I think it''s the perfect time for you to stop being Lady Mercy''s knight, you''re never around." Maxim rearranged his collar.


    Hope stopped and glanced at them, releasing his aura.


    "I''ll let it go today, but there won''t be another time." He waited impatiently and walked away.


    The four council members looked at him with disdain and Cid spat on the ground, disgusting Sunnah.


    "That idiot... Does he even know why he''s here?"


    "I know, he''s such a trouble, isn''t he, Cid? This must be so hard for you, Miss Sunnah."


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Everything is fine, Maxim... He does his best every day... But..."


    "And he always trains without shirts when you watch him, have you noticed?"


    "Hey?"


    "I''ve been watching you carefully... Of course to make sure he hasn''t done anything inappropriate!... and he never takes his shirt off until you''re here... What a snake..."


    They looked at him in silence before Lisa burst out laughing.


    She wiped away a tear as she watched Hope walk away.


    "Finally, this might be a good time to go to a Rift with them, I can''t wait to see... Don''t you think, Cid the Amputee?"


    Cid didn''t look at her and focused on the iron bar Hope was using to train.


    "How useless..."


    *


    *


    Later that day, in the Hunters Guild headquarters situated in Sungem Town, three girls were sitting together around a table in the building''s cafeteria. They were chatting amiably and enjoying their meal along with some wine. Many people were looking at them with embarrassed smiles. Suddenly, a tall man with a ponytail approached their table and caught their attention.


    "Excuse me, ladies, I am Sorhu, the tank of the Dragon Rage team, at your service," he said while striking a comical pose.


    His group members, who were seated further away, found this amusing and burst out laughing. However, the three girls just looked at him for a moment before resuming their conversation.


    The man named Sohru groaned but regained his composure.


    "Are you new to this guild? I''ve been here for a long time and I''m sure I wouldn''t miss such beautiful creatures."


    The girl with long black hair stopped eating and took a thinking pose.


    "Hm? Isn''t that a death word?"


    "First rule of Candace''s book¡­"


    "Yeah, yeah, killing a human will be doomed to becoming a slave to Midgard... But I have the Dora Monthly Pass to do whatever I want."


    "Zuri¡­"


    Zuri held up a golden card with a chibi image of Dora giving the middle finger, making Mercy sigh.


    Freya took a sip of wine and looked at her watch.


    The increasingly annoyed man placed a hand on the table and smiled at Zuri.


    "So your name is Zuri? Pretty cute, what''s the keyword to make you kill me? Because I wouldn''t mind having those hands on my throat."


    His comrades laughed again, and other people from the other people''s table, as if waiting for this opportunity, joined his celebration.


    "Give up Sohru, the lady looks too refined for you."


    "Yeah, you''re more cut out for a lumberjack, let me do the talking instead."


    "You guys are crazy¡­" a drunk girl complained, but her laughter and her beer demonstrated her tolerance.


    Another man joined the table, followed by two others.


    Soon the girls were surrounded by a mass of men and women, curious to see the beauty of their faces.


    "Oh man, are you going to join the guild? Now I''m motivated to come more often!"


    "Don''t be so stiff, we''re all a little shy at first but you''ll get used to it soon."


    The three girls could no longer hide their annoyance.


    Freya crossed her arms, looking at Zuri who was waving her card like a fan, when Sohru snatched it from her.


    "What is this? Do you play cards too?... Hm? Hey, haha, looks guys, this girl drawing gives you the middle..."


    He tried to show them the card before losing consciousness.


    Zuri, with a deadly glare, retrieved the card and wiped it with a tissue.


    The people around moved away slightly, laughing nervously.


    "Oh? Hey, I warned you, man, it always ends like that with you..."


    "Yeah, fuck this guy."


    Another man leaned toward Mercy.


    "Hey, your friend is scary, don''t you think?"


    Mercy stirred the contents of her bowl, without showing the slightest emotion.


    "Excuse me, but this girl is with me."


    After being hit by a punch, the man was thrown away.


    Hope positioned himself in front of Mercy, staring at her with a threatening look. Everyone''s focus was on him, and the guild members looked at him with surprise.


    "Who is this guy?" they wondered. Hope rubbed his fists and maintained a serious expression.


    "I''m somebody, and if you keep bothering these girls, you won''t like me."


    He released his aura which spread around him in a warm white light.


    "Oh? You really came." Mercy looked up, but Hope ignored her and stayed focused on the guild members.


    The man he had hit stood up angrily and walked towards him.


    "Bastard..."


    Other members came closer and surrounded them.


    "This is the Hunter''s Guild, asshole, if you hit any of us, consider yourself grounded."


    "I''m sorry, asshole, but no one''s getting grounded today." Lisa appeared at the door, followed by Maxim, Cid, and Sunnah.


    Hope glanced at them and slammed his fists.


    "Well, I guess I can share a little... So? Who wants to go down first?"


    He released his aura, stronger than before.


    The rough wind was blowing Freya''s hair, becoming increasingly annoyed.


    One of the guild members walked straight toward Hope, but Maxim punched him in the back and stood next to Hope.


    It was at that moment that the others went into a fury and several waves of energy crossed the building.


    "Well, Hope, it''s us against all of them."


    "... You think I need your help? Well, suit yourself."


    He glanced at Mercy who had pushed her bol forward and sighed in annoyance.


    "... After all, nah, I''ll do better without you, step as-" A punch sent him flying to a nearby table.


    "Didn''t see that coming? Fucker!"


    Hope clenched his fists and jumped on the boy, but three other members stepped in.


    "I see... In that case, I''ll just dispose of you all."


    At the door, Lisa watched mockingly, Sunnah looked at her worried and murmured.


    "Lisa... there are some B-ranks among them..."


    "Shhhh, wait, I want to see him getting pounded."


    Hope was circled by several people, Maxim too.


    Both exchanged a gaze before taking off their shirt.


    Hope removed a bracelet from his wrist and threw it at Mercy.


    The girl caught it and looked at him in surprise.


    "I finish them and I take it back, and now all of you... Remember that you were the cause of all this, but it''s too late now: Hero Time!"


    He shone in a blinding light. The members were also concentrating their energy and were about to jump on him.


    "Hm?" Freya, Mercy, and Zuri looked up.


    Hope''s energy surrounded him and made him difficult to look at.


    He looked around and noticed the frozen appearance of some people.


    "I see... But I warned you, it''s too late now."


    He concentrated his energy even more, among the members of the guild, three people lost consciousness.


    "Uh?" The one he had hit flinched and took a step back, before falling too.


    The phenomenon spread, more and more people around him collapsed, and hope increased his energy again and again.


    Freya, Zuri, and Mercy stood up, a smile growing on the two seconds'' lips and an embarrassed expression on Freya.


    Hope took a step forward, the building cracked in several places, Maxim lowered his arms and stared in shock.


    "You said you wanted a fight? But I don''t see any balls here." Hope released a final wave of energy, and many people fell back.


    He could see everything, every reaction, the nobles were emotional, the guild members were fighting to stay conscious and even the council members were shaking.


    Lisa''s teeth chattered frantically and Sunnah eventually lost consciousness as well.


    Hope tensed his abdominal muscles and looked at the people in front of him.


    "Any last wish?"


    Several people in suits appeared from a nearby room, looking out of breath.


    "Y-You..." one of them murmured.


    Hope crossed his arms and sighed.


    "Tch... Forget it... I have no reason to fight people so scared."


    He walked over to Mercy and reached out for his ring.


    "... Hope." She said a worried expression on her face.


    "I''m doing this for me, don''t thank me."


    He took his ring and walked towards the door. No one spoke, Freya and Zuri showed a smile while Mercy became frightened.


    "Wait, Hope!"


    "Please don''t call me, I don''t want people to think we''re close."


    "Hope, stop!"


    He stopped just in front of the door, releasing his aura and glaring at her.


    "Excuse me, but the time when you could give me orders is over."


    The entrance to the building cracked and other guild members felt unconscious.


    Hope stood menacingly just ahead.


    "I wouldn''t order such a noisy valet." A voice sounded right next to Hope.


    He looked at Mercy and finally noticed something.


    Everyone''s gaze was directed at him, but he couldn''t feel their pressure.


    "Boy?"


    The voice sounded again.


    He slowly turned his back and opened his eyes wide as he met the ruby''s eyes of a beautiful face with long gray hair.


    "Step aside."

 Reunion

    The members of the guild stood frozen in fear as a young man suddenly appeared before them. Hope, standing in the front, felt a shiver run down his spine as she unconsciously moved away from him.


    Behind the young man, several others followed him, including Midgard, Iris, Candace, and two heirs accompanied by their servant.


    As Dora passed by, many of the members of the guild fainted, while those who managed to keep their senses were hypnotized by the people following him.


    After passing by the members, Dora joined the three young ladies, scanning the room with a sense of curiosity and intrigue.


    "... I knew it was stupid to gather here, what kind of privacy can you have?"


    Zuri hopped over to him and hid behind his back.


    "Dora, oh my lord, if you only knew what happened to me... These people are so horrible!"


    "Hm? Did someone bully you again?"


    ¡°Yeah, he called me a creature.¡±


    Dora frowned and looked at the guild members, among whom another group had passed out.


    ¡°Give me a name and I¡¯ll give you blood.¡±


    Freya took a step towards him and gently pulled him by the ears.


    ¡°Before you do something stupid, your pressure!¡±


    "What about my pressure? Who do you want me to make disappear?"


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, your aura is showing, people are falling because of you!¡±


    He opened his eyes wide and noticed the number of people on the ground.


    Iris put a hand over her mouth.


    "Really?! So the people earlier who were sleeping in the street..."


    Midgard shrugged and turned to him.


    ¡°Delta Beta.¡±


    Candace''s face lit up.


    "Oh yes, please change. I''m so tired of seeing you."


    ¡°In the end, you will make me immortal, right?¡±


    They argued with their group while the other council members watched from the corner. Hope seemed a little nervous while Lisa put her hand on her forehead and groaned.


    "This guy... Hehe... See that... Hope?... Looks weaker than your... Hidden potential... Isn''t it?"


    Hope fixed his bracelet and looked away.


    Later, the group gathered around two tables.


    In one, all the council members and Iris, in the others, the two Avatars, the five nobles, Midgard, and Eryl.


    Further away, the guild members looked at them, some envious, others full of resentment.


    Candace looked carefully at the menu.


    ¡°Dora, I¡¯m tired, massage my shoulders.¡±


    "All right." The boy stood up and massaged the dean''s shoulders happily.


    She took a sip of the grape juice before spilling it on the table.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s silly, Dora, go get a rag and wipe up this mess.¡±


    "Yes, Ma''am." He walked out, everyone looked at them in confusion.


    Midgard took a sip of wine and glanced at her.


    ¡°You know they¡¯re going to ruin you for this, right?¡±


    "Who cares? Iris will just make them sleep, and that''s fair."


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    She started eating her fruit salad and looked around her table.


    "Do you have any idea how much they insulted me? I didn''t know I was old until I met them."


    "You''re not very young either, little one."


    ¡°One day they told me I looked like a museum.¡±


    The people around her looked at each other before bursting out laughing.


    "No, seriously, have you seen the inside of a museum? It''s fucking old inside. They told me my last name starts with homo, they told me I don''t didn''t have any new ideas, they told me that the Sage Perantiquus called me big sister, do you know the Sage Perantiquus? This brat is the oldest man in the world, that''s fucking old."


    No one at that table could hold back their laughter and tears began to flow for some.


    For their part, the council members seemed intrigued.


    Seeing Freya laugh was a first, and seeing so many famous people sharing a moment around a table was amazing.


    Maxim groaned as he drank a glass of water.


    "Did you see how he played the good guy? Just to get their attention? This guy is such a snake."


    ¡°A snake that could rearrange your guts with a pen.¡± Lisa sipped lemonade. "By the way, Iris, when will he join the council? He seems very obedient."


    Hope and Cid flinched. Iris glanced at their table as Dora returned.


    "It''s a bit complicated... He''s a little ambiguous, I think there''s something special about his power, I don''t know the details but when he uses the power of light he becomes a completely different person... One day he healed an injury that Lady Elizabeth had inflicted on me and we talked a little bit, later he was angry, and he ordered me to forget about it."


    Maxim grumbled and looked at Dora.


    "We don''t need someone like that among us, this guy is trouble."


    ¡°Oh, no no no, you¡¯re so wrong about that.¡± Iris stirred her milkshake with a tender expression.


    "Dora is very different from the others... We fought together so many times, but he never stayed down no matter how many times I hit him."


    Cid groaned and drank his cup of coffee, Lisa noticed and decided to enjoy it.


    "So you mean he''s the best fighter you''ve ever met? Or just a good person?"


    Iris looked at her like a child would look at her grandmother.


    "Oh you wouldn''t believe it, he''s just amazing! I''ve fought him over and over again, do you know he really has mastery over all the elements? Even creation magic! I started using only one blow at a time, then several, then a little magic, and then more! Each time he got stronger and stronger... Wait until later after the Rift, you will see our afternoon training!¡±


    She giggled like a child, right in front of her subordinates.


    Hope''s face twisted in a pained expression as he remembered the conversation he had with Thomas long ago. Thomas had warned him about Iris, the woman who appeared to be beautiful but was actually a terrible person. Now, Hope realized the truth of those words. Iris seemed to be completely obsessed with Dora, and her fixation had reached a point where she indirectly criticized him and Cid. Even more concerning, Hope had noticed that Iris had stopped training with Cid, the young mage who had been under her tutelage for a long time and now she mentioned his sister''s name without considering him. The implications of these changes left Hope feeling uneasy and uncertain about what was to come.


    All her focus was on the monster among Avatars.


    The concerned was busy choosing a drink as exotic and expensive as possible.


    A little later after this, Iris, Midgard, and Candace had joined the guild officials for their registration.


    The group was outside, discussing their strategy of action.


    "For the last time, Maxim, you''re not staying near the nobles to protect them, you''re a warrior, not an ass."


    "Why ass? My parents forbid that kind of language! I am a knight, and I will protect them!"


    He and Lisa were arguing while the others looked on.


    Mercy adjusted her bag and glanced at Dora.


    "Since it''s a B-rank Rift, are you going to fight?"


    "... Maybe with like 25% of my power, it will... Well unless this lunatic girl joins too." He frowned, thinking about Iris.


    "What''s about you let us do the job? I want to try those powers of mine in a real challenge." Mercy looked at her hands excited, must to Hope''s displeasure.


    Maxim placed himself between them, hands on hips.


    "I hope You''re NOT Thinking about letting the nobles fight, Mister Dora? Or else you should be unqualified of being a knight and let go of Lady Zuri."


    Dora didn''t even look at him but his brain processed the information he just heard.


    (Am I still a knight?)


    As he thought, Mercy looked at Maxim angrily."I fight if I want to, none of yer business, and the only reason yer allowed in a B-tank Rift is that Dora is among us."


    "Insurance Carper." Zuri nodded.


    Freya looked at Cid for a moment then at Hope and sighed.


    "Maybe it was a bad idea after all, we can be confident because we are used to B-rank rifts, but what about those who couldn''t even try a C-rank Rift? I don''t want another undead rift situation."


    Cid''s furrowed brows and scowl conveyed his dissatisfaction as he gave her a withering death glare. However, Hope stretched his shoulder before leaving.


    ¡°You will see for yourself inside.¡±


    Everyone looked at him, a little intrigued.


    ¡°Is he really that strong?¡± Mercy asked the council members.


    Sunnah replied in a very small voice.


    "He''s been training for weeks... He''s definitely gotten stronger... But..."


    ¡°Guys, we¡¯re moving!¡±  Iris, Midgard, and Candace left the building.


    The purpose of their meeting was to subjugate another Rift. As Midgard had previously warned, the number of Rifts continued to increase every day, leading to an increase in demand for emissary teams.


    Candace had therefore decided to involve members of her group in several of these teams to train them and make better use of their strength. Dora and Iris are mainly assigned to B-rank Rifts, while the other members take on C-rank Rifts. Elizabeth had to leave frequently due to S-rank rifts across the kingdom.


    On the day of their gathering, they met in the town of Sungem to conduct a Rank B Rift Raid, which was the first for most of them. They traveled in a limousine, chatting casually as usual, and soon reached the meeting point where a team of emissaries awaited them. The introductions were brief, and finally, they found themselves facing a mass of energy in the middle of a stone quarry.

 The Proper Way Of Showing Off

    "Alright, we have 3-B ranks, 14 C-ranks, and 3 D-ranks." A young man carrying a large shield spoke. "I wanted to wait at least 3 days, as you know, you can never be sure of the true level of a Rift before being in it, so let''s do it like this: if the level is indeed B, we follow the strategy, but if it''s beyond that, I take responsibility for holding whatever is inside while you evacuate, is that okay?"Everyone agreed, some of his team looked at the 3 D-rank emissaries mentioned, Hope, Cid, and Sunnah.


    Earlier, when they revealed their rank, most disagreed about letting them join, but after learning that Candace was the dean of the Knights Academy and had accepted the request on this condition, they remained silent.


    The group crossed the Rift and came to a dark cave.


    It was a large cave, with several holes in the rocks.


    "Attention now, until we can confirm otherwise, consider this as not a B-Rank Rift. D-Ranks, stay close to B-Ranks."


    Hope and Cid were very annoyed by this, Sunnah was already next to Iris, but their pride did not allow them to do the same with the team leader, and they had resentment towards Iris.


    ¡°Hmm?" Dora''s ears twitched.


    They began to move forward, towards a larger hole resembling more of a tunnel, but behind them, Dora, Midgard, and Candace did not move.


    The leader moved closer to the tunnel when he jumped.


    "Damn! Everyone, in position!"


    They took their weapons, a little anxious.


    It was then that several sounds of footsteps spread all around.


    "... Shit! above!" An archer shouted.


    From every hole in the walls, giant insects came out by the dozen and dived at the group.


    "Wall" The leader summoned a magical shield above them, on which the insects gathered.


    "Prepare to shoot!"


    Each member of his team prepared to attack, charging their magic for a powerful blow.


    "Wait!" Candace held his hand. "These monsters aren''t A-rank, let''s follow the plan!"


    "Are you serious?... Damn it... Ok, switch to plan A, guys, cover the nobles, they will be the damages dealers! Get ready, I''ll lift the shield in 10 seconds!"


    He triggered his shield and simultaneously used a taunt spell, the members of his team positioned themselves next to a noble.


    It seemed unrealistic to entrust an experienced group with the defensive role of the knights, but everything had been decided during previous negotiations.


    Only the leader was Rank-B, so their only condition for being allowed to enter this B-rank Rift was the participation of two additional emissaries from B-rank or above.


    This role was filled by Iris and Candace.


    The monsters were now a dark mass swarming above the shield, it rather seemed that deactivating the shield would doom them to be buried alive.


    "4 seconds..." The captain was counting down when suddenly a red light tore through the mass of insects from behind.


    "Uh... Wait! Something is attacking behind them!" A girl with a crossbow reported.


    She noticed the lack of reaction around her and when she looked at her comrades, she noticed that everyone was looking at Mercy.


    ¡°Jupiter''s Roar¡±


    A red and orange tornado tore through the mass of insects on the shield and formed a cyclone above.


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    The team members were in shock at such an achievement.


    Hope, too, was paralyzed as his noble lady had just performed a skill exclusive to astrologers.


    ¡°It¡¯s been more than five seconds already,¡± Freya informed the team leader.


    The latter, still in shock, shook his head and dispelled the shield, but a new wave of insects began to fall from all the holes.


    "Fiery Soul"


    Dozens of small fire moths formed and flew into each hole and inflated like mini explosions, covering each exit and never disappearing.


    ¡°This should solve this problem for good.¡± She wiped her hands indifferently, to the amazement of the team and Hope and Cid.


    Cid stared in shock at the fireballs above, it wasn''t just that the idea of ??using them to plug holes was brilliant, but their power was enough to disintegrate hundreds of these B-rank insects, Freya was strong, she was famous among the nobles for her skills, but this was another level.


    ¡°Is it my turn yet?¡± Zuri asked, checking one of her vials.


    "No, not when we''re in the splash zone," Solaria replied. ¡°It¡¯s too dark in here to show off well, let¡¯s move on.¡±


    She led the way, followed by her group, while the rest of the team and the two youngest council members stayed behind.


    Lisa started walking too before noticing their reaction and smirked.


    "Well? Shall we go? Don''t tell me you''re surprised, it''s just a first impression. Come on, Hope the hero, I can''t wait to see you put them to shame."


    She winked and left, laughing. Hope frowned and followed her.


    A few minutes had passed and on the path taken by the group, several body parts of insects and arachnids were scattered.


    The group was in a larger area, with thousands of insects littering the ground.


    Moonra, with one foot on a monster''s head, wiped his sword, growling.


    A little further away, on a table with a tea set and cakes, Candace, Iris, Dora, Midgard, and Solaria were chatting nonchalantly.


    In the middle of the scene, the Guild team and council members were facing a gigantic spider and scorpion.


    "And then she looked at her and said, ''I''m not a rat, I''m a mouse with standards!''" She bursted out laughing while Candace sighed.


    "You... Why don''t you fight with the others?"


    "Me? Please, that would be too easy, I can''t shine if my opponent can''t give me a real challenge, so I''ll let the kids have fun." She smiled proudly and glanced at Dora to see his reaction.


    The concerned took a sip of tea and sighed in turn.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going as planned¡­ What¡¯s the point if we can¡¯t fight?"


    "I know, right?" Iris agreed, forcing him to reconsider his opinion just to disagree with her.


    Midgard also finished her tea and looked at the battlefield.


    "Should I remember the whole point of this operation? The best way to gauge the date of Twilight of the Gods is to raid, the easier a high-level Rift, the closer the day is."


    ¡°The more this allows us to train our weakest soldiers, I consider that an absolute victory.¡± Eryl nodded.


    Back on the battlefield, the group was giving the two monsters a hard time.


    Mercy, surrounded by small black stars, pointed her finger above the monsters then lowered it, black lighting destroyed the wall and hit the spider.


    The creature leaned to the side, Hope, determined to seize this opportunity, let his energy explode, and threw himself towards the beast.


    ¡°Hero time!¡±


    He glowed brightly and dealt powerful blows to the monster, severing a leg and injuring the eyes.


    Suddenly, an enormous mandible closed on him, the beast in a final burst of despair, trying to devour him.


    ¡°Ngh!!..¡±


    He hit the mandible and was pushed back.


    He landed a little further away and resumed the fight, cutting the monster''s face and leaving some wounds, but the monster was still alive and ready to fire an acid bomb.


    "Amateur."


    A black vector pierced the monster''s head and passed through its body from several sides before continuing towards the scorpion and piercing it from above.


    Zuri appeared behind Hope, her strange wand in hand.


    "That''s how you apply poison, no need to spit your guts out."


    The spider became covered in purple stripes and collapsed heavily.


    The scorpion fell a little further away, also covered in purple stripes.


    Zuri polished her wand and turned to the guild members who looked shocked.


    "They''re done for, can I have a bomb to finish them off?"


    None of them responded, more confused as to why they were needed in this battle all along.


    "No one? There aren''t any pew-pew users among you?... Hey, Frey-Frey, give me some fire."


    Freya sighed heavily and then looked at the monsters in thought.


    ¡°You, why are you trying to redeem yourself now?" She spoke to Cid nearby.


    He looked at her, his eyes showing a very strange emotion.


    It wasn''t fear, nor frustration, but something like a mixture. It was the beginning of despair.


    Freya looked at him silently before raising her arm.


    "I''m warning you, if I have to do this, you won''t get anything from me, you''re the one who refused to join my training." Her hands shone brightly.


    Cid clenched his fists, it wasn''t that he didn''t want to too, but he had attacked several times already and the fact that Freya thought he hadn''t even tried was a testament to his lack of power.


    He was outclassed, and overwhelmed. Previously, Freya and Mercy showed abnormal power for C-rank emissaries against a B-rank monster, here we had the perfect representation of what to expect.


    The one who was considered the future prodigy of the academy was now the weakest among the strong, simply because one day he was seriously injured.


    This was Cid''s second Rift in his life.


    "Disappointing." Freya sighed and then focused her energy on a white ball above the scorpion.


    "Gates of Heaven"


    A blinding light blasted the ground and destroyed a huge amount of monsters and turned the scorpion into millions of tiny burnt shells.


    The remaining insects fell one after another, and soon luminous stones rose above each body.


    The raid was a success.

 Playing The Hero

    The battle was over, and the team proceeded to gather the soul stones.


    The three nobles, real MVPs of the day, were surrounded by members of the council and some members of the guild team.


    Praises and compliments rained down, all of them were hypnotized by the combination of beauty, status, and power, enough to annoy a little Solaria who didn''t participate.


    "Why won''t you join our guild? You''re so strong, the Hunters need people like you!"


    "Could you teach me this spell? It was an attack and a debuff? So cool!"


    The three girls answered with little embarrassment, showing a faint sign of discomfort.


    The leader appeared right in front of them and curtsied.


    "Well, I understand that our contract was for this raid only but... You hear everyone, it would be an honor to welcome such amazing people in our guild."


    The girls looked at each other, slightly bothered.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but we already have our agendas,¡± Freya answered and walked toward the table of Candace.


    The leader looked at her, showing a little disappointment, and turned to Mercy and Zuri.


    "You''re not forced to answer now, we can still go to other raids, and if we can please..."


    "You''re so persistent." Hope positioned himself between them and gave him a dirty look.


    "How many times do you need to get rejected to understand your lesson? This lady is with me, and this is a battleground, so please refrain from annoying everyone."


    He walked forward, forcing the leader to step aside.


    Mercy and Zuri took the opportunity to leave too, with Mercy giving an apologetic smile to him.


    (What''s wrong with this dude? You''re just a D-rank, If it wasn''t for these girls I would have shown you where you stand.)


    The team kept gathering every soul stone, while Candace''s group was chatting casually, mostly praises from the council members to the three girls, but strangely, none of them seemed pleased.


    "B-rank, it was a B-rank Rift! Can you imagine?"Maxim was jubilant. "At this rate, you won''t need a knight in any case! You were stronger than anyone!"


    "T''wasn''t that much, honestly, I think the level here is lower than normal," Mercy answered.


    Maxim continued to fidget when Hope intervened again, but this time with a slight smile.


    "You''re just overreacting, it''s true that it wasn''t bad, but it''s only a B-rank. We still have a long way to go."


    "Eh? It''s not ONLY a B-rank Rift, it''s a REAL B-rank Rift! And why are you all smug? You''re a D-rank man, you could never fight here without them!"


    Hope frowned and grabbed him by the collar, releasing his aura.


    "Care to repeat that? I thought I misheard you."


    Mercy, Sunnah, and Lisa jumped and tried to separate them.


    "Hope what the heck? Let go of him!"


    "H-Hope..."


    "Idiot, let him go!"


    But the grip of the latter was surprisingly strong.


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    Maxim coughed and tried to struggle, their fight attracting everyone''s attention.


    "I said... LET HIM GO!" Mercy managed to snatch him from Maxim, who fell on his bottom.


    Hope clapped his hands and laughed mournfully, under everyone''s gaze.


    "Sorry, I have a little difficulty joking around these days. I am not actually a D-rank anymore, but I still haven''t done a re-evaluation. You became stronger, Lady Mercy, I''m glad for you. "


    "... What the..."


    "I''m worried about Peters, I''ll be rooting for you."


    He turned his back and started walking toward where they came from but stopped and glanced at Maxim.


    "I challenge you to a duel if you insult me ??again, we''ll see how you run this large mouth of yours." He turned his back and walked away, leaving the others confused.


    Lisa tried to help Maxim to stand but let him fall again when she realized that he had been bodied by Hope.


    Mercy facepalmed and turned to Sunnah.


    "What''s happening to him? Sister issues?"


    "...I don''t really know... Lady Mercy... he was very violent since he got to my house... Oh, I hope it''s not because of me..."


    "No, Don''t mind him, T''just meant that I was right to keep him as far from Dora as possible..."


    "You really should pick another knight... My lady." Maxim said while rearranging his collar.


    ***


    Hours later, the group was outside the Rift.


    Many Guild officers stood guard while waiting for the Rift to close.


    Candace''s group had said their goodbyes to the Hunters team and were preparing to leave.


    Mercy looked at several soul stones in a vase and turned to Dora, anxious.


    "All?"


    ¡°Yeah, poisonous like a vengeful woman¡¯s wine.¡±


    She sighed deeply and slumped into her seat.


    After the Rift, their group had received their share of stones but it appeared that all the soul stones in their possession were linked to the debuff, a feast for Zuri and Dora but useless for everyone else.


    The girl took five in each hand and burst out laughing.


    "I''m so sorry, my friends, it seems that life continues to pamper me, kukuku, I''m so sad for you..."


    ¡°I saw you crying,¡± Mercy grunted as she stirred another vase filled with elemental stones.


    The loot was half-satisfactory, but as long as they had Candace it didn''t make any serious trouble.


    ¡°Are you sure we can have them?¡± asked Sunnah, pointing to the elemental stones.


    The dean nodded, checking a map.


    "Yes, the point of today''s raid was to make you stronger, they won''t need it anyway, so choose whatever you want... Well, except the soul stones."


    "Booooo, I feel so bad for being so privileged..." Zuri complained, looking at Solaria.


    Lisa jumped onto the vase of elemental stones and took several at once.


    Maxim, offended by her act, was indignant.


    ¡°Could you show some respect for yourself? You didn''t even do anything!"


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want them, I¡¯ll just take your share.¡±


    "... That''s why no one thirsts for you."


    She put half of the stones in a bag and glanced at Dora, further away, refusing something to Iris.


    ¡°No one fishes me, I¡¯m the hunter and have my standards.¡±


    "Me too, maybe we could be good friends after all."


    She looked at him from head to toe like trash.


    They shared the remaining stones and headed towards the vehicle.


    It was decided that their next stop would be Freya''s mansion, a more suitable location for their training routine.


    Everyone entered the vehicle, chatting casually.


    Only Hope and Mercy remained outside, the girl with a concerned expression.


    "Do you realize what you''re asking?"


    Hope smiled and glanced at the car.


    "I think it''s better this way, you want some time off too, don''t you?"


    "... Hope, you always make things more complicated. Dora said he didn''t mind, you can join us now, there''s no better place to improve!"


    Earlier, Hope had announced that he would be staying with the Hunters'' Guild, to continue his training as a wandering emissary.


    From his point of view, that kind of training was much better than he expected from home training, a pretty terrible decision for himself.


    Mercy was very annoyed because she wasn''t allowed to tell him Candace''s secret, but she was planning to create a situation to include Hope in the team, but it would all fall apart if he stayed here.


    "Hope, I told you I still wanted you as a knight, so, please... Just... Why don''t you ever listen to me? Am I that despicable??"


    "This isn''t about you, my lady." He slowly regained his confidence. "I''ll never improve if I stay among the others, so let''s do this: I''ll train on my side, and you keep an eye on Peters, we''ll meet again at the start of the new term, you won''t believe how strong I''ll be then."


    He winked at her, very enthusiastic.


    Mercy looked at the vehicle, a little sad, and shook her head.


    "You know, this is going to sound weird coming from me, but... Sometimes it''s better to focus on something other than power, everyone''s... I think you''re going to miss something if you don''t join us now."


    But unfortunately for her, every word she spoke fueled his desire to leave.


    "I have but one word to say, my lady. I leave you on their side, but I will return when I am worthy again."


    Mercy looked at him and smiled tiredly.


    "...You''re supposed to be my knight..." she murmured to herself and went back to the car.


    The vehicle drove off, leaving Hope behind.


    He clenched his fists, proud of this discussion, and walked toward the guild.


    In the car, Mercy looked dejected. The others noticed and kept the silence.


    They understood the pain she could be going through, but in the end, they also knew how problematic Hope was.


    Dora stared at her momentarily and then looked at the landscape outside.


    She didn''t understand it yet, but soon Mercy''s words would appear to be proven more than she had expected.

 Finding Her Way

    In the northern region of the Kingdom, near the capital, was the seat of the Astaroth family. The group stayed in the homes of the nobles according to the variations of the Rifts, if a strong concentration was noted in the north, they settled with Freya, if it was more in the East, they would go to Mercy''s.


    The only place they would never go was the Royal Castle. The Astaroths'' mansion was similar to a small castle.


    The concession stretched to the horizon, including a forest, a vast training ground, a stable, and many other establishments.


    It was evening and the group was having a banquet as usual for the first night at a friend''s house.


    It was a warm tradition and everyone had a good time.


    Solaria fought fiercely, always near Dora, serving him drinks and trying to feed him, but every time she tried skin contact she was met with Zuri''s pinch.


    It was a silent war, but rather impressive since no one noticed them.


    In this beautiful picture, only Mercy was out of reach.


    She barely ate and remained distracted all the time.


    A few hours later, when everyone was supposed to be sleeping, she went to her balcony, looking at the moonlight.


    She was wearing her black pajamas and slippers.


    The wind welcomed her in its embrace, diffusing exotic flavors from the horizon.


    She sat down in a chair next to a table usually used for afternoon tea and sighed.


    "I''m happy to see another midnight tea lover." A voice in front of her startled her.


    She was supposed to be alone, but when she looked up, she met Dora''s gaze.


    "... Damn, you scared me..."


    "That''s the whole point of infiltration."


    "What... Why are you here though? You''re not sleeping?"


    "Voices in my head keep me from sleeping, what''s going on with you anyway? You''re not supposed to look like that until I deal with your knight."


    She laughed lightly.


    Dora snapped his fingers and a tea set appeared.


    "Don''t make me laugh, you''re not going to fight someone pathetic, I know that."


    She laughed a little, but her facial expression quickly changed into a sad smile.


    Dora poured some tea into a cup and handed it to her.


    She took it and looked at her reflection.


    "You''re a good knight... I''m sorry he keeps testing ya because of me, if it wasn''t for Elizabeth, I would have let ya..."


    She was silent for a moment and looked down.


    She slowly shook her head and looked at him before being surprised.


    Dora observed her with a strange smile, but not his usual mockery.


    He showed tenderness, as if he understood her pain, and encouraged her to free his heart.


    "... I must be a horrible person... I envy Zuri so much... I should be happy for her, but I would have liked so much if you were my knight instead... I tried to support him, I cheer''d him up, I gave him advice, I listened to him... But it''s too much now... I regret having accepted him. If only I had been a little faster that day... But I''m a failure magnet."


    She took a sip of tea and lowered her head.


    Dora put 5 sugar cubes in his cup and did the same.


    "I don''t know, whether you''re bound to fail depends on your goals and how far you are to achieve them. You use to do raids in B-rank rifts, that''s a big achievement."


    "Yeah, and you can do it without any party and using only one skill, definitely something to praise."


    He laughed lightly and put down his cup.


    "Yeah, because I''m me, that''s my thing, I have my power and limits, and they are different than you but you have your own growth too... Why are you so obsessed with power?"


    She looked at her reflection again and closed her eyes, gathering courage.


    "Sorry, wasn''t tryin'' to make this comparison. Ya know that I''m a noble, right? Well, I''m not exactly from a great noble lineage, like Freya or Solaria, I''m not the daughter of a duke, a marquise, or anythin'' like that... but my family is closer to the throne than any normal nobles."


    She put her cup on the table and stared at Dora.


    "My big brother is one of the Queen''s Holy guards."


    The wind rose. The two looked at each other in silence for seconds.


    "Holy Knights?"


    "Yeah, name''s Peters, an S-rank halberdier. My family has been linked to the nobility by this link for generations, one of us is designated as a Holy Knight by the preceding and they generally choose the strongest in the family. It''s a bit weird but I guess that way the Queen is always sure of their loyalty, or somethin'' like that."


    "I see, so if I understand clearly, you want to be stronger to be the next Holy Knight?"


    She shook her head slowly and looked at the moon.


    "Yes, but s''not really that. I was fine with my bro being the Holy Knight, but one day, he had an argument with our dad... he said that he wouldn''t pass the title to his successor, so the lineage of holy knights would die with him."


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She stared back at Dora.


    "Not having a holy knight in the family will cast us out of the nobility, dad knew that, so he turned the house upside down, like t''was really not good to leave there for months. My dad decided to deny him, but my mom couldn''t accept it and followed him, so now I''m leavin'' with my dad and Peters with our mom."


    Dora took a sip of tea and thought for a moment, seeing this, Mercy smiled and did the same.


    "I wanted to become a Holy Knight to reunite my family, We can have at max one Holy Knight by family, so if I want to take that from Peters, I need to be stronger than him, or havin'' a knight stronger... It was my goal in the beginning but... I am very far from his level and... Hope."


    "Big shoes for a cockroach." Dora nodded.


    Mercy laughed at his joke and finished her tea.


    She stood up and walked toward the edges of the balcony.


    "But now, things are different, it''s not impossible to reach his level anymore," Dora said.


    Mercy turned back with a smile.


    "Yes, everything is different now, in many ways... I can reach his level, and I''ll do it, no matter what, but not only to reunite my family but also to save him."


    She clenched her fist.


    "From this monster... Now I understand why he changed so much... Peters is always a lil'' too stubborn, and always overprotective... If he has learned the truth about the Queen, since he''s now linked to her, I''m sure he''s tryin'' to cut ties with us, just to protect us. That''s so like him."


    She sighed and sat down again. Dora looked at the moon, looking thoughtful.


    "It''s not impossible, you have the time, but that would just be reversing the problem, your brother would be then the one who would train to surpass you."


    "I know... But now that I know what a mess he is in, I can''t let him sink, can I? You have a sister too, I''m sure you get it."


    "... Yeah, and then it makes me want to root for your brother."


    She served him tea, a little smile on her lips.


    "Don''t underestimate little sisters, we always get what we want."


    "... On the sanity of your brothers? The end doesn''t always justify the mean."


    They laughed together and exchanged a few anecdotes about their brother or sister over cups of tea.


    After a while, the mood was excellent. Dora looked at the moon, smiling, and crossed his arms.


    "I can understand why he wouldn''t want you as a holy knight, you''re too rough to stick around the Queen, this will give him anxiety."


    "Oh, he will definitely get anxious when we meet again, I powered up a whole lot since last time!"


    "Sounds interesting, I''ll see how you deal with him, it will be fun to see who will cry first."


    "Well, at least I''m the one in control here, not getting played round'' by a little brother or somethin''." She teased him with a smug, making him laugh.


    "I''ll see you in control then, it''s true that you''re more suited than him for this task... And not only because you can be stronger, your brother is a Holy Knight for the Queen, so he belongs to her, but, since you are my... You are under my wing, you''re technically immune to the Queen thanks to the Code, as a property of the Avatar of Greed."


    He finished his cup and snapped his finger, but this time as an expression of joy.


    "Yeah, that''s a wonderful idea, let''s do this then... You ok?"


    He noticed the expression of the young girl.


    Her usual calm and stoic face was now in visible shock.


    Her azure eyes were shaking, and she opened her mouth slightly.


    Her gaze was fixed on the young boy in front of her.


    "You... You''re serious? You''re not kidding?"


    "Why are you surprised? We agreed to do that from the beginning, didn''t we?"


    "... Ah mean... like... Me under yer wing... you''re not just saying that for no reason, yer really willing to make me your vessel? Like... Like Miss Candace said... has a sub Avatar?"


    Dora stared at her intrigued for a moment then smirked mockingly.


    "Hmm... I don''t know... now that I think about it, maybe it''s too much pressure for you."


    "What? NO!!! I... I can take it! For realzie!!!" She jumped on the table, on her knee, and shook him by the shoulders. "Please! I''ll do anything for it!"


    "Eh...? But as a big brother I can''t betray the first rule of the bro book: don''t touch the sisters."


    "I''m not yer sis so you can touch me! Do... Uh...? What the... Urgh... dammit, forget I said that..." she got off the table embarrassed, covering her face.


    "Oh my¡­"


    "Please forget it!"


    "Your proposal to take you or your proposal to ''take'' you?"


    She grinned lightly, looking away while Dora laughed openly.


    The moon shines brightly, giving them a marvelous view of the landscape, a perfect sight to end their night.


    * * *


    It was a few hours past sunrise.


    In the family training ground, everyone watched an upcoming mock battle between Dora and Mercy.


    Solaria, a fan in her hand, nodded.


    "So... What''s going on here exactly?"


    "A friendly battle, I suppose," Gersey answered.


    "I know that already, what I mean is, why does she look so happy?... I don''t like this..."


    She growled in her corner, meanwhile, Dora and Mercy were ready to face each other.


    It looked like a very lopsided fight, but the look on both fighters'' faces was an auspicious omen.


    Mercy put a hand on her chest and took a few breaths.


    "This is it. I really made it... I really found a way to achieve all my goals... My family, my life... I can finally see through... And this time, I will do it, not someone else... I''m the one who''s gonna climb up and become a Holy Knight, just you wait, Peet."


    She looked right into Dora''s eyes, with a determined impression.


    The boy nodded his head and said nonchalantly.


    "Yer not planning to lose after such a speech are ya?"


    Most of the audience forced themselves not to burst out laughing. On her side, Mercy giggled and took a fighting stance.


    "Heh, I know you''ll wipe the floor with me if ya get serious, I know that... But the truth is after all this chitchat, I really just wanna fight for myself! I don''t care who''s stronger than me as long as I can feel stronger than the previous me every day, that way I''ll be stronger than him one day."


    "That''s the spirit, a battle between a lost girl and a monster, I''m so moved that I''ll give you a handicap: I''m not gonna do anything at all!"


    "Eh, don''t say it wasn''t a loss if I kick your butt!" She released a massive black aura covering the field.


    The four weaker council members present flinched and fell to their knees when the energy became a black tornado.


    "Whu... What is that?!" Lisa screamed.


    "This..."


    On his knees, Cid stared in disbelief.


    He had been seeing Mercy for a long time. It all started with a little girl from a noble family, with the misfortune of seeing her knight, a miserable insect, challenge him, the most powerful student of the new generation.


    She had nothing special, no special powers, not an avatar, not from the most famous family, just a little girl with almost no facial expression and the behavior of a tomboy.


    But just in that moment, in that very moment, he felt her energy, his body reacted by kneeling, not because of a shockwave, but to acknowledge the rise of a higher being.


    "Is this... The power of a B-rank?" Gersey murmured in shock, a little further away, Candace couldn''t hide a proud smile.


    The field was covered by a black dome, on the ground, red and black lightning came from several places.


    Dora widened his eyes and uncrossed his arms, making Mercy laugh.


    "You''re not gonna move so you''re not gonna defend yourself, that means that if I make ya switch, I win, right? Don''t you dare come back on your words!"


    She points her palms towards him and the next moment, the Earth shook and the surroundings turned black and white.


    *


    *


    Half an hour had passed, and around what used to be the familial arena, every maids and butlers were gathered, watching in confusion the scenery of a gigantic crater.


    In a bubble above, Candace''s group was watching with attention. The council members were way beyond shock, while the others seemed more focused on what was happening in the crater.


    Still emanating from lightning, the crater offered a surprising show.


    Dora, shirtless and burned in several parts, was crouched in front of Mercy, who was breathing heavily, lying on the ground.


    "Ehehe... Eh... Guess... It''s... Early... Hehe..."


    She laughed lightly, next to her, Dora closed his eyes and started applying healing on her.


    "Yeah, it''s way too early for you to be that strong, but..."


    "Uh-uh, we said... No buts... Hehe... You used your energy... to protect your pants."


    "I would have been naked!"


    "No buts!.... Oh? hehe... Wait, that was funny... hehehe..."


    He sighed and helped her up and carried her on his back. For their part, Solaria, was really angry, biting her handkerchief.


    "Something happened! I don''t know what, but something really bad happened!"


    "Indeed, she could have made a bet to make him become her knight if she won, what a waste." Freya nodded.


    The two emerged from the crater: the girl with newfound light in life, and the monster radiating in a completely distinct way.


    *


    *


    *


    Countdown: -4.

 Diamond Heart

    Two months had passed since the fight between Dora and Mercy. The two trained in the morning, following the same pattern, but after being seriously scolded by Elizabeth''s father, it was decided that they would only fight in Candace''s Rifts.


    It was a breath of fresh air for Mercy, who could finally let go and feel reborn, but for two other people, this change was a danger.


    The group was staying in the mansion of Maxim''s family, whose parents run food industries across the Kingdom.


    The place was a huge building, with two floors reserved for dormitories.


    The upper floor was reserved for women''s rooms, while the lower floor was reserved for men.


    In each of their rooms, Freya and Solaria faced the windows, bathed in moonlight, when a shadow appeared behind them.


    "It took you long enough," said Freya without turning her back on him.


    ***


    "I hope you have good news." Solaria did the same.


    The shadow dropped to one knee and turned out to be Gersey, at Freya, and Moonra at Solaria, both sweating with anxiety.


    "... By the way, since when am I your servant?" Moonra pouted.


    Solaria turned and ran her hand through her hair.


    "Since I will be a Sin''s wife if my plan succeeds, and you don''t want me to remember you as the one who abandoned me."


    "Ugh... Ok, ok, it was a rhetorical question... So here''s my report."


    ***


    (Freya''s room)


    On his knee, Gersey coughed and took a piece of paper.


    "Anesidora follows the same pattern every day: he doesn''t sleep, he lies on his bed but randomly pops somewhere after 4 am, and then he drinks coffee with a huge amount of sugar. He then go wakes up Miss Candace for training and then, they go in Rifts, alongside Miss Iris, Miss Eryl, and Midgard''s Serpent. Currently, they''re on the verge of reaching A-rank Rifts."


    ***


    (Solaria''s room)


    "They stay there until they''ve completed a certain amount of achievement, Dora doesn''t get tired, so their limit is determined by completing a job. After that, Mercy join them for her training with him, usually for about half an hour, but one day she managed to fight for a whole hour. After that, he has lunch and other Rift''s training, and then in the afternoon, he fights and loses against Iris."


    "... That''s a big problem..."


    "Already? Oh, then I better not tell you that Zuri goes to his bedroom every night."


    ***


    (Freya''s room)


    "She goes where?!"


    "For her bedtime story, apparently Sir Dora has many wholesome stories, but it also appears that their origin forbids him to tell anyone else about it. I might be wrong, but I have the intuition that this could be related to his biggest weakness ."


    ***


    (Solaria''s room)


    The Princess stopped strangling her brother and opened her eyes widely.


    "Weakness?"


    "Since I tell you, you sick! I noticed an interesting pattern about him, when he uses light magic, he becomes nice, like a little dog, but when he uses this fighting stance, when he spreads his arms, he becomes like to madman."


    ***


    (Freya''s room)


    "A puppy?... And how could I benefit from it?"


    "The thing is, Midgard''s Serpent referred to him as G, and when he becomes nice, she calls him B. My guess is that this is some kind of ability, when Mister Dora is B, he is nice and helpful, but when he becomes the G, he is unpleasant."


    "Do you realize how stupid that sounds?"


    ***


    (Solaria''s room)


    "The thing is, if you play it clever, there''s actually a way for you to take benefits from it, for example, if you force Dora to use this form and then make him promise, swear or anything that he couldn''t refuse, then there''s a chance to get him easily."


    Solaria walked toward the window, looking thoughtful.


    "... I heard that he used to have a girlfriend but no one understood how they put themselves together... that must be it!"


    She clenched her fist and as the moonlight illuminated it, she seemed more evil than ever.


    "That''s it, that must be it, I need this to be it! Light magic? Everything makes sense!"


    ***


    (Freya''s room)


    "Are you sure you''re ok, sis? You look a little scary."


    "You don''t understand, having this man at my service is only a dream, even if I tricked him, as an Avatar he is above the law... But he still played this healer''s game until he found an opportunity to run. It means that if I use his weakness correctly..."


    ***


    (Solaria''s room)


    "... I can make him serve me forever, and if I can even follow his will, he will never want to get rid of me! Moonra, good job! Tomorrow we will begin the ultimate operation to capture an Avatar!"


    ***


    (Both of them at the same time)


    "You''ve been playing me for too long, but now it''s my turn"


    The following day, a strange event happened for Dora.


    Early in the morning, he had received two invitations to help with a B-rank raid near the city at noon, the two for the same Rift.


    In the car, he was surprised to see, accompanying him Freya, Solaria, and their brothers.


    The two ladies faced each other silently, in staring contests, while their brothers were sweating profusely.


    "What a strange coincidence, that we all get invited for the same Rift."


    "Fufufu, yes, what a surprise... It seems like Rifts attract not only monsters but scavengers too." Solaria gave a deadly gaze to Gersey who shook his head frantically.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Scavenger? How fitting for the children of the Sin of Glutonny." Freya answered without a care.


    The rest of the journey consisted of provocations of this kind, in the midst of which Moonra and Gersey sighed in distress, much to the amusement of Dora, unaware that he was in the eye of the cyclone.


    A little later, they arrived in a vast field in the middle of which a white Rift was rumbling.


    Dora stared at this phenomenon for a few seconds then turned to his friends.


    "Is Grandma around?"


    Solaria and Freya looked at each other worriedly.


    "N-no, it must be a coincidence, she is visiting the supermarket," Solaria said, looking away.


    Freya nodded and covered her lie.


    "It might be the consequences of the variant coming, I heard about reports of uncanny Rifts, but it''s not a reason to waste time. Let''s get inside."


    "Only us? How come no one noticed that and made a report? It''s strange... Thinking about it, since it was an anonymous invitation... Is there even a paycheck?!"


    The two girls facepalmed and gave deadly gases to their shaking brothers.


    "S-sir Dora! Maybe we should clear it first? I mean, a brave man like you..."


    "I''ve shut down 47 students."


    "... I mean, a strong man like you shouldn''t bother about such a weak Rift..."


    Gersey lowered his head, Freya, impatiently walked straight into the Rift, followed in a hurry by Moonra and her brother.


    Dora rolled his eyes and completed the walk with Solaria.


    Further away, under a bunch of trees, a girl with white hair and light outfits was lying next to a picnic set, a girl with blue hair next to her.


    "... They really went inside."


    "See? I told you he would be fooled by this, the color doesn''t matter."


    In the Rift, the five were in a dark forest.


    Strange noises could be heard from afar, making Gersey tremble.


    "Hm... Was it really necessary that I come too? I''ve never been in a Rift before."


    "And when will be the right time? When you hit puberty? I won''t have a Balder situation in my family."


    Moonra chuckled and pumped his chest.


    "Don''t worry, this Prince won''t let any monsters touch you, I''ll guarantee everyone''s protection."


    He glanced at Freya who didn''t even react and noticed Solaria''s furious gaze.


    "Thank you, dear brother, but in the presence of this dear Dora, I believe that we should let him deal with the situation."


    The concerned person jumped.


    "Me?"


    "Yes, who else? You are the strongest, you''re definitely the one in charge."


    "What about you? I barely feel anything in this Rift, you should be able to clear that by your... Uh?"


    He stopped suddenly and took a thinking pose.


    Freya thought for a moment and moved closer.


    "Maybe we can, yes, but aren''t you in need of experience? You shouldn''t let this chance slip, I would even suggest you use only one skill, as a handicap."


    Solaria flinched and smiled widely.


    "Yeah! Great idea, this is nothing for you, you should definitely use only one skill... A bright skill, something very... Enlightening..."


    "Ah dammit, fine, fine, I don''t need both of you to tell me that too, I''ll do it."


    He walked a few steps, looking around him, leaving Solaria and Freya with a sinister smile.


    (Good... Once you finish here, I''ll see how much you''re controllable in this state.)


    (And then, nothing will be able to stop me.)


    Dora stopped in a larger space and closed his eyes.


    "What a strange Rift... Is this only because of a variant? I don''t even feel any monster... Except that one."


    He opened his eyes shining yellow.


    "Synergy: Delta-Gamma"


    His aura exploded in powerful shockwaves and a bright light illuminated the forest.


    The light faded, revealing the boy with angry eyes.


    They looked at him, a little surprised when Freya frowned.


    "You... What is this? I feel no light energy in you!"


    Dora took a glance at them and turned to another direction of the forest.


    "You wanted me to use only one skill."


    "... I mean, we were thinking of something like light magic!"


    "Are you giving me advice?"


    They flinched and opened their eyes wide. The gaze Dora gave them was reminiscent of his darkest moments in the undead Rift or his fight against Thomas.


    He slowly turned toward the same direction and raised a finger.


    "I don''t need your opinion or his power to erase that thing."


    As his finger glowed blue, he fired a massive lightning bolt in the direction he was looking. This was followed by a blue and white explosion which shook the forest and left them temporarily blinded.


    Gersey was knocked unconscious due to the sudden surge of energy, while the others managed to remain still and stare at the enormous space created by the attack.


    It appeared as if a large road and cultivation field had suddenly materialized out of nowhere.


    The field was black from the burnt, crossed by lightning on some parts.


    Dora looked at the impact zone and nodded.


    "Hm... I see... so this is why there''s only one monster here... hey, y''all."


    They looked at him, Freya and Solaria with clear anger.


    "I don''t know why but apparently every soul of the monsters is concentrated in only one monster, to put it simply, there are many monsters gathered in one being."


    He faced the impact zone, while the ground started to shake.


    "How ironic... But now I''m sure that this fossil is behind that."


    "So what? Just kill it since you don''t need light power." Freya said in the back.


    Dora stared at her in annoyance, but the eyes of the young lady didn''t show any ounce of fear, but something else.


    "I''m not saying that I can''t, I''m warning you that you''re in the way. This will take many hits to take all the soul of this thing."


    "And I repeat, you claimed that you could do it without any other skill, so go ahead, show me how you can live to your words."


    They stared at each other for seconds. The ground started to tear apart and soon a strange substance came from the black soil.


    The thing had the appearance of a mixture of several monsters, mixing on themselves in a black shadow.


    Moonra lifted Gersey and turned to the other three.


    "Guys! We need to do something, now!"


    But none of them moved. Freya kept piercing Dora with her gaze and Solaria was growling, thinking intensely.


    The monster grew in volume, covering a large space and surrounding them.


    Dora raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.


    "Was that your plan from the beginning? Taking me here to make me use light magic? What''s the point? You want to learn how it works?"


    A tentacle-like substance came from the monster, surrounding the group like a snake and getting dangerously close to them.


    "Don''t underestimate me, I don''t want your power, I could deal with any problem coming to me my own way, but it really annoys me when someone starts stepping on my pride. I am not one of the people you use as training tools."


    The tentacle closed in, and Moonra took out his sword and rushed at it.


    Dora looked at Freya for a while before rolling his eyes.


    "Fine, you don''t need my power, so I suppose that you won''t need me to kill these monsters by yourself."


    "Excuse me?!" Moonra shouted.


    Freya''s aura started spreading in a warm pink and yellow light.


    "Need? Please, do you think I wouldn''t kill a vermin of that level?"


    "Then go ahead, I''m watching you."


    At this moment, a green light covered the area and several rays of light struck the monster, reducing it to a moving howling goo.


    The three looked in surprise at the Princess, a white magic wand topped with a sun-shaped ornament.


    She waved her hair and gave them a determined smile.


    "So, what you''re saying is, you''re challenging us to defeat this thing, and the winner will get what she wants from you?"


    Dora widened his eyes and glanced at Freya whose energy continued to increase.


    "Fine by me, I''ll make you pay for your insolence and I''ll shut this girl for good, the best victory for me."


    "Oh I''ll enjoy every ounce of rage you''ll have, little Frey."


    They stood together side by side, their energy covering the whole area in a green, yellow and pink firework, and then the earth moved.


    ***


    In a matter of minutes, the previously dark forest had transformed into a vast crater, radiating with an array of colorful and vibrant plant life.


    In the center of this breathtaking landscape stood two elegant girls, unfazed by the destruction that had once occurred in this area.


    They gracefully fixed their hair and looked up at the sky, surrounded by the remnants of around fifty soul stones, completing the surreal imagery.


    Moonra looked at them, amazed, and held his chest.


    (On my mother, and my father... I apologize to God, for I''m renouncing everything today... because my only goal in life is now settled.) he thought intensely, watching Freya and her angelic gestures.


    The two girls looked at each other for a moment but eventually smiled.


    "I prefer that, it would be boring if my opponent was another specialist in chitchat." Freya with a proud smile.


    "Please, the blood of an Avatar runs in my veins, you won''t keep this facade for long. But now, time for the reward."


    They looked at Dora in front of them.


    The boy, a petal flower in his hand, closed his eyes and nodded.


    "I don''t know if you should be celebrating, it wasn''t a big deal from the beginning..." suddenly, he opened his eyes again, but his facial expression conveyed a new emotion to the girls. "But I do appreciate a beautiful work, as a specialist of destruction, I can acknowledge a real work of art, and that one is the most perfect balance of power and elegance that I''ve seen... Until now, I admit defeat ."


    He smiled at them, a smile powerful enough to make the girls shake a little.


    But they didn''t let it appear, they kept their composure and crossed their arms.


    Dora walked towards them.


    "But it will be a problem to determine who dealt the final blow, so as a token of my recognition, I allow you to dispose of me only once. Choose wisely, because I don''t think I will bet once again in a fight where I can only watch."


    "Hm... I don''t know... saying like this..." Solaria scratched her chin, a smirk on her lips.


    Freya with a similar expression, put a hand on her hip.


    "She''s right, after your annoying speech, I don''t even feel like giving you that... You deserve a real punishment."


    Dora frowned and sighed heavily.


    "Really? After all of this? What was the point then?"


    "Well, your face right now is enough rewarding, plus, since we cleared this Rift, we should share the stones only between the two of us."


    Solaria nodded in agreement, both enjoying teasing the young boy to the extreme.


    But as a display of his newly strange behavior, he didn''t show any real annoyance.


    He grinned, looking away, and turned toward the entrance.


    "I''ll let you have it, but this will be my last defeat."


    His eyes shone brightly and little by little, a new persona took over, as surprised as the prince nearby could be, as on that day, for the very first time, Gamma admitted defeat on his own will.


    Later that night in her bedroom l, Solaria was looking at the outside view before screaming.


    "Holy COW!!! I''m an IDIOT! FUUUU...."


    *


    *


    *


    Countdown: -3.

 All Alone In Her World

    Somewhere in a ghost town, bodies of monsters littered the streets. Inside the buildings, stuck to the walls, everywhere the eyes could see, there was part of a monster.


    The open-air cemetery formed a track leading to a square, and inside this square two people were confronting each other.


    Dora and Iris, in their usual mock battle, were rushing at each other in explosive showdowns.


    Candace, Midgard, and Eryl were spectators, and soon a familiar figure joined them.


    "How are things here?" asked Elizabeth.


    She came from time to time and was here followed by Cid.


    Candace waved at them to come closer.


    "Depends on who you ask. Iris has been doing great all along, better than expected, but that means Dora isn''t as tasty as we''d like."


    "Hm?... It''s weird, their energy keeps increasing tenfold every time I come back... Aren''t they already A-rank?"


    Eryl ran her finger over her lips, looking thoughtful.


    "It''s more complicated, the power of an A-rank varies according to each person''s potential, they are beyond the average A-rank, but..."


    Dora crashed near them. He stood still for a moment before getting up without a scratch.


    "What resilience... I often forget that he''s part tank." Elizabeth crossed her arms proudly.


    Cid looked at Dora with disdain and put his hands in his pockets.


    "So all this talk and he''s still getting trashed? How ironic."


    "Do you think you can do better, young man?" Elizabeth teased him.


    "If I hadn''t been injured for so long, you wouldn''t have even heard of him. But now I''m closing the gap."


    He clenched his fist with determination, paying no attention to the sigh of empathy from the women around him.


    Dora put his hands on his hips and for a moment, Iris who was standing on a lamp post jumped in front of him.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you stopping? Did I hurt you? Was I too rough?"


    Dora frowned and looked at her.


    "Do you even realize that you''ve never hurt me? Stop trying to be nice, it''s boring and we won''t be friends."


    "Huh? What''s wrong?... Did I offend you again? I really didn''t mean to insult you!"


    They argued like this for a while, which seemed to annoy Cid.


    "Look at her... I could swear she''s a completely different person. Just wait until I surpass you both, you''ll regret ignoring me."


    "No offense, boy, but I really don''t see you sitting at this table."


    "... Shouldn''t you worry about your brother first?"


    Elizabeth flinched and looked away, embarrassed.


    She hadn''t seen Hope since that time at the academy and after hearing his confession to Mercy, she couldn''t muster up the courage.


    Her last idea was to meet him "by mistake" here and have an explanation, but that too had failed.


    "YOU KIDDING!"


    A shout from Iris took her from her shadow.


    "Since I''m telling you? I can''t let you pamper me, because you are annoying, and I''ve been hiding my trump card this whole time."


    "Wait-wait-wait, I''m about to have a heart attack... You... aren''t going all out from the beginning... And you''re not referring to this form you''re forbidden to use because of your Sin?"


    Candace and the others seemed surprised to hear that and came closer.


    Dora took a distinguished pose, a smug on the lips.


    "Exactly, or more like, half accurate. So you see, after being pounded so many times by your damned sword, which you took care never to remove from its sheath to better humiliate me..."


    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    "I developed an ultimate strategy to take my revenge... The journey was long and perilous... I tried again and again, every los-... every non-ability to defeat you before being unfairly judged defeated and by someone who calls herself your mentor... All of that fueled my motivation..."


    Candace sighed and shrugged her shoulders, while the other women tried to hide their laugh.


    "And then one day, I found the truth! The very essence of this world, the concept of existence!"


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of acting so stupid?¡± Cid asked with his usual tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me come there, young boy, I could rip your fucking remaining limbs.¡±


    Cid grunted and looked away.


    ¡°So, like I was saying, I found a way, fitting my attributes, to become even better than ever.¡±


    "Is that true? You''ve never pulled something like that." Candace insisted.


    Dora took a few steps backward and glanced at Midgard.


    "Because, dear dean, the best weapon is the one hidden behind the strongest, don''t be worried about the attack incoming, be afraid of the one that''s still charging."


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡±


    "It''s a youngster''s expression, of course, you wouldn''t know."


    While Elizabeth was busy holding back Candace, Dora put his hands together and faced Iris.


    "Here''s the culmination of my most powerful abilities: first, let''s begin with a little study, creation magic."


    Blue and white particles gathered in his hands, converging into a mass of energy.


    "This formidable power allows me to create any physical things, or more precisely, tangibles. Paper, rocks, water, wood, metal... Sword."


    The energy took the form of a beautiful sword with refined patterns.


    Iris, a finger on her lips, nodded like a child.


    "That''s... That''s a big sword... Big and beautiful."


    "Yes, but here''s where the real magic begins, creating a sword would be simple, and the more simple an action is, the more insignificant it actually becomes... So now, I won''t create this sword right away, I''ll infuse the particles with gravity magic."


    The energy, with the shape of a sword, turned purple and started to shake.


    Everyone watched now with high interest.


    "This is now a sword with an edge inflicting gravitational magic, but only when infused with magic."


    "Gravity? On the edge... so this sword hit hard?"


    "Does it? Maybe it does, but it doesn''t end here."


    ¡°There¡¯s more?!¡± Iris leaned forward, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Dearie, What are you doing?¡± Midgard asked intrigued.


    Several particles of energy appeared and gathered in the mass of energy.


    The sword began to take form and release a strange and refined aura.


    ¡°Last step, the special moment, are you ready?¡±


    Iris nodded quickly.


    "This part is very special, and can only be achieved by me. I decompose my spiritual pressure into an ideological form and a realistic form. The concept is, that the ideological form is the invisible energy that will follow the will of realistic energy... Take a fireball for example, the fire is the realistic part, the ball is the ideological part, the shape you want to give it."


    Eryl raised an eyebrow and redoubled her attention. For everyone, this scene was surreal, it was no longer just a show of strength, but the insolent boy was reminding them that the reason he was endorsed in the first place, was because he was a genius.


    The sword emitted a mesmerizing light and gave off a mystical energy.


    "Separating the ideological part allows me to use its concept at a physical level if I infuse it to every particle of energy of this sword, this allows me to create something I call a Law."


    "A law? I see, I see." Iris nodded.


    "This Law is a general rule that the particles will follow. For example, let''s say that on an ideological level, the particles will increase their defensive energy to not break and in response to the increase in defense, the gravity magic-infused particles will increase the power of gravity. This makes a sword that will exponentially increase your attack and will never break."


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Iris clapped her hands in amazement, the others looked in shock.


    "What the... This brat is actually a real genius..." Candace murmured.


    Dora took the sword that emanated with a radiant energy, he inspected the shape and gave a teasing smile to his audience.


    "That''s... That''s an amazing sword..." Iris said.


    "Yes... and now, I have it in my hands."


    "... What are you gonna do with this sword?"


    "Hm? What I''m gonna do? You''re asking me what I''m gonna do with this sword?" He raised his sword. "Look what I''m going to do. I''m raising this sword..."


    ¡°Uh-Uh.¡±


    "I infuse it with gravity magic..." the sword covered itself in an invisible aura.


    Iris leaned even closer.


    ¡°And then¡­¡±


    "Holy... Iris watch out!" Candace shouted, but the sword was already a few centimeters above Iris''s forehead.


    A powerful shockwave shook the place and sent Eryl and Cid onto their feet.


    The group, too late in reaction, watched in horror the cruel fate of Iris.


    But they soon opened their mouths paralyzed.


    Iris, sword drawn, countered Dora''s formidable blow.


    "... You dare defend yourself when I attack you... And how did you even block that one? What kind of logic is that?!"


    Iris tried to smile, but the pressure of the weapon pushed her blade back.


    She jumped backwards, a wide excited smile that showed all her teeth.


    Behind, Candace was furious,


    "Are you crazy?! You could have killed her, you idiot!"


    She tried to rush to them, but Elizabeth stopped her.


    ¡°Hey, Ely, this isn¡¯t the time for¡­¡±


    She suddenly stopped talking, seeing a brand new expression on Elizabeth.


    "... um... Ely?"


    ¡°Miss Candace, did I ever ask you for a favor?¡±


    Elizabeth, smiled melancholy at her. The dean didn''t answer, drowning in the eyes of her disciple.


    "Miss Candace, if you really care about this girl, do you mind... letting her have the freedom to live this moment to the fullest?"


    "... Uh?"


    Iris grabbed her sword, shaking. Her smile looked more and more like a grimace, and sweat started to bead on her forehead.


    ¡°... Miss Candace?¡±


    She called for her mentor, the dean, increasingly troubled clenched her fist.


    "Iris?"


    "I can''t... I can''t fight him... I won''t defeat him if I can''t unleash my sword."


    "... You people are so stupid... You could just use a wooden... Aah Dammit! Fine, I allow you to kill each other now, may you suffer forever!"


    At the words of the dean, Iris calmed down and looked at Dora.


    The boy checked his sword and stared back.


    "Well, Dora... I''ve never used my sword like this in friendly battle... but all my instincts tell me that I''m going to lose... for the first time if I don''t go all out.¡±


    "... I literally just created one sword, why are you turned on?"


    "Because you don''t give off a feeling of doubt as usual, even after hearing that I''ll go serious... and as a certain genius once said, the first weapon is just a threat, but the real weapon is the one hidden in the shadow."


    Dora frowned and unleashed powerful waves of energy.


    "You''re not getting away this time, I prepared this mode especially for you, it is called: Iris''s Killer... Synergy: Beta-Sigma"


    As the energy swirled around him, the air behind him started to distort. Suddenly, several large spears emerged from the space, along with blue and yellow particles swirling around him. He balanced on a sword, taking his finger sword pose.


    ¡°Are you ready, La~dy Iris?¡±


    Iris gulped, with a relieved smile on her lips and clenched her sword.


    ¡°For over ten years.¡±


    A rain of spears fell on the girl, who spun around, surrounded by her aura, and struck with her sword which destroyed the weapons in a flash of light.


    In a magnificent display, Iris and Dora were surrounded by shining pieces of weapons covered by magic particles.


    The two with confident smiles, Dora above, Iris on the ground, seeming almost immobile, forming the masterpiece of a painter.


    And then, they both charged towards each other. Spears, swords, daggers, axes, and every kind of weapon appeared out of nowhere and were aimed at the girl. Iris, who was like a goddess of swordsmanship, moved swiftly around them, dodging and slicing.


    Sometimes, she found herself trapped in a cage of blades, with almost no escape, but she always managed to reach Dora somehow. However, when she hit him, the creation magic would gather on the spot where she hit him, and push her back.


    Although she had touched him many times, the boy never seemed to get hurt nor flinch, despite Iris'' increasing attack. She decided to give it one last try and made sure to keep her eyes wide open.


    As the creation magic pushed her back more forcefully than ever before, Iris finally understood something.


    Perfect Defense.


    The culmination of Dora''s creation magic, used on himself.


    The light particles worked the same way as for the sword enhancement.


    Every time Dora received a hit, the particles infused with the ideological concept created a law consisting of returning the force received by equivalent energy, like a mirror.


    To put it simply, Iris''s attacks could only meet their rebound, no matter where she hit.


    This battle was no longer a show of strength, but endurance, where the loser would be the first one to lose stamina.


    Realizing that, as she fell around swords, a tear came from the young girl.


    (All my life... All my life I''ve been waiting...)


    She turned around herself, a blinding light followed, and turned the sword into debris, which gathered and formed smaller swords, then daggers, again and again.


    (I''ve waited so long... How long has it been? Since the last time I felt so alive?)


    The thing happened decades ago. The Avalon clan was a lineage of powerful knights throughout centuries.


    It is said that they are among the most pure and famous clans in the Kingdom, alongside other great names like the Astaroth.


    They were considered the strongest and most prolific, in the domain of Royal Knights, and about 14 years ago, a miracle happened among the miracles.


    At the age of 4 years old, a little girl accomplished a surprising feat for her young age.


    Armed with only a stick, she had destroyed a heavy steel training doll, a feat only possible by the use of reinforcement magic.


    After that, she was considered a genius, and many tutors followed one another for her training.


    At the age of 10, she gained widespread recognition as the most promising student of her age. She was greatly admired and considered a role model. Her achievements were deemed flawless, and she was not only seen as an exceptional phenomenon but also a future goddess. Her name became a popular topic among the nobility, and she was introduced to several duke families, including the Astaroth. However, her fame grew so much that many stopped pursuing her as they believed that someone as extraordinary as her could only belong to the highest house - the Royal Castle.


    (It''s always been like this, everyone praises me, worships me... But I''ve never understood why. I don''t remember this story of destroying a training doll, and I don''t know why they say that I''m so strong... Everything I do is giving a hit, Why is it so special?)


    This tale was the story of a girl blessed with great power, but aware of herself.


    She never saw herself as a prodigy, all she had to do was try something and she succeeded.


    For everyone else, it was a century-old talent, but for her, it was like praising her for acting naturally.


    (I am the strongest? I''m not even A-rank, why do you focus on me? Lady Elizabeth is far stronger than me, why are they all complimenting what I did? I met so many people, I fought many of them, but the result was always the same: when I try just a little to get serious, they stay on the ground.)


    Lying in the air, among millions of tiny weapons, She looked at Dora. It seemed like the time had stopped around her.


    (But you''re different... You were the first one to point out that I wasn''t so special, they were just too weak... They asked me to be the student council President, and without waiting for my answer, everyone was already rooting for me...)


    She slashed in front of her, creating a space to escape the blade storm, as she moved forward, parts of her armor started to be disintegrated.


    (... The more I destroy them, the smaller they become, and they multiply... But their toughest keep increasing... Is that another law?)


    She looked above again, and Dora, with another hand gesture, threw several giant spears at her.


    (... I regret it... I regret so much... having misjudged you... You''re just like me, you''re not trying to be the best because there''s no competition here... Your only opponent is yourself. I put my trust in my council members, I hoped one of them could give me a real challenge for once... I was the one who pushed to select only the strongest students, I wished to be surrounded by people like me, people who could understand me... See me like a normal person... these people would be the world to me...)


    Her armor was being destroyed more and more, she dodged three spears and broke a dozen with a slash.


    (But no matter who I chose... Lisa never managed to give me a challenge, so she focused on students of her rank, Sunnah is too afraid to use her power, so she remains an E-rank... Cid had such great potential, but he never corrected his weaknesses, and there are a lot of them... Thomas was the best among them... he was strong, he was talented, he had a work ethic... I saw him as someone who could understand me, be my special person, the one who could see a face of me that no one else could... and help me to feel these emotions, that are burning me now... but it seemed like I was just too selfish.)


    A burst of energy made the earth shake.


    Dora flinched and stared in surprise at the girl whose aura was spreading around her, covering the whirlwind of blades.


    "I was wrong to complain, none of them is wrong in this story, I was just a mistake... Because I am an anomaly in this world!" She shouted, holding her sword in an offensive stance.


    "No kidding, you''re really an anomaly now," Dora said clasping his hands.


    The whirlwind turned blue and red, while Iris''sword shone brightly.


    "I am an anomaly, and this is why I can''t let go of you! You''re the only one who can understand me, who can make me feel human! The one who will never see me as a genius... because you''re greater than me! So please..."


    A bright light covered the scene, engulfing everything.


    "... Let me taste defeat for once."


    The light destroyed the whirlwind in its entirety, reducing fragments of weapons into particles of weapons.


    But despite the destruction, the girl kept slashing around her, again and again, faster and faster.


    One could think that she was becoming crazy, but she was more aware than anyone who was watching her, aware of what was surrounding her.


    "Law of Destruction and Creation: Infinite cycle" Dora''s eyes shone brightly and he opened his hands, letting appear a small white orb.


    The whirlwind of weapons around Iris was indeed reduced to smithereens, but each crumb turned into smaller weapons, stronger than the previous due to the effect of the Law, and destroyed themselves thanks to the use of creation magic to decompose them.


    The weapons kept shrinking and increasing tenfold in number and forming a cloud of lethal particles.


    Iris spun around, unable to think. Slashing, again and again, but her body was unable to protect itself from the rebound of her own increased power.


    Her armor was destroyed, and her angelic and intact skin was outlined with red dots.


    A few blue hairs flew away, but she never lost her smile.


    She continued to dance, in this fatal spectacle, where her legendary armor was delicately removed, and suddenly, with a last breath, she muttered before closing her eyes.


    "... Thank you for everything."


    She stopped moving and greeted her audience with a shower of red petals spreading everywhere.


    "IRIS!!!!" Candace shouted as everyone watched in shock.


    Dora opened his eyes wide and clapped his hands, dispelling the attack.


    Iris started to fall to the ground, Candace rushed towards her, but before she could catch her, she stopped in the air, or rather was stopped.


    Dora used his magic to stop her fall and came down to her from above, before using healing magic on her.


    In front of them, Candace was trembling with emotion, she had thought she was going to lose her student, but as soon as she saw Dora''s face, her rage was replaced by confusion.


    "Crazy, you''re crazy! This is the last time I fight you with weapons!"


    "Haha... hey, it''s just... a scratch... I still have some fight in me."


    "It wouldn''t be just a scratch if it had lasted longer, you idiot! Don''t use me to kill yourself!"


    Iris laughed, stronger by the time her injuries disappeared.


    Candace seemed invisible to them, and, on her knee, watched this incredible display of the Avatar of Greed being genuinely worried about injuring his opponent.


    That day, she had witnessed two miracles: the humanity of a Sin, but also the humanity of a genius, as both of them stopped acting like godlike beings, but just as friends, like she could have seen in her very long life.


    Iris, with a big smile on her lips, lay on her back and watched her blood flow from a cut on her hand.


    "Wow... so even I have red blood... It''s so weird to lose, I feel like I''ve left something undone."


    ¡°The whole story of my life.¡±


    "Ha... How''s that?... Hey, Dora, what about you joining the student council? It would be so much fun with you around."


    "... You serious? Well, what''s about no? And by no, I mean bloody no!"


    "Yep, I knew you would say that... because that''s also what I would have said... But I''m still trapped there so... what if we make a bet? If I win the next fight, you join!"


    She laughed, like the girl she forgot she was, like the human she was denied to be.


    At this moment, no one could be seen around them, they were in their own world.


    Some people here could be stronger than them, but appeared Invisibles, as both had found a new part of themselves and were feeling immense gratitude for the one who helped them to learn about themselves.


    *


    *


    *


    Countdown -2

 On This Day And Forever

    Two months had passed since that memorable fight between Dora and Iris. Many events had happened throughout Candace''s training and many changes had occurred between the different people.


    Mercy had found a new purpose in life, to take away her brother''s status as a holy knight by herself.


    Freya had learned to focus more on her own abilities, but above all to recognize the people around her.


    Zuri became more confident and could now speak openly to Freya and Solaria. She didn''t change much, since she never felt the need, since for her, despite the revelations about his nature, Dora was still Dora.


    Solaria hasn''t changed her goals much, but life alongside her new friends, like a new family, has been a whole good experience for her.


    Concerning her brother and Gersey, both were at first very afraid of Dora, knowing his nature for one and the strange properties of his mind for the other.


    But after many experiences together, futile afternoons between boys, playtime, and more, the ice began to break.


    Dora no longer seemed like a monster but like a very unique friend.


    Only Cid, more focused on his training, went from time to time to raid alongside other teams, missing the time to build bonds with them.


    It had been a long journey for them, alongside formidable beings like Candace, Eryl, Elizabeth, and Midgard.


    Every day was not devoted to fighting, they celebrated, walked, shared hobbies, and challenged each other on anything... To resume the journey, they led a normal life, a life to which they were not used to it, and they had acquired much more than power.


    Across the kingdom, reports of Rifts had diminished considerably, good information for those unaware of the impending cataclysm.


    The group was relaxing in a public bath in a southern region of the kingdom.


    Elizabeth was washing Candace''s hair, Mercy was doing the same for Iris, and the others were relaxing in the water.


    "Ouch... it stings." Iris giggled as Mercy passed her hand over some scars on her neck.


    "That will teach ya to refuse to be healed after fightin''."


    "You can''t understand... It''s a privilege to be hurt."


    "Yeah, yeah... You masochist." Mercy sighed while Iris laughed.


    They enjoyed their time, chatting casually, often teasing each other.


    In this wonderful picture, Midgard was a little apart.


    Sitting in the water, she watched the sky melancholically.


    "What''s in your mind, Miss Midgard?" Eryl asked, sitting down next to her.


    "Hm? What? I''m not even allowed to think?"


    "Oh no, but your wisdom is always so fascinating, why not share it with us?"


    She offered to clean her hand, but Midgard stood up and traced her way to the edge.


    "Just ignore me, is that so hard? It''s a beautiful night so enjoy it to the fullest and leave me alone."


    "Come on, can''t you have a little fun if Sir Anesidora isn''t around?"


    Midgard reached the border of the water and sat on a rock.


    She gave a thoughtful gaze to everyone and looked at the moon, more shining than ever.


    "I could ask you the same question, have you ever considered what will happen after the Twilight of Gods?"


    They looked at each other, a little surprised by the question.


    Candace nodded.


    "Really? Is that what bothered you? I thought it was something a little less clich¨¦."


    "Clich¨¦? How ironic, is there anything else to consider? You seem to have forgotten that the purpose of this journey was to fully awaken the Avatar of Greed, for this specific day, but can you say that it goes well?"


    Solaria, with a worried expression, looked at Eryl.


    "Wait... He''s still not ready?"


    "I wouldn''t say that, the good thing about him is that he''s very secretive about his abilities... that''s also a problem, but still, remember that he has yet to use his strongest form, so I am more confident of the fateful day."


    Midgard rolled her eyes and stared at Elizabeth.


    "You, the legend of this century, what is your role here?"


    Elizabeth looked at her with a bit of confusion and glanced at Iris.


    "Well... I don''t think I''ll have what it takes to deal with the Twilight of the Gods, but for now, I''m just some sort of insurance, making sure Greed is under control if he goes berserk... or hit Dora and Iris when they go ballistic."


    She clenched her fist and showed her biceps, looking satisfied, but far from impressing Midgard.


    "Could you pull that against Gluttony or Pride?"


    After these words, Elizabeth flinched and slowly lowered her head.


    "See? That''s what I mean, of course, Dora is strong, incredibly strong, we wouldn''t have reached this level of perfection so quickly without you, Sloth, but given that the Queen herself is afraid, we can''t be satisfied with that, by being stronger than average... We need more... If only we had more time."


    She bites her finger, looking annoyed. Everyone looked thoughtful, as reality had hit them once again.


    Dora was indeed infinitely stronger than before, even that was an understatement, but the only thing they could use to gauge his level was the almighty Queen, and although he was a genius, the three people who knew the Queen personally were not impressed by him.


    "What''s the point?" Zuri''s voice rang out.


    All eyes turned to her, so she continued.


    "I mean, you said it would be the apocalypse, right? So what''s the point of thinking about it? If we lose, it''s over, if we win, then we absolutely have to make our dreams come true."


    "... Little toad, you live in your own world."


    Elizabeth thought for a moment and smiled.


    "No, I think she''s right, we don''t have a choice, it''s do or die, so what''s the point of being depressed? We should instead think about what we''ll do if we survive."


    The others agreed and suddenly, the atmosphere was restored, to the great astonishment of Midgard who sighed.


    "I will never understand the minds of humans."


    "So how about it, the first thing you do after the Twilight of the Gods is learn to be more human?"


    Midgard shook her head, very confused by Elizabeth''s words, whose smile widened dangerously.


    "... Alright, that''s weird, I''m going out."


    But as soon as she turned her back, her feet left the ground, under Elizabeth''s powerful embrace.


    "L-Let me go! You monster!... Free me!"


    "It''ll be so much fun! We''ll do this together and with Eryl too!... Oh, and Miss Candace! It''ll be like a school trip!"


    She happily shook Midgard through the air, much to Candace and Eryl''s amusement.


    "Well... In that case... I''ll focus on my dream of being a sub-avatar and a holy knight!" Mercy clenched her fists with determination.


    She looked at her friends, wondering about their own plans.


    Freya sighed and looked at the large fence that separated them from the men''s bathroom.


    "I suppose that would give me plenty of time to convince him to join my house, and after that, we''ll see."


    "Ku... you still haven''t given up? Well, I''m this case, I''m also going to go on a trip, just me and him!"


    Zuri pouted as glanced at Freya.


    Strangely, the Duke''s daughter gave her a sweet smile.


    "That sounds like a great idea too, we''ll take a trip away from the kingdom."


    "I didn''t mean..."


    "Hm... I don''t know if Mother will allow me to leave... But It''s for the love of a Sin so she should be okay with it."


    "Can we do this after our scholarship? I want to have a normal year at the academy, since he''s not an E-rank anymore we should definitely be in the same class! It would be so much fun..."


    They talked like this for a while, exchanging their most beautiful fantasies.


    After a moment, Elizabeth also glanced at the fence, a mischievous smile on her lips.


    "Come to think of it... it''s always about him, about the Twilight of the Gods, about our dreams, it doesn''t seem right. Girls, look since we''re in the South... I had an idea."


    She turned to Midgard who was rubbing her hips angrily.


    The latter noticed her look and jumped.


    "Don''t you dare..."


    "Haha, calm down, I was just thinking... You share all of Dora''s power, right?"


    Midgard frowned and narrowed her eyes.


    Later that night, Dora was in the living room with Moonra, Gersey, and the council members, playing cards.


    Maxim and Lisa groaned, losing over and over again while Dora mocked them with a smirk.


    "It''s so strange that you always get the best set... aren''t you cheating? With your creation magic?" Lisa suspected the young man who was shaking his head.


    (Hehe... No creation magic... But a little illusion that doesn''t emit any energy.)


    He triumphantly crossed his arms, when suddenly...


    "Traitor!" A powerful headbutt to the back startled him.


    "What... UUH?!" he shouted when he saw the source of the blow.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Ouch... my head..." Wendy rubbed her forehead.


    Dora froze in place, his eyes fixed on the young girl standing in front of him. It was his little sister, the same one he hadn''t laid eyes on for months. His heart pounded in his chest as he slowly approached her, his mind racing with questions. Was it really her?


    As he reached out to touch her face, he felt a mix of fear and disbelief. He held her gently as if to confirm that she was real.


    "W-Wendy?! What... What are you doing here?!"


    "Uh? We... you... Uh... they..." She lowered her head, wiggling her fingers before flinching and jumping to his neck. "No, you''re a traitor! The school is horrible! It''s your fault!"


    Lisa, Sunnah, and Maxim watched the scene in silence, with several questions in mind.


    "Wait! What... Let''s go over there... What are you doing here?!"


    "Oh? Is it bad to see how our little boy is doing?"


    Dora''s mother walked through the door, accompanied by Candace''s group, the latter having a terrible smile.


    "Oh my god."


    A little later, everyone was sitting around a table.


    Several dishes were on the table and everyone was having a good time, except for one person.


    Dora''s mother and Wendy were next to him.


    Filled with emotion, the mother did not let go of her son, who had become paler than Zuri. She held against his arms while Wendy lay on his thighs.


    "I was so surprised when I saw Elizabeth at the door, to think you were nearby and was sad not to see us... We have a lot to catch on!"


    Dora looked at Elizabeth in disbelief, but not with a look of anger, rather with incomprehension and despair.


    (... Why?)


    (It was with good intentions.)


    They exchanged without a word, only with glances, Elizabeth looking away in embarrassment.


    "Hm, it''s very nice to have you with us, Mrs.Carper, I''m sure you missed your son very much," Candace said with the most terrible smile she could muster.


    Dora''s mother patted his head and nodded to the dean.


    "Can you tell? It was very hard at the beginning, our neighbors often helped us with certain tasks but I felt like a part of me was being taken away... You should have written a letter from time to time."


    "... I texted you every day... I sent you a phone."


    "I don''t know how to use these things, dear, Wendy uses it to play games, but we didn''t receive any message."


    Dora''s eyes shifted to his sister on his lap who was biting into a melon and pretending she hadn''t heard anything.


    "Ah, so he texts you? Every day? Um, I wonder what kind of messages he sent you after Thomas."


    "D-Dean!" Dora jumped, dropping his sister''s melon but saving it from the ground thanks to his magic.


    Everyone looked at him in surprise and little by little they realized.


    This, right there, was his only weakness.


    "Hm? What''s wrong? Who is Thomas?" his mother asked curiously.


    Candace laughed and stretched her shoulders.


    "Oh nothing ma''am, just a code for saying that... Hmmm, my shoulders are so stiff."


    Dora''s jaw dropped to the floor, his mother nodded and let go of her son.


    "Oh, I forgot, she''s your teacher, right? Go ahead and help her."


    Dora looked at her, his eyes were so white that you could no longer see his irises.


    He stood up, under the many stares fixed on him, and walked behind Candace then began to massage her shoulders.


    "There, don''t forget my feet afterward, I''ve walked so much, it''s very bad... for my AGE."


    "Oh my, I''m counting on you for that, my dear, Madam Candace really worked hard to get us here."


    As he worked on this task, he felt an evil aura growing around him.


    He looked up and saw with fear the eyes of everyone present.


    (It''s over.) he thought.


    Solaria and Freya sat next to his mother with mischievous eyes.


    "It''s so nice to have you here, Mrs. Carper, I''ve always wondered what kind of parent could have raised such a wonderful child," Freya asked, serving her some wine.


    "Oh? You''re flattering me, I''m not someone special, the real hero is him. He sends so much money that I don''t even have to go to the market anymore and Wendy can go to school."


    "My God, what a great son... You must be proud of what he''s doing."


    Dora began to shake and sweat profusely.


    Wendy frowned and finished her juice before noticing Zuri.


    "... the ghost girl from last week''s movie!"


    "GEH?!"


    Her mother put a cookie in her mouth.


    "Wendy, don''t talk to a girl like that."


    "Buch... nom... she looks like the princess of the underworld, in Tale of the Seven Princesses, look Dora, remember?"


    Dora shook even more and massaged Candace faster.


    "Tale of Seven Princesses... isn''t that an anime series for little girls?" Mercy asked.


    Dora''s face managed to become even paler, and his grip on Candace''s shoulders severely weakened.


    Candace noticed it and chuckled in surprise.


    "No way... Hey, little Wendy, are you watching that show with Dora?"


    "UH?!"


    All eyes turned to the little girl whose mother was starting to sweat with worry.


    "Hm?... No, Dora hates princess stories, it''s just my thing."


    "Tch¡­" the dean grumbled.


    "Ever since the Moon Princess married the Earth Prince, Dora has hated him because he was bad with her."


    A cry of despair echoed through the night.


    Dora was crouching in the corner, next to him, his mother and Midgard comforting him.


    "Please don''t get angry, she really missed you."


    "Yes, little t... little hero, and if it makes you feel any better, she''s trying to hide this secret... by revealing all your other secrets."


    "She''s what?!"


    In the middle of the room, Wendy sat on Elizabeth''s lap. Everyone surrounded them with pieces of paper.


    "And then he tied his hair over his face to look like a beard and pretended to be my father."


    "It''s hilarious!" Moonra burst out.


    "So that my friends would stop making fun of me because we don''t have a father."


    "Ah¡­"


    Solaria gave him an angry gaze and turned back to Wendy.


    "... T-Tell us more about the kind of girl he likes, you said it was a girl named.... the girl in this story... Suggy... Sugar?"


    "Uh? No! Sugar Dandy is not a story, it was the name of a man when Dora dressed up as a girl to accompany me to the Sisters'' Parade. A mean man called... Sugar Dandy?... harassed us, so Dora refused to go there anymore... But he still came the next year disguised as an older woman, but this time the little boys kept bothering him, so he swore to never go back there again."


    They looked at each other and glanced at Dora who was already half dead.


    They spent a wonderful night, enjoying themselves, laughing, and making fun.


    Candace and Freya took full advantage of this opportunity to take some long-awaited revenge.


    Mercy, Zuri, and Sunnah bonded with Wendy to learn more about Dora''s past.


    Solaria bombarded the latter''s mother with questions to find out all his preferences.


    Candace and Iris used both to force Dora to do anything for them, from massages to feeding.


    The poor boy, at the bottom of the hole, still owed his salvation to his sister who, annoyed at seeing so many people around her brother, claimed her right of ownership over him and obliged them to render him the same services.


    The game was reversed, then again when she remembered that Dora was the reason she went to school, she did the opposite, and again and again.


    Everyone laughed and had a good time, there were no royalty, no nobles, no Avatars, no peasants, just people having fun together.


    They concluded the evening with a photo with all of them, everyone, Dora and his family, the nobles, Midgard, Elizabeth, Eryl, the council members, and Candace.


    With Wendy at the center, the image forever froze the memory of the most beautiful day, not just another day, but his dream, because Dora did not remember that this moment was exactly the dream he had long wished for.


    A few hours later, while everyone was sleeping, Midgard was sitting outside, looking at the moon.


    She occasionally glanced at the photo they had taken, looking at herself.


    "So even I can smile like that?... How ridiculous."


    "Good, that will teach you to betray me." Dora appeared behind her.


    She glanced at him and tapped the place next to her, to invite him to sit next to her.


    Dora did so and both looked at the beautiful moon.


    "I betrayed you? Please, I''m in a rough situation because you forced me to stay outside, take this as my revenge."


    "It was way too much... I will never recover from something like this, and I didn''t know they would stay for longer."


    "Hm? You talk like this but your eyes don''t seem bothered at all."


    He looked back at her with a smile and then back at the moon.


    "You neither, you complain a lot, but aren''t you clinging to this picture too much? You look like Wendy with a new toy."


    "Ah, great comparison, fitting a wonderful big sister."


    She chuckled, while Dora rolled his eyes in annoyance.


    They remained silent for a while, bathing in the moonlight, when Midgard looked at the picture again.


    "It wouldn''t be so bad after all..."


    "Hm?"


    "I mean, being human, I never thought it would be so... Special... Tell me, have you ever wondered what you would do once this is over?"


    "What will be over?"


    "This whole story, the Twilight of Gods, the Queen... When you think about it, everything revolves around that day. If we lose, it''s over, but if we win, what will happen? Are you gonna keep being a knight? Are you going to take the freedom you wished for? Or perhaps travel around the world? I wonder if Gluttony will allow this one on the other hand."


    She looked at him for a moment, Dora kept looking at the moon and then at his hands.


    "If we pass that day, won''t that mean that the Rifts will be stronger again? I guess I could fulfill the grandma''s wish and take care of raiding forever... I''ll be immortal so I''ll have the time... hm?" He suddenly flinched, with a surprised expression.


    "Wait, maybe I could do that... If I use the Law, with greater creation magic, spiritual and healing, can''t I make someone else immortal?"


    "What?"


    He jumped on his feet, a large smile on his lips.


    "Yes! It''s possible! I can... I can definitely do that!... Oh, maybe there are even soul stones with that ability? I must do it! I''ll make everyone immortal!"


    "My dear... you have the power of a god but the mindset of a human... I see that this part may have bothered you a lot."


    "Bothered? That''s an understatement, I was so desperate! Being immortal really sucks if I have to lose everyone... I was so annoyed by... Why are you laughing? Is it funny to you?"


    Midgard laughed, hugging the picture close to her.


    "Ah, Sorry... I wasn''t laughing at you..."


    "Yes, you were."


    "No... it''s just... I''ve never thought about that... I''ve also been bound to a frozen body for an eternity, and I know that I existed before, somewhere... But I''ve never based the value of my immortality on another being."


    She looked at the picture again, with a melancholic smile.


    "For people like us, having relationships is a big problem... I don''t know about Gluttony, but in Sloth''s case, for example, I know that she isn''t that close to anyone. Elizabeth is the first person that I saw having a very special relationship with her, but except for her, an immortal should remain in solitude... So we would never suffer the worst pain."


    She stared back at Dora who sat next to her.


    "When I see this picture... I feel like this, right here, is the most dangerous thing humans have created... It''s scary to think that just a few hours ago, something like this happened... Ah, humans'' potential to create emotions is scary."


    "You think so too? I do remember that I had the same fear in another world."


    "... I understand a little more, why you would want to make them immortals. A future with you and me alone would be very lonely, don''t you think?"


    She leaned toward him and rested her head on his shoulder.


    They remained silent for a while until Dora nodded.


    "Actually, dying wouldn''t be that bad for them, the universe has more to offer than it seems like."


    "Hm?"


    "After all, even dying is a great experience for the one who dies, did you know that the real power of this world could only be accessed by dying? Being immortal isn''t an advantage, except for some beings that found a way to travel in this ocean while keeping their being."


    "... What are you saying? Trying to play philosophical?"


    "Play? Please, what do you call the time we both spent with them all? It was very hard, but in the end, we did it, we are now closer to the end than ever."


    Midgard raised her head and slowly turned towards Dora.


    The boy was looking at the moon, a smile on his lips.


    "A dream? The future? Why worry about these things? Let those who are born to serve as a meal have them. To beings like us, that thing above... that''s what really matters."


    He looked at his finger and laughed.


    "Am I so pathetic? A boy with a girl''s face? A good brother? A good knight? What is that? We are none of that, don''t they know that the wolf puts on a sheep mask when he''s hungry? Why are they making fun of us so much? Don''t they realize they''ve been playing our game all this time?"


    The wind blew, as he turned towards Midgard who was retreating in disbelief.


    "Don''t you think so too, Player?"


    His irises glowed a bright yellow.


    "Y... You... You''re... No..." She got up but slipped and fell. Kneeling, she looked back at the boy who stood up. "Impossible... it''s impossible..."


    "Hm? Why are you surprised? Are you still acting? You don''t have to do it anymore, at this point, they won''t interfere with us, because the day is coming and they have invested too much hope in us." He held out his hand, but Midgard remained on the ground, trembling.


    "How? How??? We have never used polymerization, your percentage has not increased, how are you the one in control? How??"


    "My, why are you still acting out? I told you they won''t stop us, you don''t have to play their game anymore... Or maybe you were serious this whole time?" His eyes narrowed and his smile widened.


    He took a few steps back and stroked his face.


    "Hmm, what a pleasure... we have never felt so alive... We have regained so much power and more memories... what a great situation."


    He looked at Midgard who was shaking on the ground and walked towards her.


    "Impressive, your acting is so great that you would really think you''re surprised, but we don''t understand... you''re the one who found the perfect excuse, why are you surprised?"


    "... Excuse?"


    "Remember, you said we could only exist in our polymerization form... wasn''t that a lie?"


    "... What?"


    He leaned toward her and lifted her chin with his finger.


    "We recall telling you that we were all Greed, every persona, every Synergies, they are all us. We... are Greed, so powering them would always benefit us."


    The moon hid behind dark clouds.


    Midgard, in shock, stood up, staring blankly.


    Next to her, the thing was contemplating its hairs.


    "Hm, did you know that we used to have them another color?... Hm? Where are you going?"


    Midgard was walking, expressionless, towards the building.


    "What are you doing? Are you gonna play the one who woke up from a nightmare? It wouldn''t be possible, this is only the beginning."


    She reached the door, holding it with so little power that she couldn''t even open it, much to Dora''s amusement.


    "If you really want to tell everything, are you also going to tell them our secret... That we''re the one who killed our father?"


    The wind blew stronger, Midgard, still unable to open the door, gritted her teeth furiously.


    Dora chuckled and nodded with a mocking smile.


    "You''ve known for too long now, we expected you to tell them today... But since you didn''t, we figured you were just cooperating... But don''t worry, even if you tell them the truth about us, they won''t be able to stop us now, because they have no choice... Look around you, Player... Do you feel it? The change in wind? The floating energy that disappears? The thrill that runs through our soul?... It''s already there."


    He raised his gaze towards the sky as Midgard trembled behind him. The fading moonlight caught the attention of every living creature in the kingdom, while those gifted with the power of emissaries stopped their activities and gazed upward in amazement. At this moment, it was as if the universe had aligned to in a single being, with a single gaze above.


    Familiar faces like a puppeteer, a berserk, a spearwoman, a mage, and a hero all looked in the same direction.


    In the Royal Castle, in her garden, the Queen''s eyes were also fixed on the sky, behind her, a man with long black hair stood next to a familiar little girl with long white hair and blue eyes wearing light armor.


    Both looked at the sky in anguish.


    "My Queen¡­"


    "What is this..."


    The Queen did not respond, focused on the formation that had just swallowed the moon.


    She bit her lips and frowned.


    "Of all places... it had to be here."


    As the clouds gathered and swirled above the capital, their purple hue emitted an energy that spread throughout the surroundings. Midgard looked up at the sky in despair, while Dora stood tall with his arms wide open, ready to embrace everything the world had to offer.


    "The Twilight of the Gods is here."

 Prelude

    These events occur a few weeks after the appearance of the gigantic vortex above the capital.


    In the following days, a public announcement was made and shared throughout the kingdom, an announcement that caused panic among the population: the appearance of a S-Rank Rift, just above the most important city of the Kingdom.


    All political sections had come together for the largest historic parliament since the creation of the Code and laid bare the truth about the Twilight of Gods.


    One man led the parliament, Agiel Elysium, an elegant blond man with strange ties to the dean and Queen.


    He was careful to create a story without mentioning the existence of the Sin Avatars and the true concept of the Twilight of Gods, Midgard was also protected.


    His first step was to define the Twilight of Gods as an S-rank Rift with a very high energy level.


    The power of the thing far exceeded the capabilities of the royal knights, he moved on to his second stage, which was to unite the power of the three main forces of the kingdom: the Guilds, the Royal Knights, and the Holy Knights, to create the most powerful team of emissaries in history.


    The third step, probably the hardest, was to evacuate the people from the capital, nobles, normal citizens, and even weaker emissaries. The formidable team could only have the strongest so the weak among the Guilds and Royal knights would be evacuated too, a big humiliation for some.


    Finally, the last step was the introduction of the kingdom''s special weapon, a boy with strange powers, an anomaly among the strongest, trained in a secret program for that day.


    At that parliament, only Dora and Candace were allowed to attend, but the official presentation of the team was planned for the following day, in the biggest arena of the kingdom where were gathered the greatest families among nobles.


    The noble families, the knights, and the parents of some were assembled in the arena for the biggest event.


    In the middle of the arena, was a platform on which Agiel stood, making a speech in the honor of the nobles present.


    The emissaries from each faction were separated into groups, and so among the group of Royal knights in apprenticeship, Hope stood still.


    He carried a large sword on his back, black leather clothes, and styled his hair with gel.


    With his hands in his pockets, he had joined the council group, almost late, but didn''t seem to care at all.


    During the speech, he showed his boredom by yawning for a long time, to the great distress of the council members, and would release his aura to threaten anyone who called out his behavior.


    "Oops, I can''t really control my energy, don''t provoke me please."


    It was his excuse most of the time, a pretext to show off his power.


    He had been doing raids many times a week for months and his level had greatly improved and was clearly showing off his power to his comrades.


    "This is so boring, I hope it won''t last long, there might be another Rift for me somewhere."


    He said nonchalantly, next to his comrades who looked at him with contempt.


    (There hadn''t been any Rift for days you idiot...)


    (Could you just shut up?)


    On the platform, Agiel finished his speech to the cheers of the audience and turned towards the groups of emissaries.


    "Now everyone, without further ado, let''s proceed to the most awaited part of this event, the presentation of the members of the special force that will lead a raid in the world above us. So a little reminder, the people who will be called have been chosen based on their power, prowess, status, and rank. For example, if someone is S-rank, but due to his nature of Hand, would be weaker than an Avatar, he would have less chance to be selected."


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Murmurs rose from the audience, mostly annoyed.


    "I understand your concern, but it''s a matter for the future, we can''t allow everyone to go there because we don''t have the certainty that everything will go right. Try to understand us, we may lose the principal forces of the kingdom, we can''t afford to sacrifice all of you. So now, please, allow me to introduce our heroes."


    A group of people in white armor walked forward, led by a man with long black hair, and tired eyes who sent a chill to Hope.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the strongest faction of the kingdom, the Holy Knights, led by Saint Peters."


    The 10 knights lined up straight, next to each other and Peters in front.


    The audience gave them thunderous applause, encouraged by Agiel.


    "Thank you very much. These persons are the strongest heroes our kingdom can possess and it''s a pleasure to see the love their people have for them, and now, the second group, the strongest guild members."


    About thirty people climbed onto the stage, of all ages, dressed differently, mostly guild leaders.


    They emanated a sensation of superiority difficult to describe. There were the people considered the strongest by the common people, those who were personally involved in A and S-rank Rifts.


    Most of them were figures well-known in the kingdom.


    They aligned behind the Holy Knights, under the acclamations of the public.


    ¡°Finally, the last group of the team, ladies and gentlemen, please applaud our royal knights!¡±


    This time, the public remained silent, because of the strange scene in front of them.


    At the announcement of the Royal knights, only Elizabeth mounted the platform.


    She stood still, next to her comrades, looking serious.


    "My, my apologies, it appears that I forgot to specify, like I said, only the strongest are allowed in this team, and it appears that after Lady Elizabeth, the next strongest person is an A-rank archer, so let''s applaud the kingdom heroine to put a name for the Royal knights!"


    He started applauding, soon followed by the public embarrassed.


    In this scene, Elizabeth didn''t seem bothered at all.


    She looked proudly in front of her, thus, the acclamation increased.


    Hope watched the scenery, lowering his head, but not because he was feeling sad, more to hide himself.


    "I won''t look up to you again, just wait a little, you''ll be surprised."


    Agiel finished his applause and turned towards the group of academy knights, the moment many had been waiting for.


    "Now, ladies and gentlemen, once again, following my explanation, we don''t have the pride to show off our Royal knights but we may actually have very talented people to cover this role in the future. The people I''m going to call now have been part of a secret training program for months, in preparation for this special day and their power has been evaluated at least A-rank. They are knights, nobles, and peasants, the perfect alchemy of our demographic, so now, please, allow me to introduce you, to these people."


    Hope raised his head and clenched his fists, once again, he released his aura to the displeasure of his comrades.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the dean of our knights'' academy and her students."


    Candace walked onto the stage, followed by Iris, Freya, Mercy, and Zuri.


    The public, firstly in shock burst into cheers when they realized the identity of the girls.


    The daughter of the Astaroth, the genius of the Avalon, the sister of the leader of the Holy Knights, and then a perfect nobody.


    But this casting already constituted a fabulous spectacle and filled them with great hope for the upcoming raid.


    On his side, Hope rolled his eyes.


    "So we meet again? Not really surprised, you were above me last time... but now..."


    ¡°And now, the followers of these ladies, the future of the academy!¡±


    Hope released another wave of energy, this time, strong enough to be noticed by most people.


    On the platform, Agiel was wearing a mischievous smile.


    (Calm down, dear friend, I''ve already noticed you.)


    "It appears that one of them is a very special case, so we will introduce him separately because this one is a knight who really impressed us, with his determination, his power... His lineage, so don''t worry if you don''t hear your name right now."


    Hope''s eyes widened and an uncontrollable smile spread across him.


    "... No way... I can''t believe it... it''s finally happening..."


    He started to tremble, unable to control his own body.


    Agiel held out his hands towards the knights.


    ¡°Come forth, Cid Barron.¡±


    Cid walked toward the platform with his traditional smug.


    People applauded him greedily, recognizing the student responsible for the best performance in the entrance exam.


    He stood a little farther away from Candace''s group and put one hand in his pocket.


    "Uh... Boastful, but wait for my turn." Hope grumbled.


    Agiel, hiding his smile, turned towards the audience.


    "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the long-awaited moment, the following person is... The hero of this generation, someone with... a wonderful record in the Rifts, coming from the countryside and good acquaintance of Lady Elizabeth, come forth."


    He held out his hand exactly in the direction of Hope who took a deep breath of air and walked forward.


    ¡°Anesidora Carper.¡±

 Habits

    The young man walked straight toward the platform, followed by a girl with green hair and a captivating beauty, the two heirs to the throne, and their maid. Little by little, as they recognized the people following the young boy, the public burst into cheers.


    "My dear people, please don''t be modest with your applause, these people from our marvelous dean''s team are the heroes of our kingdom, some of you might know them for their numerous achievements in Rifts all along the kingdom these past months. These people are our heroes, those who fight for us and put their lives numerous times on the line for us."


    Agiel didn''t refrain from his praises, explaining with his inspiring tone the prowess of Candace''s team and especially the importance of Dora in the plan. Still, all this time, his eyes were fixed on another hero, a hero just in class.


    The latter didn''t move like frozen in time.


    His view blurred a little, and he kept his stance with one foot ahead, ready to walk at a call that never came.


    Suddenly, he started giggling, head down, arms at his sides.


    Dora and Midgard stood next to Candace, in first place to receive numerous cheers.


    Agiel, as for a final blow, raised his hand towards the academy students.


    "Please, let''s all celebrate the true heroes, the ones whose names will shine forever in the history of our kingdom, forever."


    The student clapped, more loudly than emotionally.


    For many, it was a sword in a wound.


    Those who worked hard the whole time, those who planned to do better but weren''t aware of this event, are the only ones who should definitely be among the heroes.


    All of them watched helplessly, the crowning of those who forced them to bear the status of rejects.


    "Ah... Why aren''t I even surprised..." Hope murmured, a slight smile on the lips.


    He slowly turned around and noticed the council members, alongside Lisa and Thomas, all around him and watching him with a little anxiety.


    "Oh... you were expecting me to throw a tantrum? Don''t worry, it doesn''t bother me anymore."


    He started walking away, and as he passed next to Thomas, the latter without looking at him reminded him of his reality.


    ¡°Because this is how this world works.¡±


    "... I''m not part of that world, I''m following my own way."


    "We are all doing it, Hope, and in the end, this is always how this world works. Look around you."


    Hope plunged his gaze beyond the council members and noticed the facial expression of every student.


    Annoyance, anger, sadness, frustration. The hands were crying joyfully, but the faces were crying in despair.


    It wasn''t just jealousy, it wasn''t regret, it was only one simple fact: they were cheering for a monster and they knew it.


    Hope frowned and readjusted his collar before walking forward.


    "This is your reality because you let it be, you''re not different from the one who made it."


    Thomas looked at him as he disappeared among the students.


    He lowered his gaze and clapped emotionlessly.


    The presentation over, Agiel warned the people that they were urged to leave the capital until the raid was done.


    For that reason, popular means of transport would be accessible free of charge and would connect the capital and neighboring cities.


    The first people to urge were the average emissaries from guilds, then the rich families, and then the nobles.


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    The bigger was their asset, the longer they needed to properly evacuate.


    It was an afternoon inside one of the biggest buildings of the capital, outside the nobles district.


    The building, which was under the guidance of Agiel, was a state-of-the-art scientific base, well-known for being the future technological heart of the kingdom. The base was equipped with cutting-edge technology and was staffed by some of the most brilliant and skilled scientists in the kingdom. The team found it to be an ideal base on that particular day.


    In the hall, every group was separated, the Holy Knights on one side, the guild members a little farther away, and Elizabeth next to Candace''s group.


    The guild members glanced from time to time at the Boly knights with a little contempt.


    "Why are they even called the strongest? They''ve never been inside a Rift, this is stupid."


    "Just for the advertising, you noticed how this Agiel praised every noble? But almost nothing for us."


    Two guild members grumbled, meanwhile alongside Candace''s group, Mercy glanced from time to time to her brother.


    Zuri noticed it and shook her head.


    ¡°Want me to get his autograph?¡±


    "Eh? No! What''re ya... ugh... forget it, I haven''t seen him in months, that''s all!"


    Elizabeth smiled at her and glanced at Peters.


    "You should go talk to him then, he often looks at you too... You have a great bond so treasure it."


    They looked at him, a little flustered. Elizabeth hadn''t spoken to Hope from that day at the academy, and they understood how much it was burning her.


    She lowered her head and noticed their gaze.


    "Ah! I-I mean, it is so great to fight all together! Like... Like... hey, Dora, do you realize that we will finally fight in the same team?"


    "Oh, every time you''ve hit Iris I considered you as my team."


    ¡°Suck doesn¡¯t it?¡± Iris nodded.


    They laughed all together, not noticing the silence of Midgard.


    "I see that there''s a good atmosphere here, I''m thrilled for you." A beautiful woman with long yellow hair and a member of the Holy Knights appeared next to them.


    "... Saint Agharita." Elizabeth flinched.


    The woman curtsied and looked at them, smiling.


    ¡°Please, forget the Saint, it¡¯s a great honor to work alongside you, Lady Elizabeth.¡±


    She held out her hand, and Elizabeth promptly shook it with an embarrassed laugh.


    "T-Then... Forget the Lady too, please, we are all equal here!"


    "Oh... I wouldn''t say that..." She said as she smiled at Dora and Candace who glanced at each other.


    "Nice to meet you all, Prince, Princess, Eryl... Master."


    Candace pouted and looked away angrily, making the Holy Knight giggle.


    "Sorry for the intrusion, I''m here because I would like to ask for a service."


    "... Really? Oh, what is it? I''ll gladly help you!"


    "Well, it''s more precisely about Lady Mercy here, a friend of mine would like to have a private conversation with you but is a little too shy to come ask by himself."


    At these words, Mercy flinched and every gaze turned toward Peters who quickly looked away.


    "Not like that, you idiot..." he groaned, covering his face.


    "Him? Shy?!" Candace shouted, starting every one.


    Peters turned and shook his head angrily, Mercy, eyes wide open started to look like a child but Candace wasn''t ready to let this chance go.


    ¡°You see this, Dora?¡±


    "Hm... An adult soliciting a woman to have a private encounter with an underage girl, ma''am."


    ¡°Sacred blue.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you two?!¡± Mercy shook them by the shoulders, while everyone else in Candace''s group and the Holy knights, except Peters, laughed.


    ¡°We can clearly tell who has never been in a real Rift in their life.¡±


    A tall and muscular man wearing a shield and a hammer walked toward them.


    The laughing ceased, transforming into an annoyed gaze.


    The imposing man stared at the nobles then the Holy knights and nodded.


    "Do you think this is a playground? I know that the like of you used to have a tea party while we dealt with the real thing, but today We''re here to prepare for that thing above, can you be a little more serious? "


    Some guild members showed smiles of satisfaction, to be here at that time meant that this man was an S-rank among the best.


    He glared menacingly at all of them, meeting only burning annoyed gazes.


    Agharita turned to him with a smile and held out her hand.


    "My, my apologies, I wouldn''t want to annoy one of the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the kingdom, please consider this as my mistake."


    She held out her hand to him, the man looked at her before slapping it and turning his back.


    "So annoying, and don''t give me that hypocritical smile! Don''t make me come here again."


    He started walking away, leaving the group annoyed.


    Candace turned towards Dora, who nodded in agreement while he pointed his hand at the man and his eyes turned yellow, a scene that nobody else in his group noticed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it please.¡±


    Agharita put a hand on his.


    She gave him a strange smile, surprising the group members unaware of what was about to happen.


    Candace folded her hands, annoyed.


    "We were just about to give him a little lesson, to teach him humility, nothing serious."


    "I know, but what we need is team cohesion, so I would appreciate it if you could refrain from that kind of antics, especially you, Greed."


    She stared straight into her eyes, and an unpleasant feeling started flowing inside Dora who shook his head and withdrew his hand.


    Agharita narrowed her eyes and turned her back.


    "I''m surprised you would instigate something like this, Master, I remember that you used to be lazier, maybe the overwork isn''t good for you?"


    "Do not call me master, I''m not considering any of you as my students."


    Agharita nodded warmly and walked away.


    "Please don''t forget to meet with your brother later, lady Mercy, it appears that we might be a little busy in an instant."


    As she said that, the Main Gate opened, revealing Agiel followed by several knights.


    "My dear friends, I hope you enjoyed this little time we gave you to weave links, I can sense some vibration in the air so I''m guessing that we''re all ready for the next step. From now on, everything will really speed up."

 The Power Of Words

    The members of each group watched with suspicion as the gentleman curtseyed to them. He gave a teasing smile to Candace who grumbled, annoyed, and he made them sign to follow him.


    They walked around the building for a while and reached the main part of the base, at the top of the building.


    The structure was a huge base, with many scientists working on different technical structures, and many screens.


    The main screen offered a perfect view of the gigantic Rift that haunted the capital.


    The mere sight made some of the emissaries break out in a cold sweat.


    "So what? What to talk about? How long does it take to realize that we should go already?" asked a woman with a greatsword on her back.


    Agiel, one hand behind his back, gave her another of his smiles.


    "I understand your eagerness, but there are still citizens evacuating, so we would like to give them the chance to save their lives before we trigger this thing, besides..."


    He turned his back and nodded to a scientist who activated a screen displaying what appeared to be thermal waves.


    "This thing here, dear friends, is a map displaying the amount of energy emanating from the Rift, the redder a part, the stronger the level."


    "... Everything is red." Another guild member whispered.


    "Exactly, we already told you that this Rift was above the average S-rank level, but it seems that even that was an understatement. The level that this thing reaches is beyond anything we have seen so far, both in size and power. Given this, we cannot take any risks in the coming battle. If we fail, the world is doomed, simple as that."


    Everyone gulped and looked at the gigantic vortex again.


    One of the guild members, a young man with distinguished clothing thought for a moment and turned to Agiel.


    "It''s really convenient that this Rift hasn''t opened yet... Even too convenient, you seem to know more about it than what you''ve shown."


    Agiel smiled at him and nodded.


    "Good observation, but you''re overestimating me, my friend, we didn''t know how to react to this the 4 first days, so we planned to fight whatever would come from this, but since we got lucky enough to have the right to be prepared, we would like to take every necessary measure."


    At these words, a group of scientists began a maneuver and a great vibration ran through the building.


    "Dear friends, allow me to introduce you to Ambrosia''s finest technology: the Genesis."


    On the screen, the spectacle of a gigantic building with the shape of a satellite culminated on a hill near the capital.


    Everyone looked in amazement at this sleeping machine.


    One of the holy knights, a man with short red hair and a fine mustache scanned the thing.


    "I heard legends about an ancient weapon, from the previous era... It was called the Eye of God, because it was reputed to watch over the whole civilization, and capable of destroying a city in one hit. Many descriptions existed, but converged on a gigantic metal entity flying in the sky."


    "Wonderful, I''m glad to see that you''ve done your research, it shows why Holy Knights are in their own league, don''t you think?"


    The Holy Knight frowned and crossed his arm in response.


    "Well, I see where you''re going, my friend, but let me stop you here. This is not the legendary weapon of the legend, but a failed attempt to replicate it. The original one bore the name of Doomsday, the Destroyer world, and could destroy way more than a simple town. This replica is the result of a millennium, benefiting the fruits of generations of minds, all culminating in this very unique weapon. The Genesis is a weapon gathering all the ambient energy present in air, ground, even living beings, and converting it into a ray of energy repelling any entity coming into contact, not destroying.¡±


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    He drew the group''s attention to the main image of the Rift.


    "The Genesis will play an important role in our raid. First, we will shoot a massive energy beam right under the Rift, this should force the energy to convert inside and force the Rift to stay closed. For the next step, once the capital is properly evacuated, the team will penetrate the Rift, using the spatial power of Saint Angelo to teleportate and the shield of Lady Elizabeth to penetrate safely. Finally, once inside, you will do what you''ve all become famous for and subjugate this Rift ."


    Everyone looked at him with slight intrigue and turned towards the vortex.


    Was that really possible? Was there really a chance to achieve this?


    The thing looming over the world was more intimidating than ever, and Agiel''s hopeful speech did little to motivate the troops.


    "And of course, failure isn''t an option." An old man, a guild member in a light outfit mumbled.


    "Failure is always an option, and as with any option, it has its consequences," Agiel answered sinisterly.


    "Well, then I''m on the youngster side and suggest we hurry inside since we''re not waiting for any help in particular, what''s the difference if we go now? This thing will open if we fail anyway!"


    "Let''s say... we need an authorization for that, my friend."


    The old man, visibly annoyed walked toward him, grabbed him by the collar.


    "Listen, boy, I''ve wasted enough time in my life to play the game of an egocentric idiot. Do you want us to help you yes or no? Do you think this is funny? Every word you''ve spoken has been an insult to us, so now, either you let us go or I''ll make sure you have no more opinion."


    Agiel, the more and more strange, nodded to the old man and walked away calmly.


    "Fine, maybe you''re way more qualified for the task than I think. Maybe you could save the world?"


    "At least I''ll be fighting, not just waiting patiently outside."


    "Oh, trust me, sometimes being on the sidelines is worse, when your loved one goes into Hell... But let''s trust you for now, how about a test?"


    He slowly turned toward Dora with a mischievous smile.


    "This boy is our ultimate weapon for this event, if he can convince you that he can defeat you, you calmly follow the plan, how does that sound?"


    The old man frowned and turned toward Dora.


    He looked at him for a moment then looked back at Agiel.


    "What are you trying to prove? That I might lose to a child and my experience would mean nothing? How long do you plan on insulting me?"


    "You''re terribly mistaken, my dear friend, in this world, what really matters is the power. The power to bend someone to your will, the power to decide the fate of a civilization, this is only accessible to the one who rises above everyone else. So let''s say that this boy is stronger than you and wishes to follow my plan, wouldn''t you be overstepping your limits by forcing him to follow you?"


    The man was confused by Agiel''s words and shook his head in annoyance. He leaned towards Dora.


    "Listen, kid, I don''t have the time or the will to play around. Just refuse to do as this guy says and listen to the elder, alright?"


    At first, Dora appeared unfazed, but then quickly opened his eyes widely and glanced at Candace with a mocking smile.


    "Kuh... The audacity..." she groaned.


    Agiel couldn''t hold back a muffled, well-meaning laugh, but the timing was bad enough to make it look like he was mocking the old emissary.


    The latter, more and more furious, took a big step towards Agiel, his aura gathering in his hands.


    "... Dammit, Dora!" Candace shouted, and Dora''s eyes turned yellow.


    The old man suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. The suddenness of the event caught everyone off guard, and they looked around in confusion, trying to understand what had just happened.


    The old man was lying on the ground, motionless, as if he were sleeping. Everyone in Candace''s group was relieved and turned to Dora to thank him for his quick response.


    However, two other guild members suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious. Everyone was shocked by this turn of events and couldn''t understand what was happening.


    "Huh? Even them? Was that strong?" Mercy wondered, but the show was about to get crazier.


    Most and most people fell unconsciously, without any resistance, a scene reminiscing of Dora''s entrance into the Hunters Guild.


    ¡°Dora, I think that¡¯s enough,¡± Freya warned, then realized a pattern in this scene that she hadn''t been able to see until now.


    Dora stood in the same position, his facial expression showing immense shock.


    Beside him, Midgard, Candace, and Eryl began to tremble, the dean''s eyes glowing a bright white.


    Freya looked around, Zuri and Mercy seemed fine, but Agiel and the Holy Knights had serious and anxious looks.


    ¡°Dora, please stop now, they got it!¡±


    Freya shook him by the shoulder, but the boy didn''t respond.


    "Mercy..."


    A voice rose from the Holy Knights. The young girl, recognizing her brother''s voice, was a little surprised, but when she saw the anguish on his face, she understood that Dora had to be stopped.


    "Dora, seriously, stop now! It''s enough!"


    "Mercy!!!" Peters shouted more frustrated than before.


    He had fear in his eyes, not anxiety. The Holy Knights, who were standing behind him, had their heads lowered and were sweating profusely.


    "Seriously? Doing this here?" they mumbled among themselves.


    Agiel, forcing a smile, nodded to a few scientists who quickly rushed to another room.


    "Now, I said it would be faster but isn''t that too much?" Mercy and Freya, who were already worried, turned to Dora, whose arm was slowly coming down but his eyes remained yellow.


    "Please, Dora, stop now! Please!"


    Mercy pleaded desperately. Suddenly, someone gently caressed Mercy''s neck, causing her to let go of Dora. She turned around, only to be frozen in shock.


    "A young lady shouldn''t be so loud," Gloria said in an ominous tone.

 Madness

    A heavy silence fell over the room. No one could move, or think. Even breathing seemed to be taken away from them.


    The Queen, a hand on Mercy''s left shoulder, looked at the Rift with annoyance, then cast her orange eyes on the group of Guild emissaries, who were unconscious.


    "These imitation warriors are the most ridiculous things in this Kingdom. Them, S-rank? If I had more time, I would put all these soul stones into circus animals. Speaking of circus..."


    She looked at Candace with disdain.


    ¡°I see you took your job seriously, at least these can withstand so little pressure.¡±


    She caressed Mercy''s neck, sending a shiver down her spine.


    All the Holy Knights were already on their knees, Peters glancing desperately at Mercy several times.


    Agiel, also on one knee, addresses the queen.


    "Your Majesty, we never expected to greet you here today."


    "Expecting? Do you think there is anywhere in this Realm I can''t go? My limits begin and end when I choose, engrave that somewhere in your mind."


    ¡°I will never underestimate you, my Queen, forgive my clumsiness.¡±


    The queen sighed and looked at Midgard.


    From the snake woman''s perspective, it was as if she was in the hands of a gigantic monster.


    She knew that the Queen was hostile toward her, she also knew that if she decided to kill her, she would kill her, no fight, no resistance needed.


    "Good, now you look more presentable than the mop you were before. Fear of death sure changes a person."


    Midgard looked at her out of the corner of her eye, unfazed, and looked away frowning.


    Gloria turned then toward Dora.


    The boy remained motionless from the moment she appeared.


    She walked slowly toward him and raised her hand to put it on his head, as she came closer, Midgard''s anguish grew bigger.


    The Queen''s hand was now a few centimeters above Dora and stayed there, frozen, or rather as if it was about to vaporize him.


    "I wasn''t mistaken, you seem less human than last time. I suppose the failure did a great job."


    She retrieved her hand and walked away, leaving Dora almost melting in anguish.


    All this time, she never took a look at her own children, seemingly the last of her concerns.


    The two trembled in great fear, head lowered.


    "My Queen, if I may ask, why are you here? I might be wrong but isn''t it the first time you get out of the castle?"Agiel asked.


    She stopped and waved a fan, staring at the Rift.


    "I''ve forgotten how annoying it was to feel pressured, so I''ve decided that I don''t want to see this thing anymore, get rid of it today."


    A slight silence fell, followed by a general exclamation of astonishment.


    ¡°What?¡± Everyone wasted at the same time.


    "My Queen, I might be mistaken again but, you''re not asking us to lead our raid right away, are you?"


    Peter also came forward and got down on one knee next to Agiel.


    "Your majesty, it''s... it would be almost impossible for us, we severely lack preparation."


    The Queen glanced at them with disdain and agitated her fan.


    "This isn''t a request, I''m ordering you all to get rid of it now. Consider this the moment you pay back every favor you benefited from the position I gave you all."


    The Holy Knights looked at each other, while Candace, was clutching her arm.


    ¡°Always so inconsiderate¡­¡± the dean whispered.


    "And speaking of lacking preparation, I''m not counting on any of you for this task, those who can barely stand have no purpose there. I''ve already given you the best weapon you need." She ambled towards Dora.


    ¡°I hate wasting time so let¡¯s get to the point, are you ready?¡±


    She stopped right in front of him.


    The pressure in the room started to increase again.


    Everyone looked at the young boy with great fear.


    The Queen spoke, and an answer had to be given, but they all knew that only one answer was possible.


    Dora took a deep breath, trying to speak, but no words could get out of his mouth.


    Candace walked hesitantly next to him.


    "It should be enough, we''ve been training nonstop stop everyday, and as you predicted he is beyond any people I''ve brought in my Rifts. These people there are his followers, so I took them too to his training. Their potential has greatly increased, probably due to synchronization with Greed''s soul, thus they can stay awake even under your pressure."


    "Is that so?... Ah, I should feel satisfied for my offspring, but concerning the part of staying awake, it''s only an outcome if I allow it, do you understand?"


    Candace groaned and looked away.


    The Queen glanced indifferently at each noble, beads of sweat appeared on Mercy''s forehead, Freya''s lips were tight and she stayed focused on the ground. Finally, Zuri, shaking, looked away.


    "Good, seems like we won''t need to wait until your parent dig their graves to teach you what skeletons lie in the closets.... I don''t recall another boy though... Eryl, isn''t the blonde one supposed to be dead?" she stared straight at Cid confused.


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    The maid, with a little grimace, bowed.


    ¡°It was another blond man, my Queen, this one is a worthy Knight.¡±


    "Worthy? A knight? What a joke. Anyway, it doesn''t matter right now, as long as Anesidora is ready all of you mean nothing."


    She turned her back and walked toward Dora, but right after her declaration, Cid, furious, took one step forward, making the Holy Knights panic.


    (...This idiot!)


    (What the...)


    But just before he could open his mouth, Elizabeth sent him to sleep with a single tap on the neck.


    "You should have let him go, if I had turned him into a corpse it would mean that he''s worthless." The Queen said.


    She reached Dora, looking at him head to toe.


    "Alright, enough waiting, stop hiding your power, I want to confirm your level."


    Dora flinched momentarily and clenched his fists.


    He was about to try letting his power flow but Candace quickly patted his shoulder.


    "He won''t be as strong as you wish, Queen."


    ¡°... What?¡±


    "I mean, not enough to take out the Twilight of Gods by himself. Dora is very strong, a true genius, but in order to keep his Sin under control we could only train him while restricting his power. He is incredible... but not enough yet."


    A silence plane in the room, all paralyzed eyes falling on the dean.


    The Queen observed her all this time with strange eyes.


    Her gaze wasn''t filled with anger, but rather curiosity. The curiosity of knowing why Candace would lie at that moment.


    She glanced at Midgard who was sweating profusely, eyes shaking, and as if understanding that she was on her radar, she looked back at her.


    "... Are you kidding me?"


    The whole building started to shake, sending everyone on the ground.


    The ambient atmosphere became orange, and the air was hard to breathe.


    The Holy Knights struggled to remain on their knees, while the nobles were losing the ability to think little by little.


    The Queen, like a grim reaper, was standing in front of Candace, lying on the ground.


    "I''m not sure to have understood, you were supposed to answer yes, so why the long speech?"


    Candace was moaning on the floor. She tried to push the ground to stand, but the Queen''s pressure forced her to the ground again.


    "Who permitted you to restrict his power? Didn''t you hear me say that I wanted him as strong as possible? I asked you a simple question, and I''m waiting for an answer. It''s easy, just one word: is greed ready to go, Yes?"


    "... Aah... He... Aagh..."


    "See? You can pronounce three words, I''m only asking you one, so go ahead: Is Greed ready, Yes?"


    She put her foot on Candace''s head, but suddenly, a powerful shockwave shook the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    The Holy Knights flinched, Midgard, Eryl, And Elizabeth trembled as they all realized that Candace was no longer under the Queen''s foot but a little farther away, next to Dora, eyes shining.


    "... My, what a bad gentleman. She is underestimating you so I am just convincing her to open her eyes."


    Dora gritted his teeth furiously. The Queen increased her pressure, making him increase his instinctively.


    He took a look at the dean who tried to catch her breath, then looked back at the Queen.


    ¡°Sir Anesidora,¡± Eryl called him, understanding too well his psyche.


    "Dora... no..." Elizabeth managed to stand up.


    The Queen gave herself wind with her fan, lowering her pressure.


    "Don''t stop him, any powerful retaliation is welcomed, if they can convince me that you''re ready for the task."


    "... Unforgivable."


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    "This is unforgivable! How dare you threaten our people? This woman, these people, they all belong to us, the Avatar of Greed! How dare you lay your hands on them?!"


    His aura burst into powerful energy waves. The Holy Knights stood up one after the other.


    Alerted, Midgard rushed to him.


    ¡°Dora, No!¡±


    "Hmm... Hm?... Could it be..." The Queen lowered her fan and looked at Midgard.


    Her eyes suddenly shone in bright orange, and a shockwave struck the snake woman.


    Under the eyes of Dora, Midgard fell to the ground, she was still conscious, but bleeding nose, eyes, and ears.


    A flash of light froze the whole room, and the next moment, Midgard was next to Dora and the nobles behind them, unconscious, all under a protection barrier.


    Elizabeth, Iris, and Eryl were next to them, and further away, the Queen.


    A green light covered Midgard and Candace, making them recover little by little.


    The Queen smiled and walked toward them.


    "My... I was sure that you would try your luck there, it would be a normal human reaction... so that means that there''s really nothing human inside you, am I wrong? Sin?"


    Dora groaned and spread his arms.


    ¡°Our first mistake was to play your game, our second was to let you approach our people.¡±


    "Your people? Two of them are my children, aren''t you too greedy?"


    Dora frowned, a yellow wind converging around him.


    "We were keeping this for that thing above, but go to Hell! Polymerization: Asyl..."


    ¡°Voracity¡±


    A red light struck Dora in the back and sent him to the ground.


    The aura around him vanished, and the shield covered the group too.


    He gave one last gaze behind him, only to see Eryl, red vapor coming from her mouth.


    Elizabeth and Iris looked at her in incomprehension.


    "Eryl... What the hell? Why??? Why did you do that?!"


    ¡°Following my orders, Lady Elizabeth.¡±


    "... What are you saying how is...!!!"


    The next moment, Dora''s hand was a few centimeters away from Eryl''s throat.


    A powerful shock shook the room, and Peters appeared on top of Dora, struggling on the ground.


    ¡°Is this going to be enough?¡±


    "This was one of the strongest blessings of gluttony, Saint Peters, I took care of eating only his consciousness and active energy... But I can''t confirm he won''t stand up soon."


    Iris trembled and rushed to him, but fell unconscious too, Agharita appearing behind her.


    Elizabeth and Midgard were the two only people awake, looking helpless.


    The legend turned to the other Holy knights surrounding them and then to Eryl.


    "... It was a trap? You planned all of that to trap us?"


    Eryl whose hair had become normal again kneeled next to Dora.


    "It wasn''t a trap, Lady Elizabeth, but reparation. The Sin seems to be the one in control now, but Dora never used the dark energy. We have been fooled."


    She opened her mouth, red mist started covering Dora.


    "Fooled? How fooled? How can you be sure it was the Sin?... I thought you were on our side..."


    "I believe that I''ve warned you all that I was merely a messenger. My Queen was the only one giving me orders, and my limit was the human Dora. However, there''s no human inside a trickster."


    Elizabeth was dumbfounded. She looked at all her comrades unconsciously taken away by Holy Knights.


    Her hand wandered dangerously around her sword.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Lady Elizabeth.¡± A Holy Knight armed with a short sword appeared behind her. "We understand your concern, but you have to also understand that the situation is unpredictable, this thing isn''t a human but pure Sin, we have been fooled."


    "... But how could we be fooled? What are you basing yourselves on? I know him, I''ve lived with him, you''ve pushed him to his limits... it''s you who made him act that way!"


    She was stunned and spoke weakly before turning towards the Queen.


    All the Holy Knights held their breath. The apocalypse loomed above their heads, yet, they were about to unleash all their firepower on themselves. Gloria stood next to Midgard and suggested.


    "Why not ask this Player?"


    The snake woman flinched and looked around at everyone like a trapped animal in a zoo. Her eyes were wide open, and she could sense a murderous aura emanating from all directions. She knew she was done for.


    "Stop... Pressuring her! She knows nothing, stop accusing everyone else!"


    ¡°Lady Elizabeth, your power has only in equal to your clumsiness.¡± Eryl sighed.


    Gloria''s eyes shine brighter.


    "Tell me, Player, was it your doing? Did you hide the true nature of Greed from the beginning? Did you try to trick me?"


    Midgard trembled and lowered her head, or rather, put her neck in evidence as an offering.


    The Queen never asks questions, she asks for a "yes". She knew it was over.


    A single wave of energy made everyone flinch.


    Dora used her remaining energy to teleport Midgard into her spiritual room.


    Peters reacted quickly and buried his head in the ground, knocking him unconscious.


    But this little move was enough to save Midgard from a dire destiny.


    The Queen growled, her aura shaking the building again.


    "... This is exactly why I hate giving them the freedom to speak. Seize that stupid girl and her friends, they will be launched into the Rift alongside Greed and Sloth."


    The Holy Knights flinched, casting glances towards Peters who remained unfazed initially but then opened his mouth wide. Elizabeth slowly reached for her sword, seemingly ready to destroy the area, when Agiel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and whispered to her.


    ¡°Please, play along or I won¡¯t be able to help you.¡±


    She froze her move, letting the man approach the Queen.


    "If this is what you wish for... But if I may ask one last..."


    The ground shook even more.


    The Queen turned to him with a terrible gaze.


    ¡°I think I said letting people talk was a problem.¡±


    Agiel curtsied with a confident smile.


    ¡°Even if it is about a way to force Greed to fully awake?¡±

 Impending Doom

    An intense vibration shook the hill and echoed throughout the capital. The sound of an engine could be heard in the distance. Suddenly, beams of purple light began to form on the Genesis, starting from the base and stretching to the top. The light seemed to emanate an extraordinary power, which was felt throughout the area.


    The weapon fired a massive beam of light towards the Rift. The beam was so colossal that it illuminated the entire area. It only took a few seconds before the beam reached the vortex, colliding with the surrounding energy, and spreading out like water on tile.


    Gradually, the Rift was covered by light. The process was quick, but the sheer size of the vortex made it seem like it took forever. The energy surrounding the vortex seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.


    In the building, Dora was in a tank filled with a greenish liquid.


    Several devices to allow him to breathe and measure his physical activity were connected to him.


    In front of the tank, Agiel, Gloria, Eryl, and nine Holy Knights were watching.


    Some scientists activated a mechanism in another room, and little by little, the greenish liquid turned red, then orange.


    "And you''re saying that''ll be enough? Nothing more? Just bathing inside?" asked Gloria.


    "Yes, this small operation was prepared as an emergency for this specific situation. According to Eryl''s report, greed can absorb any type of energy and increase its level. The property of this substance is to replicate the energy particles present in the blood drops, so like I said, you only used one drop of your blood, but this tank is filled with your energy."


    Agiel explained, with a satisfied expression.


    "The premise is simple: Greed is currently divided into two beings, regardless of who is in control: the Sin and the Avatar. The Avatar can awaken at any time, but we are talking about the Sin of Greed, he would never let such rich energy to waste. Little by little, it will absorb all the energy particles and increase in power."


    One of the holy knights, a boy with short blue hair was nodding.


    "Can this really increase his power? I don''t doubt the power of the Queen''s blood but is it comparable to soul stones?"


    "Not only comparable, but even better, for now. The Queen''s blood is filled with a variety and quantity of energy beyond our imagination, stronger than what Candace fed him with."


    "Hm? Stronger than souls stones?"


    "... What I mean is, let''s just talk about basics. There is a rule for emissaries to never try to assimilate soul stones beyond their level. If an E-rank absorbs a soul stone from an A-rank Rift, for example, the difference in power will parasite him. His body will convert the soul stone, but since the power is immense, it will block his power until the stone is consumed. This is why Candace doesn''t just create S-rank Rifts... but now the particles surrounding Greed are beyond S-Rank, plus, the energy has the signature of an Avatar."


    "Like the black crystals in the undead Rift..." Eryl whispered.


    "Exactly, this is literally an overdose of energy that we''ve created, but Greed''s natural ability is the absorption of energy, so we can only hope that he won''t take days to be at his breakthrough point. Until then, we can only rely on the Genesis."


    They watched the tank with various feelings. Some worried about the capability of the genesis to block a Rift of that size, others about the concept of feeding a Sin with greater power, knowing that his last action was an attempt to attack the Queen.


    Eryl, on that second side, was thoughtful.


    (... A Sin on the level of the Queen shouldn''t be raised this way... This is too dangerous, Candace wasn''t wrong to try to restrict him.)


    The Queen groaned and turned to look at the Rift in the screen.


    "If this keeps that way, maybe I should go too with him. I don''t feel like leaving him all by himself in that Rift, there''s always a possibility that he kills and absorbs anything coming from there."


    ***


    Meanwhile, farther away, the nobles woke up in a train station.


    They stood up difficultly, wondering what had happened, and noticed Elizabeth, Candace, and Peters.


    ¡°... Peet?¡± Mercy murmured.


    Peters raised his head and gave her a remorseful look.


    They came closer, troubled by the defeated eyes of Elizabeth and the dean.


    "What''s going on?... What happened?..." Iris asked looking around. Next to her, Zuri shuddered.


    "Where... Where''s Dora? And Midgard?"


    The three lowered their heads, a reaction unmissable for Freya.


    "Alright, what''s happening there? Elizabeth? Dean? What happened to Dora? Where are we?!"


    "Greed... is alive." Peters broke the silence.


    The group looked at him confused. Was Dora alive? What a terrible way to not say that he wasn''t getting massacred.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Zuri rushed to him and shook him by the arms.


    "Alive? What alive? Where is he?! Where''s Midgard? Tell us what happened!"


    Mercy joined her, both giving a hard time to Peters.


    "The Queen, What did she do? Why are ya silent?!"


    "Listen, please... This is going to be complicated." He turned to Elizabeth and Candace as if pleading for help.


    Elizabeth gave him a look of despise and sighed.


    "They''re pretending that the Sin was in control of Dora, so they''ve captured him. Since the Queen tried to kill Midgard, Dora sent her... made her disappear. This guy right here did a great job in knocking him down."


    "Ugh!... you don''t need to..." he noticed Mercy''s eyes filled with incomprehension and looked away.


    "Listen... I understand what you all feel... This guy was surely a good pal, but there were two problems with him, and problems like big enough to not ignore them. We trusted him because we believed that the Sin couldn''t manifest at will... But if this thing managed to take over the body just like this, voluntarily or by anger, it means that there was a literal walking bomb among us."


    "... What are ya blabbing about? Dora is a nice guy! Ya know nothin'' about him! How could you..."


    "The same nice guy who has cut one dude''s fingers because he touched him? The guy who destroyed the life of an idiot student and claimed to let him enjoy a life of misery?"


    "That... That was only because they... They..."


    "Mercy please, don''t say that they provoked him. That''s even worse because it screams like an excuse to kill!"


    Mercy clenched her fists, trembling.


    Peters facepalmed and looked at all of them, by their burning gaze, he knew that talking would lead to nothing.


    "... Look, even if you have your convictions the Queen deemed him a threat. Everyone is on your side, we, the Holy knights, this man Agiel. We might have acted horribly, but if the Queen had taken all the initiatives by herself, there would be a dead body among you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Candace laughed. "Imbecile, stupid, freaking... Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!... everyone is weak?... I asked to train everyone, everyone! But she was the one who refused... she wanted her so-called personal knights to be the strongest... She keeps insulting me, but she still wants to use me... imbecile... imbecile..." tears of rage beaded in her eyes. Elizabeth put a hand on her shoulders with a comforting smile.


    "... I had a great plan... Ely, I knew Dora wasn''t ready, but I had an idea... Midgard said that Players are incomplete without Avatar, so they are definitely stronger... This imbecile Queen, Envy and Pride..."


    Peters flinched and looked at her with astonishment.


    "If we could make them join forces just for this... just this Rift, we would have a chance... if we fail everyone will die... I''m sure at least one of them will want to prevent that...¡±


    Her tears became uncontrollable and she let her little body collapse into the arms of Elizabeth who had stooped down.


    "I was wrong... I was so wrong... even if it''s because of his nature, at least Dora... No what am I saying? You saw his family? He''s not just doing this for the power... he cares about them, he is ready to fight for them... he is the only one who understands... You were right again, Ely, maybe I was just projecting my hate for this idiot onto him..."


    Elizabeth hugged her. Peter sighed, giving them enough time for the dean to properly expel her frustration.


    "I think it was actually better to not be able to say it. The Queen is easy to anger today and very unpredictable. Just because you talked about restricting Greed she took a terrible decision. You were all unconscious but the Queen first ordered to send you all in the Rift just like that... you already know how this world works, you know the weight of her words... Mercy I tried anything to keep you away from me just so you won''t have to deal with her!... And you still managed to find another one just like her."


    Mercy squeezed her arm, looking aside.


    "No one follows this Queen because we want to, but we know what she''s capable of... Agiel found a way to save you all from being sent there, but it came at the cost of sacrificing Anesidora and his Player."


    They stayed silent for a bit, looking at each other.


    Cid, the only one unaware of the secret of the Avatars was completely lost but did his best to listen more than talk.


    Elizabeth laughed ironically too, eyes fixed on the bottom.


    "So basically the plan is that we run away, far away from the danger, and we let Dora deal with the Twilight of Gods... Surrounded by idiots who will kill him because they have no opinion."


    Peters rolled his eyes and fixed Mercy.


    "The Queen never asked us to let you go, we''re putting everything on the line to give you a chance. I''ll be honest, I don''t see how we''re gonna deal with this Rift, I don''t see us win, so I really think that leaving the kingdom would be better. You will take the train and go to the south. If we lose, you''ll have more chances to survive, and if by miracle, by a really unpredictable miracle, we win, the Queen might lose interest in you so you will come back. I''ll make sure, on my name, to protect Anesidora''s life with my own."


    He stood firmly, the wind starting to blow.


    *   *   *


    In the building, the Queen was still watching the Rift.


    Like hypnotized, she observed the gigantic mass of energy, her eyes shining.


    ¡°Maybe I should just give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Eryl glanced at her.


    The Queen took a few steps, not taking her eyes off the screen.


    "The more I look at it, the less I feel endangered... I am Gloria, Avatar of Gluttony and very first Sin, I devoured a Player and submitted another one before reaching my peak. I am stronger than one thousand years ago... so why not give it a try?"


    Everyone in the room looked at her with a growing anguish.


    Her eyes shine brighter, again and again.


    It was only for a short period, about a few milliseconds, but she felt a goosebump.


    As she stared at the Rift, the Rift stared back.


    "What are you doing?! Stop, you idiot!" A scientist scolding another one took her from her daydream.


    She glanced at a man, surrounded by two other scientists who tried to keep him from doing a manipulation with a computer.


    Agiel noticed them too.


    ¡°You three, what are you doing?¡±


    "S-Sir Agiel...! S-sorry, this... our colleague is..."


    A metallic noise echoed through the room''s speakers, drawing all attention to them.


    ¡°The fuck man?!¡± The older scientists shouted while the second walked away.


    The one responsible, a young scientist, frail and trembling with fear, slowly turned towards the Queen.


    "I... I''m sorry..."


    Agiel walked toward him, keeping an eye on the Queen who frowned.


    "Gentlemen, please, could you refrain from such antics? You''re supposed to be the finest of the kingdom both in talent and attitude, so... Is that vocal communication?"


    The scientist, trembling more, nodded.


    "We... received a calling... and they''re asking to use loudspeaker..."


    "... Why would you obey that? Who gave you the permission?!"


    *Because I asked him to.*


    A single sentence echoed throughout the chamber, capturing the attention of everyone present. Agiel stood frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. The Holy Knights were similarly stunned, their mouths agape as they gazed up at the speakers. The scientists all stood up in unison, their eyes glued to the source of the voice.


    It was clear that the voice had come from somewhere beyond normality. The sound of the Queen''s fan hitting the ground was the most significant indication of this fact. The Queen herself was visibly shaken by the communication, and even her maid, who had been standing by her side, seemed taken aback by this sudden voice.


    The Queen slowly raised her head, her eyes still shaking, and her hands trembling with emotion. All eyes were on her as she tried to compose herself, and it was clear that everyone present was waiting with bated breath for her response.


    "... Pride?"

 The One That Monsters Fear

    "Greetings. My name is Rhea Silva, General of the Fenrir Empire and Avatar of Pride."


    The Queen jolted, her body shaking for the first time in years. Her eyes trembled as she gritted her teeth and frowned.


    "How is this possible?" she asked.


    *It has been a long time, Gluttony. I can see that you have been very busy lately.*


    The Queen, very frustrated, asked.


    "What do you mean? Why are you calling me? How did you get in touch with me? Where are you?"


    In a snowy forest, in an open space next to a small house, there was a large table with transmission devices and cables on it.


    All around, several people wearing strange black armor crossed with beams of purple light and helmets of which only the glowing eyes were visible.


    Sitting on a chair beside a table, there was a young girl with long white hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a black military uniform along with a white cape and holding a device.


    Right beside her was a young blonde girl with short curly hair who was busy cleaning the barrel of a machine gun.


    Another girl was sitting beside them with long brown hair, who appeared to be slightly older than the other two.


    The white-haired girl moved the device closer to her mouth.


    "Our location is not important at the moment, let''s get the formalities out of the way and focus on what matters. Red Queen, we know that an event called the Twilight of the Gods has begun in your territory."


    Gloria clenched her fist. In the room, its pressure began to increase again, causing some device malfunctions.


    *This event was a prediction from an ancient time and will bring apocalypse to this world, in the form of Disasters and Player rampaging. You may already know this, so I''m sure you also know that it''s exactly that thing in your realm that you haven''t been able to erase these past few days.*


    The Queen let out a deep sigh and took a step forward.


    "This has nothing to do with you! I have my own way of doing things, so stay out of this. And besides, this is my territory. How do you even know what''s happening here?"


    *You sound as nervous as ever. You should learn that only an idiot doesn''t change.* Rhea answered calmly.


    As tensions rose, the atmosphere turned orange and the scientists started to back away into another room.


    *Regardless of how I know, it doesn''t matter. Let''s focus on the matter at hand. I have no interest in what''s happening in your territory or how you operate. However, if the Twilight of Gods occurs, the consequences will inevitably affect Fenrir''s Empire. We don''t believe in your ability to deal with it, which is why I''m reaching out to you now.*


    The General''s eyes shone in a magnificent purple hue.


    "Let''s call a truce and put aside the Code. Fenrir''s Empire is willing to ally with Ambrosia to put an end to the Twilight of Gods."


    * * *


    In the station, the group was faced with an important dilemma: flee the kingdom, and leave the Holy Knights and Dora to the Twilight of Gods, or go back and be inevitably caught by the Queen.


    They looked defeated, frustration could be felt in some of their actions.


    Finally, Freya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked straight into Peter''s eyes.


    "I''ve made my decision, and as a psychotic idiot with no respect would say: my answer is no, and I mean Hell no."


    Peters frowned but remained silent.


    "I understand your concern, and somehow your position. You''re a caring person who wants to protect his sister from two disasters, the one above and the talking one, it''s understandable and honestly deserves praise. But for us, for your sister, we feel the same about the boy you''re sequestering."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Peters facepalmed and sighed loudly.


    "Seriously... How far are you planning to go just to have a Sin Avatar? I told you that the thing inside him was in control, are you that desperate for power?!"


    The girl shook her head and when she raised her head, her gaze was filled with a brand new expression.


    "Maybe he is a monster, maybe for some, maybe for real... But to me, he is someone I care about, and let me tell you that this is a rare species in my world. I wanted to see him as a monster because everything about him was above the normality... but the more I learned to know him, the less I felt pressured... He wanted to see me in his world, so if I was greedy to do whatever I could to achieve that, then I would be willing to be even greedier than the Sin in him.


    She put a hand on her chest, a sad smile on her lips.


    Cid groaned and looked away angrily.


    Mercy nodded in turn and stood next to Freya.


    "It''s very wrong to say that power isn''t everything when this was your only solution to protect us, Peet. Power is always good, not to be the biggest monster, but when you''re the strongest, you can protect everyone. At first, I wanted to follow Dora to get power, be stronger than you, and get you from there... Do you know what Dora said when I talked about you?"


    Peters flinched and looked at her with a little embarrassment.


    "He said that he wanted to help me, cuz if I was the Holy knight, the Queen wouldn''t be able to do anythin'' to me or ya. Dora wants to use his Avatar''s authority to save our family, does that sound like a monster to ya?"


    Peters was a bit in shock. He clenched his fists and sighed more.


    "Are you just ignoring the part where the Sin is..."


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn!¡± Mercy finally snapped.


    She was trembling and biting her lips.


    Peters seemed more concerned than before.


    "I don''t give a damn about that thing inside him... I know him, I ate with him, and hung out with him... I don''t wanna hear ya say that it was a trap... stop that... Dora is Dora, and if it was me being captured... He wouldn''t run away."


    She grabbed her arms as if she was in deep cold.


    Her speech was brief, but the emotion in it struck everyone.


    Zuri lowered her head, wiggling her thumbs. She wanted to make a powerful speech and convey her emotions that much, but she felt overwhelmed by the purity and honesty in Mercy''s speech.


    Dora gave her the confidence to exist, she was surrounded by friends, but she lost her capability to talk, after hearing her friend.


    Peters was taken back. He took a few steps back, Mercy''s gaze seeming sharper than ever.


    Eventually, he lowered his head and scratched his hair.


    "... I see... I... You''ve changed a lot... guess that''s what they call puberty?... this determination of ya is a big problem, I think I preferred when you were just a lil brat waiting for permission for anythin''."


    He gave her a comforting smile and turned to Elizabeth.


    "It''s beautiful... and admirable but... We''re talking about a Sin Avatar. You have a brother too, so please, try to understand."


    Elizabeth''s eyes started trembling and, with a faint smile, she closed her eyes and looked away.


    Freya looked at Zuri with a smile, expecting one final blow to achieve Peters'' will, but what she saw was a black mist covering the whole place.


    ***


    A breath of joy crossed the room at Rhea''s announcement.


    Every scientist was jumping in joy and almost hugging each other.


    Agiel, was standing in the same spot, thinking intensely.


    The scientists near him couldn''t hold their joy, chatting casually.


    "This is a miracle! The Queen alone is unmatchable, but if even Pride joins us, with the black knights, we can''t lose!"


    "We don''t even have to force Greed to awaken! Hurry, stop the operation!"


    They rushed to another part of the building, before falling unconscious.


    All the exclamations of joy faded away, and eyes turned towards this lady who was making the building shake again.


    ¡°Excuse me? Are you saying that you want to help me?¡±


    She raised her head, a terrible expression on her face.


    "Did I never ask for your help? Did I give you the permission to interfere with the operation of this kingdom? This is MY territory, MY world, Silva. I''ve never asked for anything and today isn''t the day I will begin."


    Everyone''s mouth opened in disbelief, even Eryl looked at her mistress as if she had just said the most stupid thing possible.


    *Oh? Is that so? Then why is it taking so long for your world to deal with the Rift? It''s been days now.*


    "It has nothing to do with you! For the last time, stay out of my kingdom''s business! And I believe that what you''re doing now is a violation of the Code," The Queen replied.


    There was a moment of silence before a sinister laughter filled the room.


    *Ah, yes, the Code they created after that day. Tell me, is this why you haven''t taken care of anything after so many days? Because you''ve mastered the art of running away?*


    Gloria''s face was burning with rage.


    *You''re right, this is probably an infraction to the Code, especially since now you have no other choice than to stop the Twilight of Gods, after all, If even one monster sets foot on Fenrir, wouldn''t that mean that you violated the Code?*


    The Queen frowned, her eyes starting to shake.


    *Good luck then, Fenrir won''t move an inch. Use everything to save your kingdom from this Rift, because if my world is affected because of your incapacity, this Code won''t save you from me.*


    The communication ended abruptly.


    The members of the room looked at the Queen with despair and incomprehension.


    No one talked, no one made a noise, but their eyes were saying enough.


    Many thoughts crossed the room, but in one single place, many ideas were created and erased hundreds of times in minutes.


    In a very small place, in the center, more precisely a tank, a boy bathing in a shining orange liquid frowned.

 From Problem To Disaster

    Mercy, Freya, Zuri, Iris, and Cid were lying in a train cabin, unconscious. Outside, Peters, Elizabeth, and Candace were talking.


    ¡°So this is how you want to do it?¡±  asked Elizabeth.


    ¡°I will do anything to protect my family, I am a simple man.¡±


    "But in the end, it''s just a cowardly way of solving your problem with your sister."


    "Maybe, and it''s a technique we have in common. Your brother is also on this train, for some reason he didn''t follow the other students, but that should give you the motivation to stay."


    He walked away, ready to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m entrusting Mercy to you, and sorry in advance because I know she¡¯s going to throw a tantrum.¡±


    Elizabeth smiled and placed her hands on her hips.


    Peters turned his back and walked away, leaving Elizabeth and Candace.


    "Yup... A perfect pair of cowards. It''s a bit sad... We could have gotten along, we can rely on the same things."


    "It looks more like he''s going to die." This kid has always looked like a zombie.


    They watched the Holy Knight for a few seconds until he disappeared, and then Elizabeth turned towards the train.


    "Let''s hurry, I''ll go see Hope first, can you stay to make sure the doors don''t close automatically?"


    This last measure was due to the concept of certain automatic trains


    In recent times, there has been a development of a new type of train in the Kingdom that operates automatically without a human driver.


    The train was designed to follow a predetermined trajectory, which ensured that the train operated smoothly and without the risk of human error.


    The train had a fixed departure time, which is pre-programmed, and it operates on a strict schedule. However, passengers could still delay the train by standing in the doorway.


    Candace sighed and gave her an annoyed look.


    "Why? So that you would leave them and go back?"


    Elizabeth laughed and looked at the horizon with a saddened expression.


    "He was just a country boy, miss, I''m the reason he''s in this mess."


    "He''s an Avatar, it was only a matter of time."


    Elizabeth shook her head.


    "That wouldn''t be fair. What would have happened if he had never encountered Midgard? He would never have awakened the Sin... Maybe he wouldn''t even be immortal... Hm? That seems unfair to Midgard too."


    She boarded the train and headed to Hope''s location.


    "I don''t care about things like fate, I played a role in this so I will take responsibility for it. I won''t run away again! The train will leave in 7 minutes, so please block the door if I''m still inside."


    She disappeared into another cabin. Candace shook her head and rubbed her nose with a slight smile.


    "Yeah, yeah, you know the train won''t move if you damage it somehow, so you have no choice but to not use your power... and that''s why..."


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    She walked away, checking her phone.


    "I lied. The train will leave in 2 minutes, but now I''m sure you won''t be stupid enough to escape and force them to stay in the capital. Leave the Twilight of the Gods to the fools acting like Gods, I leave the future in your hands.¡±


    ***


    In the building, a few seconds had passed after the end of communication with Rhea.


    Gloria stood still, staring at the transmitters as if hypnotized.


    The Holy Knights and the scientists looked at her in distress, unable to accept what she had just done.


    Suddenly, She clutched her shoulders and lowered her head, trembling slightly.


    "She knows... how does she know?... she... it was not a coincidence... she knew I was here now... of all day, she called the only day I wasn''t home. .. that must be it!¡±


    She stood up and looked around her.


    "She must be spying on me! She never followed the Code, she... But then..."


    She glanced at Dora in the tank and flinched.


    "She knows I''m... They... Darn it! Did she see that? I... I didn''t break the Code! I was... I just made sure to... to help... but he tried to attack me... he... it was he who broke the Code first, wasn''t he, Eryl?!"


    She turned to her maid who seemed disoriented


    In memory, it was the first time that Eryl saw her mistress in such a state.


    Gloria trembled and widened her eyes, the image of Candace under her foot resurfacing.


    "Eryl, my children! Where are they?!"


    "... In front of the building, in the car, my Queen."


    "Good, let''s go back home! I don''t want to stay where she can reach me!"


    "... But... my Queen, the Twilight..."


    ¡°I said WE¡¯RE LEAVING!¡±


    Her words echoed in the room.


    She rubbed her shoulders and looked away, confused at having lost her composure.


    "I can''t fight... She knows I''m here, she must know what''s happening everywhere!... I can''t fight her if I''m not at 100%... if I stop the Twilight of Gods by myself, I''ll be weakened... she... No, the castle is too close... Eryl, we''re leaving the town."


    She left the room abruptly, leaving her maid completely stunned behind.


    Everyone looked at the door as if waiting for her to come back and confirm that it was a joke.


    "I think you should follow her," Agiel called out to Eryl. "Right now the Queen isn''t able to think straight, she might commit a catastrophe if we anger her more."


    Eryl looked at him, her eyes shaking. She turned to Dora''s tank, despair filling her heart.


    ¡°We still have a chance.¡± Agiel who could understand her concern added. "Leave the matter of the Twilight of Gods to us, we will do the necessary to achieve victory. Please, don''t make the Queen wait."


    Finally, Eryl looked at the ground and left in hesitant steps.


    The scientists and the knights looked at her in confusion too, then after she disappeared behind the huge door, Agiel regained the monopoly of speech.


    "Alright, from this point onwards, the order of execution will change. The Queen won''t lead the operation, Fenrir won''t intervene, and we have lost the kingdom''s strongest knight. Basically, the only hope of the world is gathered in this place, so congratulations, in an idealistic future you will all become heroes."


    Everyone looked at each other in shock.


    "I think it''s time to use this, Holy knights, go in position with the guild emissaries around the town, make sure that the town is deserted, Dr.Loyd, connect XC, XD, and XF to Alpha."


    The scientist, an old man wearing a monocle and a mustache flinched.


    "... all of them? All the contents of the reserves?"


    ¡°And increase the Genesis¡¯ consumption in energy, we will need more time than what we anticipated.¡±


    "... Sir... You want to infuse Greed with all the S-rank stones we stored for thousands of years? With all due respect, sir this is crazy! Even for the Twil-"


    A loud noise shook the entire city, causing everyone in the building and on the streets to look up. Candace stopped running, frozen in place, while Peters arrived in front of the building and widened his eyes. All eyes were fixed on the Rift, which had just emitted an incredible noise. It was as if an explosion had occurred above the Genesis barrier, or perhaps a giant was knocking gently on the door of the sky, seeking permission to enter.


    Agiel sighed and took a gun off his vest.


    "It appears that I don''t have that much time, so I''m asking you for the last time: connect XC, XD, and XF to Alpha."


    He pointed his gun at the scientist who lowered his head and nodded to his subordinates.


    The group complied and performed a large number of maneuvers on computer screens.


    A noise of machinery rose near Dora''s tank and the orange liquid lit up.


    Pipes connected to the ground conveyed a viscous, sparkling white liquid, all of which mixed with the tank and completely engulfed Dora.


    The scientists and the Holy Knights watched this scene with horror, but from the moment the Queen walked into the room, they had accumulated failures and disappointment.


    Only a miracle could save them now.


    One by one, the Holy Knights left the room.


    At the foot of the building, Peters revealed a large red spear, with black patterns.


    ¡°What the heck are you doing here?!¡±


    Elizabeth drew her sword and took an offensive stance.


    "I am here... For my brother!"

 The Last Ray Of Sunlight Before Dusk

    (A few minutes ago)


    Elizabeth was running desperately onto the train.


    She opened one stall, then rushed to another.


    A deep anxiety was emerging more and more.


    (WHERE?)


    She reached the back of the vehicle and looked around in distress.


    She had checked the entire cabin and toilets, but Hope was nowhere in sight.


    (Peters wouldn''t lie about that...I know he was supposed to take that one... So where?!)


    She took a few seconds to think about her brother''s position when she realized.


    She remembered his strange behavior lately and turned her gaze to the windows.


    "That idiot!"


    She rushed out of the train and did a phenomenal bond, disappearing from the station in an instant.


    Behind her, the doors closed and the train began its journey.


    * * *


    She held her sword tightly and a white aura began to cover it.


    Peters frowned and covered himself in his black aura.


    "A battle between you and me will destroy this place, think about what you''re doing!"


    "That''s the point, moron! I''m doing this my way now!"


    "I thought we had an accord, what''s wrong with you?!"


    He stood guard, ready to intercept the missile in front of him.


    "By the way, Saint Peet, if you go all out, we will destroy this building."


    "So don''t be crazy and¡­"


    "But if you don''t resist, I will do it gently and we won''t make the Queen fall 50 meters so... whatever happens, it''s your fault."


    He opened wide his eyes in disbelief.


    "Why do you even need a handicap, for God''s sake?!"


    A blinding light covered the area and the building shook.


    At the top, Agiel smiled and dialed a number on his phone.


    "There''s a troublemaker at the base, the Queen needs you to delay her as long as possible."


    A figure in a dark room yawned long and responded in a monotone voice.


    "How embarrassing... Very well, very well, if it is for her majesty."


    In the hall, several people gathered, worried about the origin of the explosion.


    They reached the huge door when another explosion blew it open.


    In the rubble, Elizabeth moved forward with determined steps.


    She looked at everyone and placed a hand on her hip.


    "Alright, now listen, if you don''t want your wives, your children or your mistress to mourn your death, get behind me, I''ll give you 10 seconds."


    The people looked confused and murmured among themselves, but when Elizabeth raised her sword, they fled in panic.


    Elizabeth held her position for a few seconds before jumping forward.


    A new explosion shook the building, scientists run in all directions and activate the surveillance cameras.


    They managed to catch a glimpse of the legend before losing contact, followed by another earthquake.


    "It''s bad! The building is going to collapse!"


    "What is she doing?!"


    "Hurry up, call the Holy Knights! If it goes higher, it will affect the transfusion module!"


    They exclaimed in panic, running around until Agiel''s applause brought silence.


    "Calm down everyone, everything is under control."


    "But sir, she could damage the pipes that feed Greed."


    "Don''t worry, like I said, everything is under control. Keep an eye on the Genesis ratio."


    Several floors down, Elizabeth reached a huge hallway.


    She started running forward, but as she reached the door to the next room, she flinched and jumped backward, and just then, the floor in front of the door exploded.


    Smoke spread from the impact zone and gradually covered the corridor, Elizabeth kept calm and looked around her.


    A few laughs arose.


    "Aw... She really dodged it..."


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That''s the legend for you.¡±


    In the smoke, humanoid shadows surrounded Elizabeth.


    The young woman nodded and released a wave of energy that swept away the cloud of smoke.


    Around her, four women stood, each displaying animal features.


    "The Queen''s Nymphs... Of course."


    A woman with short, curly orange hair and big cat ears started laughing.


    "Remember us? I feel honored."


    "Speaking of honor... uh... can I ask for an autograph? Asking for a friend." A mouse-eared woman asked shyly.


    Elizabeth raised her head to the ceiling and gradually covered herself with her aura, alarming the nymphs.


    ¡°So hasty¡­¡± A woman with black hair and bat ears came out of the hole in the ground. ¡°Girls, could we stop being stupid for a second?¡±


    "But I''m so good at this..." the mouse-eared girl complained.


    "I''ll give you a cheese if you''re a good girl, everyone in position, order: delay the legend as long as necessary and without causing serious damage to the building. I will reinforce the wall, you concentrate on her."


    She turned into a shadow and melted into the ground, the others stood in front of the door.


    ¡°Whenever you want, legend.¡± Said the cat-eared woman.


    Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and raised her sword.


    "Okay... She''s going to reinforce the walls? So I''m going to take it a little more seriously..."


    A blinding light covered the place and the building shook even more than before.


    Most of the scientists fell to the ground, Agiel, with an impressed smile pressed a button on his watch.


    ¡°Saint Agharita, Saint Leo, please come back to the building, we need more claws.¡±


    In the hallway, a huge hole was the result of Elizabeth''s attack.


    She lowered herself and then jumped, crossing the entire upper floor in an instant.


    She swung her sword, but instead of hitting a wall, it hit a dark matter.


    Behind her, the car girl and the fox appeared their eyes glowing orange.


    "I see... you have her blessings too."


    She swung her sword in their direction, overwhelming them with light.


    ¡°Voracity¡±


    A red flash covered the atmosphere and Elizabeth''s attack vanished, as if she had just hit the void.


    She glanced behind her and noticed the mouse eared girl.


    "Long range is a no go... Buster Blade"


    A blue aura covered her sword, she leaned backward, in a swinging stance, frightening the mouse woman.


    "Hiiiiii!!! She''s going serious! She''s going serious!"


    Elizabeth vanished and reappeared right above her head.


    ¡°You asked for my autograph?¡±


    Before the girl could even understand what was happening, a blue flash crushed her and crossed the floor, throwing her to the top bottom.


    The fox girl reappeared, a few centimeters behind Elizabeth.


    ¡°Bloody bite¡±


    Her teeth planted on Elizabeth''s shoulder, but couldn''t penetrate her skin, to her surprise.


    Her view went white, as Elizabeth, vanished and reappeared above her before planting her head in the ground with a destructive stomp.


    The cat girl flinched and jumped back.


    ¡°Seriously... What are you made of?¡±


    ¡°Muscles and pure love.¡± She raised her sword again and the light still engulfed the room.


    The building shook once more, everyone was watching in surveillance camera the prowess of the legend.


    Petals of rose covered her location, and soon, roots covered the whole place.


    It was the signature of the Holy Knight Saint Leo, a garden of brambles and toxic vegetation growing constantly and used here as a shield.


    He held a fencing sword and stood still, thinking.


    "You could have just jumped to the top from the beginning... why waste time by running around the whole building?"


    He could only have a few seconds to rest before his wall exploded.


    Elizabeth walked through bits of disintegrating brambles.


    "... Give me a break, we can''t go all out so at least go smaller on us."


    "I''m going small from the beginning." She said while raising her sword.


    A shadow crossed the room and the woman with bat''s ear came out of the wall.


    "Good, Saint Leo, I''m too tired to deal with this thing. Leaving the rest to you, bye!"


    "Wait... What?!"


    The light covered them again, and the building shook.


    Outside, near some rubble, Agharita stood beside Peters, sitting angrily.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re giving up.¡±


    "What else do you want me to do? She won''t hesitate to fight seriously if you show resistance, I prefer to let the Queen deal with this than getting punished for having destroyed the laboratory... with her inside."


    "Well... at least she''s giving us some time by climbing the building... I wonder why she didn''t just jump on the top."


    Peters sighed and looked at the vortex in the sky.


    ¡°Her brother didn¡¯t take the train, so she thinks he is here.¡±


    Agharita giggled and crossed her arms.


    "Hm... Such a good sister... what a pity, I wouldn''t mind having her in the Holy....!!!!"


    At this moment, Agharita flinched and looked above.


    Peters noticed and stood up.


    "What? Did you feel something in the Rift?"


    "... Peters..."


    Peters frowned momentarily then flinched and looked above too.


    Both had their eyes in the sky, but not to watch the Rift.


    They were focused on the top of the building.


    Inside the laboratory, the scientists watched in amazement as Elizabeth ridiculed Saint Leo.


    They became afraid of their fate if the young woman reached them, they knew her goal was against the Queen''s will and thus they would have to pay the price one way or another.


    One of them, desperate to see a miracle turned toward Agiel when he noticed a change in his gaze.


    Agiel was intently observing a specific direction, with a worried expression.


    The scientist followed his gauze and put the tank where Dora was bathing in orange liquid.


    He nodded, a little intrigued when he finally noticed it.


    "...Where are the compressed soul stones? Hey, who stopped the injection?"


    His colleagues looked at him and then rushed towards numerous computers.


    "Did she destroy a pipe?... Uh? No, it still works."


    "Hm? Look, there are still soul stones in stock... Why did it disappear?"


    "... Oh no, guys! Greed''s vital signs are diminishing!"


    They turned to a computer displaying several symbols and a silhouette, the numbers displayed were dropping dangerously and the Heat zones were turning blue.


    ¡°Heart rate less than 45 beats!"


    ¡°Body temperature below 34¡ãC! We¡¯re losing him!¡±


    In the tank, Dora was motionless, but somewhere in her head, a phenomenal hurricane was happening.


    |System alert


    |Critical threshold reached


    |Creation of a new module


    |XXX Body


    |System alert


    |Capacity limit reached


    |implementation of a new module


    |XXX Body deleted


    The scientists were running around, performing numerous maneuvers.


    Agiel stood in front of the tank, watching carefully, his smile growing wider and wider.


    |System error


    |Limit capacity reached


    |Implementation of a new module


    |Sigma: 2%


    |Sigma: 1%


    |System error


    |Conversion of stat points


    |Sigma: 0%


    |Sigma deleted


    Dora''s vital signs dropped again. The desperate scientists increased the flow of soul stones more and more, but no change occurred.


    |Implementation of a new module


    |Gamma: 3%


    |Gamma: 1%


    |System error


    |Conversion of stat points


    |Gamma: 0%


    |Gamma deleted


    Agiel narrowed his eyes, he carefully observed the tank where a strange change was occurring.


    Little by little, the orange light disappeared or rather converged on Dora.


    |Implementation of a new module


    |Beta: 12%


    |Beta: 7%


    |System error


    |Beta: 4%


    |Beta: 1%


    |Conversion of stat points


    |Beta: 0%


    |Beta deleted


    |All nominal systems


    |Enter the final phase


    |Final body ready


    |Initiate awakening


    ¡°Stop the operation, now!"


    Dora''s eyes opened, glowing a bright yellow.


    ¡°Nucleus: Perfect Avatar¡±